For the drummer, playing an acoustic kit 'quieter' requires a different touch and maybe a lighter stick. That's how I've always done it, though a truly quiet gig has somehow escaped me all these years. Until last night.
One of my bands was booked into a small neighborhood restaurant, with the obvious requirement being that we play quietly. It's a blues/rock band with some fairly uptempo swing & shuffles. No way my thin 'jazz' sticks (VF AJ5) would be quiet enough, so I brought out my Flix plastic brush-sticks. Of course they were quiet enough, but required minimal motion and velocity, and being kinda front-heavy and the brushes being flexible, were difficult to play at faster tempos. I can move them well enough at more moderate volume & tempo, but last night really put me to the test. I compromised my faster parts, compromised the drum sound, compromised the feel, and just didn't have a good time playing that way.
An e-kit is not a viable solution, and turning down gigs is not the answer. I'm hoping someone here has found a stick solution and I'd like to hear your experiences.
The stick must be light enough to help me control the volume, but it needs to have normal stick action so that fast parts can be played fairly effortlessly. In other words, not having to abandon energy/technique in order to work the stick (such as with the front-heavy & floppy brush sticks.) It seems like there would be a special stick designed for this. I don't expect many more of these type of gigs, but I'd like to be prepared if we ever go back to this place.
Thanks in advance!
One of my bands was booked into a small neighborhood restaurant, with the obvious requirement being that we play quietly. It's a blues/rock band with some fairly uptempo swing & shuffles. No way my thin 'jazz' sticks (VF AJ5) would be quiet enough, so I brought out my Flix plastic brush-sticks. Of course they were quiet enough, but required minimal motion and velocity, and being kinda front-heavy and the brushes being flexible, were difficult to play at faster tempos. I can move them well enough at more moderate volume & tempo, but last night really put me to the test. I compromised my faster parts, compromised the drum sound, compromised the feel, and just didn't have a good time playing that way.
An e-kit is not a viable solution, and turning down gigs is not the answer. I'm hoping someone here has found a stick solution and I'd like to hear your experiences.
The stick must be light enough to help me control the volume, but it needs to have normal stick action so that fast parts can be played fairly effortlessly. In other words, not having to abandon energy/technique in order to work the stick (such as with the front-heavy & floppy brush sticks.) It seems like there would be a special stick designed for this. I don't expect many more of these type of gigs, but I'd like to be prepared if we ever go back to this place.
Thanks in advance!
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