Progressing the Drum Kit

In my humble, however naive, opinion, I think the standard drum kit setup is getting old and stale.

I read an article in Modern Drummer 3 or 4 years ago on Zach Hill. I'm not sure how often he uses this kit, but he has a kit that's basically just trash drums with a hi-hat, ride and sheet metal cutouts for cymbals. His reason for doing so was that he is interested in expanding the drum kit and shaping the future.

What are some of your ideas for progressing the drum kit?

Are there alternative percussive instruments you use or would like to incorporate?

I, myself, have been working on creating a trash can tom, similar to the "trash kat", but I want to move beyond using recycled items, pots/pans and basically garbage.

I can't see cut out metal being the future of cymbals but I think maybe a good alternative to use once in a while. Check out some Hammerax cymbals from a local drummer here in my town and you will see a great group of alternative metal work. Many things have been tried and few have survived different from the norm.

There are no stale tools, only stale users.

I think the digital stuff is where we are headed with drums, but even the electric drum companies are trying to replicate the feel of acoustic drums.

Drums have been the same for 1000s of years, back to when they were created, we have just taken them and arranged them for efficient use of multiple cymbals and drums to be used by one person in one spot.

As far as drums are concerned, they were kind of born "as good as it gets" because to get the sound we all demand, there are very few other materials that will give us that.

Electronics and loops are definitely part of the future. Figuring out ways to replicate electronic sounds on an acoustic kit are what some of the more ambitious drum companies are doing, and I love it. A bigger sound pallet is always good.

And a lot of the players that are pushing drumming forward take influence from ridiculous electronic music with programmed drums that were never meant to be played on a kit. I find that type of playing fascinating.

As much as I love what Jojo Mayer does with Nerve (the electronic breakbeats done with a band - thing), I have to agree with Todd Bishop. There are no stale tools. Just stale users. I look at what guys are saying with four-piece kits and it's impressive - what guys like Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson have already said with their instrument could fill volumes.

I appreciate people pushing the envelope as much as the next guy, but I stated this in another post: the actual job of drumming for the band hasn't changed. You still have to sight read and groove and make the music feel good for the audience and the other players. Unfortunately, for alot of the experimenters out there, doing that job doesn't require unique tools created from your imagination. The multi-percussion instrument (drumset) was developed just for this purpose.

It is a cool instrument in that you can add whatever you want to it, and with electronics the pallet increases hundred-fold, but if you're a working drummer, the music pretty much dictates what you'll be playing. You can rock the boat and introduce stuff that's you, but then you begin to cross that line of do you want to be a working drummer or an artist that nobody hires? It's a fine line and a tough balancing act. I had a friend who was so into experimentation that the regular gigs of playing weddings dried up for him only because he wasn't happy playing anything standard and it showed, and the phone rings less frequently. I think he's happy working a regular job and playing his art music when he gets a chance.

But I understand what you're saying - by all means push that envelope. Just realize that the music should dictate what you do with the kit you're playing it on.

Does anybody remember the 70's-80's/ whole albums recorded and not a drummer in sight!And the sound.Even modern electronic kits just do NOT have the organic feel of a real drummer using acoustic drums and cymbals.The feel, the groove of real music being created.I don't care HOW good electronic drums sound,as far as i'm concerned their great if you live in an apartment but thats all.They will not "feel"like acoustic drums can and prehaps never should.Just my opinion.

Steve B

I use a packing crate for a kick drum. With a lambs wool beater and a tambourine wedged up against the 'batter board', it sounds very punchy and pretty cool (you get a chime mixed in with the boom). It doesn't project outwards, though, so for recording I have to have a mic behind me to pick it up.

I also use a headless tambourine as a replacement for pedaled hi-hat - stick your foot through it and hook the rim over your toes - and a tin-can as a cowbell for brushes.

And there was a time when I used a Pandeiro as a snare...that's how I learned to play brushes (didn't own any 'proper' drums at that time).

Given the original concept of a drum set was a collection of assorted percussion instruments and sound effects, I'm not sure if the idea of adding new things to hit is really step forward as it is a throw back to the original concept.

Can we really top Sonny Greer?



Or Neil Peart's attempt to have one of everything possible on one drum riser: Haha.

I still want to know who was the genius that decided to place a big drum on its side and create a kick drum, and when.

I believe the first bass drum pedal was introduced by Ludwig. Drum on!

I recall reading that there was a wooden bass drum pedal invented before the Ludwig Bros made their first metal one in the early 1900s. Consider what our drum kits would look like if the first bass drum pedal was made like those on cocktail kits. The bass drum would look like a big ol' coffee table sitting out in front of the drummer. And then where would we hang the tom toms? Things work out for a reason

Drumolator said:

I believe the first bass drum pedal was introduced by Ludwig. Drum on!

Click to expand...

Nope.

The first practical bass drum pedal was invented by Ludwig, but the bass drum pedal itself had been around a good 10 to 20 years before hand.

The first person to actually mount a pedal to a bass drum has been lost to history. We know it was first done somewhere between 1880 and 1890, but I've never seen any book or magazine article that could pin point who was the first person to actually do it.

I'll be happy when I get an idiophonic, marimba-like instrument next to my kit. That'd be pretty cool to mess around with.