Bass Drum Adjustments for Best Sound

Perhaps the most important part of a drum set or drummer’s unique sound is the thunderous boom (or not) from his or her kick drum. The kick drum lays the foundation upon which all other drum hits are based. It provides the basest (bassest) part of the rhythmic structure, delineating and driving the syncopation that is set up initially by the high-hat’s 8th or 16th rhythms. Most often, a drummer desires a well-articulated attack with minimal, but sure decay, and utilizing the right tools, beginning with the musician’s ears, a booming bass is sure to be achieved.

Getting the correct sound from your bass begins with tuning of the heads. Uniform tension across the head is key, always turn your drum key the same amount of times at all lugs in order to avoid annoying overtones. As a rule, the bass drum batter head (the head that receives the strike, nearest the drummer) should possess a looser tension than the other heads of the kit. A too loose situation could result in the batter puncturing the skin, so moderately loose, of course. The other side (resonant side) does not need as much attention, but to make sure that the skin is uniformly tightened around the circumference.

An unappealing sound from the bass can often be as simple as improper bass drum pedal placement. To get the best sound from your drum, it needs to be struck in the very center, to allow for maximum air flow throughout the drum and increased reverberation and resonance throughout the bass frequency range.

The last check on achieving the best sound from your bass drum entails muffling. With an empty bass drum, the sound can reverberate too wildly, often stepping on frequencies of fellow musicians, especially the bass player’s. Specifically designed pillows can be placed within the bass drum’s cavity, helping to control the sound waves and increase the punch and bite of the initial attack. A beater patch is also instrumental in achieving just the right amount of muffling on the beater side of your bass drum. Place this adhesive patch right where your pedal strikes the head (in the middle). The benefit is two-fold as the patch increases the skin’s strength and helps wrangle in those unwieldy vibrations from each strike, allowing for more “punch” to your tone. On the resonant side, you could place a head with a ported hole that allows for better and punchier bass response while also allowing easy access for pillow or microphone placement in the studio or on the stage.

Local music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock a wide selection of accessories to help each drummer achieve proper tone from their entire kit, not just the kick drum. Knowledgeable salespersons can point you in the right direction and provide helpful information and options to help find the distinct sound you desire.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of drums and cymbals to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Electronic Drum Advances

In the 1970’s, guitarists were becoming inundated with effect and pedal technology allowing them to experiment and explore new sounds and frequencies never available before. Percussionists, seemingly, had to resign themselves to different sized cymbals, drums, and assorted sound effect cymbals to build their orchestra of effects. Not only was this a costly endeavor, lugging around an arsenal of assorted pieces was impractical, unwieldy, and impossible. Change was coming. With the introduction of the first commercially available electronic drum by Pollard Industries in the mid-seventies, drummers’ eyes and ears were opened to new horizons and possibilities that had previously only been afforded to electric guitarists.

The original electronic drum sets were definitely rudimentary experimentations, and their response curve and performance applications were quite limited. Yet, as research and development continued throughout the eighties and into today, electronic drums progressed and evolved into an accepted medium, with an inordinate amount of recording and performance possibilities.

The original technology of electronic drums has remained constant, though improved upon over the last three decades. As in the original prototypes, an electronic pad houses one (or many) piezoelectric transducer microphones that allow a voltage change to be captured when the pad is struck. This signal is transmitted through an instrument cable to a drum “brain” or module that then translates the kinetic energy into sound. The resultant sound produced is determined by the drummer’s programming of an individual effect to the pad being struck. While early drum modules were limited in their processing possibilities, today’s electronic advances have allowed modules to contain dozens upon dozens of true acoustic samples, recorded digitally with such high quality from the original sources, that only a highly trained ear is able to differentiate between an acoustic drum and the advanced sounds produced by electronic kits today.

The possibilities of today’s kits are seemingly endless. More sensitive pads have been introduced, possessing transducers that are able to pick up every nuance, every ghost roll, every precise rudiment, allowing for different zones of the drum “head” to have different timbre and textures just as its acoustic “skinned” cousin possesses. Effects such as reverb, delay, and chorus are only the beginning, with the ability to add effects directly at the source of the strike, processors within today’s modules can accurately reproduce different performance hall situations and microphone techniques without a room, hall, or microphone being present. This allows for drummers of all levels to experience superb sound in the comfort of their own home or studio, whether through expensive monitoring speakers or personal headphones utilized for private, silent practice. No more is it necessary for a passel of microphones when recording since drum modules possess stereo line outs that can be connected directly to the recording device being used. As new innovations are developed, music retailers like Austin’s Strait Music Company keep their knowledge and equipment up to date in order to give local drummers the most options and highest quality available.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electronic drums and accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Drumstick Choices

Each type of musician is afforded choices of different “peripherals” (if you will) to use in the performing and honing of his or her craft. Wind instrumentalists spend time finding their favorite reeds, brass instrumentalists, their favorite mouthpieces, and guitarists have a wide array of strings to choose from. Is it any surprise that percussionists have a myriad of choices when it comes to sticks? Striking a drumhead can be intense and aggressive, or soft and expressive, depending on genre and situation, and sticks have to be responsive to each particular situation, and some handle this better than others.

Since the tip of the stick is what most often provides the strike or hit, this is where one should begin in order to find the sound and response preferred. There are two materials available for drumstick tips, nylon and wood, each possessing its own singular and distinct sound. Nylon tips are known for their special ability to excel in intricate cymbal playing, being a popular choice in music that employs precise cymbal work (think fusion and jazz). Nylon tips have a brighter, more distinct sound while wood is the material of choice when a darker tone is desired. Wood tips sound more dense, thicker, darker, and more organic than nylon and are used often in situations demanding a deeper sound.

The shaft and butt (parts held in the percussionists’ hands) of most all drumsticks are made of wood, but the two types most used also possess their own distinct sound and feel. Maple sticks are used by players desiring a lighter feel and sound. Maple is inherently a light, porous wood, and sticks made of maple are faster because they are lighter in weight, requiring less energy to move them quickly. The sound produced is lighter as well, and maple is a popular choice among players of genres requiring subtle detailing and delicate snare work. The downside of using this lighter wood is the propensity for breakage with heavier use due to its lighter tensile strength. Extras should be kept handy. Hickory sticks are chosen by players requiring a heavier, thicker, or “beefier” sound because hickory is a much denser wood. Hickory responds well to the pounding required in heavier genres of rock and funk, with a thicker more solid strike and sound from solid hits to snare and tom. Sticks made from the heavier hickory are more durable and can withstand the abuse dealt out by hardier players.

Finding the right stick requires playing a wide variety. Local drum stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company have various manufacturers’ sticks on hand and encourage musicians to pick them up and hit their favorite kit for a while. Finding the right “thwak” for your buck requires a “hands on” approach, so get out there and grab some sticks!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of drums and cymbals to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Choosing Drum Set Cymbals

For a new drummer, choosing the right kit is daunting enough even without thinking about the necessary accoutrements (cymbals, hardware, stool, etc.). This article purports to discuss several things to keep in mind when choosing cymbals explicitly, hardware et al discussions will have to wait! Though there are only basically five types of cymbals per se, they come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention tones and colors (sonically).

The five basic types of cymbals to choose from are ride, high-hat, crash, splash, and china. Besides these five types, there exists an inordinate amount of effects cymbals that provide every metallic, ringing sound a musician could ever dream up or want in his or her sound arsenal. Many musicians believe that when selecting cymbals, you should start with finding the right ride, and then buying other cymbals to complement it. Rides come in sizes varying from 20” to 22” in diameter, and thicker rides can be described as “dark” or “warm” while thinner rides are often heard as “crisp”, even “bright”. A good ride for jazz playing can be described as having a lower, darker sound that shimmers when struck. A darker sound helps allow your ride to blend with the other instruments while also having a distinct tone that can cut, especially when striking the bell. A brighter ride cymbal can be kept as a backup when a brighter, more cutting sound is needed dependent mostly on style and ensemble. The crash should possess a slightly higher pitch than the ride and usually comes in 16” to 20”. These are also offered in thick or thin, with the same rules applying to the sound quality. A thicker crash will have longer sustain and could get in the way of the other instruments’ entrances, while a thinner crash creates a nice “wash” of sound and then trails off, getting out of the way so a nice quality ensemble can be achieved. A good ear should be able to find a nice crash that will compliment the sonic qualities of the ride selected. A good pair of high hats can round out your kit, and will naturally cut through helping provide the rhythm of your ensemble.

Many musicians swear by hand hammered cymbals over ones that are machine cast. All cymbals are made from bronze, so material choice is not an issue. Many beginning drummers find that the pre-assembled sets are a nice way to go, with manufacturers guaranteeing the cymbals are “sonically matched” with each other. The truth is, to find the right cymbals, a drummer should play a lot of cymbals, observing not only the initial “crash” of the attack, but the upper and lower partials of the sound that resonates; a great cymbal sounds pleasing when struck quietly, and that continues to be the best way to observe all the nuances and overtones of the sound produced. Music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock cymbals in all sizes and are happy to hear you while your time away, striking this one and that one, until you zero in on just the right cymbal to complete your kit’s distinctive sound.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of drums and cymbals to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Drum Shell Construction Importance

It probably goes without saying that the way a particular drum set sounds has a direct relationship to the quality of its construction. The drum shells should be constructed from tried and true, solid, tone woods, such as maple, birch, or mahogany, though less expensive, economy sets often employ lesser-known woods with much less agreeable sounding results. The most influential factors of drum sound are the wood used for the shells themselves, the thickness of the shells, and the sizes employed.

Of the three most often used woods, mahogany is the least expensive and also the least desirable for several reasons. Aesthetically, mahogany is less attractive, possessing less naturally occurring grain and striations resulting in this wood usually being covered with a plastic polymer coating, adding color or pattern to an otherwise unattractive fascia. This plastic wrap makes construction quite inexpensive versus the protective spray used on higher end drums, utilized to showcase and protect the more beautiful woods. Budget sets made on assembly lines for large drum set distributors are usually crafted of mahogany. The relatively dull sound produced by mahogany sets can be attributed to the relative softness of this easily obtained wood.

The other most often used woods are maple and birch. They both possess a beautiful grain with striations that often form striking patterns such as the much sought after birdseye-maple rings. Shells in these woods are exhibited as well as protected by a spray on coating, allowing the natural grains to show through. Maple and birch are both sturdy hardwoods, possessing hardy sounds with the ability to cut through in many genre applications. The difference in tone between these two woods can be best observed in the treble ranges of the drums. Birch drums are described as possessing a brighter sound due to their magnified response in the treble range while maple shells display warmth across the entire sound spectrum.

Thickness of shell affects the pitch of the drum. The thicker the shell, the higher the pitch, the thinner the shell, the lower the pitch. Most drum shells are constructed of several plies (different layers) of wood allowing for strength, durability, and defense against warping over time. Also affecting the pitch of a given drum is its diameter and depth. A larger floor tom or bass drum will display a much deeper tone than say a smaller, shallower mounted tom. These differences allow for a large palette of sound being available within a five or six piece drum set. Local music stores such as Austin’s Strait Music Company stock a wide variety of drum sets catering to needs of many a budding and professional drummer alike. The best way to hear these differences is to go on in and pound on some skin!


About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, the best of drum set stores in Austin TX. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Setting Up Your Drum Kit

So you took the leap and bought your first drum kit, and now you are ready to get it all set up and start practicing for hours, or perhaps you have been playing the same old kit for years and are getting a little bored. What many drummers don’t realize is that setting up your drums is a fundamental part of becoming a great drummer. The mechanics of the human body, though somewhat flexible, cannot alter in shape completely, but your drum kit can. That is why it is important to build your kit around the most effective and comfortable mechanics of your own body while still creating a sound that really hits. Why not mold the sound formation completely to your body’s natural motion? It will increase your stamina, technique, and even your enjoyment.

There are several basic shapes that most drummers utilize when setting up their drums, but each of them are susceptible to change. These basic geometrical shapes greatly impact the way a drum kit’s sound is structured. The ‘buckets’ of shapes on a kit may form lines, triangles, or even more complex shapes such as a Rhombus. It is important to research these various configurations by listening to other drummers or reading recommendations. As you improve, you will be able to deduce how different geometric patterns will impact your sound. This structure also makes keeping track of patterns and songs easier and has a great impact on how you create beats and fills.

Once you have figured out your basic sound structure, the task of building that structure so that it molds to your personal body motion begins. This facet of kit building has much more to do with organization, reach, and mechanics. In other words, it is the utilitarian aspect of configuration and will actually determine how much you enjoy playing your drums. This is especially true for the avid learner who spends hours per day practicing (which is what you really need to become a great drummer). Anything that might discourage practicing should be rearranged. Your specific dimensions such as height, arm span, actual arm strength, flexibility, and sitting posture all affect how the kit should be built.

As you continue to play, new ideas for configurations will come to mind, and experimentation is healthy. The more you experiment, the more versatile you will become as a drummer. Shaping your drum kit should be one of your favorite rituals as a drummer. This is the time you spend considering how you will merge these mechanical drums with the motion of your body to produce a fresh sound that you love playing.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, the best of drum set stores in Austin TX. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.