Reducing stage volume

[MBrhythm]

I have read alot about practicing quitly. Learning better stick control.....

What I need is a quick way to reduce the stage volume of my kit. Im playing in some small live-houses/clubs and my band and I want to get a well balanced sound. I/we dont want the cymbles to mask out the vox. I thought about buying a drum sheld but was hoping for any other tricks that all the great drummers here know or have tried.

Thank you.


P.S.
Im practicing softly now...... click 2,3,4........

[lstardrums]

tell your band mates to play louder ; )

drums dont have volume controls, nor should you ever have to hide your beautiful sound behind a shield. if you really need to reduce you volume i suggest getting some vic firth tala wands or rods. they will reduce your volume dramatically.

[Deathmetalconga]

I like playing with wok chopsticks, available at any Oriental ethnic market. They're about 19 inches long, rattan or bamboo, with a good taper that can be easily cut down for a slightly beefier sound.

[Spreggy]

Something from the Vic Firth Jazz line (http://www.vicfirth.com/products/americanjazz.html) could help.
Brushes, all those different bundle things, etc. I'm sure you can play quiet as a church mouse if you try. If you play jazz already you probably know what I'm talking about, just think about dynamics. With a little practice you can play YYZ at a volume an Amish preacher couldn't complain about. Set down the 2B's and get some light sticks, hit the cymbals on the top, and have a great time.
Good luck!

wok chopsticks
Hey neat idea DMC.

[harryconway]

I have several different sized sticks, as well as bundle stix on my bag. Stick control is a key to volume control big time. And if you have the luxury of a good assortment of cymbals, I find running smaller cymbals helps. People see 16" and 18" crashes up front, they expect loud. They see 10", 12" and 14" crashes and splashes, low volume. Might only be a mind trick, but it works. Sometimes I'll substitute a 16" crash for my ride, which I run extremely low, and sometimes another 16" crash, just slightly higher than the floor tom.

[MBrhythm]

All great ideas!! Thank you ALL for them.

Anyone try taping down the cymbles? Or putting a lite rag over the heads?

I have rods. I dont mind playing with them. I just want to know all my options.

Im playing rock. Something like U2 and Coldplay. Here take a listen.

http://www.sushicabaretclub.com/

[Skynman]

Try using some blastic sticks, head mufflers work well too! Also a good drummer controls the volume by how hard or soft the drums/cymbals are hit! A lighter stick will also soften your sound too!

[d.c.drummer]

Anyone try taping down the cymbles? Or putting a lite rag over the heads?

I have rods. I dont mind playing with them.

That will kill the good sound you payed all that money for. Playing with light weight sticks or hot rods should help.

[Paul Quin]

These are all good suggestions but are really temporary fixes. Unfortunately it all comes down to technique. If you are normally a rimshotting, backbeat accenting hard hitter then you need to do more than use chopsticks, damping or muffling, or cool rods to bring your volume down. Try lowering your snare a little (or raising your seat) and bringing your elbows up a little do that you are striking the snare at more of an angle (and by that I mean with the butt of the stick (nearer your grip) higher above the rim of the drum. This should help with the fine control necessary to reduce the actual volume without taking away from ghost notes and requisite groove. Again, though, this is a temporary fix and you should practise playing what you are comfortable playing at as low a volume as possible. This is always a thorny problem for those of us who served their apprenticeship playing in rock bands where volume was never a problem. I struggle with this myself constantly.

Paul

[Pete Stoltman]

Years ago I played for a series of fashion shows. They wanted live music (background stuff) but had to be super quiet. I tried using other implements like brushes etc. but sometimes needed to play with sticks. Playing VERY quietly but with good technique and time is difficult but just like everything else in drumming it can be acheived with some quality concentration and practice. One thing I found that helped was some mental visualization. Here's what I did. I imagined that my stick was striking the head or cymbal about a half inch higher than it really did. That meant that by the time the stick actually hit the target I was already beginning to rebound. This resulted in a much lighter touch and a significant reduction of volume without losing feel or tempo. I know that probably sounds a bit crazy but believe me it worked. I'm now pretty capable of playing at remarkably low volumes without having to struggle with it much at all. Hope that helped.

[MBrhythm]

It does take time to learn this. I came from a heavy metal back ground where you had to thrash. Now when I start to get into the music I tend to forget that I have to play softly.......
I was hoping for a quick fix while im in the woodshed. (chop,2,3,4...Softly,2,3,4)

Thanks guys. Always glad to hear from you.

http://www.sushicabaretclub.com/

[Highway Child]

My problem is the opposite often I cant play loud enough! I started out playing pro in pit-bands for variety shows and pantomimes (UK guys know what these are!), summer shows in coast resorts that kind of thing. In a small theatre with un-mic'd brass, titchy combos for bass and k'bds this meant I used thin sticks and small drums / cymbals. Even so had to "tickle" more than hit but at least I could hear everything.

Now I'm more of a hobby player in R&B and Rock bands I enjoy the music more but its an effort for me to play hard enough (esp BD) consistently through the set. Even being mic'd up is'nt great often I can't hear the music despite high stage volumes. Cant win...

[cjl71178]

I know where you're coming from MB.

I used to have the same problem with volume playing and that had mostly to do with competing with the guitar players! LOL! A few years back, I saw a cover band who was pretty well known throughout the local area. They were playing an outdoor festival and they sounded amazing, I couldn't believe how amazing and how tight they sounded. I knew that they had an amazing sound guy but as I got closer to the stage, the quieter they were. It sounded like they weren't even playing on stage. From that point on, I started to bring my arms down a little more when I hit my drums and work on being more dynamic in certain situations (plus, my arms don't hurt as much at the end of a show!).
Give it time bro, there's a lot of great suggestions from the other guys here.

[bonzolead]

either use a lighter stick or use rods or brushes.but try practicing playing very light with sticks it's a technique you will have to develop if you plan on playing small clubs but it's also cool when you can control the dynamics(volume) of the song.it's cool to see a drummer totally bashing his or her kit but it's. also cool when a drummer can play complex fills at a really low volume.DYNAMICS,DYNAMICS,DYNAMICS.

Good Luck,
Bonzolead