Sticking the beater

[Rock Salad]

I've never played music that ever called for me to NOT bury the beater.

Is there are reason why you don't want to bury the beater?

I'm not really sure what you are asking, but I suppose not being used to doing it and also enjoying the sound my drum makes rebounding the beater would be my reasons for wanting not to bury. But actually I'm working on sticking the beater/burying the beater to be able to have access to that sound too. And I was just mentioning and seeing if any good tips come up.

 

[Rock Salad]

I like burying the beater too. Usually now if it flutters trying a new kit I seem to adapt to it pretty quickly. But for years if too boomy and dribble with no port reso I'd loosen the batter so it gives when I bury it. It will add to attack too-you don't want it floppy and dead, but just enough tension you can bury it and still get some rebound to dribble it when you want to (you have to fiddle with tension to get it just right). However right now I've got a PS3 batter and Vintage Ambassador reso head no port and having no issue when I bury it. Because I think I was over burying the beater laying into to it to much for years . and now I feel the give and take of tension so it comes to rest (no dribble). I know I was laying into to much because I stuck my beater through quite a few heads lol. It's a lot like how you control the tension on your hats-bringing the two together with varying tension and effect. I think I took "burying it" way to literally.

Time working on it has helped a lot. It's a good sound, and arguably the loudest acoustic sound from a 14"×22". I dented the P3 pretty bad working on it though lol. Back to the everlasting SK2. And rebounding or burying on demand. Thanks for the help and encouragement

 

[Otto]

I see it like my hands...be able to put the striking object on the surface you intend with variable 'stickyness'.

I don't see it as an either/or...sometimes I want to dampen the bass beater head after the stroke...sometimes I want the stroke to be less staccato.

The real task is to get so you don't think about it...you just select the sound you want and actuate it.

My heel(well, my whole foot) goes all over the place...and i even find myself getting off the pedal and literally kicking the bass head when I want that sound(rarely but I have giggled at myself for doing it and really liked the result) or 'grabbing' the beater head with my foot(toes) and sweeping it back so the spring pulls it back to the head(also rarely)...or even hitting the bass head with a stick in my hands.(I stopped trying to rimshot my bass due to having wood hoops though i thought about trying to reinforce a section of the hoop to allow it...but not really important enough to deface my drums)

Experiment...don't get caught in long patterns (like decades) without re-examining.

 

[Rock Salad]

Exactly, that's why I wanted to learn to stick the beater. I got threads about dead sticking for drums and cymbals around in this forum somewhere too. Why turn away from a distinct sound available on our instruments? But they take a little time and focus to begin to work (for me.)

 

[Bozozoid]

I'm surprised at the burials. Something I read long ago about Vinnie not liking his bass tone then learned to play off the head and preffered the tone. I'd have to work at burying the beater. Playing off the head comes second nature to me as I want as much boom as is possible from my 22 being a 24 guy forever. I'm very surprised once again reading so many burial testimonials.

 

[Dr_Watso]

I sometimes do and sometimes don't, it depends what I want it to sound like at that moment. Since I don't muffle the heck out of it or make it sound like a click or anything both the intensity and technique make a sound difference.