Wikipedia:Describing drum sizes

• Cylindrical drum sizes should be given as diameter x depth, both in inches, unless there is some reason for adopting another convention.

• The convention used, whether this or any other, should always be explicitly stated.

Background

The size of a cylindrical drum such as a snare drum, tom or bass drum is commonly expressed as diameter x depth, both in inches. However, this convention is not universally adopted.

For example, 14 x 5 is a common snare drum size. However, some manufacturers use the opposite convention, and put the depth first, so they would call this size 5 x 14. Makers using this alternative, depth-first convention include Drum Workshop, Slingerland, and Tama Drums,

Makers who use the diameter-first convention include Premier Percussion, Pearl Drums, Sonor, Mapex, and Yamaha Drums.

Magazine articles and websites are completely inconsistent... sometimes within the same magazine, or even the same blog thread. Product reviews may use the convention used by the maker of the product being reviewed. Other writers may simply use the convention of the brand they themselves play. Endorsers will tend to follow their sponsor's practice, and magazines may follow that of their major advertisers. The convention followed is most often unstated.

Detailed recommendations

• By default, use diameter x depth.

This is the more common convention.

• Always describe the convention used, on the first occasion it is used.

In most cases, this is the first occasion in the article, but in long articles it may be the first occasion in a section.

Many readers may not realise there is more than one convention. Drum catalogs and websites generally don't point this out, and often don't even say what their convention is, implying that it should be understood.

• If describing a particular kit by a maker who uses the depth-first convention, consider using that instead.

Often in an article, only one kit is described. If it's by DW, for example, it may be less confusing to use the sizes as DW give them. In this case of course it is particularly important to state the convention being used.

• Balance this with consistency within the article.

If several kits are described by different makers at least one of which uses diameter-first, it's probably best to stick to this convention throughout. In any case, the most important thing is to make it quite clear which convention is being used.