A musician that plays any type of percussive instrument, though the connotation of the word has developed around the drum kit, which is often played in a variety of musical styles such as rock, jazz, blues, country, punk, and metal.

Many stereotypes exist concerning the drummer both as a person and as a musician. The primary two are that drummers are unintelligent and that their instrument requires the least skill to play. Both of these are unfounded, as the drum kit is a completely different type of instrument than something such as the guitar, being percussive as opposed to musical. Thus, the skills required for a guitar and the skills required for drums are not comparable, though both instruments are highly difficult.

In a typical band, the drummer serves to create the basic beat for the song, with the bassist providing a connection between the musicality and the percussion (e.g. the guitar/singing and the drums) that allows the band to sound in sync. Most often located in the back of the stage on a raised platform, the drummer often is left out of the spotlight, hence the frequent claim that drummers are underrated and unappreciated. Nevertheless, they remain the backbone of most styles of music, and are indispensable in a band.

Some famous drummers include Keith Moon of The Who, Neil Peart of Rush, Ginger Baker of Cream, and Terry Bozzio of The Mothers of Invention, though these are only a few.