4 piece drumsets taking a comeback?

[tamadrummer132]

iv been seeing alot of music videos lately, and they all seem to have four piece DW sets with a ride, hi-hat, and a crash. nothing else
they were mostly heavy rock bands, but iv seen heavy rock drummers playing monster kits.

smaller sets coming back eh?

[kung_f00]

iv been seeing alot of music videos lately, and they all seem to have four piece DW sets with a ride, hi-hat, and a crash. nothing else
they were mostly heavy rock bands, but iv seen heavy rock drummers playing monster kits.

smaller sets coming back eh?

definitely. i don't necessarily know about dw, but i know on mapex's page the drummer from 'every time i die' is featured. he plays a four piece, and he rocks it pretty damn hard from what i saw on the accompanying video.

[pdp 9091]

I have my set in a four piece configuration and ill probably keep it that way until i get another floor tom

14 snare
22 bass
14 tom on snare stand
16 floor tom

[Shinx]

Its pretty popular in the hardcore scene, which makes sense because its usually very minimalist music. Not minimalist in a bad way, one of my favorite types of music, just very DIY

[The Ploughman]

Did they ever really leave?

[harryconway]

Did they ever really leave?
Indeed, there was that Ringo guy...and that Charlie whats-his-name cat. They both have had a modicome of success playing 4 piece kits. But there was the 80's, and drummers started hanging bass drums from the ceiling. Nirvana and Guns'N'Roses changed that fashion...and now.

[stillgroovin]

Hey, lets not forget that Buddy R dude, worked a 4 piece better than anyone on the planet.

[Drummer Karl]

Mhhh, yes, I think. I also see many many drummers with smaller kits...and I have to say that I was never a fan of huge and big drum kits. And even if it looks comfortable I would prefer a comfortable 4-piece or 5-piece. (Good example for a comfortable big drum kit would be Steve Smith) I like the set-up but I feel better on my 5-piece.

but yeah, I think they really come back, those 4-piece kits and I wait for the time when Jack DeJohnette plays on a 4-piece. ;-)

Karl

[bonzolead]

I've always said if you can't. do it with a (4) piece kit what makes you think you're going to be able to do it with a (20) piece kit.not only that but it's. so much easier to set-up and you don't. take over the stage like monster kits do.maybe when I have a team of roadies setting up my kit I'll change but until then it's. (4) piece all the way.when I gig out I use either Goliath(24" kit) or David(20" kit) both (4) piece kits.I've always felt comfortable with the ride just over the bass drum,Just a personal preference.

Keep Swatting,
Bonzolead

[jstorey4]

I'm left handed, but still play with a mostly right handed set up. To me, the 4-piece set-up feels assymetric and unbalanced since my ride is on the left. That said, for righties it is great. It looks great on stage and allows the drummer to better see and be seen. It also brings the ride closer in. Glad to see it is making a comeback!

[fusssion]

4 and 5 piece kits will never go "away" .....

it all depends on the music that's being played

[Rick_Strong]

I never play live with my 7 piece, always break it to 5 or more often 4

[Mike Firth]

I'm agreeing they are making a come back. I've been to many shows (mostly punk/emo/hardcore/funk/jazz) and alot of punk emo and hardcore bands are using 4 pieces now with a hi-hat, ride, 1 or 2 crashes, and a china. Alot of double bass bands end up using 2 kicks but still not as many toms as you would think for their style of music.

[dom]

it seems to me the old has come back with a new twist. i notice it in rock bands the most huge bass drum small tom and normal floor. I play a 4 piece and i love it! its all nice and neat everything close and pluss everyone can see you way better

[Latin Groover]

I actually think they are becoming incresilingly popular again, i play a 4pc but thats mainly because my other tom is too big but after playing a 4pc for so long, im not sure that id use the 2nd tom if i could, i used not like 4 pce kits but now i absolutly love them, they force you to be creative and i just love playing a 4pc now. Although i also used to hat the 1 up 2 down setup. "When would you ever really use the 2nd floor tom, surely not as much as the floor tom in a 2up 1 down setup(because its just like they have moved down a position, if u get me)?" I used to think, but now i would love a kit like that. Tastes change as you mature just with everything else.

[gusty]

i like 4 and 5 piece kits. never actually played anything bigger than a 5 piece, and only once have i played a kit with more that 3 cymbals. i like it, cause i dont really see the point in having 5 different crashes and 7 toms, i wouldnt really know what to hit...

[d.c.drummer]

Hey, lets not forget that Buddy R dude, worked a 4 piece better than anyone on the planet.

he was most commonly seen w/ a 5 piece... check the vids

[stickers]

Long live the 4pc!!!

[Ozzy Biz]

he was most commonly seen w/ a 5 piece... check the vids

But wasn't that second 16" usually used to hold his towel?

Gotta love the kits they used in G'nR in the early days too...

Biz

[harryconway]

Indeed, when I set up just my 26" kick, 18" floor and a snare I call it my Steve Adler tribute kit.

[jasonarp]

I see it a lot in the metalcore/hardcore scene because the bands do a lot of shows, and they are just easy to put in a van and go.

I use a 4 piece, hihats, ride, crash, and splash just because thats all I can fit in my car.

[bonzolead]

What doesn't. everybody have 10 roadies to set-up their kit?LOL,Peart and Portnoy are just a some of the few drummers that have a monster kit(like Portnoy's siamese monster)
that play every part of the kit.But I even seen Mike Portnoy play a (4) piece kit in a acoustic setting with Dream Theater.I think it comes down to the basic's that is where every drum kit starts from for jazz,rock,blues,etc.as they say "less is more"

Keep Swatting,
Bonzolead

[Zildjian 242]

definitely. i don't necessarily know about dw, but i know on mapex's page the drummer from 'every time i die' is featured. he plays a four piece, and he rocks it pretty damn hard from what i saw on the accompanying video.

Hah i'm related to a few guys in that band :p

[drumbandit]

yeah i play a four piece with 2 crashes ride china and hi-hats. the new thing is to have a really deep BD and a 10" rack tom and the contrast exadurates the smallness and hugeness.

[maddrummr]

Yea i would say that they are coming back because people figured out that a ton of drums doesnt make you a good drummer. Just look at the drum sets during the 80's. Talk about huge. Now i think people realize, who needs 10 toms 2 bass drums (not unusual) 2 snares and enough metal to stack higher than a semi truck. (ok that was a bit exaggerated but still. Smaller set-ups are so much easier to move around also.

THats just my 2 cents

[drummerchick435]

I like 4 piece drum kits. I'd like to have multiple different size kits. A 4 pc, 5 pc, and a 7 pc but that a lot of money and space so I choose the 7 pc so I can have more options. anyways each to his or her own.

[Skitch]

Only since the early 1990s with Nirvana! I prefer to play a five piece kit but have been using a four piece lately just because the ease of loading in, less stage space etc. The practice kit is a different story - five toms and a couple of chinas and three splashes as I am experimenting with some Bozzio type of stuff.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com


http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw

[The Ploughman]

So why dont we start a Four Piece Comeback thread and post pics of all our 4 piecers.

[Medearis]

I play on a four piece... and I will never change back.
Usin' the Peace DNA 5-piece set, without the 12" rack tom.

So... 14" snare
10" rack tom
14" floater tom

I also have a 16" floor tom I throw on there for kicks. It's fun to play and all, but I find that I can do everything I really want to do with just two toms, snare, and a kick drum.

Oh yeah, and just to clarify "minimalism" is just an attitude! Many drummers have used a smaller, 4-piece, set up.... depending on the drummer's finesse, you could never tell!

[KzSgDrummer]

I agree with Skitch and others that they never really left, and definitely have been in use a good amount since Nirvana, and we can't forget about Travis Barker in the late 90s with his flashy drums. Plus, it seems the 4 piece is the standard punk/hardcore kit, and most every late 90s/early 00s emo band (Get Up Kids for instance) was using them, not to mention that jazzers never abandoned the set up.