How to Make a Marching Tenor Drum Pad

Tenor drum rigs are one of the most important percussion instruments in a marching band. The rig is essentially a six-piece drum set that the player wears around his midsection. This allows him to walk and play at the same time. Developing skills on any instrument requires hours of practice, but noise restrictions can make it difficult to practice at the best of times. However, making a tenor drum pad from a few household items allows you to practice anytime of day.

Lay the roll of foam rubber out on a flat, dry and level surface

Place the large round plate on the foam rubber and trace around it with your marker. Repeat this process three times to make the pads for the four large drums on a tenor drum rig.

Place the small round plate on the foam rubber and trace around it with your marker. Repeat this process once more to make the two small drum pads.

Place the roll of adhesive felt onto a flat, dry surface. Trace the large plate four times, and the small plate twice with your marker.

Carefully cut around the traced lines on the foam and felt with your scissors or utility knife.

Remove the paper covering the adhesive on the felt and stick the felt circles to their corresponding foam pieces.

Attach a piece of double-sided Velcro to the underside of all six drum pads.

Lay three strips of Velcro horizontally across the plywood. Velcro is the best option of adhering the pads to the wooden base because you have the option to arrange the pads in the layout of your choosing.

Arrange the six drum pads in the traditional setup of a tenor drum rig which would place the four large pads across the top of the wood, and the two small pads at the bottom.