Drum sound vs. genre

[Doraemon]

Have you ever been in a situation where the sounds you like from a drum or cymbal etc. doesn't match the music you like/wanna play? Or complete opposites? Did you buy the nice sounding useless piece or started playing music you hate on it just to hear its nice sound or just put up with what your genre of music requires? Or get something "meh" from halfway in-between?

 

[bermuda]

Thankfully, there are a LOT of sound options. Cymbals sound like they sound, and you can't alter the pitch or overall frequency structure vibe (apart from a little muffling.) If you need a different sound, you have to get a different cymbal.

Drums are another matter, and much more variable & adaptable to sounds. There are size options, shell material/thickness options, various bearing edges, hoop type & weight, and head and tuning choices.

At some point, you have to decide how much of an investment you're willing to make. 100 cymbals may not be enough, while just 10 snares would probably cover everything because each one can cover a lot of sonic territory.

In my case, I simply bought what I needed for the gig at hand. Over the decades, I've acquired pretty much everything I need and new additions have slowed almost to a halt.

 

[Doraemon]

100 cymbals may not be enough, while just 10 snares would probably cover everything because each one can cover a lot of sonic territory.

I didn't really think of buying 100 cymbals. That would probably fix the issue, if both the space and budget is available. (Unfortunately not.)

 

[jda]

I have out-smarted myself on occasion concerning drums and some cymbals. 10 years later realize didn't need any of it. It kinda goes back to a thread of mine where I knew what I had and yet wanted to go beyond that with some things I was unfamiliar with
didn't work out

there is also a part of me that says
you "have to keep" that one drum or "cymbal around... To remind you of a mistake" so it (won't happen again...
Inevitably we all (?) have one mistake purchase (small or big) around..
at least I hope so

 

[Doraemon]

there is also a part of me that says
you "have to keep" that one drum or "cymbal around... To remind you of a mistake" so it (won't happen again...

That’s a really good excuse
I’ve never sold a music instrument in my life, maybe thta’s why I think too much about buying…

 

[jda]

That’s a really good excuse

Yea.. Keep one thing you dislike
to remind you (not to do it again!

 

[jda]

Now if it's as big as a drum set you may have a problem..

Sometimes you"can't beat" that 1st "girlfriend" (in drumset terms) but "O lord" how we try then realize years later you had it right the first early time's around

 

[jda]

My other answer to this was Elvin and Motown both came from Detroit. So did Mitch Ryder then up to about 73-76 the beginning of jazz-rock. I should of stopped there (now I have) in all equipment-wise and not tried going beyond

your questions are interesting little foggy but I think I know what you are hinting at

 

[jda]

Have you ever been in a situation where the sounds you like from a drum or cymbal etc. doesn't match the music you like/wanna play? Or complete opposites? Did you buy the nice sounding useless piece or started playing music you hate on it just to hear its nice sound or just put up with what your genre of music requires? Or get something "meh" from halfway in-between?

Actually should have a set or sets that compliment the "usual groups" you- regionally- locally area- are going to be playing with associated with..

You can on the side have what I call an "experimental" set up in the -maybe never- event you assemble your own outfit band and play the music that suit's it or just to be "free" on when nobody but you is listening for your own "exercise" that you can experiment and work out on

 

[caddywumpus]

At some point, you have to decide how much of an investment you're willing to make. 100 cymbals may not be enough, while just 10 snares would probably cover everything because each one can cover a lot of sonic territory.

Well, yeah, but who is foolish enough to buy 100 cymbals?!?!?

*whistles and walks away*

 

[jda]

a working set and an experimental set
that's 2

 

[bermuda]

Well, yeah, but who is foolish enough to buy 100 cymbals?!?!?

If 100 is foolish, I must be the Court Jester!

 

[Doraemon]

your questions are interesting little foggy but I think I know what you are hinting at

E.g. I really prefer the sound of warm, washy, jazzy hats, the bigger the better, and hate anything bright and pingy, but I’m into metal. I could get something more suitable, plain vanilla or a flavor I hate. Or get the one I love and realize it was a mistake and keep it as a reminder

 

[cbphoto]

Have you ever been in a situation where the sounds you like from a drum or cymbal etc. doesn't match the music you like/wanna play?

Yes. Cameo (synth drums) to Rare Earth (open sounding acoustic drums) to Sonic Silk (choked, muted toms with a crispy, tight snare). It's why I began using my SPD-SX with triggers on 2 or 3 drums. Lotsa hi hat work, many times very subtle (e.g., Tina Marie's Lovergirl), very few crashes and no ride cymbal needed. To attain a variety of cymbal sounds, I didn't buy 100—only a couple dozen over a span of 30 years—but I did buy only Paiste. For me, they have the "dark" tones covered nicely with the Master's series, all the way to bright and glassy with the Signature and 2002 lineup.

p.s., if you're looking for a few cymbals, @bermuda is having a sale!

 

[jda]

E.g. I really prefer the sound of warm, washy, jazzy hats, the bigger the better, and hate anything bright and pingy, but I’m into metal. I could get something more suitable, plain vanilla or a flavor I hate. Or get the one I love and realize it was a mistake and keep it as a reminder

are the ones "you love" suitable for "metal"?
why don't you just do it anyway and set yourself apart
from all the others in town playing metal

 

[SmoothOperator]

Have you ever been in a situation where the sounds you like from a drum or cymbal etc. doesn't match the music you like/wanna play? Or complete opposites? Did you buy the nice sounding useless piece or started playing music you hate on it just to hear its nice sound or just put up with what your genre of music requires? Or get something "meh" from halfway in-between?

Yeah, I think many drummers end up in this situation, because there are only a few mainstreams commercially viable genres. Look at all of those 80's jazz drummers, like Weckl, basically playing hair metal kits. I mean they tweak them out as best they can, maybe get the hammered cymbals different heads but they were still stamped from the same blanks the rockers were playing and are going into the same type of PA. In his drum tuning video, Weckl's tom sounded like an arena rock tone.

 

[BobC]

I wouldn't obsess about it. Just play.

Obviously, I wouldn't take an arena rock drumset on a Bop gig, but standard drums sizes work for almost anything these days.

 

[Yamaha Rider]

E.g. I really prefer the sound of warm, washy, jazzy hats, the bigger the better, and hate anything bright and pingy, but I’m into metal. I could get something more suitable, plain vanilla or a flavor I hate. Or get the one I love and realize it was a mistake and keep it as a reminder

Do you mean you're 'not' into metal?
The brushes in your profile pic don't scream 'metal' to me

 

[caddywumpus]

Have you ever been in a situation where the sounds you like from a drum or cymbal etc. doesn't match the music you like/wanna play? Or complete opposites? Did you buy the nice sounding useless piece or started playing music you hate on it just to hear its nice sound or just put up with what your genre of music requires? Or get something "meh" from halfway in-between?

I enjoy many different sounds coming from drums and cymbals. I have my own versions of “genre” sounds I like to use. I like a nice jazz tuning (but not choked), and I like a big rock tuning (but not flappy and dead), and I dig a tight funk sound (but allowed to breathe a little). I really like sound-chasing, too—I like the challenge of trying to reproduce an exact sound.

I am fortunate enough to be able to own several kits, so I can tune each one to what particular sound they excel at, and be able to pick which sound I want for the gig/session, like I would pick out an outfit. Variety is the spice of life.

That said, yeah, I have played on kits that don’t exactly match up to the genre of the gig. While that could potentially be frustrating, I just focus more on “what sounds that I can draw from this kit are available,” and somehow try to make that voice be my voice for the gig and fit the music. Sometimes, it can be like trying to force John Oliver’s voice on a Dr. Dre tune, but mashups ARE a thing, right?

 

[mikyok]

Have you ever been in a situation where the sounds you like from a drum or cymbal etc. doesn't match the music you like/wanna play? Or complete opposites? Did you buy the nice sounding useless piece or started playing music you hate on it just to hear its nice sound or just put up with what your genre of music requires? Or get something "meh" from halfway in-between?

All the time drum wise. I love big band sizes and tuning. Big, wide open loveliness. Sadly for pop cover gigs you have to dampen the bass drum and usually the snare. It's just business though

For cymbals I love big dark thin cymbals and they work for everything. Only thing you might need to worry about is your ride cymbal for heavier stuff. Drum mics work wonders though.

If course if you're in a crap sounding room it's hard to enjoy any noises coming from the kit!