an odd questian to all about drum set up

[lycandrummer]

well hi to all first off, im new here and have some questians, some answers and lots of curiousity.

My questian stems from my annoyance at myself but its an annoyance at something i cant control or stop. I was born totally blind and at age 22 nothing has changed. Most of the time i dont have any problems with it, i've grown quite used to it as most would expect.

Where it really does come into play is playing other peoples drum kits, mine is of course set up by me for me so is purrfect to how i like it. But i play in several practice spaces, and its getting more and more common for venues to provide parts if not all of the drum set to aid in set up times. Problem, i have to take some time to adjust to the kit, and that can look kinda retarded to the audience.

Has anyone here ever played with there eyes closed, and what did you gain from it, i ask it like this because i want to know if someone with full vision usage has picked up on any tricks or tips that you can see, but that i couldnt. Is there any kit excercises that as a drummer i can do to aclimate myself better to a new kit?

I just hate the five..ten mins of downtime i have to use just playing and hitting each part of the kit to know where it is.

[fijjibo]

Welcome to Drummerworld!!

Totaly blind and still drumming - thats downright inspiring!!!


As for your question, I cant help much, but Im sure someone will be along soon to help you out.

Cheers.

[NUTHA JASON]

its actually a good exercise for all of us to drum blindfolded. stage lights can flash, turn off suddenly, spin. seeing your drums should not be necessary. so we should practice without the need to see. in a way you may have the advantage on us in that your sense of the space around you is more highly developed. as long as the drums are set up roughly in the right places and you have a moment to reach out and establish where things are, you shouldn't have a problem.

in my own experience at some gigs near the end i get so much sweat pouring down my face that i close my eyes to stop the stinging and then i get an idea of your world. often a bright light shines into my face, killing my night vision and then suddenly the lights go off and i can'tsee at all. Sometimes i don't look at the kit on purpose. i know it thrills some peopl when you hit a cymbal on the far right while staring at the bass guitarist on the left. you see the 'how's he do that' look on their faces.

j

[drummerchick435]

well I don't play many different kits (I don't gig yet) but here's an excellent site by my friend Rob Richard: www.handidrummed.com
I'm not completely sure about how to respond to your situation though but I hope this helps.

[crazyhorse]

As was already said... your concept of the space around you is more than likely leaps and bounds above the rest of us here. If techs are providing parts of the setup try to call ahead and get as much info as possible or talk to other people that have played in that particular venue before so you know what to expect. I'm guessing that's about all one can do short of doing what you're already doing and learning the new setup.

[lycandrummer]

i suppose you guys are right, i have seen that hadydrum website before but thats mainly for disabilities relating to muscle or full limb defficiencies, not so much vision. Theres still some neat stuff on there to read about though.

I guess i'll just keep what im doing, but perfect it into a science, like a 30 second roll or something around the kit, dunno, just have to try more things.

[crazyhorse]

Things I practice when I do practice with my eyes closed:

Runs down the toms... doubles, triples, fours...
Crossovers (varying between adjacent drums and skipping drums)

I tend to hit a lot of rims until I dial it in. Keep in mind the smaller kit you're playing the less drums you have to find. I'd keep the cymbals low and tight so you don't have to extend your arms all the way to hit them or anything.

[ahum]

Probably something you would already do, but I imagine it would help you when you sit down at a new kit to hit all the drums, play a couple beats...you know, get warmed up to the position of everything. I'm not blind, but I'll do that to accustom myself to a new kit.

[fourstringdrums]

i suppose you guys are right, i have seen that hadydrum website before but thats mainly for disabilities relating to muscle or full limb defficiencies, not so much vision. Theres still some neat stuff on there to read about though.

I guess i'll just keep what im doing, but perfect it into a science, like a 30 second roll or something around the kit, dunno, just have to try more things.

I actually just sent you a PM about the site. Actually it's for all sorts of disabilities, not just in regards to the limbs, blind, deaf, limb, neurological, spinal, etc... As I mention in the PM, there are 3 other blind drummers on the site already:

They are:

Jamie Rae Allison: www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/jamie/ (http://www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/jamie/)

Mitch Wright: www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/mitch/ (http://www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/mitch/)

and Chris D'Sylver, although sadly, he passed away last year: www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/chris/ (http://www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/chris/)

I refer to Joe Morello on the links page as well...actually I should probably add Stevie Wonder too because after all, he has played drums on most of his recordings. You're more than welcomed to be a part of it.

What I would suggest is when you play on someone elses kit, if you can, take a few minutes and warm up. Have someone show you where all the drums/cymbals are and then take a few minutes to just acclimate yourself to the new drum surroundings. Start by playing a simple groove on the hi-hat to acclimate yourself to the hi-hat position. Then start throwing in crashes, eventually move to the ride and do the same, then start throwing in fills using the toms one at a time etc.. I remember that in Neil Peart's "Work in Progress" DVD he has a section about warming and doing exercercises where he does grooves that have fills that run up and down the toms, in order to let his hands "learn" where they are placed. Yes, Neil can see, but ultimately, it's up to muscle memory and your brain remembering where your hands need to go. Even sighted drummers have been in situations where they've missed drums or cymbals even while looking! *lol*

Also practice playing on as many different kits as possible. I know you say you hate the downtime, but until you get more used to playing on different sets and adapt quicker, it's necessary. Alot of the drummers on my site use specialized setups, myself included (well not currently but I have used them quite a bit and from time to time) and they all just make due having to do whatever they have to do to be comfortable, especially if it's on someone elses set. Eventually you find your way around it, and you get more adept at getting comfortable.

I would contact another drummer on the site, Andrew Hewitt: www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/andrew/ (http://www.handidrummed.com/drummers/profiles/andrew/) or at info@drummerstix.com.au. He also goes by the name drummerstix_au here. He isn't blind, he has Cerebral Palsy, but he has done many many gigs and has sat in on many jam sessions where he's had to acclimate himself to someone else's kit, which is his case can be alittle tricky to get comfortable. He can maybe give you a few pointers on how he handled the downtime and maybe did things to help speed up the process. He might not have the same condition, but his advice still may be universal to a point.

Just keep at it, you'll get there!

[maddrummr]

Well i do try to close my eyes and drum but the picture of my drum set-up is stuck in my head and i can visualize what i do.
Maybe once you get a feel for the kit, try and visualize it in your head and watch your arms to the playing : )

[ledzepjb]

I really admirer your abilaty to drum without being able to see, truely inspiring.
I dont really have any suggestions on how to help you. But i have one question, how can you see what the other drummers on the forum write and how do you log on, etc. Please dont be affended by my ignorance, i was just curious.

[rhythmjunkie]

Hey brother, God bless you and keep playing. Never Give Up!! If I could offer any advice, I think the best thing for you to start doing is bringing someone you trust to a gig or rehearsal. First, have them take the tom toms off and move back the ride and crash. Leave the kick, snare and hihat. Position these three vital drum set instruments where they're most comfortable. Next throw your arms down and strike where you feel the toms would be comfortable, and have your trustee friend place them as best as they can in that spot. Do the same for the ride cymbal, crash cymbal, etc. You should be able to bang this out within two minutes. Good luck!!

[lycandrummer]

thanks all for the continuous replys, i feel i need to clarify some things.

I dont hate the downtime, i hate how it might make me or the band look to the audience, i accept it as something i gotta do but in the long run i'd like to get it down to an exact science and not have to figure out new ways for new kits.

I'll take a closer look at handydrum.com and see what more it has to offer, because i cant think of a product idea that would actually really help in a blind drumming situation, but hey maybe i'll learn something.

As for how do i read this and reply i have a program that runs in the background that talks everything, well not typing, cause i can do that most of the time without errors, but reading, selecting, copy/paste, deleting, all works just the same asit would for you, just i hear it not see it.

[Ironcobra]

i close my eyes when i play, cuz they say when you lose a sense, your other senses get stronger, so i can really focus on the beat. i dont think a blind drummer should have any problems at all playing or dealing with setups. unless you hop on one of terry bozios monster kits. either way, it amazing that you havn't given up drumming, if i became blind, i would probably just listen to music for a living.....or i would commit suicide, i cant imagine not seeing, its unbeliveable that you keep rockin in ur drums keep it up

[fourstringdrums]

thanks all for the continuous replys, i feel i need to clarify some things.

I dont hate the downtime, i hate how it might make me or the band look to the audience, i accept it as something i gotta do but in the long run i'd like to get it down to an exact science and not have to figure out new ways for new kits.

I'll take a closer look at handydrum.com and see what more it has to offer, because i cant think of a product idea that would actually really help in a blind drumming situation, but hey maybe i'll learn something.

As for how do i read this and reply i have a program that runs in the background that talks everything, well not typing, cause i can do that most of the time without errors, but reading, selecting, copy/paste, deleting, all works just the same asit would for you, just i hear it not see it.

I wouldn't worry what the band or audience may think. Any good band will be understanding and the audience will be more impressed with what your doing than how long it took you to get comfortable.

Again if there is anything I can help you with, let me know.

...oh and it's www.handidrummed.com (http://www.handidrummed.com) not www.handydrummed.com (http://www.handydrummed.com) :)

[d.c.drummer]

A Dennis Chambers a very great drummer almost always plays "blind". His are are rarely ever open while he's playing drums unless he's looking for cues from drummers.

And your being uncomfortable behind a new kit is not exclusive to you. I have a really hard time playing kits that arent mine. I always have to re-arrange them if i plan to use more than the snare, bass, hi-hat, and floor tom. When i go to mm drum shop, i never feel comfortable at all behind the demo kits. Everyting is to low, too spaced out or too high.

[Vixus]

I tend to play with my eyes closed when I'm feeling the music and don't need to pay attention to where I'm actually hitting. I'm pretty acclimatised to my kit in that I don't need to see it.
To be honest, you should have a kit diagram with you and before doing any gigs and stuff you should make sure that the kit is setup to your specifications.
To be honest, I'm not very sure on the correct setup of the kit, as in where the snare goes and stuff... sometimes I feel my legs are too long and I can't hit the snare properly. I guess I have to raise it.