Best technology for drummers

Given the rapid increases in technology in the past 100 years, I thought I'd take a stab at listing the top ten technological advances for drummers in the past century. Here are my picks.

1. Hearing protection. This is a no-brainer for me. Of all the critical tools a musician has, the ears are the most sensitive, and they're irreplaceable. And the tools available to protect your hearing while still allowing a full, satisfying musical experience are getting better all the time. You can check some of them out here.

2. Metronomes. I know, I know. You gotta have the pulse inside. Well, consider this tool a pulse-injector if you're willing to spend time with it.

3. Improved thrones. If your sit-down part is comfortable, you won't think a thing about it, but if it's not, you can't think about anything else. Long gigs absolutely require the most comfortable seating.

4. Sticks, brushes and mallets. For me, this is like the tires on cars. It doesn't matter what's under the hood if you can't control it on the street. Not only are there more choices than ever, but the quality and consistency are pretty unbelievable.

5. Pedals. Like sticks and mallets, pedals are the direct link between you and your drums. Especially in the past twenty or so years, I've gone from cursing to praising my footboards.

6. Shell truing machines (think Yamaha's YESS technology). There is nothing worse than a shell that's not round and true. Using the car metaphor, there's nothing worse than a beautiful automobile with an unreliable engine.

7. Head variety and quality. I know some players really dig calfskin, but I'm a huge fan of mylar and kevlar. In addition to sticks, shells and size variations, the heads you choose have a huge impact on how you sound and how the kit feels.

8. Cymbal variety and quality. Almost more than heads, the cymbals you choose will define your sound. I'm amazed every time I see the new releases - and new cymbal companies - that pop up each year. Unique and ever-more-expressive sounds are available to anybody with a little (okay, a lot of) cash.

9. Portable digital recording equipment. Obviously, there are lots of things that can fit into this category, but I'm thinking specifically of things like the Zoom H4N. The ability to record an idea, practice session or gig easily and with great quality is a game-changer.

10. Smart phones, tablets and laptops. Again, this category is huge, but I'm primarily thinking YouTube, educational apps and programs like metronomes, and specialized apps like SoundHound and Garage Band. Almost anywhere you go, the world is literally at your fingertips.

Honorable mention: Drum hardware in general.


What did I leave off the list or put in the wrong place? Let me know in the comments below!

Gear Up: Custom Kick Head Art

Growing up watching drummers, I've developed a subconscious urge to always know which brand of drums a certain player is using. Where's the first place you look? Of course, it's the front head on the kick drum. My first kit said "CB 700" in bold letters across the front, and I absolutely couldn't wait until it said, "DW" or "Yamaha."

By and large, most drummers are using simple, single-logo heads, or going with no logos at all. But these days, that front head - the biggest visible flat space on most kits - has become a pretty valuable piece of real estate,  and there is a growing trend to use that big ol' circle to advertise.

What do drummers advertise, you ask? Well, mostly it's still the brands they play and/or endorse, or the band they're in, or themselves. And, increasingly, they don't just tell you their name. You'll also see their web address, or even a QR code. Crazy, right?

Maybe not. Given the prevalence of smart phones, a picture of the band or drummer becomes a serious serving of free advertising. We've all seen the pics that get posted on Facebook or Twitter that read, "At the show. R U jealous?" Suddenly, all 2,364 "Friends" and 5,741 "Followers" just got an ad that you, your band, and/or your sponsors didn't pay for. AWESOME.

What do you think? Is it worth all the hype and money? For most of us, it's probably not a good investment, given design and manufacturing cost. That being said, I'm working on a few designs right now for a head that will go on my new kit.

Why do it? For me, there are a few reasons. First, I want my kit to look unique. Aside from set up, factory finish and cymbals, what sets a kit apart? The front of your kick drum can give you an immediately recognizable logo, just like Coca-Cola or Apple.

Second, I'm just like every other business, and I want to grow my client list. This includes gigs, students, etc., and if my web address, QR or other contact info are sitting in front of my potential clients for a two hour set, chances are good that somebody will pull up my site on their phone while they're listening to me play. 


I'll only say this one more time (for now, at least): AWESOME.

Alright, so you've decided to look into it. Where do you get one? There are many good places to start, but before I highlight a few of them, try a Google search on, "custom bass drum heads." You'll get a ton of good info.

Here's the company I'm using, Woodshed Percussion. Check out their client gallery, and you'll know why I made them my choice. There's also Evans' "Inked By Evans," tool, which is pretty cool and unique among retailers.

And, lastly, what can you expect to pay? On the Evans site, where you do your own design work, heads start at around $80, and at a custom place like Woodshed, my project will be around $150. Honestly, that price range is ridiculously cheap given the potential benefits.

The bottom line - do it or don't do it - is ultimately up to you. For me, I look forward to having my kits be truly mine, in look and feel. And I hope to continue to build a quality brand around all of my music and drumming activities. Hope that's not too mercenary for you.

Happy branding!

Gear Up: Getting the most bang, boom and crash, part 2

Part 2 of 2. If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here. 

Buy used.

I’ve always hated to be the first person to put a scratch, mark or dent on something. I think that’s why I’ll never buy a new car off the showroom floor. Especially in the case of drums and cymbals, you’ll end up paying way too much for a cymbal that’s going to be “used” after the first day anyway, so find somebody who has a well-taken-care-of item that you need, and get a good deal.

These days almost all retail stores have a decent collection of used gear that has been traded in (which we’ll talk about in just a second), which means that it’s probably in good condition, and the store may even offer a limited warranty. 

That being said, there are a few things I won’t buy used: sticks, heads and thrones. It’s too easy to abuse those things, and - especially in the case of sticks and heads - new is cheap enough that it’s not worth the savings to get it used. 

Trade for it.

If you’re like me, you have a special pile of gear that you never use, but you just can’t bring yourself to get rid of it. Well, it’s time. If you haven’t used it in practice or a performance in over a year, find somebody who has what you want and offer them a trade. I’m constantly finding things I want online or in stores that somebody bought and then found out that they didn’t like/need/want/use it, and your item might be a perfect fit for a trade. Barter groups are springing up all over the place, so check one out.

Also, as mentioned above, many stores will take your used gear in on trade for new stuff. This is an excellent way to decrease the price of what you need at the same time you’re getting rid of stuff you don’t.

Several years ago I won second place in a solo drumming competition. The prize was a 22” Swish Knocker. I was thrilled! That is, until I took it home and played it. I tried every which way to convince myself that it was a cymbal I was going to use, but six months later it was leaning against the wall in my studio gathering the proverbial (and literal) dust. So when my hardware bag died, I took the Swish into the drum shop and traded it straight across for a new, better bag that has been serving me ever since. 

Be patient.

More times than I care to admit I have purchased something that I needed, “right now,” only to find a better deal pretty shortly thereafter. I was in such a rush that I settled for a bad deal! This goes along with having saved up and done your homework, but if you don’t get “buyer fever,” you can recognize a deal for what it is, and get a good one when the time is right.

Remember the old adage, “Haste makes waste.” And in this case, what you’re wasting is money. 

Here’s the bottom line.

You can get almost anything you need and want if you’re willing to save, research, wait for a bargain, barter and trade. There are many options out there for you. So, go ahead and get more bang, boom and crash for your buck!

Happy shopping!

Gear Up: Drumheads - Toms

Aaaaaaaalright! It's finally time for the last (for now) installment of our discussion on heads. We'll keep it super simple, short, and to the point.

For the batter head, you basically have a few choices.

• Single or double ply?
• Clear or coated?
• Pinstripes, oil-filled or other 'affects?'

And for the resonant side, the same choices basically apply. In general, you want a thinner, clearer head on the bottom than on the top.

Here are some great places to start surfing for new heads:

Remo

Evans

Aquarian

Attack

I currently own and play heads from all four of these companies. There are reasons to like and dislike all of them! There are some other makers, as well, but these are the most common. 

Your choices must be determined by two things: how you want to sound and where you're going to play. If you're playing jazz in a club, you're going to make very different choices than if you're making a heavy metal recording in the studio.

Just remember that the thicker the head, the more plies, the more - whatever - that's on/in/attached to the head, the shorter, punchier and more focused the sound. 

Also, how should the heads be tuned? You have some choices here, as well. 

• Tune both heads to the same pitch. Many jazz and bebop players take this route.
• Tune the batter lower than the resonant side. Good for rock, pop, country, etc.
• Tune the resonant side lower than the batter. Gives the lowest, "chunkiest" fundamental sound.

I tune all of my toms with the pitch of the resonant head a minor third* (a step and a half) higher than the batter head. This gives a decent amount of resonance, and a stable pitch center. They sound great live or under a mic. 

And I know I've written this many times, but remember that your drums will sound very different under a mic or out in the audience than you hear them from the driver's seat. Make sure to get a good, accurate soundcheck by listening to the playback or walking around the venue while someone else bangs the ol' skins. 

Don't be afraid to try new things, and whenever you hear something you like - find out what they're using and how they're getting the sounds. 

Good luck and happy drumming!

*Think of the first two notes of the melody of Brahms' "Lullabye" and you've got a minor third. 

Weekly Recap: 2/27 - 3/2

It was an epic week on the blog. Catch up on anything you missed.

Gear Up: Drumheads - Snare

Ryan Tilby dishes on drummers

Beyond the Kit: Visualization

Bag of Tricks: KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"

Friday Feature: Carter Beauford

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

Gear Up: Drumheads - Snare

There are many factors that contribute to each drummer's sound. A few weeks ago we talked about cymbals, which are a huge piece. Last week we talked about the ol' kick drum.

This week we'll talk about your choice of heads for the snare drum. Let's start with the batter head, or the head that you actually play - the top head.

What thickness options are there?
In terms of the actual construction of the head, there are basically two options - one ply or two. A ply refers to a sheet of plastic, usually mylar or kevlar, that the head is made out of. In general, a single ply head is a thin or medium thickness ply, while two plies are usually two thin. There are also some heads that are a single ply with a collar, or another ply around the edge, sort of splitting the difference between a single and double ply head.

So what's the difference in sound? Single plies tend to be more resonant (they ring longer) and have more overtones. Double ply heads tend to have less resonance (they ring shorter) and have a more focused tone.  Players who prefer one or the other usually swear by them for whatever reason.

But many players will prefer to use heads of different thicknesses in different situations. For me, I adjust the sound more by tuning than by choosing a different head. And if it needs a little bit of dampening, I use Moon Gel by R Tom. Love the stuff.

Why do heads look so different, and does it affect the sound?
Usually the appearance of a head is a function of it being either coated or clear. A coated head has literally been coated with a very thin layer of either textured or smooth white coating. The most common is the textured white, which allows for brush definition and "warms up" the sound. A clear head tends to sound "brighter."

Evans Drumheads has a head that has a similar feel to a coated head, but is called "etched." These heads have literally been blasted to create their texture. They don't have the extra weight and thickness of a coated head, and the texture tends to last longer. These heads are very popular in jazz settings.

You can also get heads with a "control dot" - basically a sticker that adds a ply in the center of the head, about six inches in diameter - on the top or, if it's on the underside of the head, called "reverse dot." Or you can get a head that's "vented," which means it has a row of very tiny holes around the edge of the head. The vents are an attempt to remove some of the highest overtones, or "dry out" the sound.

What about the snare side?
Keeping in mind that the snare side head can have just as much effect on the snare drum's sound, we're only talking about your drum kit snare. We'll have to save all those scintillating conversations about concert, rudimental, field and side drums for another time.

The snare side is usually the thinnest head on your kit, and also the most delicate. Since this head is the activator for your snares, the thicker the head, the tighter it has to be tuned. A lot of your snare sound, in terms of tone, snare sensitivity and "crack" will depend on the whole package - heads, shells, hoops, reinforcement rings, tuning, relative tension between the heads and the alignment of the stars.

Ya Gotta Try!
So what will you use, and why? The end goal should be your sound. What are you trying to achieve? Depending on the style you play, the setting (live or recording) and the volume at which you play, the tone you want, etc, your head choices may differ very widely from other drummers. So don't worry quite so much about what's popular or what they look like. Let the music guide your choices, and play what you like.

Here's my last bit of advice when deciding which heads to use:

Listen, listen, listen.

Remember that what you hear on recordings - and even through live sound systems - doesn't perfectly resemble what you hear with just your ears when you're sitting at the kit. The more you experiment, tune, record and listen, the more you'll get an ear for what you're hearing - and how it sounds to the audience, through the PA, or on playback.

Happy drumming!

Gear Up: Drumheads - Kick Drum

Disclaimer: A lot of what you'll read in my posts about drumheads is largely my opinion. I do not consider myself an expert, but have had a lot of time to experiment and hang with people who know how to make drums sound great. So if you think I'm wrong or missing the point, let me know in the comments!

First things first: you're going to hear this a lot from me as we discuss how to get great drum sounds, but don't underestimate how much processing a natural drum or cymbal sound goes through to come out of your speakers or headphones. You might think of it as raw metal ore going through the processes to become a car. That being said, you must start with great "raw" sounds to get great results. 

The kick drum is the heart of your kit - and your sound. If you have a great kick sound, you're well on your way to sounding great and feeling comfortable.

There's quite a lot we could talk about regarding the dimensions and material of the shell, and how many lugs and other attachments it has, but that's a discussion for another time. For now we'll focus on two basic differentiators in heads, number of plies, and finish of the head - oh, and muffling, for good measure.

How many plies? 
A ply is a single layer of plastic - usually mylar. There are different thicknesses of plies, usually a thin and medium. If you want a really thick head, you're usually going to get two plies. In addition, you can get a single ply head with an extra ring around the edge, so you end up with two plies around the edges to dampen some overtones, but a single ply in the middle. In addition, there are numerous additions to heads like pinstripes, but we'll talk about that in a second.

So what's the difference in sound? For kick drum, you probably have different sound goals depending on what you play. A two-ply head will give you a shorter sustain, darker tone and more "punch." A single-ply gives you longer sustain, brighter sound and more tone.

Here are a couple of generalizations: Single ply is for jazz and recording. Double ply is for rock and live sound. Good luck with that.

Coated or clear? 
Essentially, the more you add to a head, the less overtones you get, the less resonance you get, etc. So what gets added to a head (besides plies)? First is a coating. Coated heads provide a warmer tone, less crisp attack, and the texture makes brush playing possible on snare and tom heads. I guess you can play brushes on the kick, too!

Aside from coating, all manner of strips, stripes, dots and etchings have been tried to create a certain tone, response or playability. Luckily, you' don't have to try absolutely every head to figure it out. Most of the head manufacturers have a chart that will guide you to the kind of head you should try based on the sound you're looking for.

I also recommend some sort of patch for the kick head right where the beater contacts it. No matter how softly you play, you'll want to reinforce that spot so that the head lasts longer. The effect on tone can be an issue, but you can usually get what you want with tuning and choosing the right beater.

Alright, this is getting long. More on heads next week! Let's continue the discussion in the comments below.

Prologue to Drumheads

Over the next several weeks I'll be talking about how drumheads affect your sound, and giving some basic advice on how to choose heads. We'll talk about what the differences in heads mean to your sound and the playability of your kit.

There are more choices all the time, from time-tested classics to heads for very specific applications. If you know what you're looking for - and at - you'll have a better chance at sounding like you want to. 

Before we start, though, two quick stories to set the stage. 

Lesson with Adam Nussbaum


I once had the opportunity to take a lesson from drumming great Adam Nussbaum. It was extremely worthwhile. Among other things, he talked a lot about being able to "trust" each sound in your kit so that you don't overplay. His thought was that the less you had full, resonant sounds, the more notes you felt like you had to play. I agree. Each sound in your kit should be something you absolutely love and can use with confidence. There should be no sounds that you avoid using.

Let's call them "Jupiter Music" just for fun!*

When I first decided to get serious about drumming, I knew my sounds were bad but I knew almost nothing about tuning, and even less about drumheads. I had a 22" Tama Rockstar kick, and I had picked up two Remo Renaissance heads on clearance. I was thrilled to have new heads, but absolutely hated my new sound. It seemed really pingy to me, and didn't have the low fundamental and punch I was looking for.

So I went into one of the big-box music stores (it's a chain that no longer exists, but will still remain nameless) and asked the "drum guy" about heads and what I could do to help my sound. His answer was classic, "Y'know, man, a bass drum head is a bass drum head. They're pretty much all the same, so the sound you're looking for is what the sound engineer is for."

I knew that answer wasn't right, so I was pretty frustrated. Luckily for me, Backbeats Drum & Backline opened shortly after that, and Kelly Wallis set me straight and got my kick sound rockin'. He put two Remo Powerstroke 3s on my kick drum, helped me set up some basic muffling, and explained to me how tuning effects the sound, and also had me listen to my drum from (literally) inside the drum, from the playing position, and from across the room. (I had never thought about the fact that the sound might be heard differently depending on where you heard if from and how far away you were.)

Needless to say, it was the beginning of my journey to better sounds - and much more satisfying playing.   


So, let's get started. On Monday, we'll talk about bass drum heads and get the heart of your kit sounding great.

Update 2-19-2012: The store was the now-defunct Mars Music. I was trying to hint at that and actually named an existing music company. My bad. The actual Jupiter Music has a great reputation, and I wasn't attempting to make any derogatory comments about them, at all. 

Gear Up: Drum Dial

I'm having a serious conundrum. To Drum Dial or not to Drum Dial?

The Drum Dial is a relatively simple tool (similar to a durometer) that measures the tension of a drumhead. You use it by placing it on the drumhead next to each tension rod, relatively close to the hoop.

In theory, when you get the tension exactly the same around the entire head, it's in tune. Of course, you have to take into account the type of drum, its depth, the type of heads, and the relationship of the heads to each other (resonant to batter).

Drum tuning purists (yep, there really are such people - including me, to a degree) argue that tools like the Drum Dial are "cheating," for lack of a better term. They say that you should be able to tune your drums yourself, by ear. And if you can't, well, then you don't deserve to sound good. And I know plenty of skilled drummers who have never learned to tune their own drums. They play great, but sound awful.


I mean, hey, if Peter Erskine* uses it, it can't be all bad, right?

My DW Kit

About six months ago I put all new batter heads on my DW drum kit. As an experiment, I used the Drum Dial on all of the heads, both sides. Also, I used the recommended tensions from the Drum Dial web site.  I was pretty happy with the results in my studio, but I needed to get out on a gig with them, so I took them to the very next show I had.

I got an interesting reaction from the bass player on the gig (Ryan Tilby). While we were sound checking, he turned to me and said, "Wow. That sounds exactly like a backline kit."**

Truth be told, the heads required quite a bit of fine tuning after using the Drum Dial. Just having the dial read the same number at each lug wasn't enough to get the head to sound "clear" (without waves or beats) and open. That part had to be done by ear. But the dial did drastically speed up the process of getting the drumheads to the fine tuning phase.

To me, I think that's the answer. The tools we have are still only tools, so the actual work of getting your drums to sound the way you want them to is still up to you. It's like fixing cars. Sure, we have power tools, hydraulic equipment and sophisticated computers, but the work is still in the hands of the mechanic.

The Drum Dial, and tools like it, are just a part of your arsenal to achieve great sounding drums.

That being said, I'd love to have a spreadsheet of every drummer in the world that showed which drum they're using, what heads, and at what tension. Then I could sound like anybody I want. Does that seem like giving up too many trade secrets?

What do you think?

As always, happy drumming!

*If you don't know who Peter Erskine is or aren't familiar with his work, click his name above. He has been a huge, positive influence on many a drummer, including me.


**A backline kit refers to a rented drum set that is tuned in a very standard, generic way. The drums will sound good, but usually not distinctive. It is left up to the drummer or tech to individualize the sounds to the specific style or venue.