Accidentally hitting rims and sticks while playing

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
I wanted to hear some opinions on the inadvertent and unintentional stick and rim hits, like the kind that happens while soloing. You know those annoying clicks that show how imperfect your playing is?

Solos are hard enough, and to my ear, those clicks and rim hits detract from the playing. Does anyone have any tricks or approaches they can share that help with this issue? Do those errant clicks annoy you guys like they annoy me? It happens to me during every solo it seems. It's not huge, but at the same time, I don't like it either. I want them eliminated. I want to invent drumsticks that are magnetically the same pole so they repel each other so they can't hit. Not really. But I need some help.

I need to find a method or trick that will prevent unintentional contact with these obstacles. Does anybody out there have anything?
 
When you have two hard stick shaped objects that are moving at high speed in close proximity to each other, an unintended stick or rim strike is bound to happen occasionally.

When we are playing we are basically throwing the stick at the target and catching it after it bounces in a somewhat controlled guidance. Sticks don't always bounce the way that we intended them to.

It happens to even the best pro.

Why not ask why a pro golfer can't get a hole in one with every stroke?
Or a basketball player can't, "swish" every foul shot.
 
I reckon the best way to not hit rims is to get as much precision in your playing as you can. I think gavin harrison is a great example of this. The black spots on his coated heads have a 1cm diameter. lol. Seriously, it will help, but no matter how good we are, we will always make mistakes so a way you may cover it up is by including a few rim taps in your solo in a rhythmical pattern. Depending on the style of course.

You must remember these types of things are a lot less noticeable to non-drummers. We are very self-concious of things like this but the fact is most people will not notice. Also the angle of your toms may play a role in hitting accidental rims.
 
I wanted to hear some opinions on the inadvertent and unintentional stick and rim hits, like the kind that happens while soloing. You know those annoying clicks that show how imperfect your playing is?

Solos are hard enough, and to my ear, those clicks and rim hits detract from the playing. Does anyone have any tricks or approaches they can share that help with this issue? Do those errant clicks annoy you guys like they annoy me? It happens to me during every solo it seems. It's not huge, but at the same time, I don't like it either. I want them eliminated. I want to invent drumsticks that are magnetically the same pole so they repel each other so they can't hit. Not really. But I need some help.

I need to find a method or trick that will prevent unintentional contact with these obstacles. Does anybody out there have anything?

Larry I get that too but only when I am not properly warmed up on the kit as a whole. I seem to hit very clean when I have taken at least an hour working my chops slowly around the kit.

I'd like to find a better answer for me as well but I think this will go away with a conscious effort to play cleaner.
 
Didn't you recently change to a 24" bass, or am I thinking of someone else. That would throw you off for a while. Sometimes when you are trying to do too much, or something you haven't quite mastered yet, this will happen a lot. Maybe slow down, or simplify a bit, until it becomes smoother.
 
hi.this may seem obvious,but try adjusting angle on snare.We all hit rims at times,but its not a rim shot is it.If you want to hear a rimshot man,listen to krupa.Thats precision for you!
 
Aside from clean playing one way that I combat mishit is that I have memory locks on every single adjustable piece of my kit. This gives me consistency in setup and I mishit less.

I have an old Gretsch snare that if I use a modern size head, the hoop sits a few mm higher than a standard hoop does. I like the hoop high and I use it to my advantage.
I can play it with no problem and with no issues, but if someone else plays the snare they hit the rim by mistake a lot.
 
Didn't you recently change to a 24" bass, or am I thinking of someone else. That would throw you off for a while. Sometimes when you are trying to do too much, or something you haven't quite mastered yet, this will happen a lot. Maybe slow down, or simplify a bit, until it becomes smoother.

I went to a 24 Ludwig for 3 gigs. Unfortunately, it's just too much bass drum for most of the rooms I play, so now I'm going in the other direction, I just recently got a used Mapex 20" M Birch kit. I think I will have less inadvertent clicks, what with the lower toms. I haven't gigged this kit yet, but in 2 weeks I will. As much as I love the 24" tone, and I really do prefer it, it puts my racks up too high. I dropped more sticks in those 3 gigs than I had all year. Messing around on the 20" kick at home...I never owned a kit with a 20" kit...Geez is it easy to play! I could definitely get used to it.

Come to think of it, this is probably the answer I am looking for. Lower rack toms. That's usually when I experience the issues this thread is about, when I am playing my rack toms.
 
Well Larry. I think everyone has short memories when it comes to why different drum sizes became popular. 22" height became popular because it brought our toms down to a comfortable height. It also gave us a tighter, more responsive batter bass head. The guys that are using 24" again are usually set up "Bonham style" which has never appealed to me.

We also don't use power toms anymore. Brought the toms up way too high, or on too severe an angle. Sometimes a compromise has to be met, to accommodate playability!
 
Messing around on the 20" kick at home...I never owned a kit with a 20" kit...Geez is it easy to play! I could definitely get used to it.

Come to think of it, this is probably the answer I am looking for. Lower rack toms. That's usually when I experience the issues this thread is about, when I am playing my rack toms.
That's one reason why a 20" bass drum is just right for me, amongst many. It's also a reason why we majored on showing a 20" bass drum can deliver if constructed to suit it's size.

One little story I'd like to raise though, we had a blind player try our kits in the demo room at LDS. He's 100% blind, yet once he had orientated himself on the kit, he played without a single rim hit or stick click, & not simple stuff either. I'm guessing sight isn't the most important factor in avoiding those little drumming faux pas.
 
Yes Andy now I am reconsidering what size I want for the Guru kit. I'm really liking the 20" size, for playability purposes. Plus I feel so big behind the kit that it's easy to feel more in control, more dominating. I just may be going with a 20, and now I think I want some kind of birch for the clarity. Birch has great attack, which I am all about.

@ Abe, lol. Why not use stick cozies instead lol.

@ Glen agreed, too high toms...they make it much harder to whip around the kit. I can't believe I'm going with a 20 after falling in love all over again with the 24" tone. I want a 24" tone from a 20" size. Guru to the rescue?
 
The 7x12 tom that sits above my 20" bass kit is 4" lower than the 9x13" tom that sits on top of my 22" bass kit.
 
Two issues I have with a 20" bass. It will never sound like a 22 of the same make up, and looks small with regular sized toms.
 
We all hit rims on occasion.The single best example of this is a Buddy Rich vid on youtube(sorry no link) where he disses matched grip,and then plays a solo and hits his mounted toms rim.He then stops, says "sh*t", and just tears it up.

Joe Morello told me to be more accurate and hit your rims less,take a quarter(US,sorry I don't know the coin equivilant,about 1 inch in diameter) and put it in the middle of your practice pad.Take a permenant marker and draw a circle around it,then color it in.Thats your bullseye.

This could be applied to the whole kit if you wanted to I suppose,giving to a point of reference on all your drums.:)

Steve B
 
The 7x12 tom that sits above my 20" bass kit is 4" lower than the 9x13" tom that sits on top of my 22" bass kit.

That's significant. It really is a hell of a lot easier to play with low racks.

I've hit a rim before....accidentally. I was like, "dang, I just hit a rim".

I love your honesty and simplicity. (simple is good)

Two issues I have with a 20" bass. It will never sound like a 22 of the same make up, and looks small with regular sized toms.
And a 22 won't sound like a 24. I have a pretty heavy kick drum tone, and can afford to drop down a size or 2, in the rooms I normally play in. With a bigger room, I would pull out the bigger kicks. I am not as much of a stickler on looks as you are Glen. Hopefully, I get the attention, not my kick drum size.

I don't care if I hit the rims or my sticks when I'm playing. If you play live you play "true" and that's the reason why you can do mistakes. And I think "normal" people, non-musicians, don't care if you hit the rims or the sticks while you're playing.

I had a feeling there would be a certain percentage that doesn't mind the clicks. I accept them, oh well, but I don't necessarily like them, and am trying to eliminate/minimize them. Cleanliness is next to Gaddliness lol.
 
Back
Top