In military and marching bands the bass drum has two heads, tensioned by rope lacings or metal rods, and it is struck on either head. Originally the bass drum was beaten with a stick held in the right hand and a switch held in the left; in modern regimental bands the right hand beats time with a larger stick than that used for the accompanying rhythms played by the left. Most bass drums used in Western-style orchestras have only one rod-tensioned head; even two-headed ones normally are struck on one head only. Bass drums can be as large as 40 inches (100 cm) in diameter and 20 inches (50 cm) in height; for special purposes (e.g., for some U.S. college sporting events) giant drums have been constructed. British orchestras often use a larger type of one-headed bass drum known as a gong drum. Similar large cylindrical drums are the Turkish folk davul and the South Asian dhol.

Large two-headed drums have been in existence since 2500 BC when they were used in Sumeria. Not until the 18th century did the bass drum become a member of the European orchestra. When introduced it was called a Turkish drum, because it was derived from the instrument used in the Turkish Janissary (Janissary music) bands that inspired many late 18th-century European composers. Initially it was used for special effect, as in Joseph Haydn (Haydn, Joseph)'s Military Symphony (1794).