alparrott
Diamond Member
For one, I applaud you Mr. evolving_machine for playing in a way that you are considerate to the other musicians, especially at rehearsal, and taming your lion of an instrument for the greater good, the drums. That is not something that should go unrecognized. it is definitely one of the more advanced skills IMO. So way to go. Any gorilla can pound drums into submission. It takes a real musician to accurately assess...and be able to deliver...what volume is needed for a given situation, high or low. Control is sexy.
As the drummer's volume goes, so goes the rest of the band. I always notice that if the drummer relaxes and doesn't try to impress or whatever, the rest of the band relaxes right along with them. Which is what I for one wants to happen. It's infectious or contagious. One of them. It's pretty cool the power we wield. Hold back and listen to the others get inspired.
In sticking with the thread topic, i just came back from rehearsal. I drive a full hour to rehearsal, so I use the drums there. He's got a 1968 vintage Sonor in that swirly wrap that you can make a scratch in with your fingernail. It sounds really bad, like a 1 out of 10. I put the floor tom legs inside my sneakers to bring out some resonance. Three legs, 2 sneakers lol.
My point is that is doesn't matter. Once the rest of the guys are in, the crap tones just melt into the net sound. What does matter is the manner in which I hit the drums. Sound almost doesn't matter. Timing matters. And dynamics. And a hundred other things. Sound is way down on the list. Now when everything is firing on all 8, plus you have good sound, yea, cream your jeans time, for drummers. For everyone else, it's the way the drums are hit, it's the timing way more than the sound. IMO. I feel it's our responsibility to create the best sound possible, but in reality it's far down the list of the things that actually matter.
It's not what you play, or the sound of the drums, as much as how you touch them in relation to everything else...and the sense of time...that really counts.
I don't disagree with anything you say, Larry... but gosh darn it, drummers deserve to play a good-sounding instrument too! It's always much easier to feel a good groove on my nice Ludwigs than on the entry-level, taped-up crap in a guitarist's basement...