Triggering Your Drums Is NOT Cheating!

As we Canadians say, "Sorry Eh".

I thought that was "Soory, eh?"

I used to have a running contest with a friend. We'd speak with Canadian accents and try to get people to comment on it, and then act all offended. Whoever fooled more people won. It was dumb, but fun. My accent was much better than hers, so I always won, lol.

I think I'll go have some Poutine and listen to Motorhead...
 
Buddy Rich played in Big Band, not a death metal band. :)

Wait a minute!
Almost all of the instruments in the Buddy Rich bands of the 1930's were metal.
And the players are all dead. So it WAS a Death Metal band.


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A Trigger.

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I thought that was "Soory, eh?"

I used to have a running contest with a friend. We'd speak with Canadian accents and try to get people to comment on it, and then act all offended. Whoever fooled more people won. It was dumb, but fun. My accent was much better than hers, so I always won, lol.

I think I'll go have some Poutine and listen to Motorhead...

That's amazing. Sounds like a good time, oddly enough. We try and do the same with southern american accents.

Enjoy!
 
Well, the video states in that 250+ bpm range, triggers are essential. I've never played that fast so I've never seen the need to trigger. I think it would be cool to hear somebody playing their bass drums that fast without triggering, just to hear the difference.

I do know I'm not as satisfied seeing someone like George Kollias speeding along tapping his drums and getting this huge sound, as I am to see John Bonham actually produce the sounds you're hearing, so maybe it's that.

So my question would be, if triggering is necessary for the speed metal type of music, and you're already saying it's not cheating because it's necessary, why even use acoustic drums? Why not just use electronic pads? I was also a bit disappointed in Alex Van Halen when he was triggering via Simmons pads back in the 80s, but still had his long bass drums in front of him. What's the point? If you're not physically producing the sound (already admitted), but merely providing the signal to trigger the samples, then why would we be interested in your physical technique? Just trigger away on a pad.

I'd still like to see someone play his bass drums that fast acoustically to see if his sound is as good as it is when triggered. But you're telling me he's not cheating anyway, so what do I know?
 
I could also play drums on a small keyboard with my fingers and go ways faster then 1/16th notes at 250 bpm. But then what? You'd say that I am not a drummer because I play with my fingers instead of my limbs?
 
Is using an electric guitar cheating? Electric bass? Amplified keyboard? PA system?

Just saying..................
 
Is using an electric guitar cheating? Electric bass? Amplified keyboard? PA system?

Just saying..................
Yes, it is. Microphones are cheating. Compression, gating, reverb, etc... all cheating. Multitracking is cheating. Tuning pegs are cheating. Frets are cheating. Using drumsticks is cheating.

Doing anything other than thinking something musical is cheating. I suppose the occasional tap or hum is okay, but no using more than two fingers.
 
It's not cheating, but it's a terrible shame not to actually hear your $5,000 drums, however practical or even necessary triggers may be in some cases.
 
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A while back I listened to some spoken excerpts from Paul Stanley's autobiography. There's a part where he's describing looking at Peter Criss during one of the reunion tours, and what he was seeing did not sync up with what he was hearing.

Criss was, apparently, playing poorly on those reunion tours, and often complained that his hands hurt — factors that resulted in his playing softer and more reservedly as the tour progressed. Stanley describes watching Criss 'tapping' the drums with barely any movement, yet hearing absolute thunder coming through the speakers. The derision is apparent in Paul's voice as he recounts the story.

I'm sure most people don't give a crap - if it sounds good, it sounds good. But to me, it's like learning that one of my favorite fighters was wearing loaded gloves.

I've always found the physicality of playing drums inseparable from the instrument; there's a reason they try to get hyperactive kids interested in the kit. A degree of muscular development and overall stamina was/is much more important to drumming than most any other instrument; being able to play two or three songs in a live setting isn't much use to a band that plays hour-long sets. (And I think this was a big part of Lars Ulrich's problem later in his career; as he got richer, and lazier, and less active, I think his ability to give 100% throughout the set diminished.)

I guess I'm saying that yeah...triggers are cheating. If you want to sound powerful, hit with power.
 
Is using an electric guitar cheating? Electric bass? Amplified keyboard? PA system?

Just saying..................

I'm probably in the minority, but I view the electric guitar as a completely different instrument than an acoustic guitar; keyboards as separate from pianos. And it's not semantics - I've known some really convincing keyboard players who can't play the piano to save their life. They've learned, and conditioned their approach to playing, around electronic keyboards - not the piano. Likewise, I think the whole concept of 'lead' vs. 'rhythm' guitar evolved out of electrifying the instrument, and I'm sure you've discovered the same thing that I have: a great rhythm guitarist does not always make for a great lead, and vice-versa.

Maybe we take the same approach with drums. 'Do you play drums?' 'No, but I do play triggers.' That might clear some things up.
 
And it's not semantics - I've known some really convincing keyboard players who can't play the piano to save their life. They've learned, and conditioned their approach to playing, around electronic keyboards - not the piano.

It's all about those weighted keys.
 
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