Drum is a percussion instrument frequently used in China. From the perspective of the culture relics these days, drum has a history of an estimated 3000 years. In ancient times, it was not only used in sacrifices and dancing music, but also fighting against the enemies and wild beasts. It can be also used to give alarms and tell the time. Along with the social development, drum has been gradually used in various kinds of activities, such as ethnic bands, operas, folk art forms, singing and dancing, boat races, and festivals and laboring competitions and so on. The structure of drum is quite simple, which is made up of the drum skin and the body. The sounds are produced by striking or lapping on the skins. In China, there are many kinds of drums, yaogu indicating the drums tying to the waist, and gu is the Chinese translation of drum, dagu, tonggu, and huapengu.

Yaogu is big in the middle and small at the two ends, shaped like a canister. The two ends are covered with the cow skin or the skin of the mule. There are two rings on the surface of the drum, tied with a rope in order to fix up the drum. There are four specifications of yaogu, but none of them have fixed tones. They sound clear, and are often used to perform accompaniments for the folk dancing. Drums are also an instrument for the dancers. While performing, dancers usually hang the drum on the waist, holding drumsticks in both hands and striking it.