How Hard Do You Hit Your Drums? [Archive] - DRUMMERWORLD OFFICIAL DISCUSSION FORUM

TomasHakkesBrain

08-25-2006, 01:51 AM

Obviously without some sort of Db level checker this may be difficult to gauge, but maybe you tend to sweat profusely after a few songs, or break a lot of sticks. I am told i hit them like Dave Grohl but for me everyone should play this way (rock anyway not when i'm playing jazz).

I think guys like Grohl and Danny Carey are respected more because of their energy and there propensity to beat the hell out of their kits. People want to see you work hard!.

BrianW

08-25-2006, 01:55 AM

capnrusty

08-25-2006, 02:49 AM

I use jackhammers instead of sticks and I still don't feel like it's loud enough, but maybe I just have bad hearing or something.

TomasHakkesBrain

08-25-2006, 02:55 AM

Beating the hell out of your kit usually doesnt sound as good as playing them properly.
Take a drum stick and one of your toms. Hit it softly, then hit it medium, then really hard (try not to dent your heads). You get different sounds....duh... I play my drums hard enough that they sound good and soft enough that they sound good.

thanks for the words of wisdom mate-ive been playing for 15 years and know a few things about dynamics and timbre. I added that i play jazz to avoid these kind of thoughtless comments. christ i even made an example of 2 drummers to illustrate the point that they are respected partially because of the energy they have. i think its a valid point.

DTKBigDawg

08-25-2006, 03:10 AM

Well, I have been told I hit pretty hard as well. Band practice and solo practice has me playing for at least three hours a day, 5 days a week. And yeah, I have plenty of dents on my heads, but they are the same heads I've had for the last 6 months. But when I need to, I soften it up. And for the fun of it, I go from Crossroads by Clapton to Something by the Beatles in the same set every time. Crossroads doesn't exactly require me to play hard, but I like to work it hard, but then I go to Something and have to play it softly.

So to answer your question, I hit very hard normally, but change when it's requires.

Oh, as for sticks, I break them all the time.

Stormi

08-25-2006, 03:19 AM

Well, I think I play mine at a medium level? As I haven't been playing long, I'm not in a band so I don't need to play hard to be heard - mostly I am just practicing on my own. I've just started using backing tracks which I have turned up pretty loud on my stereo, so I think I've been playing a lot harder when I do this - but overall, I guess I play like a girl :P

ns3476

08-25-2006, 03:51 AM

Not that hard except for when im playing stuff thats faster i may hit them harder.

RudimentalDrummer

08-25-2006, 03:57 AM

Not so Hard during normal situation....balancing Accenting & Ghosting on entire Kit

During Abnormal Situation - means whenever me wify is around - have to play very very soft on my kit

Pete Stoltman

08-25-2006, 05:36 AM

Just hard enough to get the volume I'm looking for on any given song. I've mentioned this before: a drum has a finite amount of volume capabilities. You get to a certain point and no matter how hard you hit the drum will not produce more volume. Most of the time I can strike the head without too much effort to get the maximum volume I need for the tune. My observation is that guys who "make a show" of hitting with extreme force are doing just that. It's for show not substance. That's ok if that's what you're interested in doing but I find that using excessive motion is more often than not an energy waste. I've seen some guys drum whose timing is affected by the fact that they are moving the sticks far too much and as a result have difficutly keeping on top of things when moving between drums.

SAINTDRUMS

08-25-2006, 03:16 PM

I've always been called a hard hitter and I play rock/metal/funky rock. In my band, we play a wide spectrum of music. I could be playing Greenday or Pat Travers on one song or "older" Metallica on another song. We've even thrown in some Pantera for good measure. With that said, there are times when I can really beat the hell out my kit and other times I hold back somewhat and play dynamically. The song (and the crowd) dictates my playing. Oh, I use 2B's, which in and of itself tends to increase the hitting/volume.

Saint

C.J

08-25-2006, 04:57 PM

I was doing tom and bass drum triplets the other day and some of the books fell of the bookshelf opposite me.

I was WELL chuffed! ;)

Anduin

08-25-2006, 04:57 PM

In my experience, to get a good sound out of a drum (in a pop/rock situation) you have to hit it pretty hard. I'm not talking about bashing, and I'm not saying hit as hard as you're physically capable of hitting. It's just that, to my ear, drums sing best from a fairly solid hit.

Drifter in the Dark

08-25-2006, 05:21 PM

My observation is that guys who "make a show" of hitting with extreme force are doing just that. It's for show not substance. That's ok if that's what you're interested in doing but I find that using excessive motion is more often than not an energy waste. I've seen some guys drum whose timing is affected by the fact that they are moving the sticks far too much and as a result have difficutly keeping on top of things when moving between drums.

I know exatcly what you mean about the whole "wasting energy" thing. I cannot tell you how many crappy rock bands I've seen wherein the drummer plays so hard right out of the gate that I can literally see him starting to waste away within the space of three songs, and by halfway thru the set, he's spent. Hitting hard all the time, besides annoying the hell out of your fellow musicians, will just make it that much easier for you to get seriously injured. (Can you tell that I use 7A's and like to play softly?)

neilpscuz

08-25-2006, 05:28 PM

I don't hit incredibly hard because I don't have to. I let the stick do the work. Check out John Bonham, a notoriously LOUD drummer. Watch how his sticks are bouncing off the heads. This is a great example of letting the sticks do the work.

y0avz

08-25-2006, 08:42 PM

Hitting hard is good...striking the drum like hell, is not.
Lets not forget that we are playing music. You need To Groove hard, Sound good and Look cool, None of which inculde beating the c**p out of your drumset.
So play hard and heavy, but always play music.
My Fav hard hitters are Mike bordin, Danny carey,Matt cameron and Chris hesse.

rogers_68

08-25-2006, 10:16 PM

i try to play all over the place as far as how hard i hit. i try to over-exaggerate sometimes just to give a song as much feeling and dynamics as possible. sometimes i hit hard, sometimes tap. it just depends.

jpekarek

08-25-2006, 10:23 PM

When you see a rock or metal drummer bashing the hell out of his drums as hard as he can, it's really not about volume or musical requirements or anything like that.

It's about thier own style and being pumped up with energy and feeling the music. When you see Travis Barker beating his drums to death it's just his style, he's a crowd pleaser, a showman. If he just sat there calmly in a pair of sweats and played the same thing, nobody would be interested. Peart is the opposite, he can play amazing stuff and play it hard, but he just kind of has his head down and concentrates on what he's doing. He plays for the music, not to impress the crowd with antics.

When you see a 14 year old kid in his basement beating the living crap out of his set it's probably because he doesn't know any better and he is just trying to imitate his favorite drummer.

I would have to say that Tommy Aldridge is an exeption, he completely and utterly WAILS the living H_LL out of his drums. I cannot understand how his drums and his hardware can even last through one solo.

Ian Ballard

08-25-2006, 10:37 PM

Back when I took lessons with Chad Wackerman, he enlightened me to the physics behind striking a drum. Once you've struck the drum beyond it's maximum volume potential, you are simply stretching the head beyond it's tuning and effectively "choking" it. If you want a big, boomy drum sound, that's not the way to get it.

However, there is a particular and distinctive sound you get from "choking" the drum, a la Dave Grohl, Aldridge, Dale Crover... etc, that defines certain styles and works fine for those styles. It's also an emotional thing.

But, being that I can't afford new heads every other gig and I am a big fan of tone and I teach maximum stroke efficiency, I tend not to beat the hell out of my kit.

glynes

08-25-2006, 11:06 PM

dunkerton12

08-25-2006, 11:20 PM

Have to agree with what many of you have already said. I think certain songs dictate a more solid hit, and I think it's natural for most drummers to hit harder when the song is faster.

I don't really see any point in just hitting the drum as hard as you can. Like some have said, there's only so much range in the tone of a drum and then you're just abusing your equipment-which to me means wasting money!!!

So sometimes a good solid hit is called for, sometimes just a grazing or ghost notes are sufficient. Depends on the atmosphere, song, mood, and genre.

Ruok

08-25-2006, 11:47 PM

I'm a total wimp on the drums. I was basically forced to play as quiet as I could because of a relatively large family which I tried hard not to annoy. Often times my mother would say that I could keep playing, but could I play quieter? So, for years I played as soft as I could. I learned to basically "tap" my drums and cymbals. And even though I'm free now to play at all volume levels, I still have a hard time playing loudly or hard simply because of playing so softly for so many years. The past few years I've been getting a bit better at playing a bit harder thanks to my "loud" guitarist friend that jams with me from time to time and for the band I play in at my church (thankfully, we mostly play quietly which suits me best).

Deathmetalconga

08-26-2006, 12:01 AM

mikeybbdrummin

08-26-2006, 12:11 AM

Beating the hell out of your kit usually doesnt sound as good as playing them properly.
Take a drum stick and one of your toms. Hit it softly, then hit it medium, then really hard (try not to dent your heads). You get different sounds....duh... I play my drums hard enough that they sound good and soft enough that they sound good.

If you play hard rock or metal, beating the hell out of them is "playing them properly".
If you hit them like your playing for Celine Dion the band will probably find someone that will do the job right. If your playing in a jazz band you would play accordingly.
"Playing them properly" depends on the music and the song.

J.W. Drummer

08-26-2006, 01:13 AM

Considering the fact that I am pretty new to drumming, I find myself hitting them pretty hard. I guess its my newbie phase. If I have learned one thing about drumming its this... (hitting hard doesn't allow you to build your sound.) You have nothing to build upon by hitting hard.

ROADAPPLEDRUMMER

08-26-2006, 04:01 AM

I never break sticks, heads or cymbals. I play fairly hard in a rock cover band and never have trouble being heard. I use 5b's and tend to think proper technique will enable you to play with decent volume(loud enough to be heard and get a good sound) but not break equipment or get hurt. When I pay attention to my technique , I notice that at the end of my stroke, I snap my wrists,which gives me more power w/o having to lift my sticks very high or waste energy. I play 3 one hour fifteen min. sets w/ my band and saving energy while looking good and playing hard are part of the game. By the way, what a great site and forum. This is my first post; I've been lurking and reading and love what I see!

R3flex

08-26-2006, 08:33 AM

I play medium to hard without background music, so as not to disturb the household too much. My basement isn't closed off, so the sound can travel throughout the house uninterrupted. However, when I play along to a fast, high energy band (example: Avenged Sevenfold), with a really nice pair or noice cancelling headphones, I play hard enough that I get comments from my sister including "I hate your drums," "At least I won't have to listen to that in Spain," and "Can't you move those outside or something?" Despite these tendencies, I still havn't cracked a cymbal, although I've gone through a couple sticks recently.

millerdakiller

08-26-2006, 08:40 AM

there shouldn't be one volume that you hit your drums, taht is childish. That makes your drumming two dimensional. You want three demensions. The three demensions of drumming(imo) are:

1 Rythym: The pattern's you play and the resulting sounds.
2 Notes: I'm talking about hitting different drums and cymbals here.
3 Dynamics: Volume. Playing at one volume is boring and un-musical, learn to play at many volumes

low-tech

08-26-2006, 08:43 AM

I can get 10 years out of a drum head, no problem. I play with 3/8 inch sticks and don't hit hard. I also keep the beater shaft length to about an inch and a half. And I have never, ever heared anyone ask me or any other drummer to play louder.

Volume is more a function of rebound and hitting the head in the correct location, than it is hitting the head with a lot of force. I can put a lot less energy into a stroke and have it sound pretty loud, simply because I control my hand and stick. Plus, if you put a lot of effort into your strokes, you won't be as agile or fluid in your playing.

www.terrasonus.com

i agree

ergonomics, simple as that. bigger stick=louder hit. learning carpentry i was told that awkward placement of nails requires at least a good angle whereby you can get a big firm swing. if a nail is being stubborn dont bash it if there are bigger hammers about<usually places i worked had bigger hammers or minisledges>. hammers come in all different sizes for a reason. another thing is the swing, allow alot of space to swing a hammer down let physics do the work.

drumming falls under similiar criteria. drum volume factors with how well your drums projects sound and the size of drumsticks

Deathmetalconga

08-28-2006, 08:24 PM

That's a good way of looking at it. The same physical laws apply whether your hitting a drum with a stick or a hammer with a nail.

emmerson

08-28-2006, 08:27 PM

i change how i hit to fit a song or genre of music at that time

Spacehog

08-28-2006, 08:44 PM

I've been told I'm a fairly heavy hitter, although I do play with a lot of dynamics in my playing. I've never broken a stick or a head, so I can't hit that hard really! For sure as the energy ramps up live I might get a little louder, but only if the song requires it - I'm not interested in drowning out the band!

Lee Mangano

08-28-2006, 11:21 PM

I read alot of the posts & everyone has great ideas & advice, I'll just add that as a drummer & teacher i teach my students that most important is to be sure to set your kit up so your comfortable & relaxed in hitting every piece.

Depending on what style music your playing your whole body needs to change & adjust to play with the right attack & feel...and each style demands a certain kind of skill for instance:

Rock- You should play rock with an "Aggresive Attack" & hard hitting "Back Bone"

Funk- You need to be "Versatile" in your hitting and very "Dynamic" and "Feel" the music

Jazz- You need to hit your drums with "Finess" and a certain "Touch" to adjust your sound from verse - chorus - solo's to the many differant instruments used in jazz

Thrash Metal- This music is mostly Speed with insane changes & it is very difficult to hit hard playing at these tempo's... so it is rare to see a Speed Metal drummer not playing with a medium comfortable Attack to avoid the risk of a limb flying off

Progresive With the "Odd Time" signatures and "Tempo Changes" involved in progresive fusion style music, you have to be on top of your game in all areas of drumming from the brain right down to your feet....and how hard you hit your drums is all part of being a great progresive style drummer.

My main point is every style of drumming demands differant feels & abilities to be able to even play & be good at a certain style of music...and this topic is a great topic because how you hit your drums does depend alot on what you are playing...

BrianW

08-29-2006, 12:18 AM

If you play hard rock or metal, beating the hell out of them is "playing them properly".
If you hit them like your playing for Celine Dion the band will probably find someone that will do the job right. If your playing in a jazz band you would play accordingly.
"Playing them properly" depends on the music and the song.
There are times when you should hit them hard... ie. in certain parts of hard rock and metal. But never beat the hell out of them. They will only sound like crap and ruin your heads. What you described sounds like a 12 year old playing blink 182.

tmc

08-29-2006, 01:04 AM

It doesn't feel like I'm hitting very hard, and it doesn't look like it either (when I watch video of myself).
But it only took me 3 practice sessions at home to wear the coating off a brand new Remo snare head; and I actually beat a big gaping hole in the snare head of the band practice kit over the course of 6 songs.
I don't get any complaints that nobody can hear me ... and a lot of times when I'm fooling around quietly (I think) while the guys are tuning up, they glare and shush me because they can't hear themselves think.
I had to get noise-cancelling headphones for my music room CD player, because I couldn't hear the music over the drums.
And my hubby has started talking about sound-proofing my music room ... which my first teacher told me would be the sign that I was hitting hard enough.

I'm not sure if any of this is good or bad.
8-)

Hey Glynes.

It all sounds good to me.

Try cupping one ear while beating the drums a little harder/faster with the other (throwing in a couple of loud bass kicks) when you get those glares :) That'll probably cure 'em. Guitarists... sheesh!

As for the CD practice, if you can, try miking the kit and mixing that with the CD into those iso headphones... Pretty sweet. You'll get your own drum sound without the muffling from the isos, but you'll be able to control the volume of your kit.

Rock on!
-Michael

Fur drummer

08-30-2006, 04:31 AM

I'm not a hard hitter, more like a medium to light hitter. I have never really bashed the heck out of them, even when I was younger.

Drumsword

09-09-2006, 04:31 AM

I am 6'3, 275 lbs and other drummers are always afraid to let me on their kits because they are afraid I will break everything. I started playing the first few years by playing in church bands in fairly small buildings, so I learned early on how to hit fairly lightly and let the mics do the work.
So now 22 years later; if were playing indoors, I can adjust to just hitting at a comfortable bashing and let the sound guy control my volume. OUTDOORS, I grab my small baseball bat size sticks and let er rip. But I also suffered from severe carpal tunnel for years and at times literally had to have sticks ductaped to my hands so hitting hard was not an option. But after the surgery in 2005 I am at 120%. I highly recommend it.

Batera945

09-09-2006, 04:51 AM

I think when ur hittin everything too hard and all that ur just workin a lot more for nothing.. i think that if u hit more controlled u will get a better sound and you wont hurt ur self or the drums as bad !

tambian89

09-10-2006, 05:52 PM

When I first started off, as the notes got faster, the playing got louder. Eventually, there was just a wall of sound coming from my kit. I've since learned to control it, and play relatively loud, depending on the song and style. For anormal metal song, I play mezzo forte (medium loud) and for say a rock ballad or jazz, I play mezzo piano.

- Marc

cysyko

09-11-2006, 04:34 AM

If im practicing by my lonesome then i dont hit em to hard. But if im jamming with someone i wail on em pretty hard. Just depends on the situation, i play mostly rock/metal so i usually hit the drums hard by default anyway

Skynman

04-27-2007, 12:03 PM

I have seen people look like a gorrila playing the drums hitting them so hard and breaking a drum stick every other song! I AM NOT IMPRESSED! Playing with show or flare is one thing but I am impressed with a drummer who can play and sound good over the other stuff every time! If you are hitting the drums that hard you clearly need to get some lessons on how to play drums and not look like a monkey!

bart60

04-27-2007, 08:08 PM

i used to hit my drums pretty hard, u should see my old skins (they have mountains and valleys :P). Now i try to hit them not as hard but more effeciently, if you get what im saying. + im proud to say that I have only broken 1 stick in my whole drumming carrer (i've played for 6 years, broke it last summer) :D. and i have a friend who started drumming quite recently, he plays in a metal band and he has already broken 4 or 5 sticks :P

cjl71178

04-27-2007, 09:04 PM

I used to be a real heavy hitter and my arms used to fly all over the place. I went through at least 3 pairs of sticks during a show. I'd wake up the next morning feeling like I swam the Atlantic Ocean! Nowadays, people still think I'm a heavy hitter but it's all in my wrists. My arms do not even come up pass the middle of my chest and I'm not chopping up as many sticks.

The Levee Breaker

06-13-2007, 08:37 PM

I'll be honest here, i do hit very hard, however i try my best not to ever let that get in the way of technique. I've never broken a cymbal, and only a few pairs of sticks, but i do occasionally break a head, which i know is bad, but at least they are easily replaced.

rendezvous_drummer

06-14-2007, 09:04 PM

I used to just smash those heads, but now that I am more experienced and mature, I tend to play a lot softer than I did.

J-M

06-14-2007, 09:38 PM

Usually I hit my drum with force , but when i play a song i drum with the emotion of the bass...strange......

fijjibo

07-16-2007, 08:36 PM

I have been told that I "beat my drums to bits".

I dont really, I play funky stuff and hit about medium.

Ive never broken anything.

jonescrusher

07-16-2007, 10:16 PM

I like to pretend that I'm a tiny little ant.

spartacus1989

07-16-2007, 10:58 PM

Well put it this way,

To accent, I beat the erm... outa my kit,
To ghost note, I am as calm as a cucumber on a sunny day :D

charlie_drums[SPA]

08-18-2007, 06:34 PM

Not very hard... but in a concert I can get very agressive... last time i played live i broke my sticks (Vic Firth... u.u), but actually they were a little cracked.

AlexM

08-18-2007, 09:14 PM

This hard: |------------------|

Seriously though, I can play soft and hard depending on the song...

da cheese walks

08-18-2007, 09:21 PM

i hit hard but i dont have bad technique...

i use my wrists......i play a pretty steady volume and power for most stuff....but like to mess with dynamics...

however the place im most lost is my bass....it depends solely on how i feel with the song at the time how loud i go...if im very comfortable the bass will pound...if im uncomfortable itll squeek...

Creothcean

08-25-2007, 09:57 PM

I took some used cymbals in to sell them and the guy at the store said that I must be a pretty light hitter cause they were in pretty good shape.

its kinda funny cause I can play the same pair of sticks for months without them breaking and the only head I break with any consistency is my bass head every few months.

but i really just play like I need to. I use medium weight Pro-mark sticks (the ed shaughnessy model). If I play jazz i play lighter, if I'm playing some bonham, I slam the drums, so I always thought of myself as pretty average.

but the people who break sticks every other day and have to replace their heads every month must be doing everything short of jumping onto their drums and attacking them, but playing that loud doesnt mean that you're any good, it just means that you want to sound really bad and drown out everyone else.

mofle

08-26-2007, 01:33 AM

but the people who break sticks every other day and have to replace their heads every month must be doing everything short of jumping onto their drums and attacking them, but playing that loud doesnt mean that you're any good, it just means that you want to sound really bad and drown out everyone else.

If you break a pair of sticks a week, chances are you have poor tecnique.