The Big Kits vs. Small Kits Debate

I’d like have happy medium in between having enough drums to fill my needs but more in cymbals than just the basics.Having that said If had chose between small kit vs a big kit!!I’d say a big kit min 7pcs to whatever suits the gig.
I like play HARD/METAL/PROG Rock

I have currently an old 1980 Yamaha Recording Custom its in 10,12,13,14 toms ,14 snare,22 kick.Cymbals are Sabian 14”Pargons HiHat, 16”AA Medium Crash,15”AA X X-Plosion Crash,17” AA Metal Crash, 19”AAX X-treme China ,9” Vault Max Splash,10”AAX Splash,8” AA Splash
20” B8 Ride(Its a temp) I found a 22” Signature Tri-Zone Cymbal I fell in love with next pay check I’ll be mine!!
I’d love have at the very least a 16”floor tom some day?Trouble is finding the same year,model & color?
My wish list in Cymbals:
17”HHX X-Treme China
22”Pargon Ride
18” HHX X-Xplosion Crash
20”Pargon Crash
Lets face it!!Money is one biggest Problems for me.Next is time & space to play it!!!My dream kit is an Ayotte Custom (I’m Canadian) 2nd choice a DW Collector kit

6/49 anyone!!!
 
I've been playing what I call a 4 by 4 (Four piece, single bass drum kit, 4 cymbals) for over a year, and have never found it limiting in the least. I've played a four piece with hi-hats, crash, and ride and found that a little too limiting, and played a 3 piece (no rack tom!) with four cymbals and found that too restricting. But with four drums, hats, ride, crash, and china, I get everything I need. I played a five minute solo on a 4 by 4 in the summer and had people literally bowing down and worshiping. I love playing a smaller set, but have no problem with large kits, as long as the person doesn't mind the extra expense and lugging time!

At the end of the day, it ain't the drums... it's the drummer.
 
small kits, because mike portnoy is a douche.
 
More drums=more possibilities

Case closed.

Yep! There is more possibility that I would overplay, more possibility that I would play something stupid. I use four drums and four cymbals, five if I use a China.

Play a huge kit. Play a small kit. Be yourself. Drum on!
 
That minimalist stuff gets lost on me. I've only ever seen hipsters play 3pc kits. I'd play a minimum 5pc anywhere. Convenient, but not at the expense of entertaining the crowd a little more.

Please take no offense, but the way I look at it, if the crowd needs more entertainment, then I'd blame the music itself more than the number of things on a drum kit.
 
Please take no offense, but the way I look at it, if the crowd needs more entertainment, then I'd blame the music itself more than the number of things on a drum kit.

agreed. i am wary of just how far i should take my opinion on this big vs small thing as;

a) i don't want to hurt anybodys feelings
b) i don't want an argument
c) i don't want to upset bernhard and get banned

so i'll just say this; if you can't lay down an interesting beat with a kick, snare & hats then you don't need a bigger kit, you need to practice more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FX_84iWPLU
 
Small Kit! I've been playing a three piece kit for the last 4 years in all types of situations. I mainly use a 14' snare (that I built myself), a 12X12 Peace tom (that one was $10) and currently using a Pearl Export 22" kick (free). The snare is made from a Remo Buffalo Drum with some snare wires screwed into it and then taped onto the head. Dry, dry,dry! No annoying overtones and no snare buzz from ambient sound. The tom was a steal - ten bucks at a thrift store. The kick was a freebie! I use a 20" Sabian ride cymbal that I literally found in the gutter, and Zildjian 14" hi-hats. I've played this set up with my prog rock band, my heavy metal band, a jazz improv project, my Fleetwood Mac cover band, a hip hop band... I could go on. Point being, I've never felt like I'm lacking anything palette wise. Drummers frequently ask me "How do you do that?" and I reply, "Practice."
 
The better drummer you are, the less drums you need.

Big sets can look pretty neat, but an artist can keep your interest with only one drum.
 
The better drummer you are, the less drums you need.

Big sets can look pretty neat, but an artist can keep your interest with only one drum.

Then there would be no such thing as "drum sets", lol.

Dennis
 
I can just see Neil Peart trying to play 2112 on one drum. Or Danny Carey, or Mike Portnoy, or, you get the idea. They have lots of drums, and are pretty good drummers. Does that mean they would be even better on a single drum?
 
I have to agree with NPYYZ, Big kits look better, are more fun to play, have more sounds at your disposal, don't limit you in any way unless you have a small vehicle :) IMHO!

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I knew that seeing this thread you would have posted this somewhere, you and your massive kits.
 
I can just see Neil Peart trying to play 2112 on one drum. Or Danny Carey, or Mike Portnoy, or, you get the idea. They have lots of drums, and are pretty good drummers. Does that mean they would be even better on a single drum?

"Yes, because they would have had to be more creative."

Anything you can play on a large set, you can play on a small set. The reverse is not always true.
 
"Yes, because they would have had to be more creative."

Anything you can play on a large set, you can play on a small set. The reverse is not always true.
Sorry buddy. Disagree. You try playing RUSH, Dream Theater with a four piece and I will know very soon you do not have enough drums to pull it off. Unless you want all the fills to sound the same.
 
If I know I will be touching a drum/ cymbal/cowbell one or more times, I will set it up.

If I touch a drum/cymbal/cowbell only one time during a show, I seriously consider if it's worth bringing it or not.

...that's one of the plights of playing musicals. Usually, that item that you play only once in the whole 1-3 hour show is critical. Luckily, the show runs for a couple of weeks, and you only need to set it up once, though. :)
 
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