General MIDI drum map

The General MIDI drum map: which drum plays on which note of channel 10, from note 35 to note 81. The kick is 36, the snare is 38 and the closed hi-hat is 42. Note names are given under both octave habits, because drum pads and apps label them differently.

MIDI note	Name (C4 = 60)	Name (C3 = 60)	Drum
35	B1	B0	Acoustic Bass Drum
36	C2	C1	Bass Drum 1
37	C#2	C#1	Side Stick
38	D2	D1	Acoustic Snare
39	D#2	D#1	Hand Clap
40	E2	E1	Electric Snare
41	F2	F1	Low Floor Tom
42	F#2	F#1	Closed Hi-Hat
43	G2	G1	High Floor Tom
44	G#2	G#1	Pedal Hi-Hat
45	A2	A1	Low Tom
46	A#2	A#1	Open Hi-Hat
47	B2	B1	Low-Mid Tom
48	C3	C2	Hi-Mid Tom
49	C#3	C#2	Crash Cymbal 1
50	D3	D2	High Tom
51	D#3	D#2	Ride Cymbal 1
52	E3	E2	Chinese Cymbal
53	F3	F2	Ride Bell
54	F#3	F#2	Tambourine
55	G3	G2	Splash Cymbal
56	G#3	G#2	Cowbell
57	A3	A2	Crash Cymbal 2
58	A#3	A#2	Vibraslap
59	B3	B2	Ride Cymbal 2
60	C4	C3	Hi Bongo
61	C#4	C#3	Low Bongo
62	D4	D3	Mute Hi Conga
63	D#4	D#3	Open Hi Conga
64	E4	E3	Low Conga
65	F4	F3	High Timbale
66	F#4	F#3	Low Timbale
67	G4	G3	High Agogo
68	G#4	G#3	Low Agogo
69	A4	A3	Cabasa
70	A#4	A#3	Maracas
71	B4	B3	Short Whistle
72	C5	C4	Long Whistle
73	C#5	C#4	Short Guiro
74	D5	D4	Long Guiro
75	D#5	D#4	Claves
76	E5	E4	Hi Wood Block
77	F5	F4	Low Wood Block
78	F#5	F#4	Mute Cuica
79	G5	G4	Open Cuica
80	G#5	G#4	Mute Triangle
81	A5	A4	Open Triangle

Find the drums you use most

Kick. 36, Bass Drum 1. 35 is a second, acoustic kick.
Snare. 38, Acoustic Snare. 40 is the electric snare and 37 the side stick.
Hi-hat. 42 closed, 44 pedal, 46 open.
Toms. 41, 43, 45, 47, 48 and 50, from low floor tom to high tom.
Cymbals. 49 and 57 crash, 51 and 59 ride, 53 ride bell, 55 splash, 52 Chinese.

Kick 36, snare 38, closed hat 42 and open hat 46 cover most beats.

Know why drums are on channel 10

General MIDI sets channel 10 aside for percussion. On that channel a note number does not mean a pitch: each number is a different drum, and where a device has more than one kit, a program change picks a kit, not an instrument. On every other channel the same note numbers play pitches. If a drum pad plays pitched notes on a General MIDI device, it is sending on a channel other than 10.

Read the note names with care

Note 36 is C2 where middle C is C4, and C1 where middle C is C3. Both names describe the same kick. Drum pads, sample players and music apps do not agree on which to print, so trust the number. Match drums by note number, never by note name. The MIDI note number chart has every note under both names.

Play the map from a controller

InputConfig, the free Mac app I make, sends MIDI notes from a game controller, and its built-in MIDI: Drum Pad preset puts a kit on the face buttons with turbo on, so holding a button rolls. Set a row's channel to 10 and its note to a number from this map, and any General MIDI drum kit answers. A controller with eight buttons and two triggers is a usable finger drum kit. The MIDI tester shows which note each of your own pads sends.

Questions

What MIDI note is the kick drum?

36, Bass Drum 1, in the General MIDI drum map. Note 35 is a second kick, the Acoustic Bass Drum.

What MIDI note is the snare?

38, Acoustic Snare. Note 40 is the Electric Snare and note 37 is the Side Stick.

What MIDI notes are the hi-hats?

42 is the closed hi-hat, 44 the pedal hi-hat and 46 the open hi-hat.

Why are MIDI drums on channel 10?

General MIDI reserves channel 10 for percussion. On that channel each note number is a different drum, where on other channels the same numbers are pitches.

Is the kick C1 or C2?

Both names are used for note 36. It is C2 where middle C is called C4, and C1 where middle C is called C3. Go by the number.

How many drums are in the General MIDI drum map?

47, on notes 35 to 81, from the Acoustic Bass Drum to the Open Triangle.

Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.

Updated October 7, 2026