opentune
Platinum Member
Just curious, in which tunes does Charlie do that?
I agree with you, keeping time - ride, hats, snare, bass...at low volume, sure, but something that requires a lot of speed on toms is not easy at a low dynamic
Why doesn't anyone make quieter drums?
- Thread starter DrumDoug
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Just curious, in which tunes does Charlie do that?
I agree with you, keeping time - ride, hats, snare, bass...at low volume, sure, but something that requires a lot of speed on toms is not easy at a low dynamic
drummer-russ
Gold Member
I do also think that playing too quiet can really lose the tone of a drum so I was thinking that if thre were drums made with the intent of not being louder but rather being on the low end of volume that might help some folks. I don't see this strictly as a technique issue. Maybe that is what eKits are for.
Hollywood Jim
Platinum Member
OK you got me. More like Who tunes I have played. But I'm sure I have tried 8th note runs on Honky Tonk Women. Sorry Charlie for ruining your groove!
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DrumDoug
Senior Member
For some reason, some of the more "enlightened" drummers on here are assuming that because I would like some quieter drums that means I can't, or don't like to play quietly. I love playing quietly when I am playing quiet acoustic music. One of my favorite grooves to play is a shaker in one hand and playing a tambouring on top of the snare with a brush in the other. What I'm talking about is trying to get stadium rock sound at coffee house volume.
At the particular venue I've been talking about one guy used an e-kit. The sound of his sticks hitting the pads was louder than the sounds coming out of his amp. He went back to playing an a-kit with rods.
Anyway, here is a pic of me bashing the hell out of my rock-n-roll drums at one of those gigs. Notice the massive PA I'm having to compete with.
At the particular venue I've been talking about one guy used an e-kit. The sound of his sticks hitting the pads was louder than the sounds coming out of his amp. He went back to playing an a-kit with rods.
Anyway, here is a pic of me bashing the hell out of my rock-n-roll drums at one of those gigs. Notice the massive PA I'm having to compete with.
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FritzDrummer
Senior Member
Love it Doug! Looks like a cool little set up there! I like the jam cirlce feel of it!
I guess I have been to the wrong restaurants , but I can't imagine sweeping with brushes would ever be too loud. How about a Cajon or light hands on a conga drum.? Acoustic guitar and a cajon and a few other percussion instruments should do the trick, but an acoustic set of drums where you could pound on them and they be quiet would be quite the trick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9BJCdWRahA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9BJCdWRahA
Frank
Gold Member
When I saw Elaine's post, I was about to reply that there's a big difference between quieting drums and typical full on mutes that pretty much Kill the drum. Instead, I ran to the website first, because I Am a sucker for these types of products. I think there's still plenty of room for innovation.
Those Drumtees are very cool - for the toms and snares.
They are actually legitimately accomplishing easy volume reduction with tone remaining. Super kudos on that.
The only place the product goes from volume reduction to full on muting is with the crashes.
Very cool. Might experiment with those.
Frank
Gold Member
Swiss Matthias
Platinum Member
There is a German manufacturer that specifically makes quieter drums.
I've never seen or heard one of them in person, though.
http://www.adoro-drums.de/en
I've never seen or heard one of them in person, though.
http://www.adoro-drums.de/en
Nate'sKit
Senior Member
No respect for congueros and bongoceros. And you all wonder why I think disdainfully about kit players on congas and bongos. You do have to hit those too There is a whole technique to doing so that has a wide dynamic range and there are so many sounds that you can get out of them if you know how. Having to pitter patter on them sounds just as lame and is just as limiting as it is on kit drums.
Frank
Gold Member
With lots of venues in my area going from full bands to quieter duos and trios, it has spawned an army of "percussionists" with bongos and cajons that don't really know what they are doing.
It's extra special when a singer becomes a "percussionist." We have one that looks like she is keying at a computer keyboard when playing her bongos.
Technique - what a concept.
Captain Bash
Silver Member
Leaving technique aside, when I need to use sticks and it is a low(ish) volume gig, I use these Peter Erskine sticks (can't recall the model) but they are just a tad thinner diameter than a 5a and have a barrel tip. Very easy to control the volume with these much more so than with a std vf 5a with acorn tip.
But I agree there is nothing better than a trained/skilled conga player but nothing worse than a faker who hasn't even bothered to learn the basic Latin rhythms.
But I agree there is nothing better than a trained/skilled conga player but nothing worse than a faker who hasn't even bothered to learn the basic Latin rhythms.
Nate'sKit
Senior Member
Gosh, I hope that I didn't come off as too crabby and prickly.
AfroCuban rhythmic concepts aside, production of tone is important. When I'm playing my bongos with an acoustic guitar player to (say) a Johnny Cash song, I'm not playing Abakua. But on the next Beatles number I'm coming up with close to a drum kits worth of variety of sounds out of those two little drums. OK, so it's more subtle and I exaggerate a little
But you get the idea and it's better than getting like two sounds out of a drum and both of them are lame. One is like pluh and the other goes plup.And there have been times where I've had complaints where the bongos or congas were too loud. There is a point where you lose the ability to produce nice tones and it just becomes too miserable, and if you aren't depending on the gig to put food on the table you just finish the night and don't come back.
Vic Firth Peter Erskine Signature Drumsticks are light and fast with a piccolo tip for pinpoint articulation on cymbals. L = 16", Dia. = .525"....Read More
Captain Bash
Silver Member
Yes, Gruntersdad, thanks, a really good stick if you are use to medium heavy gigs and then need to tone it down a bit. I know some swear that they can use a a 5B for everything but for me a smaller but well shaped/ balanced stick helps lower the volume.
DrumDoug
Senior Member
Long time since I've seen this thread. As far as playing quieter, I'm still doing what I've always done. I use brushes and a fluffy bass drum beater. I would be interested in trying a combo of the Remo Silent Stroke heads with the Zildjian low volume cymbals. I would be afraid that if the volume came up I would t be able to keep up.