A tom-tom is a cylindrical drum without snares (the rattling wires you find on a snare drum). Tom-toms come in different sizes, from small ones that produce high, sharp sounds to large floor toms that boom with deep tones. Drummers typically use several tom-toms as part of a drum kit, hitting them with drumsticks to create fills and rhythmic patterns between the steady beats of the bass drum and snare.

When you hear a drummer perform an exciting drum solo, those rapid, cascading sounds often come from them playing across multiple tom-toms arranged around their kit.

The word can also refer to a simple drum used for signaling or communication, beaten in a steady rhythm to send messages across distances. In historical contexts, people used tom-toms to warn of danger, announce important events, or coordinate groups across villages.