Yep - I was exaggerating to make a point a bit. Although there are folk drums that are totally sealed (African talking drums, for example), the drum kit toms an

Yep - I was exaggerating to make a point a bit. Although there are folk drums that are totally sealed (African talking drums, for example), the drum kit toms and snare that most people think of as "drums" are vented. It's not really the same as a tuned resonator like a violin, though. The vent is just there to ease pressure and keep the heads from choking on the attack. Still, it gets across the idea that sound doesn't come out of the hole, but rather radiates from the entire instrument.