The beating of drums and the constant repetition of a rhythmic melody have always served the three following purposes:
1. to make an announcement or to arouse interest,
2. to call people to a gathering point and
3. to encourage and accompany people while they are working.
Nowadays drums are hardly ever used for these purposes. They are however still used to accompany soldiers while they are marching.
Most of the drums which are not from Basel come from the Bernoulli collection; they were used primarily for military purposes. This collection contains a wide variety of rope- and screw-tensioned drums from numerous cantons, from the Swiss army and from Bavaria, Prussia, France and England. There are also a few drums from Russia and Ireland.
The difference between the screw-tensioned and the rope-tensioned drums is based on the way the two skins are stretched.
Both the political purpose of an instrument and its functions are indicated by its paintings, especially by the colors on the hoops, which are determined by a heraldic code.