Eli5 – Why are drums round? Is it something to do with the shape that determines the ability to hit something and get a percussive sound out of stretched materials?

Question

Eli5 – Why are drums round? Is it something to do with the shape that determines the ability to hit something and get a percussive sound out of stretched materials?

In: 64

Answer 1

The circle is ideal. It puts tension across the drum skin evenly which makes the sound more even. . You can do a square or triangle drum but it would not be as easy to tune the whole skin evenly.