The most visible part of the Pit are the mallet instruments such as marimbas xylophones, glockenspiels,and vibraphones.
It’s hard to see them behind the xylophones and marimbas, but the Pit also can have cymbals, bongos, congas, cowbells, claves, tambourines, gongs, tom-tom drums, chimes, wind chimes, and drum sets.
While the instruments used on the field are the same from year to year, the pit often contains special instruments like an electric guitar or chimbassa to enhance the theme of the show.
You might think the Drum Pit has it easy because they don’t march but they make up for it because they have to move all the big instruments on and off the field as well as on and off the trucks often several times a day.
To get the Pit, plus all the rest of the Corps to each competition, each Drum Corps has about 3 tour busses, 2-3 semis, a staff bus, a food truck, and a few other trucks and vans.