Practice Pads

drummingman

drummingman

Gold Member
I'm looking for a practice pad that has good rebound but also has give like a real snare. I find that most practice pads have no give which I find to be harder on my wrists being that I have tendinitis. So it's important to me to find a practice pad that has a feel that is as close to a real snare as possible.

Any suggestions?
 
Haven't tried one myself (I'd love to, but they just don't seem to be available in Oz), but I hear excellent things about Sabian's Quiet Tone pad. It has a drum head that can be tensioned to taste and is designed to sit on top of your snare drum for a realistic sound (albeit much quieter) as well as feel.

That's about as close to a real drum as I've been able to find. There are a hell of a lot of excellent pads out there, but most of them miss the mark in terms of replicating an actual drum head.
 
The feel is definitely a tough thing to nail but I've rarely heard of people who aren't happy with the feel of our RealFeel pads. They've got a bit of give to them but not to the point where it feels spongy or generally abnormal.

Check 'em out!

Cheers
 
Rubber pads are good for developing press rolls and nothing else.

Here's an old school tip -- practice on a phone book (if you can find one) wrapped in a towel with metal sticks. That'll build your chops.
 
Since I use a practice pad quite a bit, I've obsessed (probably over obsessed) about this. In addition to the Sabian, I highly recommend the Vic Firth Heavy Hitter Pads (Stock or Slim) with the laminate.
 
I think it's easy to let a case of G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) get in your way here. This pad, that pad, whatever. The real difference is this: are you spending time on a pad? If so, you are a better drummer than you would be without.
 
Spreggy said:
I think it's easy to let a case of G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) get in your way here. This pad, that pad, whatever. The real difference is this: are you spending time on a pad? If so, you are a better drummer than you would be without.
Click to expand...

agreed
whether its a Real Feel, an Invader, a Stock Pad, a yellow pages.......doesnt matter

and if your tendinitis is being affected ...its not the pad ...its your technique

your hand is absorbing too much shock

I have had tendinitis for 5 years and keep it under control with technique, stretches and occasional therapy
 
drummingman said:
I'm looking for a practice pad that has good rebound but also has give like a real snare. I find that most practice pads have no give which I find to be harder on my wrists being that I have tendinitis. So it's important to me to find a practice pad that has a feel that is as close to a real snare as possible.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
I believe John Riley has a video floating around that explains the free stroke as it was taught to him by (I believe) Joe Morello. He describes his first lessons with him were all about putting the push or force of the stroke in the beginning of the stroke, not a continued acceleration. This should take the stress of impact off of your hands.
 
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