Kick Snare & Hat

'Thats what the audience wants'..

If you want to hear that sentence a lot, go visit a rehearsal of an avarage wedding (cover) band..

I am kinda allergic to that..

I go to a concert to experience (hopefully) some sort of inspiring performance and i really could not care less if the drummer has a tom more or less..
 
Unless you are playing the same thing every night and you have pared your parts down to the minimum, I can't see forcing the restriction of a minimal kit on yourself.

In the moment based on what someone else has done I might want real quiet 32nds on a very small tom....or replace a cymbal hit with a china wash...or fill in some high freqs in strange situations with a little splash cymbal concurrent with deeper cymbals.

I guess if I was trying to make money as my primary intention I wouldn't care about being able to select on the fly based on the specific differing situation.

As far as appearance goes...I really don't care. The music matters more to me as $ coming from the music...and, for me, music edges out $ as I have positioned myself to not be a performing monkey.

Let the 'minimum kits rule' flaming commence! : )
 
If the music calls for toms, use toms. I mean, if you want to minimalize do it.

It's whatever the music needs. As drummers you/we may think/feel that we're unappreciated, we don't need to try and over do it, we're just here in the back laying down the heartbeat. I've went to shows just because of the drummer. If he came out to a set with a cymbal, snare and bass, I'd probably be a bit upset. There are only so many sounds you can make on a single part of a kit. You can't make filet mignon from bologna.

But I've also seen Brian Setzer and his orchestra perform. His Stray Cats drummer buddy joined him for the hits, and it was awesome!! Snare bass and hats. But that's how the songs were originally played.
 
we all know where the silly reference came from ... but outside of a piece of tape on a console the word "kick" has no place in drum reference in my opinion

Maybe you need to kick out the crappy "percussion" player?
 
Even this schmuck likes a couple of toms.

BennyGrebDolbear07173.jpg
 
I think I would feel ripped-off if I paid money to see a band and the drummer just had a bass drum and a snare drum.

Depends on the venue/setting. Paying to see an act, you would expect to see and hear a full kit. Walking into a bar/club to hear a band you may have different expectations.

If you were not a musician and drummer, your expectations would be dramatically different.

I do agree that 95% of most songs are kick, snare, hats, but the extra, missing 5% is an important piece and worth carrying a few toms and a couple cymbals........and a cowbell!
 
Whatever the music calls for. There are no rules.

Non drummers aren't going to care/understand what gear I'm playing and I'd certainly not worry about a drummer in the audience getting "kinda" mad over my setup of choice. I'd actually find that quite funny.

Plus the less drums the more chance you can watch a drummers technique, which is far more interesting to me personally than what amount gear they are using as...each to their own.
 
we all know where the silly reference came from ... but outside of a piece of tape on a console the word "kick" has no place in drum reference in my opinion

Agreed, at least from my musical perspective and styles played.
In defense of the venerable bass drum, "kick" drum just seems to marginalize the beauty of a singing drum you can finesse with your foot pedal. Especially in more melodic music genres, where a pounding rhythmic structure isn't the first priority. As if simply stomping on the pedal or kicking it is how to play the instrument and tuning was of no concern.

An older version from 2014 of the "kick vs. bass drum" thread is here. Looked to be slightly in favor of "bass drum."

http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113737
 
I’m not talking about guys who use four drums. I’m talking about seeing only TWO drums and a hi hat. Yes, kick snare and hat are 90% of what we use, but to be a slave to the mantra if I’m paying $75+ for a show on a proper stage just feels disingenuous. The Stray Cats would be an exception - obviously rockabilly and skiffle are genres unto themselves. And even that jazz drummer who just went out with a lone ride cymbal couldn’t just do that all the time. When I play a 4-piece, bands sometimes want more than one cymbal.

What about this then. Kick, hat and cymbal minus the drummer, well worth the admission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icoR67APrbU

Saw this tour it was cool.

I'd never be disappointed in a high end gig if the drummer made the simplest of the simple work on TWO drums and hats. I'd think the guy worked bloody hard to earn his money. If they had a drum tech though........
 
I don't really like "bikini" kits and refuse to use that setup. There's a reason why a 4-piece is the "standard" kit. A lot of us are tasked with reproducing the sounds of the music of the last 50-60 years and you can't do that faithfully without toms. Sorry.

I have always at the very least used a rack tom if space was a concern. Is it really that much more trouble?
 
Lots of great comments here.

Every band that I’ve seen with a drummer using a minimal kit rocked and rocked hard. I cannot same the same about every band I’ve seen using a “standard” kit.

I’m not talking about famous international acts, but working bands at bars, local venues, weddings, resorts, battle of the bands etc.
 
This isn't about talent. At least not in my mind. You might be the greatest 3-piece kit player in the world. But isn't that somewhat limiting in as far as what you can play musically?

I will ask one thing, what was it that the LP drum had going on in that video? Was that water in it? My eyes take a while to wake up in the morning.
 
we all know where the silly reference came from ... but outside of a piece of tape on a console the word "kick" has no place in drum reference in my opinion

Also in my opinion too. It bugs me.



I played in a project where the singers didn't want any snare in the verses and very little in the choruses.
I thought it worked well and the music had a nice flow with mostly toms.

Rote creativity is the piss in my pool.
 
I'd never want to play in a band tasked with "reproducing" sounds exactly as recorded by the original artist. I like creativity and having conversation with other musicians on stage. Re-creating and re-inventing instead of covering.

I don't really like "bikini" kits and refuse to use that setup. There's a reason why a 4-piece is the "standard" kit. A lot of us are tasked with reproducing the sounds of the music of the last 50-60 years and you can't do that faithfully without toms. Sorry.

I have always at the very least used a rack tom if space was a concern. Is it really that much more trouble?
 
I'd never want to play in a band tasked with "reproducing" sounds exactly as recorded by the original artist. I like creativity and having conversation with other musicians on stage. Re-creating and re-inventing instead of covering.

I never said exactly. I want tom voices. You do what you want.
 
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