Dry or singing drums?

[john lamb]

To get more sound you need to move more air, which means the drum head / drum itself has to move more. Its not simply a matter of how hard you are hitting - the point is to get the drums to shake.


I also understand the need to move a lot - its more fun for one, and there's just something about the moving that helps me play better music, IMO. That being said, I struggled for a really long time with playing quietly ... but I made leaps and bounds in a matter of seconds when I realized that playing quietly can be awesome, too. The trick is to find a way to NOT wish that you were playing loud. Still, all things being equal, I like playing loud, but that enjoyment has little to do with music.

[Josiah]

It seems to go against everything we know, but its true.

part of that is because past a certain threshold you are choking the drums. they definitely have a range of "sound best" somewhere in the middle imo, tuning and all that in consideration too of course.

i have a few snares and cymbals that are just unreal loud which i tend to only use for outdoor occasions.

[Tom Reschke]

I can play softly. I've got good enough technique to pull of whatever bullcrap that I have in my vocabulary at loud or soft volumes. I just think that I can be more emotionally in it, and be more fun to watch to the audience, when I'm able to hit as hard as I want to. Mind you, I'm not playing with my arms above my head, and I do play a few gigs where I stick almost exclusively to brushes, but I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same. I feel like I'm a good musician and good listener, so it's always deflating when you're asked to bring it down, volume wise, especially when you don't feel that you're any louder than the guitar player. Sometimes I think it's a problem of the traditional band setup, where the singer stands directly in front of the drums, while bass and guitars have their amps to the side, pointed out. So, to the vocalist, you sound much louder than the other guys. Also, I often hear bands where I wish the drummer would be hitting harder because he's not balanced with the rest of the band, because they can "get away" with cranking their amps, and not bothering Mr or Mrs songbird on the mike. So finding ways to get around sounding as loud as I'm playing is something that I've been trying for a while. I like to hit hard, but I like to balance with the band as well. Also, I'm not so naive to think that I can be late era Tony on some coffee house jazz gig real book quiet hour, I just think I'd have more fun if I could. I like playing brushes a lot, and I do enjoy playing dynamically. But I think that playing loud, is more fun.

[gretsch-o-rama]

I can play softly. I've got good enough technique to pull of whatever bullcrap that I have in my vocabulary at loud or soft volumes. I just think that I can be more emotionally in it, and be more fun to watch to the audience, when I'm able to hit as hard as I want to. Mind you, I'm not playing with my arms above my head, and I do play a few gigs where I stick almost exclusively to brushes, but I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same. I feel like I'm a good musician and good listener, so it's always deflating when you're asked to bring it down, volume wise, especially when you don't feel that you're any louder than the guitar player. Sometimes I think it's a problem of the traditional band setup, where the singer stands directly in front of the drums, while bass and guitars have their amps to the side, pointed out. So, to the vocalist, you sound much louder than the other guys. Also, I often hear bands where I wish the drummer would be hitting harder because he's not balanced with the rest of the band, because they can "get away" with cranking their amps, and not bothering Mr or Mrs songbird on the mike. So finding ways to get around sounding as loud as I'm playing is something that I've been trying for a while. I like to hit hard, but I like to balance with the band as well. Also, I'm not so naive to think that I can be late era Tony on some coffee house jazz gig real book quiet hour, I just think I'd have more fun if I could. I like playing brushes a lot, and I do enjoy playing dynamically. But I think that playing loud, is more fun.

It's more of a challenge for players with a large vocabulary to play loud. It's hard to be both dexterous and loud. A perfect example is a single stroke roll. A lot of people can be fast (well, some) but try being loud and fast. I mean Billy Cobham loud and fast.

[Josiah]

i think its the other way around. putting a ton of energy into the sticks is a big part of how guys get so many notes out of them F=MA and all that.


vince is one of the loudest players ive ever heard. the man puts some serious power into the sticks.

if anyone knows or has been around Bone from M.I. the same is also true, to an incredible degree. by far the most dominating and powerful player ive ever seen on a kit second only to vince imo.

tony williams was also an incredibly loud and powerful player. buddy rich as well. though that era of playing may more have been having to compete with a full brass section and lack of drum mics... but non the less...

the same i would say is most definitely true in the marching realm from my time teaching. having guys playing something at ppp is WAY harder for almost everyone then FF.

[gretsch-o-rama]

I'm talking about a more physiological perspective. Your small muscles want to move fast almost like twitching but there's not a whole lot of power. Your big muscles have all the power but are slow to respond.

[Josiah]

sort of true... you're talking about fast twitch muscle fibers, which are in all muscle, and their recruitment rates vary on the individual and training (there are 4 types of muscle fibers, only their ratios are what change. not to be confused with types, skeletal, cardio, etc). there are also tendons, nerves, etc

you can train the arm, shoulders, etc to be incredibly fast and powerful. step into the ring with a boxer or martial artist. ain't no fingers being used in whats going to knock you out faster then you can blink. and no way your going to out run the sprinter.

drummers get to be unique in using and training everything in body and using the physics of moving sticks around plus rebound. from core to fingers.

your fingers will never be as fast a paul gilbert because he exclusively trains those tiny muslces in the fingers and indeed they can move very fast.


ipso facto, the monsters we all know and love play fucking loud. bring a Db meter to any clinic and it will hit the 3 digit realm without a doubt.


by the way, i mentioned Bone, he is one of the biggest people ive ever met and enjoys weight lifting almost as much as drumming. his sheer size is incredible, and his speed is phenomenal - also considering he is twice my age - as are vinnie, weckl, etc technically speaking i should be faster and stronger.

drumming is a skill thing. not a muscle thing.