The Art of Drumming

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Electronic Analog

I remember when electronic drums, or synthesizer drums as they used to be called, hit the market.  These futuristic octagon-shaped pads with cords coming out of them were intriguing to say the least.  The sounds they could make were different than anything that had ben hear up to that point, but their shortcoming was their inability to mimic real drums to a believable point.  The discerning ear could always pick out which was the real deal and which was an electronic imitation.  

Most acoustic drummers swore-off electronic drums and lines were drawn between the two factions.  Now days, with the massive advancement of technology and sound provided by electronic kits, many acoustic drummers have incorporated electronic sounds and sound perfecting into their own ensembles.  Everything from a few electronic drum pads inserted into a kit to electronic triggers attached to acoustic drums to modify sounds have made their presence know.  

What is your opinion, drummers?  Are you staunchly acoustic or electronic or do you find yourself flying somewhere in the middle?  Let’s hear it!

Keep on drumming! 

[lildrummerboyblog]

Eat Your Vegetables!

If you got into drumming by signing up for beginning percussion in junior high school or middle school you most certainly know what rudiments are.  For those of you who do not know, rudiments are small sets of beat patterns that build the coordination of the drummer.  They are the basis for drumming patterns, including fills, and aide in maintaining timing.  

Rudiments are to drumming what scales are to other instruments.  Learning and mastering rudiments will greatly increase any drummer’s abilities and skill level. Think of rudiments as working out at the gym between games.  It will only increase you abilities to perform better, and it is enjoyable.  

Check out these rudiment patterns or search out your own!

Keep on drumming!   

[lildrummerboyblog]

Cymbals of Your Love

Hey Drummers!  I want to learn more about you.  Tell me about how you came to choose the cymbals you rock.  Tell me the brands, sizes, materials, thicknesses, and where you like to position them on your kit.  If you are loyal to one brand, how did you come to choose that brand?  Let me here from you!

Keep on drumming!

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Head of the Class

Hey all you drummers out there!  I want to hear from you!  What type of drum shells do you use and why?  Brands are great, but I want to know woods and sizes and how you made your decision.  Post up!

Keep on drumming!

[lildrummerboyblog]

Sticky Situation

How does a professional select his drumsticks?  You may think selecting sticks is just a simple as grabbing a pair that look cool, or are in your price range, and heading to the register.  Well, just as there is much more to all other aspects of drumming for the professional, there is more to stick selection than just a simple decision.

Sticks come in may different types of wood. Hickory, oak, and maple are the most common. Sometimes a short run of some type of composite material sticks will hit the market, but they never gain wide spread popularity.  The differences between the woods reveals itself through the strength, flexibility and feel of the sticks.  Oak sticks are the hardest and most durable, but they also provide the most shock to the hands of a drummer of the three, and they are much less flexible.  Generally, drummers who play music styles that require harder play go with oak.  Maple sticks provide the most flexibility and cushion from blows, but they are much less durable than a harder wood like oak.  Maple is great for jazz drummers and other lighter, precision styles.  Hickory sticks provide a good, all around stick material.  They are only slightly less durable than oak, but have enough vibration absorption capabilities to make them comfortable to play with.

Next in the selection process comes the size of the sticks.  Sticks differ in varying diameters and lengths.  Durability comes to mind when thickness is contemplated, but so does sound.  Thicker sticks are heavier and naturally create a louder sound.  As we have discussed in previous posts, the pro drummer has to keep volume levels appropriate for the size of the venue, so stick selection factors into this process as well.  Lengths of sticks are left more to the preference of the drummer selecting them.

Just when you thought you were done considering the differences in stick types the tips come along.  Drumstick tips come in different shapes and are either made of wood or nylon.  The shapes effect the amount of surface area that is in contact with the head or cymbal when it strikes.  It also effects the tip-weight of the stick, which creates different points of balance.  The more surface area that strikes the head, the more attack that is produced.  As you remember from previous posts, attack is the sound of the stick striking beater head.  Wood tips provide a lesser amount of attack than nylon tips do.  Nylon tips aide in bringing out the sound of a cymbal when striking it with the tip.

With all of these choices in mind, and the influence each choice has in the overall sound the drummer produces, most professional drummers that play varying sizes of venues elect to own several different variants of their preferred stick choice.  Consistency in sound is the goal of the professional drummer.  Drumsticks have their role in the process and should not be overlooked.

Keep on drumming!            

[lildrummerboyblog]

My mother-in-law played drums in high school.  Now, you do not know my mother-in-law, but she looks like the last person you would think who would have played the drums.  The mother of one of my best buddies was in the percussion section of her high school.  Again, you do not know her, but she in no way, shape, form, or fashion looks like a percussionist.  

You may be wondering why I am mentioning these two ladies.  Well, the reason I bring them up is to bring to your attention the number of people you know that played or play the drums. There are drummers all around, and the reasons they got into drumming are as diverse as they are.

I was introduced to drumming by my older brother.  He got his first drum kit when I was 7 years old and I picked it up along with him.  I would suggest he and I even helped elevate each other’s level of play by the natural fraternal competition instinct we both possessed.  

How did you or drummers you know get into playing the drums?  Was it through beginning percussion at some middle school or junior high or was it through the influence of a friend or family member?  Were you inspired by a drummer you heard or watched on MTV back when they played music on MTV?  How does a drummer get started?

Let me hear from you.

Keep on drumming!

[lildrummerboyblog]

Favorite Favorites

Who is your favorite drummer?  You might say you do not have one, but most everyone has a favorite song that gets you moving whenever you hear it.  Have you ever considered it may be the drum beat, and therefor, there drummer that makes it your favorite song? As a teen-drummer growing up in the era I did, I was always a big fan of the late John Bonham, the drummer for Led Zeppelin, and Neil Pert, the drummer from Rush.  As time has gone on, and some greys have started popping out, I have learned to appreciate more and more the licks laid out by the late Jeff Porcaro, who played with Steely Dan and Toto, and those of Clem Burke from the group Blondie.  A more modern drummer I can appreciate is Danny Carey of Tool.  Who is your favorite.          

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Impactful Impacts

For this post, I thought I would take a break from the technical aspects of drumming and ask you a question.  What are some songs that you have heard that are defined by the drum beat?  As an example, the beat Joey Kramer laid out in Walk This Way by Aerosmith is a beat that most anyone can recognize without having to hear the entire song.  What are some other examples?

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Status Cymbal

In previous blogs I demonstrated a professional’s view on drum shell materials and thicknesses and drum heads and gave examples of which types of settings each would best be utilized in.  In this post, I am going to cover cymbals and the importance of proper selection.

Cymbals are constructed of alloys.  Alloys are a blend of base metals that are formed by melting them down and combining them in ratios that produce desired characteristics.  Almost all cymbals are comprised chiefly of copper.  Other metals are blended with copper to produce either bronze or brass.  

Bronze is formed by blending copper with tin.  The majority of cymbals are made of bronze, and all higher-end quality cymbals are made of a copper and tin blend.  Varying the amount of tin added to the copper allows for differing sounds to be produced.

Brass is formed by blending copper with zinc.  Cymbals formed of this alloy are usually consider to be low-end, entry level cymbals due to their sound quality and durability.  

The terminology used to describe cymbal sounds includes brightness, darkness, frequencies, and sustain.  In an effort to describe some of these sound characteristics, brightness would be described as having a higher pitched sound than a darker sounding cymbal.  A brighter cymbal might sound like a bottle breaking.  A darker sound would be lower in pitch and sound closer to the sound of a gong.  For performance applications in general, darker cymbals are better for larger venues and brighter for smaller, but strange things happen when certain cymbals are played in certain settings.  This is why professionals have a wide variety of cymbals to choose from.  The best way to know which ones to use is to get them out at the venue and crash them.  A cymbal than seems dark in one setting can sometimes sound very bright in another.  The sound test is the only way to know for sure.  

Choosing cymbals is not as easy as knowing the brand name you want and the metallic blend.  Cymbals come in varying thicknesses, shapes, and configurations for varying applications.  No two cymbals sound alike.  When an unsponsored professional is laying out many hundreds of dollars for the price of one high-end cymbal, you can bet he is going to “test crash” a bunch in order to find the sound he is looking for.  Most amateurs jump on a brand bandwagon, but if you analyze the cymbal choices of professional, many play more than one brand due to the sounds produced by differing blends and manufacturing processes.

Investing in many hand picked cymbals is another critical element in capturing the professional sound most desired.  The only draw back is the second mortgage needed to equip yourself with the necessary assortment. 

Keep on drumming!

#cymbals, #cymbalselection, #cymbalcrash, #cymbalic                 

[lildrummerboyblog]

Through Thick and Thin

I covered the qualities of sound generated by differing types of hardwood in the last post entitled “Shell Collecting”, so check it out.  This post will be discussing the effects on sound generated by the thickness of the drum shell.  Modern drum shells are made layers or plies of wood.  This method allows for thinner shells that are stronger and less susceptible to warping.  Many drum companies will combine different types of hardwoods in the layers of a shell to give it specific sound characteristics.  Most of these applications occur in high-end, custom drum kits.

You may be wondering what difference the thickness of a drum shell makes on the sound and why you, as a professional drummer, should be versed in this knowledge.  First, let’s tackle sound.  A thinner drum shell allows the energy generated through the strike of the head to be transferred into the shell more quickly and efficiently.  This means the drum will be more sensitive and will provide rich lows and lengthy resonance due to the ease at which the shell will vibrate.  This also means there is less energy left to go towards projection in the form of volume, so thinner shells are quieter.  A professional drummer knows the best applications for thinner shells are smaller performance settings with no or little amplification, or studio recording work which provides ample microphone placement.  The sound from a thinner shelled drum can be harder to tame due to the harmonics created from other drums and instruments.  These sounds can cause a thinner shelled drum to ring out even when it is not being played.  Special care must be taken to muffle some of these sounds while not taking away from the rich quality of the sound the wood of a thin shelled drum produces.  

  A thick drum shell provides the least amount of sensitivity and the loudest of sound projection.  It also causes a reduction in lows and resonates for a shorter period of time.  Professionals know thick shells to be best for large venues where loud drum volumes are easily compensated for.  

As you can conclude, shells of medium thickness produce sound qualities between thick and thin shells.  Many drummers who’s budgets or space limits will only allow for one set of shells make the medium thickness their choice.  Professionals seeking optimal sound in any setting will usually possess a thin and thick set, if not more, in varying woods for various venue needs.

If you are wanting to achieve a professional sound in any setting, investing in various types of shells with differing woods and thickness is essential.  No one ever said playing the drums was inexpensive.  And just think, we have not even broached the subject of cymbals yet.  Maybe your mother was right and you should have played the flute.

Keep on drumming!                 

[lildrummerboyblog]

Collecting Shells

MostProfessional drummers tend to have more than one set of drum shells.  Why is this?  You may assume it is because they are sponsored by a drum company and can get whatever they want for free.  This may be true of the professional with well above average exposure, but even drummers with lower levels of sponsorship, who do not receive total kits for free, know having more than one kit is important and essential when performing at a variety of venues.  

We discussed in previous posts the need for different sets of drum heads for different sizes of venues. The same is true of drum shells, except that the considerations for drum shells goes even further than that of heads.  The professional drummer must not only consider the size of the room, but what materials the walls and ceiling are made of, what type of floor covering is in place, what furnishings will fill the room, how full the room will be with audience members, and what type and size of stage will be utilized.  All of these components go into the selection of which type of shells to use.  

The different hardwoods chosen to make shells give off differing volumes and tone qualities.  Maple makes a quality shell that gives off a mellow tone with a moderate amount of ring.  This type of shell is perhaps the most versatile and is good for use in small or medium sized settings, and even large settings with ample amplification.  Birch is much like Maple in sound quality, but is slightly brighter, which in turn causes an elimination of some of the low tones found in Maple.  Oak gives off the brightest tones and loudest volumes.  This makes Oak great for large venues with amplification that can be adjusted to bring out the lower tones.  Oak is not the best choice for small and most medium venues due to its sound projection qualities.  There are several other types of wood used in the construction of drum shells, such as Luan, which is used in very low end drum kits, and Mahogany which is another quality hardwood often blended with other woods in the shell layering.  Shell layers and thicknesses are another aspect considered by professionals that will be discussed in a future post. Kit size is another aspect that will also be discussed, so keep any eye out for those.  

The bottom line necessary to achieve optimum sound quality in a number of differing venue sizes is drum kit versatility. Professional drummers recognize the need to possess multiple shell packages with various types of hardwoods to accommodate various venues.  Various woods are necessary to maintain the high quality sound they are accustomed and demand from their equipment.  Remember, the recognition of sound quality and what effects it are major considerations of the professional drummer.

Keep on drumming.                         

[lildrummerboyblog]

Use Your Heads!

Another difference between a professional drummer and an amateur is their sound.  I am not referring to only the volume, although that is another aspect that marks a difference between the two.  I am talking about the tone and volume in combination that the drums creates.  If you have ever been to a small venue to hear live music with a full band you have probably encountered one of two scenarios.  The first scenario involves the drums, and therefore the entire band, being much too loud for the room to the point you can barely hear yourself think.  In the second scenario you find all of the instruments blended equally which allows for the ability to have a conversation with the people at your table while the band is playing.  The first is what occurs in most situations, but the second is what a true professional is able to capture.  How does that happen?

This happens because a drummer has made himself aware of the outcomes of his equipment choices.  Amateur drummers may choose a set of shells because they look cool.  They may pick their sticks because they last a long time.  They may choose their cymbals because their favorite drummer uses them.  They may choose their drum heads because they complete the look they are going for.  Well, all of these choices effect the sound that comes from a drum kit, both tone quality and volume, but I am going to discuss choosing the correct drum head, specifically the beater head or top head, and which is appropriate for what venue.  I will discuss the other influences in later posts, so check back.

Heads come in two basic styles, clear and coated, each with varying thicknesses.  The type of head used influences how hard a drum must be struck to draw out the optimal sound, and what that sound will be.  Clear heads provide much more attack, which is the sound of the stick striking the drum head.  Clear heads must be played much louder to overcome the attack with the tone of the drum.  The lack of coating also produces a longer time of sustained tone after the strike.  These type of heads are great for large venues and for drummers who desire to project a stronger sound due to they style of music they are playing.  Coated heads produce less attack and allow the natural tone of the drum to be found with a much lighter strike.  They also naturally decrease the ring time of the drum.  Naturally, coated heads should be the choice of drummers for smaller venues.  The effects will allow for better blending of the band and for better enjoyment of the music by the audience as well.  For a perfect example of blending facilitated by an excellent drummer and his professional choice in heads and hardware, check out the Red Bar Jazz Band with former James Brown drummer John”Jabo” Starks here.       

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Where’s the Beat?!?!

In the early 80′s there was a commercial for a popular fast food chain that featured three elderly ladies who were dissatisfied with their fast food experience at a competitor’s establishment.  The main issue centered around the inadequacy of the hamburger patty size on the hamburger.  To voice her dissatisfaction, one of the ladies repeatedly shouted the phrase “Where’s the beef?” while pretending to look for the patty.  The point of the commercial for the hamburger chain that had it produced was to draw in customers who wanted more beef in their burgers.

One major difference between today’s amateur drummer and those who possess a professional level skill set is the lack of emphasis placed on the beat.  Too many drummers believe the thing that signifies professional skills is the ability to create and play fills with ever increasing complexity.  This is simply not the case.  If you have ever listened to a drummer with this type of mentality play a live set you can recognize it almost immediately.  

First off, his fills will almost always be awesome.  There is no denying that.  The reason is the thought process addressed above and the amount of attention given to fills during personal practice sessions.  Another indicator announces itself through the rushing of the beat just prior to the awesome fill.  This occurs because the drummer is already thinking of what stellar combination of things he is going to throw down in the fill.  Still another indication is a rushing of the beat coming out of the fill due to the excitement of the drummer getting to play his fill.  One final presentation of this amateur mindset is the increased volume level of the fill compared to that of the rest of the song and its lack of complement to the song in general.  

Professional drummers realize the importance of the beat above anything else.  Providing the slot or grove at the correct tempo to set the feel for the song is place above even the most technical fills.  Other musicians in the band of a professional level drummer appreciate this emphasis, as it aids to their abilities to add appropriate accents that improve the overall quality of the song.  A perfect example of this thought process is found in the playing style executed by Phil Rudd of AC/DC and in those of Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  Check out Ferrone’s licks on the song “You Wreck Me” linked here.