Strike placement on a drum excites modes by their amplitude at that point

Evidence

The sound source in percussion instruments usually involves some kind of striking. This is most often by means of a stick or mallet, which may be made of wood or metal and may have a plastic or cloth-covered padded striking end. However, this is not the case in a cymbal crash, when two cymbals are struck together. Such a sound source is known as an “impulse.” The spectrum of a single impulse is continuous since it is nonperiodic (i.e., it never repeats), and all frequency components are present. Therefore any instrument that is struck is excited by an acoustic sound source of short duration in which all frequencies are present. All modes the instrument can support will be excited, and each will respond in the same way that the plucked reed vibrates, as illustrated in Figure 4.21. The narrower the frequency band of the mode, the longer it will “ring.” (One useful analogy is the impulse provided if a parent pushes a child on a swing just once. The child will swing back and forth at the natural frequency of the swing and child, and the amplitude of the swinging will gradually diminish. A graph of swing position against time would be similar to the time response for the hard reed plotted in Figure 4.21.) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1266 (#qualifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Where you strike a percussion instrument governs which modes sound; A hammer strike excites every mode an instrument can support simultaneously — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1266; Mallet hardness and strike position shape a drum’s brightness (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Where you strike a percussion instrument governs which modes sound #corroborates (0.95)
• Mallet hardness and strike position shape a drum’s brightness #expands (0.85)
• A hammer strike excites every mode an instrument can support simultaneously #qualifies (0.80) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1266
• Loudspeaker position determines which room modes get excited, as with bowed strings #expands (0.75)