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Sunday, July 26, 2009
Playing the Hi-Hats
You can play the hi-hats either with your heel up or down, depending on what you want to do. Whenever you play the hi-hats with your sticks, you want your heel down. To open the hi-hat, raise your toes slightly and release some of the pressure on the cymbals.
How much you lift your toes determines just how much your hi-hats will open and how long they will ring when you hit them. Most of the time you want a full swish sound. To create this sound, don’t open the cymbals too much. You have to experiment to find the swish sound that you like best.
At times, you may want to use your left foot to play the hi-hat while you’re playing the ride cymbal or another drum with your right foot. In this case playing with you heel up is the way to go. This technique is pretty much the same as the heel-up bass drum stroke. You can even do double strokes on the hi-hat pedal the same way.
How much you lift your toes determines just how much your hi-hats will open and how long they will ring when you hit them. Most of the time you want a full swish sound. To create this sound, don’t open the cymbals too much. You have to experiment to find the swish sound that you like best.
At times, you may want to use your left foot to play the hi-hat while you’re playing the ride cymbal or another drum with your right foot. In this case playing with you heel up is the way to go. This technique is pretty much the same as the heel-up bass drum stroke. You can even do double strokes on the hi-hat pedal the same way.
Placing the Tom-Toms
How high and at what angle you place your mounted tom-toms determines how long your drumheads last and how easily you can reach them. Like the snare drum, you want to keep your tom-toms as close to level as possible. Place them at an angle, but make sure that the angle matches your sticks’ angle. You want your stick to hit them at a relatively flat angle so that it doesn’t drive tip-first into the head.
Choosing a Drumset
If you’ve decided on playing a drumset, the hardest part of choosing is behind you. A drumset is a drumset, at least in its basic sound and how you use it. You basically need some drums, cymbals, stands, and if you plan on hauling your drums around, you need some cases. (Cases are a tough thing to fork over money for. I mean, guitars come with cases, so why not drums?)
In order to determine what kind of set to buy, you don’t really need to know what kind of music you intend to play. But, you do need to know what your goals are. If you’re not sure how much you really want to play the drums or how long you’re likely to stick with it, you’re best not buying a professional kit, but rather opting for a less expensive student or semi-professional model. You can always trade up if you find yourself seriously bitten by the drumming bug. In this section, I try to lay out the different options so that you can make an informed choice for both your first kit and a professional one, if you get around to it.
If you’re like most people, your final choice of drumsets largely depends on how much money you have to spend. A complete professional drumset setup can cost almost as much as a decent car, so unless you want to forego driving, you’ll probably need to make some tough choices. The good news is that you can find some great-sounding drumsets that won’t cost you every penny you’ll ever earn. If you do your homework, even a budget-minded person can end up with a drumset that sounds great and is a pleasure to play.
So how much do you need to spend to get a decent drumset? Well, that depends, but plan on at least $500 to $1,000 for a compete beginner set with hardware and cymbals (without the cases). Keep in mind: You always get what you pay for. A more expensive kit has more options and sounds better than a less expensive set. On the other hand, unless you really know what you’re doing, playing on a better set won’t necessarily make you sound better.
In middle price-range kits, how you tune the drums has more impact on how good they sound than what kind of wood they’re made out of or what kind of mounting hardware they have.
Unless you’re on a really tight budget, I recommend buying a set made by a major manufacturer. This way, if anything ever happens to the drums, you can get them repaired. You’ll also find that selling themoif and when the time comesois easier. If even the least expensive set from one of the major manufacturers is still too much for you, I suggest considering a used kit. If you shop around and educate yourself, you can end up with a top quality set of used drums for about the same price as a piece of junk new kit.
In order to determine what kind of set to buy, you don’t really need to know what kind of music you intend to play. But, you do need to know what your goals are. If you’re not sure how much you really want to play the drums or how long you’re likely to stick with it, you’re best not buying a professional kit, but rather opting for a less expensive student or semi-professional model. You can always trade up if you find yourself seriously bitten by the drumming bug. In this section, I try to lay out the different options so that you can make an informed choice for both your first kit and a professional one, if you get around to it.
If you’re like most people, your final choice of drumsets largely depends on how much money you have to spend. A complete professional drumset setup can cost almost as much as a decent car, so unless you want to forego driving, you’ll probably need to make some tough choices. The good news is that you can find some great-sounding drumsets that won’t cost you every penny you’ll ever earn. If you do your homework, even a budget-minded person can end up with a drumset that sounds great and is a pleasure to play.
So how much do you need to spend to get a decent drumset? Well, that depends, but plan on at least $500 to $1,000 for a compete beginner set with hardware and cymbals (without the cases). Keep in mind: You always get what you pay for. A more expensive kit has more options and sounds better than a less expensive set. On the other hand, unless you really know what you’re doing, playing on a better set won’t necessarily make you sound better.
In middle price-range kits, how you tune the drums has more impact on how good they sound than what kind of wood they’re made out of or what kind of mounting hardware they have.
Unless you’re on a really tight budget, I recommend buying a set made by a major manufacturer. This way, if anything ever happens to the drums, you can get them repaired. You’ll also find that selling themoif and when the time comesois easier. If even the least expensive set from one of the major manufacturers is still too much for you, I suggest considering a used kit. If you shop around and educate yourself, you can end up with a top quality set of used drums for about the same price as a piece of junk new kit.
Count Along the Drum Tabs You Are Reading
Now, count along to the clicks from one to four, and then back through one to four again, and so on, like this: One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. This represents the speed at which quarter notes are played at this tempo. So, if you want to figure out how eighth notes would sound at this tempo, all you have to do is continue to count from one to four at the same speed as you did earlier, and simply add the word “and” between each number, like this: One and two and three and four and one and two and three and four and. This is how eight notes will sound at this tempo.
Count Along the Drum Tabs You Are Reading
Now, count along to the clicks from one to four, and then back through one to four again, and so on, like this: One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. This represents the speed at which quarter notes are played at this tempo. So, if you want to figure out how eighth notes would sound at this tempo, all you have to do is continue to count from one to four at the same speed as you did earlier, and simply add the word “and” between each number, like this: One and two and three and four and one and two and three and four and. This is how eight notes will sound at this tempo.
How to Read Drum Tabs Quick Start Tutorial
Drum Notation (or Tabs) are represented in lines that are called measure lines or bar lines, and the space between any two of these vertical lines is called a measure or a bar. The notes and rests will now be seen within a measure, like words in a sentence. A drum part (or pattern, as you’ll sometimes hear it called by drummers) is made up of a measure or a group of measures, like sentences in a paragraph.
Working with measures in drum tabs is very important when discussing specific parts of songs. You can count measures in a pattern or song and name them according to their corresponding numbers. For example, you can now refer to “the third measure’ or “measure 312,” and so on. Measures themselves vary in length according to rules that are set down at the beginning of a piece of music, called a time signature. A time signature looks like a fraction. Let’s look at a time signature:
Working with measures in drum tabs is very important when discussing specific parts of songs. You can count measures in a pattern or song and name them according to their corresponding numbers. For example, you can now refer to “the third measure’ or “measure 312,” and so on. Measures themselves vary in length according to rules that are set down at the beginning of a piece of music, called a time signature. A time signature looks like a fraction. Let’s look at a time signature:
Notation of percussion instruments
Percussion notation conventions are varied because of the wide range of percussion instruments. Percussion instruments are generally grouped into two categories: pitched and non-pitched. The notation of non-pitched percussion instruments is the more problematic and less standardized. Non-pitched percussion notation on a conventional staff once commonly employed the bass clef, but a neutral staff of two parallel vertical lines is usually preferred now. In drum tabs, it is usual to label each instrument and technique the first time it is introduced, or to add an explanatory footnote, to clarify certain notes in a tab. Below is an example of drum set notation (aka drum tabs):
A little about Drum Tuning!
Most of the information contained within this article is pretty much common knowledge in the drum world. LOTS of drummers will argue certain points that they don't agree with. It's all a matter of taste and preference. No two drummers do the same thing exactly the same way...Drums, like any instrument, need to be in tune to sound their best. Tuning isn't hard but it takes practice to get it right. There is no standard pitch that your drums should be tuned to. It is all personal taste. The following will get you started on your way to a great drum sound. Remember the more you tune your drums the better you will become. Practice tuning as often as you can.Proceed with caution: Drum Tuning is the process that will simply Make or brake your drum sound! It is recommended to remove the drum away from your drum set in order to eliminate resonance from heads of other drums in your set. - That will allow you to better concentrate on fine tuning your drum while listening to sound coming ONLY from that particular drum head.
Drum Tuning
The idea is to keep the tension as even as possible around the head, much like tightening the lug nuts when changing a wheel on a car.1. Before mounting the head, check the bearing edge for roughness or bumps. It should be smooth to the touch. Look across it from one side. It should be uniform in height. If not, consult a MASTER woodworker.2. Lay the head on the shell, mount the rim, and screw each tension rod in finger-tight. With a drum key, tighten each rod one full turn (360 degrees).3. If you're using an old head OR a Kevlar head, skip to step 4. Set your drum on the floor (on carpet to protect the bottom of the the shell) and stand on the head. If you're a heavy person or if the head or shell is very delicate, just sit on the head. Now bounce up and down *slightly* for a couple minutes. You'll hear cracks and pops as you "seat" the head onto your bearing edge and as the resin used to hold the head into its bead cracks into shape. Slam the edge of your fist into the head about 20 times. This will pre-stretch the head so it won't go out of tune as quickly at first.4. Tighten each rod about another full turn. Most of the wrinkles should be gone at this point. If not, tighten each rod a quarter turn until the head is smooth. The head should now produce some sort of tone when struck.5. Tap the head at the edge beside each lug. If the pitch is slightly lower at one lug, tighten that rod until it matches the two points next to it. Repeat until the same pitch is heard all the way around the head. Getting the head IN TUNE now will make it easier to tune when you finally tighten it up to the desired pitch.6. Tighten each lug a quarter turn and check the overall pitch. Repeat until the desired pitch is found.7. One last time, tap around the edge and fix any inconsistencies in the tuning of the head.8. If you use double headed drums, repeat with the bottom head.
Tuning the Bass Drum and the Toms
Place the drumhead on the drum shell first, and then place the rim over the head. You'll notice that the rim has holes in it. The rods (long pieces of metal with threads on one end and another end that your drum key fits onto) fit through the hole and down the outside of the drum and into the threaded hole at the top of the lug. The lugs are the pieces attached to the outside of the shell of each drum. The drum key is used to tighten or loosen the rods on the drum to change the pitch. It's best to get a general pitch that's somewhere in the middle of the range of pitches that the particular drum you're working on is capable of. To do this, use your drum key to loosen all the rods on both the top and bottom heads until they are as loose as they can be. This will give you a starting point from which to tune the drum.If your drums came with the heads not on them, put the heads on the drums and tighten the rods into the lugs just enough so that they are threaded into the lug, but not so tight that there's any pressure. Then pick any rod and begin to tighten it just enough so that you start to feel some resistance. Then, go to the rod across the drumhead from the one that you've just tightened, and tighten that one as close as you can to the same amount of pressure as the first one. Pick another rod and do the same thing that you did to the first two. Then go to the rod opposite of that one, and do the same. It's very important that you always go to the rod that's across from the one you're working on when tuning up your drums.If you tightened up all the rods on one side of the drum first, before going to the opposite side, your head will end up sitting on the drum like a seesaw, with one side of the head tightened down and the other side up too far away from the lugs to be tuned properly if you follow this procedure with all the rods on both the bottom and top heads of the drum, you're ready to begin tuning. Choose any rod and tighten it up just enough so that any wrinkles that you might see near the area of the drumhead that you're working on smooth out.Once those wrinkles smooth out, repeat the procedure with the opposite rod. As you continue this procedure for all the rods on the drum, try to pay attention to how much you're tightening down on each lug. Ideally, you want to apply as close to the same amount of pressure to each and every rod as you can. If you do this to all the rods on both the top and bottom of the drum, your drum will then have a pitch or note that you can work with. It takes a little bit of experimentation to get the perfect pitch for each drum. If you have three toms in your kit, you'll notice that they are all different sizes. If you tune each tom to its ideal note, they will all naturally fall in a descending order of pitch. in other words, they'll go from higher to lower pitch according to their sizes.
Tuning the Snare Drum
You'll follow a different procedure when tuning the snare drum than you did for the other drums in the drum kit. When tuning the toms or the bass drum, you want both the top and the bottom heads of the drum to be at more or less the same the snare drum, you should tighten the bottom head as tight as you can within reason. There's no need to tighten the head so much that the drum implodes, but the tighter the bottom head, the better the snare response.So, tighten that bottom snare head as much as you can without making a strength test out of it, and you should be good to go. To tune the top head of the snare drum, follow the same procedure that you did to tune the top head of any of the toms. Remember to always tighten the rods from one side to the other, just like with the toms. To get a nice, crisp snare drum sound, you can tighten each rod somewhat past the point where the wrinkles on the head disappear.Experimentation is the key to finding the snare drum sound that you like. Some drummers like a very high-pitched sound from their snare drum, while other drummers prefer a lower, tubbier sound or anywhere in between these extremes. It's really a matter of personal preference when it comes to snare sounds. A good way for you to determine what kind of snare sound you might be looking for is to listen closely to the sound of the snare drum in the music that you like to listen to. Is it medium-pitched? High-pitched or low? This will at least give you a snare sound to shoot for.
Drum Kit Sizes
The standard five-piece kit consists of a 22” (diameter) bass drum, 12” and 13” tom toms mounted on the bass drum, a 16” floor tom tom with its own three legs and a 14” snare drum, plus the aforementioned hardware n stands and pedals.
This configuration is often called the standard erock’ kit. Many manufacturers also offer an alternative with smaller sizes and call it their “fusion” kit. A typical fusion kit comprises a 20” bass drum with 10” and 12” mounted toms and a 14” tom suspended from a floor stand rather than mounted on its own legs. Don’t be put off by the terms “rock and fusion”. They are just convenient marketing terms.
Almost any kit can be used to play almost any style of music. Bigger drums are just a little louder and deeper sounding. The snare drums provided with starter kits have traditionally had chrome plated steel shells, which are the cheapest and easiest to produce.
These are either 6.5” or 5.5” in depth, again sometimes referred to respectively as rock or fusion sizes. The trend today however is towards including a wood-shelled drum n the implication being that this is up market from the standard steel shell model. This is not always the case in terms of performance. Since rather more craft is required to produce a quality wood snare drum, some may prefer the steel alternative.
This configuration is often called the standard erock’ kit. Many manufacturers also offer an alternative with smaller sizes and call it their “fusion” kit. A typical fusion kit comprises a 20” bass drum with 10” and 12” mounted toms and a 14” tom suspended from a floor stand rather than mounted on its own legs. Don’t be put off by the terms “rock and fusion”. They are just convenient marketing terms.
Almost any kit can be used to play almost any style of music. Bigger drums are just a little louder and deeper sounding. The snare drums provided with starter kits have traditionally had chrome plated steel shells, which are the cheapest and easiest to produce.
These are either 6.5” or 5.5” in depth, again sometimes referred to respectively as rock or fusion sizes. The trend today however is towards including a wood-shelled drum n the implication being that this is up market from the standard steel shell model. This is not always the case in terms of performance. Since rather more craft is required to produce a quality wood snare drum, some may prefer the steel alternative.
The Drums
Drum kits or drum sets are sold as, well, sets. A drum kit can be described in how many drums it contains (including snares and bass drums). Most common drum kits are sold with five pieces: a snare drum, a bass drum, and three tom-toms. Beginner and most semi-professional drum kits also come with hardware such as a bass drum pedal, stands and tom mounts, drum heads (also known as skins) and some cymbals such as hi-hats, a crash and a ride. For professional drum kits the drum shells are usually bought and added with an existing set-up of cymbals, hardware and snares.
About Sizes
Drum kits vary in size from small jazz kits with a few key pieces to huge rock kits with dozens of drums, cymbals and percussion. Drums and cymbals sizes are usually listed in inches but many companies, stores and drummers also use centimetres. In North America drums are measured with the depth of the shell first and the diameter second. Most other places such as Asia, Australia, Europe and the UK list drums with the diameter followed by the shell depth.
For example, a snare drum can be listed as 5” x 14” (American) or 14” x 5” (Most other countries). This means that the drum is 5 inches deep and 14 inches across. The examples below use the European method
For example, a snare drum can be listed as 5” x 14” (American) or 14” x 5” (Most other countries). This means that the drum is 5 inches deep and 14 inches across. The examples below use the European method
Standard Drum Set-Ups
Below are some of the more common five-piece drum kit set-ups
The standard five-piece drum set consists of the following:
14 x 5.5 snare drum
22 x 16 bass drum
12 x 8 mounted tom
13 x 9 mounted tom
16 x 16 floor tom
A rock set-up (with power toms) consists of the following:
14 x 6.5 snare drum
22 x 16 bass drum
12 x 10 mounted tom
13 x 11 mounted tom
16 x 16 floor tom
A fusion drum kit consists of the following:
14 x 3.5 piccolo snare drum
20 x 16 bass drum
10 x 8 mounted tom
12 x 9 mounted tom
14 x 11 floor tom
A jazz drum kit consists of the following:
14 x 5 snare drum
18 x 14 bass drum
8 x 8 mounted tom
10 x 8 mounted tom
14 x 14 floor tom
The standard five-piece drum set consists of the following:
14 x 5.5 snare drum
22 x 16 bass drum
12 x 8 mounted tom
13 x 9 mounted tom
16 x 16 floor tom
A rock set-up (with power toms) consists of the following:
14 x 6.5 snare drum
22 x 16 bass drum
12 x 10 mounted tom
13 x 11 mounted tom
16 x 16 floor tom
A fusion drum kit consists of the following:
14 x 3.5 piccolo snare drum
20 x 16 bass drum
10 x 8 mounted tom
12 x 9 mounted tom
14 x 11 floor tom
A jazz drum kit consists of the following:
14 x 5 snare drum
18 x 14 bass drum
8 x 8 mounted tom
10 x 8 mounted tom
14 x 14 floor tom
Drum Shell Construction
Most drum shells, with the exception of snare drums, are made from wood. Snare drums are often made from metal, and very occasionally the toms and bass drum are made from metal too. For example, every now and then someone comes up with a steel kit. Steel is loud and resonant but it is also heavy.
Aluminum drums are a lot lighter, with a somewhat drier tone, and they are currently made by the Trick company in America, which uses sheets of 1/8” (3.175mm) ecertified grade’ aluminum. The word ecertified’ highlights one of the advantages of inorganic materials. They are much more consistent than an organic material like wood. Trick says it chose aluminum because of its pureness of tone, sustain and durability.
The ultimate in metal shells, though, are the titanium drums made by the Japanese company Kitano. Kitano claims that titanium gives you the best of everything n warmth, projection, sensitivity, power, you name it. But then so it should, since we’re talking around $12,000 for a standard five piece kit. As well as metal, there are synthetic shells made from Plexiglas/Perspex or fiberglass. These were plentiful in the 1970s but are rarely made nowadays.
Ludwig made a large number of colorful Plexiglas eVistalite’ drums in the mid-1970s and they are great favorites with collectors. Fibes, the original maker of fiberglass drums, is still producing both fiberglass and acrylic eCrystallite’ shells today.
Then there’s the Rocket drum company, which makes carbon-fiber kits. But by far the most successful (semi) synthetic shell material is Remo’s eAcousticon’, which is made from hardwood fibers impregnated with resins. Remo use Acousticon for all their drum kit and percussion shells.
Aluminum drums are a lot lighter, with a somewhat drier tone, and they are currently made by the Trick company in America, which uses sheets of 1/8” (3.175mm) ecertified grade’ aluminum. The word ecertified’ highlights one of the advantages of inorganic materials. They are much more consistent than an organic material like wood. Trick says it chose aluminum because of its pureness of tone, sustain and durability.
The ultimate in metal shells, though, are the titanium drums made by the Japanese company Kitano. Kitano claims that titanium gives you the best of everything n warmth, projection, sensitivity, power, you name it. But then so it should, since we’re talking around $12,000 for a standard five piece kit. As well as metal, there are synthetic shells made from Plexiglas/Perspex or fiberglass. These were plentiful in the 1970s but are rarely made nowadays.
Ludwig made a large number of colorful Plexiglas eVistalite’ drums in the mid-1970s and they are great favorites with collectors. Fibes, the original maker of fiberglass drums, is still producing both fiberglass and acrylic eCrystallite’ shells today.
Then there’s the Rocket drum company, which makes carbon-fiber kits. But by far the most successful (semi) synthetic shell material is Remo’s eAcousticon’, which is made from hardwood fibers impregnated with resins. Remo use Acousticon for all their drum kit and percussion shells.
Drum Shell Fittings
Shell Fittings: Rims, Lugs and brackets By shell fittings we mean the metal rims, the tension brackets (also called elugs’), the tom mounting brackets and floor tom leg brackets. That is, any item of hardware n usually metal n secured to the shell. While separate stands and pedals can be replaced and upgraded, the actual shell fittings are not so easy to change. In particular you’re most unlikely ever to change the tension brackets, and this is an area of concern. One way manufacturers can reduce costs is by fitting fewer brackets/lugs to each shell.
This is still seen on the very cheapest starter kits, which are actually a step back from the earliest Export blueprint. So, on a 22” bass drum, you get just six brackets per head, whereas I really think the minimum requirement is eight. (Pro drums usually have ten.)
The pattern will be copied across the whole kit. The snare and floor tom will have six where they should have at least eight. Small toms will have four or five, where they need five or six, etc. Six brackets on a full size bass drum or snare drum is not really enough. It makes it virtually impossible to get a decent sound. The snare drum in particular will always sound crude and uncontrollable. The drums will still be playable, but the gap between each tuning point is too big to allow you to establish accurate and even tension.
You’ll still get plenty of volume, but as soon as you try an eight-lug drum you’ll realize how much easier it is then to get a controlled and evenly tuned sound. Now, I do believe there is a place for these bare-necessity kits, which offer a start where money is tight. They are available for less than $200, and sometimes much less.
So don’t get me wrong, the cheapest kits work and they are amazing value: try buying a flute for that price. But they’re definitely for youngsters testing the water. (And talking of youngsters, there are also ejunior’ kits, which are undersized versions of the same type of kit. These obviously have few tension brackets and primitive hardware, but in this case they are fully justified. These kits are designed for children and are great fun. You’re never too young to start.) For me the serious beginner market starts with the next level of kit, which has eight tension brackets on the bass drum, snare drum and large tome and five or six on the mounted toms.
This level of kit may only be around 25 cent more expensive: say, $250 upwards. And the good news is that, as standards are steadily driven upwards, six-bracket kits are becoming increasingly scarce. However, there are still lots of them around on the secondhand market. You have been warned. Earlier examples of the starter kit will have separate brackets with a similar design to the early Pearl oblong lug. By the 1990s some kits sported ehigh-tension’ brackets, i.e., single brackets that spanned the full depth of the shell. Now the fashion has moved back towards smaller top and bottom elow mass’ lugs.
This is still seen on the very cheapest starter kits, which are actually a step back from the earliest Export blueprint. So, on a 22” bass drum, you get just six brackets per head, whereas I really think the minimum requirement is eight. (Pro drums usually have ten.)
The pattern will be copied across the whole kit. The snare and floor tom will have six where they should have at least eight. Small toms will have four or five, where they need five or six, etc. Six brackets on a full size bass drum or snare drum is not really enough. It makes it virtually impossible to get a decent sound. The snare drum in particular will always sound crude and uncontrollable. The drums will still be playable, but the gap between each tuning point is too big to allow you to establish accurate and even tension.
You’ll still get plenty of volume, but as soon as you try an eight-lug drum you’ll realize how much easier it is then to get a controlled and evenly tuned sound. Now, I do believe there is a place for these bare-necessity kits, which offer a start where money is tight. They are available for less than $200, and sometimes much less.
So don’t get me wrong, the cheapest kits work and they are amazing value: try buying a flute for that price. But they’re definitely for youngsters testing the water. (And talking of youngsters, there are also ejunior’ kits, which are undersized versions of the same type of kit. These obviously have few tension brackets and primitive hardware, but in this case they are fully justified. These kits are designed for children and are great fun. You’re never too young to start.) For me the serious beginner market starts with the next level of kit, which has eight tension brackets on the bass drum, snare drum and large tome and five or six on the mounted toms.
This level of kit may only be around 25 cent more expensive: say, $250 upwards. And the good news is that, as standards are steadily driven upwards, six-bracket kits are becoming increasingly scarce. However, there are still lots of them around on the secondhand market. You have been warned. Earlier examples of the starter kit will have separate brackets with a similar design to the early Pearl oblong lug. By the 1990s some kits sported ehigh-tension’ brackets, i.e., single brackets that spanned the full depth of the shell. Now the fashion has moved back towards smaller top and bottom elow mass’ lugs.
Solid Drum Shells
Solid shells are today highly prized, but they are difficult and expensive to make and are usually reserved for snare drums. It’s most unusual for a complete drum kit to be made from solid timber, although at least one major company, Noble and Cooley, has offered a full range of solid sizes in the recent past. Another way of achieving what is almost a solid shell is via the ancient technique of stave construction. This is the same method used to make barrels n and some congas and bongos n where vertical sections of wood are joined into a circle.
This type of construction produces a shell that is free from the ewanting-to-straighten-out’ tension of bent wood. The Italian company Tamburo constructs complete kits in this manner, using maple and mahogany. The staves have interlocking zigzag cuts so that they slot together precisely. Each different diameter of drum requires the staves to be cut at a different angle, which means a large investment in special machinery. Tamburo drums are, however, left with multi-flat-faced exteriors.
This type of construction produces a shell that is free from the ewanting-to-straighten-out’ tension of bent wood. The Italian company Tamburo constructs complete kits in this manner, using maple and mahogany. The staves have interlocking zigzag cuts so that they slot together precisely. Each different diameter of drum requires the staves to be cut at a different angle, which means a large investment in special machinery. Tamburo drums are, however, left with multi-flat-faced exteriors.
Snare Drums
As for the snare drum, it always used to be the case that the snare drum was the weakest link in the beginner package. It would have a steel shell with an ugly internal vertical butt-weld and turned-over bearing edges that were ragged and did not inspire confidence in the overall quality of construction.
The steel would be thin, and the chroming poor so that the sound would be dark and ringy. These might strike you as admirable sonic properties for a tom tom but they’re not so hot for a snare drum. You generally want your snare drum to be high pitched and bright with a fastish decay: a sort of short, sharp, shock.
The bottom line is it’s probably impossible to make a really good metal-shelled snare drum at this sort of price. The most recent examples are better but will never be great. The trend in any case is towards including a matching wood-shelled snare drum. These are slightly less of a problem in as much as they are less ringy with fewer nasty overtones.
The steel would be thin, and the chroming poor so that the sound would be dark and ringy. These might strike you as admirable sonic properties for a tom tom but they’re not so hot for a snare drum. You generally want your snare drum to be high pitched and bright with a fastish decay: a sort of short, sharp, shock.
The bottom line is it’s probably impossible to make a really good metal-shelled snare drum at this sort of price. The most recent examples are better but will never be great. The trend in any case is towards including a matching wood-shelled snare drum. These are slightly less of a problem in as much as they are less ringy with fewer nasty overtones.
Buying a New Drum Kit
Although the drum kit may look complicated at first, the components of all drum kits n large or small n fall into three broad areas. These are drums, cymbals and hardware. The way these three areas have developed over the years could be treated as three separate stories. First there are the drums themselves: cylinders of wood, metal or synthetic materials with membranes tensioned over one or both ends. The technical term is emembranophone’. Then there are the cymbals, which are metal plates that have been intensively worked.
They are classified as idiophones, meaning instruments that make a sound via their own body. Finally, and of crucial importance, there is the hardware. This comprises the stands that support the drums and cymbals and the pedals that operate the bass drum and hi-hat cymbals. The point is that the cymbal is a quite different instrument from the drum, with separate origins and evolution. The drum companies make the drums and the hardware, but rarely do they make the cymbals. Crafting a wooden shelled drum is a very different game from hammering out a bronze cymbal. Cymbal companies are quite distinct, and yet drums and cymbals have come to be played in such an integrated manner that the term edrum kit’ or edrumset’ is taken to include cymbals as well as drums.
And although we always refer to drum stores, selling cymbals is as important to the retailer as selling drums. The eskins’ on the drums are called heads. Nowadays they are nearly always synthetic, mostly made from special plastics. Heads too are usually produced by different companies from either the drum or cymbal makers. So straight away you can see that at least three separate companies will normally be involved in producing your kit. The importance of this for would-be drum kit purchasers will become apparent as we go into greater detail. The standard drum kit today n is certainly so far as the manufacturers are concerned n the five piece kit. This means there are five drums.
Note again that there is no mention of cymbals or stands. However, since the drum companies also manufacture hardware, a basic kit will usually include a snare drum stand and one or two cymbal stands, along with a bass drum pedal and hi-hat pedal. Until recently it would not include any cymbals, since n for the last time n the drum companies don’t make them. It can come as a shock to discover that a good set of cymbals can cost almost as much as a good set of drums. However, as the competition has become increasingly hot, and particularly with more and more incredibly cheap starter kits made in Taiwan, China, and elsewhere, it has become the norm for starter packages to include everything that the beginner needs.
They are classified as idiophones, meaning instruments that make a sound via their own body. Finally, and of crucial importance, there is the hardware. This comprises the stands that support the drums and cymbals and the pedals that operate the bass drum and hi-hat cymbals. The point is that the cymbal is a quite different instrument from the drum, with separate origins and evolution. The drum companies make the drums and the hardware, but rarely do they make the cymbals. Crafting a wooden shelled drum is a very different game from hammering out a bronze cymbal. Cymbal companies are quite distinct, and yet drums and cymbals have come to be played in such an integrated manner that the term edrum kit’ or edrumset’ is taken to include cymbals as well as drums.
And although we always refer to drum stores, selling cymbals is as important to the retailer as selling drums. The eskins’ on the drums are called heads. Nowadays they are nearly always synthetic, mostly made from special plastics. Heads too are usually produced by different companies from either the drum or cymbal makers. So straight away you can see that at least three separate companies will normally be involved in producing your kit. The importance of this for would-be drum kit purchasers will become apparent as we go into greater detail. The standard drum kit today n is certainly so far as the manufacturers are concerned n the five piece kit. This means there are five drums.
Note again that there is no mention of cymbals or stands. However, since the drum companies also manufacture hardware, a basic kit will usually include a snare drum stand and one or two cymbal stands, along with a bass drum pedal and hi-hat pedal. Until recently it would not include any cymbals, since n for the last time n the drum companies don’t make them. It can come as a shock to discover that a good set of cymbals can cost almost as much as a good set of drums. However, as the competition has become increasingly hot, and particularly with more and more incredibly cheap starter kits made in Taiwan, China, and elsewhere, it has become the norm for starter packages to include everything that the beginner needs.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
How to Read Drum Music Notes
In most respects, drum music is exactly like any other kind of sheet music. As in all sheet music, time signatures tell the musician how to count the measures and notes and rests show when to play each individual note. The main difference is that instead of showing different pitches the different lines and spaces show the musician how to play different drums.
Instructions:-
1)
Learn about notes and rests. A note shows you when to play a beat and a rest shows you how long to go without playing a beat. Notes come in whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eight notes and sixteenth notes. One whole note takes the same amount of time to play as two half, four quarter or eight eighth notes. So quarter notes are played four times as fast as whole notes. Rests also come in whole, half, quarter and eighth, and are related to each other in the same way. There are also thirty-second and sixty-fourth notes and rests, but they are rare.
2)Learn the meaning of dotted notes and rests. If there is a dot on the right side of a note, it takes one and a half times as long as normal. For example, a dotted whole note is as long as six quarter notes instead of the normal four.
3) Learn about accents. An accent looks like a triangle directly above a note. It means that that particular note is louder than the other ones around it.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Learn how to read time signatures and measures. A measure is a set unit of time. It is marked off by vertical lines. A time signature is a ratio of the number of notes per measure to the length of each note. For example, 4/4 means that there are four notes in each measure, and each note is a quarter note.
4)Learn basic drum music conventions. Each drum is written on a different line or space of the staff. If there are three drums without any explanation, the one on the bottom is the bass drum, the one in the middle is the snare and the one on the top line is the hi-hat. If there are more drums, there will be a key explaining which line represents which drum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3obigouN7w
Instructions:-
1)
Learn about notes and rests. A note shows you when to play a beat and a rest shows you how long to go without playing a beat. Notes come in whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eight notes and sixteenth notes. One whole note takes the same amount of time to play as two half, four quarter or eight eighth notes. So quarter notes are played four times as fast as whole notes. Rests also come in whole, half, quarter and eighth, and are related to each other in the same way. There are also thirty-second and sixty-fourth notes and rests, but they are rare.
2)Learn the meaning of dotted notes and rests. If there is a dot on the right side of a note, it takes one and a half times as long as normal. For example, a dotted whole note is as long as six quarter notes instead of the normal four.
3) Learn about accents. An accent looks like a triangle directly above a note. It means that that particular note is louder than the other ones around it.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Learn how to read time signatures and measures. A measure is a set unit of time. It is marked off by vertical lines. A time signature is a ratio of the number of notes per measure to the length of each note. For example, 4/4 means that there are four notes in each measure, and each note is a quarter note.
4)Learn basic drum music conventions. Each drum is written on a different line or space of the staff. If there are three drums without any explanation, the one on the bottom is the bass drum, the one in the middle is the snare and the one on the top line is the hi-hat. If there are more drums, there will be a key explaining which line represents which drum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3obigouN7w
Saturday, July 4, 2009
How to play a simple melody
is much easier to create a melody and to try variations. Most singers naturally only use certain intervals. Most musicians who play an instrument simply play and try all available notes from a scale.
how to do drumming
This article how to do Drum Exercises is available in association with MusicianUniversity.com as part of the easy drum method 1 access it here (requires course membership)Doing exercises is not like going for a run to get your body in shop. To learn something like drumming you need quality exercise.
Friday, July 3, 2009
yEaH pPl u Can Do bEsT DruMMinG
just visit the links below
www.drumlessons.net
www.studydrums.com
www.8notes.com/school/lessons/.../drum.../drum_lesson1.asp
www.drumlessons.net
www.studydrums.com
www.8notes.com/school/lessons/.../drum.../drum_lesson1.asp
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