Blocks and bells....

TheDrumster

Senior Member
I'd like to add some blocks, cowbells, and other voices to my kit. Any ideas (and pictures!) of efficient ways to add or mount them? Do people add a "tree" of them in one location, or disperse a few around the kit?

Any favorites for rock / funk music?
 
Trees can be quite efficient but I find that you kind of want them on a separate stand (the tree). I have DW hoop-mounted percussion clamp that I use for my cowbell (a beautiful Meinl hand-hammered one) or my tambourine if I need it.

I would wager a cowbell, tambourine (headless), and a block would get you started on some cool stuff.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the block groove in "All I Know" by Karnivool in the bridge. That one will give you plenty of inspiration for using these things.
 
Get a mount that clips onto your bass drum hoop and stick your cowbell there. If there's room, add a jam block. If not, get a snare drum-mounted clamp for the jam block. Put a ching ring or mountable tambourine on your high hat stand. And, of course, windchimes front and center...
 
I've got 3 bells on my kit, which I place on top of cymbals (with a felt in between, of course).
Bass drum mounted cowbells are quite common, but I'd also look into pedal mounted cowbells as well. Gibraltar sells a device which allows you to clamp a pedal to a mount, on which you place a cowbell, block, or anything you wish, really.

+1 for the hi-hat mounted tambourine.
 
Here is a suggestion to consider that is a different direction. What about one or two Roland BT-1s and a sound module? Acoustic blocks, cowbells, etc do not have a lot of projection, plus you always need that one other piece of percussion, be it variation of the bells, finger snaps, hand claps, tambourine, castanets, etc. I know the acoustics are better, especially if you are a pure percussionist, but samples today are really good and you can easily make your own samples as well. This route does take some getting used to though. Just some food for thought.
 
Not a lot of projection...? Blocks especially have a lot of volume in my experience. They're used for marching band 'metronomes' (human-emulated) all the time. Not to disagree with the recommendation, but the volume is not a factor IMO.
 
Here's my percussion set up, on a practice kit. I attached the cowbell to a floor tom leg and the tambourine to the rim of main snare (right hand). Block is on the hi-hat stand and Drumbourine is on a side snare (left hand).
 

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Not a lot of projection...? Blocks especially have a lot of volume in my experience. They're used for marching band 'metronomes' (human-emulated) all the time. Not to disagree with the recommendation, but the volume is not a factor IMO.

My bad, and you are definitely correct. I should have said in a rock band without being mic'd and in front of a marshal stack. :) :)
 
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