Hi fellow drummers. I might be getting back into the game after many years away from drumming. How do you practice along with songs? Are headphones available that let you hear the song or recording in digital format so you can sit behind the kit and play along? Are there any other electronic devices available that are used for this type of practice these days? Thanks for any help.
Advice Needed- Practicing To Recordings
- Thread starter Big Mack
- Start date
I use Sony earbuds and my phone/mp3 player/computer. The earbuds give me enough sound cancellation to be able to hear the music and my drums without any after effects, ie no extra ringing, plugged ear sensation, that sort of thing.
Hollywood Jim
Platinum Member
I use the same thing I used 60 years ago. Headphones that fit over my ears and then adjust the music in the headphones so that the sound of my drums is just a little louder than the drums in the song.
Drums are very loud. You need to find headphones that block out most of the sound of your drums. Then you won’t need to have the music in your headphones very loud. Playing the drums along with music from speakers is a bad idea. The music would have to be very loud.
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Drums are very loud. You need to find headphones that block out most of the sound of your drums. Then you won’t need to have the music in your headphones very loud. Playing the drums along with music from speakers is a bad idea. The music would have to be very loud.
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beatdat
Senior Member
A former teacher of mine recommended playing to speakers as much a possible. His reasoning was that playing with headphones on teaches you to "follow" the music, whereas playing to speakers teaches you to "lead" the music. Sure, speakers are louder, and you need a decent system so that the sound is not distorted, but I've tried to do that when I can.
GetAgrippa
Diamond Member
I like playing to music through speakers just wearing hearing protection now. I wear hearing aids so first I had the audiologist make these insert hearing protectors with different filters and what not. Well heck I can't hear without my aids-I was like I can't hear anything now-damn what an idiot. So next I dropped the inserts and tried wearing headphones over my hearing aids so I could lower volume. That didn't work out too well with my old aids cause feedback was horrendous. My new aids are awesome- the sound fidelity is much better and I can wear headphones-so problem solved. But then I discovered if I just adjust the volume on my hearing aids (molded to my ears canals-one is huge from surgery) that it's perfect. I can't believe it took me that long to think of this most obvious solution. I'm a bone fide idiot for sure.
Dr_Watso
Platinum Member
How would the playback medium change how you play to it?
Larry
"Uncle Larry"
Whether you play to speakers or headphones, if you are playing to a recorded track, you're following. The only way to truly lead is playing with live musicians and no backing tracks. Even if I'm playing to a click...I'm following. I can't lead the click.
I like speakers too because you can work on your drum dynamics in relation to the speaker volume, good real life training IMO.
Old Dog new Cans
Senior Member
A speaker is a speaker. Whether it's IN your ear or not.
I've used headphones since the 80s. I tend to go with Beats buds, or Bose A2s or whatever I bought recently.
Richard.Awesome
Senior Member
Maybe what beatdat was trying to say?
I've heard that playing to the speakers helps you keep your volume level with what you're playing without ear plugs, like you would with your band. Isolating your hearing from yourself with noise cancelling phones allows you to play louder than would be appropriate in a group situation, without realizing it.
I've heard that playing to the speakers helps you keep your volume level with what you're playing without ear plugs, like you would with your band. Isolating your hearing from yourself with noise cancelling phones allows you to play louder than would be appropriate in a group situation, without realizing it.
Old Dog new Cans
Senior Member
When I've played with "speakers", I've had to turn it up so much to hear it correctly, that I always dealt with echoes. I've always been able to hear myself play and control my own volume with phones or buds. That's just having some sense.
Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
I play a lot without protection when playing softer stuff. It's good to really hear your drums, but otherwise I use headphone and mic up the kit. I used to have a mixer, but these days I just use an interface and a DAW as my mixer.
Hollywood Jim
Platinum Member
When I said playing drums with music from speakers is a bad idea; I was thinking it is bad for your hearing, hearing damage. And it would be hard on your neighbors. But thinking more about it, if the music is not loud rock or metal it might be useful playing to music without headphones in learning how to regulate your volume when you play. And with headphones on you might be missing some of the different textures you get from cymbals and drums. You might be missing out on learning about all of the many sounds you can draw out of a drum set.
Can I change my mind? Ok I’m changing my mind. Practice both with and without headphones. But always wear some sort of hearing protection. You can get some ear plugs made for musicians that only block out a portion of the sound.
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Can I change my mind? Ok I’m changing my mind. Practice both with and without headphones. But always wear some sort of hearing protection. You can get some ear plugs made for musicians that only block out a portion of the sound.
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beatdat
Senior Member
I get what you're saying, but I'll try to clarify below.
It was over 20 years ago, so my memory has faded a bit, but if I recall correctly his rationale was that playing to headphones becomes a crutch (even if you turn your headphones down) because you don't "meet the music halfway" while playing as you do in most live situations. When you play to headphones, it's easier to anticipate what you're hearing and react to it, as opposed to playing to speakers which is harder to react to.
The difference in reaction times may be small, but he thought it was enough to make the difference between dragging ever so slightly and grooving - hence why I used the words "follow" and "lead".
When it came to this teacher, I eventually trusted myself to defer to what he was teaching and showing me, even if I didn't necessarily believe what he was saying, because, simply put, his playing was that good.
Regardless, I know that I find it much easier playing with headphones on (even on low volume) than I do playing to speakers (even on high volume).
Playing dynamics appropriately was more a result of learning to play to speakers, but the purpose of playing to speakers was to improve my timing.
For sure, that happened to me when I first tried it, and for sure it was a lot of work learning to play to speakers without having them so loud that it drowned out what I was playing.
yammyfan
Senior Member
I'm all for this. Check out the monster 1970's Pioneer HPM-100's in my practice room. I drive them with a high powered receiver connected to a laptop for music playback.
They get loud enough to drown out the drums which says something. I much prefer speakers to playing with headphones. Sounds like you're playing with real musicians which you just don't get with headphones.
Practicing to the stereo is a GREAT idea.
NOTE: I practice with Promark Lightning Rods (pictured) which reduce the volume of the drums, allowing for softer music playback. Still too loud for most spectators (that room is tiny) but it works for me.
Attachments
Larry
"Uncle Larry"
If I can't hear the loudspeakers enough while I'm playing, that's means I'm playing too loud for the situation, period. Just like a live gig.
I would like to see the real life issue of drum volume be brought out into the limelight in a major way and dealt with.
I can only relate my own experience. 8 years ago, the new band I was in got a new room, a really LOUD room, no soft surfaces anywhere, except the people. Plus we always started with a lower volume, less crowded dinner set. Holy crap was that a sink or swim situation for me for the first 20 or so times. No one told me to play quieter. I knew that if I didn't hit WAY lighter, we wouldn't get called back. You can't blow the people out when they are eating dinner, a very easy thing to do in this room.
The saving grace...my ritual of recording the gig and listening back on the ride home to reconcile my perceptions vs the recordings. It showed me in no uncertain terms that as long as the meter is solid enough...zero song energy was lost. Zero. I can't say it applies to Metal for instance, but it worked just fine on Rock and anything less energetic. It taught me a new, extremely valuable, useful skill. It actually upped my stock as a drummer to the local musicians. Audience comments reinforced the notion that this is a good thing, volume control.
After a few months, it became 2nd nature. It taught me to relax, because it sounded better that way.
Bottom line, the fear of the song losing energy is just that, a fear. A totally unfounded fear in my world. Relax.
Volume control is one of the essential elements of finesse.
I would like to see the real life issue of drum volume be brought out into the limelight in a major way and dealt with.
I can only relate my own experience. 8 years ago, the new band I was in got a new room, a really LOUD room, no soft surfaces anywhere, except the people. Plus we always started with a lower volume, less crowded dinner set. Holy crap was that a sink or swim situation for me for the first 20 or so times. No one told me to play quieter. I knew that if I didn't hit WAY lighter, we wouldn't get called back. You can't blow the people out when they are eating dinner, a very easy thing to do in this room.
The saving grace...my ritual of recording the gig and listening back on the ride home to reconcile my perceptions vs the recordings. It showed me in no uncertain terms that as long as the meter is solid enough...zero song energy was lost. Zero. I can't say it applies to Metal for instance, but it worked just fine on Rock and anything less energetic. It taught me a new, extremely valuable, useful skill. It actually upped my stock as a drummer to the local musicians. Audience comments reinforced the notion that this is a good thing, volume control.
After a few months, it became 2nd nature. It taught me to relax, because it sounded better that way.
Bottom line, the fear of the song losing energy is just that, a fear. A totally unfounded fear in my world. Relax.
Volume control is one of the essential elements of finesse.
oldskoolsoul
Silver Member
I agree 100% with that, but ALWAYS with quality hearing protection and those speakers on at least a few meter distance..
About the kinda psychological reason that your teacher gave i am not sure (allthough makes sense in a way), but i would always be very carefull to put a direct soundsource (which headphones are much more than a speaker) on your ears..
With headphones and playing acoustic drums, the volume combination from drums and music in my opinion will almost always be too loud, unless you play with brushes to a headphone volume that normal people choose to listen music on a quiet evening at home..
But then again, i live in a detached house with no complaining neighbours and i realise very well that for a lot of other people this is not the case..
williamsbclontz
Silver Member
I mic my drums. Then I use in-ear monitors and play both a recording and my drum kit into my mix. It gets me the closest to what I hear whenever I’m gigging
I’m always miced up though, so if you don’t use mics then you might should try what these other guys suggested
I’m always miced up though, so if you don’t use mics then you might should try what these other guys suggested
No Way Jose
Silver Member
I plug my computer into a powered speaker. Sometimes I play along with the radio or TV.
beyondbetrayal
Platinum Member
Depends on your budget. Earbuds or headphones and adjust the volume so you can hear your drums over the audio is cheap. Take out one earbud if you want.
If you can afford it, IEM's with mic's on the kit running into your pc or a mixer. .now you can play to the music, eq the sound, even record.
there is something for every budget.
If you can afford it, IEM's with mic's on the kit running into your pc or a mixer. .now you can play to the music, eq the sound, even record.
there is something for every budget.