You can get quite a nice range of notes from a PVC drum. It works like a doumbek, so each drum has an edge and a middle note. We usually use 4-inch or 6-inch wide pipes, and 3-foot or 4-foot lengths, giving a range of 4/3, 4/4, 6/3, and 6/4. We also have one that is much wider, maybe 18 inches or so, and only about 2 feet long. So when you put those together in a drum jam, the diversity of sounds works really well.