Obviously the most popular thing used to play drums is the drumstick. Brushed and rods are two alternatives which produce two different sounds and can be used in a variety of different styles such as jazz, or low-volume rock. For this post, however, I'm focusing on sticks.
Drumsticks come in a huge variety of different sizes which can often be confusing. It took me a while to get my head around it, so here are the basics.
Sticks consist of 4 parts:
The tip - the part you strike the drum with. Either wood or nylon (nylon sounds brighter on your ride, and is recommended for electric kits). Comes in different shapes, depending on the sound you're after.
The shoulder - this is what you'd use to strike a crash cymbal. It has a gentle taper towards the tip.
The shaft - this is where you hold the stick.
The butt - the very end of the stick.
Sticks generally come with sizes in two parts - number and letter.
The most common numbers are 7, 5, and 2.
The letters are either A, B, or sometimes AB combined.
The number in a size guide is the heaviness of a stick. The higher the number, the lighter the stick.
If you play jazz, or if you just fancy a really light stick, go for a 7.
If you play hard-hitting rock, go for a 2.
The letter part denotes the thickness of the stick.
A is, with the stick company I use, usually 0.551 inches in diameter.
B is 0.590.
AB is usually pretty close to a regular A stick, but with a thicker-than-normal taper.
These sizes may not seem like a big difference, but when it comes to the feel of a stick little things like this make a huge impact. It should also be noted, however, that many drummers use a variety of sticks for different settings, so it won't hurt if you have a few different sizes in your bag.
Drumsticks can be made of various different woods. The most common are hickory, oak and maple.
Hickory is the general-use wood. It can be used for any setting, and is fairly long lasting and durable.
Oak is the hardest wood used in stick-making. It's the most durable, and you should look to this if you're shattering sticks left, right and centre.
Maple is the lightest wood, and is ideal for jazz. Careful players will see these sticks last a long time, but they're not for you if you're prone to hitting hard.
One key thing to remember is that drumsticks should ALWAYS tell you what they're made of. If you don't know the wood type, it's probably a cheap blend and will shatter or snap easily.
One other factor you should look into when buying drumsticks is the finish of the wood. Regardless of the wood you choose, the way it is finished makes a huge difference to how it feels when you play.
Plain wood sticks are basically just sanded wood, and provide a 'dry' feel.
Lacquered or varnished sticks are smooth to touch, and this finish helps to reduce the chance of blisters.
Some finishes, such as the Millennium II finish by Pro-Mark are designed to become slightly sticky when you play, to improve grip.One other way to improve grip is through grip-tape or wax. These products can be applied and removed however you like, so they're ideal for trying out (maybe on an old pair of sticks first) to see the result.
The main drumstick companies right now are Vic Firth, Vater, AHEAD, Zildjian and Pro-Mark. All of their sticks are high quality, although I personally favour Pro-Mark. The trick to finding your perfect sticks is to go and try them out in the shop. You'll know when you get the right pair for you - it's that simple.
When you're trying sticks out you should have a play with them - there's usually a pad for you to test them out on - and give them a roll on a flat surface - this helps ensure they're perfectly straight.
At the end of the day, the best way to find the sticks for you is by trying them out constantly. I've gone through a huge variety of sticks since I started playing, and I'm still prone to changing every now and again. Just pick 'em up and give them a whirl.
15 Mar 2011
26 Feb 2011
Set Up
We'll start with the basics, and that means kit set up.
I've seen people play a range of kits: some with only the basics, like this sort of set up.
and others who play something on a whole different scale.
For me, I prefer something in the middle: a slight variation of the 'normal' rock kit.
Currently, my set up is as follows (although it's prone to changing from time to time).
Note, I don't play a DW Kit, so ignore the brands of both the drums and the hardware. I only use the Kitbuilder to illustrate set up ideas.
Regardless of what sort of music you want to play, when you set your drum kit up you have to obey one rule:
It must be comfortable.
If your drums are set up so you're stretching or bending awkwardly then you'll soon run into trouble.
Some useful tips when it comes to setting up your kit.
1. Your seat/stool should mean that your thighs are more or less parallel to the ground, with your knees at a 90 degree angle.
2. Your snare drum should sit so that the batter head and rim are just above your thighs. I find this helps avoid either hitting your legs with your hands by accident, or constantly hitting the rim when you play.
3. Your tom or toms should be within easy reach, at an even angle. I see far too many kits where the toms seems to almost face each other. You're the one playing, so everything should face you.
4. Your hi-hat and bass pedals should sit so that your feet rest naturally on them when you're on your stool. Again, they should be angled to face you.
5. Cymbals are touchy ground. Some people like them heavily angled, whilst some prefer them horizontal. Generally, I think they're best positioned at a slight angle (the left side would be the striking surface, in this instance), as such:
If you hit your cymbals horizontally they they're prone to cracking, but if you angle them too much they'll be difficult to hit properly and, let's face it, they'll just look stupid. This really is just my preference though - all that really matters is that when you play, you hit your cymbal at such an angle that you don't split the thing in half.
Again, make sure your cymbals are easy to reach. What's the point in a lovely big crash cymbal sitting so far away you have to stretch over your bass drum to hit it? Or, just as bad, cymbals that are too high. You should be able to look down on all of your cymbal. You'll go through far fewer cymbals if you play down onto them. A great example here, from Jerry Brown:
(Notice the tiny angle of the cymbals, and that they're not up above his head).
6. Your bass drum can really sit wherever you want. Most people use it as the central focus for their drums, setting everything else up around it. The only thing to remember is that having the front of the bass drum raised (only about an inch or so) off the ground helps is resonate properly, and provides a slight angle so your pedal will hit the skin correctly (again, creating a better sound).
7. Put the whole kit on a mat or an old bit of carpet. Not only does this stop anything from sliding about if you have wooden floors, it also stops any oil etc from your pedals ruining whatever's underneath (be it wood, laminate or 'good' carpet). I once moved my kit into a friend's house to do some recording and when we packed up I noticed the spikes on my pedals had dug grooves in the wooden floor. Safe to say, they weren't happy.
So there you go. Hopefully now your kit will look nice and professional.
If you don't think these tips are any good then that's fine - the most important thing is that your kit suits you.
Everyone's different, and every kit is different too.
I've seen people play a range of kits: some with only the basics, like this sort of set up.
and others who play something on a whole different scale.
For me, I prefer something in the middle: a slight variation of the 'normal' rock kit.
Currently, my set up is as follows (although it's prone to changing from time to time).
Note, I don't play a DW Kit, so ignore the brands of both the drums and the hardware. I only use the Kitbuilder to illustrate set up ideas.
Regardless of what sort of music you want to play, when you set your drum kit up you have to obey one rule:
It must be comfortable.
If your drums are set up so you're stretching or bending awkwardly then you'll soon run into trouble.
Some useful tips when it comes to setting up your kit.
1. Your seat/stool should mean that your thighs are more or less parallel to the ground, with your knees at a 90 degree angle.
2. Your snare drum should sit so that the batter head and rim are just above your thighs. I find this helps avoid either hitting your legs with your hands by accident, or constantly hitting the rim when you play.
3. Your tom or toms should be within easy reach, at an even angle. I see far too many kits where the toms seems to almost face each other. You're the one playing, so everything should face you.
4. Your hi-hat and bass pedals should sit so that your feet rest naturally on them when you're on your stool. Again, they should be angled to face you.
5. Cymbals are touchy ground. Some people like them heavily angled, whilst some prefer them horizontal. Generally, I think they're best positioned at a slight angle (the left side would be the striking surface, in this instance), as such:
Again, make sure your cymbals are easy to reach. What's the point in a lovely big crash cymbal sitting so far away you have to stretch over your bass drum to hit it? Or, just as bad, cymbals that are too high. You should be able to look down on all of your cymbal. You'll go through far fewer cymbals if you play down onto them. A great example here, from Jerry Brown:
(Notice the tiny angle of the cymbals, and that they're not up above his head).
6. Your bass drum can really sit wherever you want. Most people use it as the central focus for their drums, setting everything else up around it. The only thing to remember is that having the front of the bass drum raised (only about an inch or so) off the ground helps is resonate properly, and provides a slight angle so your pedal will hit the skin correctly (again, creating a better sound).
7. Put the whole kit on a mat or an old bit of carpet. Not only does this stop anything from sliding about if you have wooden floors, it also stops any oil etc from your pedals ruining whatever's underneath (be it wood, laminate or 'good' carpet). I once moved my kit into a friend's house to do some recording and when we packed up I noticed the spikes on my pedals had dug grooves in the wooden floor. Safe to say, they weren't happy.
So there you go. Hopefully now your kit will look nice and professional.
If you don't think these tips are any good then that's fine - the most important thing is that your kit suits you.
Everyone's different, and every kit is different too.
23 Feb 2011
Count Me In...
I wanted to start this blog as a forum to share my views on drumming. I've been playing for 9 years, and have experience of both teaching myself and formal lessons. I figured this blog could be useful for other drummers - ranging from those who are starting to learn to those who are a bit more experienced - to have a sort of reference point if they can't find a teacher, or if they just fancy learning by ear but don't really know where to start.
I aim to cover, however sporadically, issues such as the basics (names for everything/how it works etc), guides on how to set a drum kit up properly, rudiments and practice techniques. Then, in later posts, I can go on to cover more advanced areas like open-handed drumming and the controversial issue of stick-tricks. I won't aim for any particular schedule or routine, but if you want my views on any subject just let me know and I'll see what I can do.
I aim to cover, however sporadically, issues such as the basics (names for everything/how it works etc), guides on how to set a drum kit up properly, rudiments and practice techniques. Then, in later posts, I can go on to cover more advanced areas like open-handed drumming and the controversial issue of stick-tricks. I won't aim for any particular schedule or routine, but if you want my views on any subject just let me know and I'll see what I can do.
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