Tag Archive for 'drums'

Size and equality matter when it comes to band stage set-ups

Published
by
Dennis
on January 27, 2012
in Brand Profile, Custom Hardware Setups, DIY and Gibraltar Owner Racks
. 0 Comments

Back in the Big Band days, double bass drum innovator Louise Belson regularly set up his two large kicks smack out in stage front of the brass section. He was the main attraction and rightfully so. In today’s age of less is more, with guitar centric compositions and the advent of digital pad triggers, many drummers don’t need an extra kick drum to play 32nd notes with their feet, and they aren’t stage front center either. Last time I saw a drummer set up forward of guitar amps was San Fran’s “Night Ranger”, and that’s only because Kelly Keagy sang some lead vocals set-up sideways.

For most working class drummers – and even practicing ones – we have to compartmentalize our various sized drum kits to fit the intended stage dimensions. Having a 12X12 stage dimension is gravy for bands these days. More often than not, however, we face strange L-shaped stages situated flat against bar walls, no stages at all leaving us to create one around tables and chairs, or an actual elevated stage that a ventriloquist could barely fit on.

So how do we adapt to ever-changing stage sizes? First, Gibraltar Hardware and other drum hardware companies got smart years ago and innovated the use of drum rack systems, which saves tons of space and lessens set-up time and energy. If you don’t own one and play out regularly, you should definitely at least consider purchasing one.

Before anything else, don’t screw yourself over to accommodate guitar amps. What I mean is if you don’t fight for your rights as a musician, you will lose them. Guitarists sometimes forget that drummers also need to hear the music in order to play well. Unless you have a sound man who understands how to mix all the instruments and vocals into a good monitor for you and you alone, then setting your drum kit up behind everyone else is a mistake.
I have yet to meet a sound man who can mix everything together effectively that way.

My point is guitarists rarely stop to adjust control knobs on their amplifiers while playing songs. Most use their effects pedals and guitar dials to control and change sound. So why must guitarists and bassists set up their amps in front of the drums? The audience will still hear everything fine if the amps are placed against the wall to the left and right beside your drum throne.

My advice is for drummers to get to shows and new practice spaces early and own your space first. Your carpet is king. Let the band build their gear around you, and strongly encourage them not to fear placing amps back in alignment with the rear of your drum set. It will help the mix immensely and provide more actual playing space for musicians. If you are unsure of the stage size, call the club or venue earlier in the week to inquire or go check it out ahead of time.

Enough of my drummer discrimination rant, though I’ll conclude by adding that stringed instrument players should leave their cases and back-up guitars back stage or in the cars just like drummers do. Big space saver. And there’s no need to display five guitars on stage unless you intend to play them all.

Then there’s actual stage sound variations to consider. I’m no soundman, but have found better success with my own band setting up our amps somewhat blowing across stage at each other rather than directly pointing out into the audience. You can control the mix better that way. In very small venues, I have even seen a band leader turn all the amps inward toward the stage to control maximum sound output decibels. Obviously, in that case setting up amps behind the drum kit would be a moot point.

Some bands also run everything through the PA system regardless of stage or venue size. I can’t advise you one way or the other on that front; I only add that for most small to mid-sized clubs – unless you are live recording -you can get away with having only three mics on the drums for your kick, snare and an ambient overhead. That will save a lot of on-stage clutter and time. In many cases, you don’t need any mics and neither do guitarists.

The very worst thing you can do as a drummer is to try to cram a 12-piece Gretsch Renown series into a space not made for it. For one, it will take you twice the amount of time as normal to re-configure your cymbal stand spans, and you’ll end up with too tight an area in which to play. Less is more in that case. Leave half the kit in your car and go basic.

- Tim Kane is a freelance drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

0 Comments

Getting The Biggest Bang Out Of Your Bass Drum Pedal

Published
by
Dennis
on November 17, 2011
in Accessories, Custom Hardware Setups and DIY
. 0 Comments

As a professional drum instructor, I’ve found one of the largest areas of confusion and need for improvement exists with my students’ feet and the techniques they use to power their bass drum pedals.

Younger drummers are playing louder and more intricate kick drum/pedal patterns than ever before in today’s age of speed metal-driven music. Even the older players are rediscovering the wanders of double kick playing versus the traditional bass drum-hi-hat pairings. First, though most of us should already know this, it is imperative that drummers never take their feet off the pedal board while playing. I recommend a heel-up on pedal board approach for younger players, using only the ball and toes of their feet to power pedal strikes. More advanced drummers tend to use both heel down and up methods to achieve a full range of different dynamic stylings. Heel up for younger drummers, at least in my opinion, allows for more volume and ability to develop long-term muscle memory.

I primarily play flat-footed, and go heel up for speed. But there are subtle differences to the heel up style that drummers should also understand. Heel up with leg thrust strikes creates maximum sound while pedal pivots powered by your ankles are more reserved for faster patterns. Generally, the after strike goal is to get a good bounce off of the bass drum head as the beater positions back to its original resting place – unless of course when you are going for that extra punch enabled by pushing the beater into the head with no initial rebound. A good tip I give my students is to play paradiddles with both their feet. They don’t like it because it’s hard to do RLRR-LRLL with only two feet for five minutes straight at 110 BPM tempo, but the reward is quicker development of bass drum pedal skills.

The main three problems I see with bass drum pedal spring tensioning is my students want to position the beater too close to the head for some odd reason; turn the beater sideways for a heavier punch; and don’t have the beater’s height set in the most efficient location to realize the full tone and resonance of their bass drum. Here’s what I recommend as do most professionals: your beater should be about halfway between your leg shin and the bass drum head when the pedal is not pressed down; use only the front felt side of the beater or its back hard plastic end to strike the drum head – not the sides; and beaters when pressed against the bass drum should hit the exact center of the batter side head. Your pedal board also requires adjusting. Too low a height off the floor and you will lack agility; too high a setting and your beater will be too far back for any type of solid foot control.

A good trick to use when it comes to learning and further developing your bass drum technique is to use a pillow, blanket or damper system inside your shell or head so it is not too boomy and loud. That way, you can closely analyze all the above-mentioned tips on technique.

- Tim Kane is a freelance drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

0 Comments

Fuel your drumming technique instead of failing it

Published
by
Dennis
on November 4, 2011
in Artist Profile, DIY and Gibraltar Owner Racks
. 2 Comments

I recently played a packed Halloween club gig in which I ate no real food of sustenance most of the day, employed no floor monitor or in-ear device, forgot to bring bottled water, drank too much free beer, allowed the sound guy to cram his PA speakers on either side of me so I had no way out, failed to fight for my rights when our lead guitarist set his large amp up directly in front of my kick drum, and skipped the pre-gig band warm-up. Suffice to say, I violated almost every rule when it comes to fueling your drumming technique.

So where did I go wrong? First of all, I should have known better than to not understand the gig logistics prior to actually showing up with my gear. Come to find out, this particular club didn’t even have a stage area. I helped the bar manager move tables and chairs to open up room. If I had taken just a little more time before the gig to analyze how many tables would actually have to be moved in order to comfortably accommodate a 5-piece band, many challenges that particular evening would have been erased. My bad.

Moreover, the band I was filling-in for on drums did no sound check prior to the first set. We just started playing. If one were held, I would have requested a monitor and more room to maneuver. As drummers, we have just as much right to ask for certain amenities at gigs as our fellow musicians do. My bad.

Getting muscle cramps like I did during the gig is never cool, either. Dehydration and lack of food to power your muscles are the primary causes of cramps. Given bottled water is usually hard to come by in bars, I should have brought five bottles and placed them behind my drum kit. I also should have arrived much earlier at the gig and ordered dinner there. If not, a couple of high-energy bars stuck in your stick bag will do the trick. My bad.

As for floor monitoring and getting proper levels, all I heard that evening was mush from other bandmates (and they actually played well). And with the lead guitarist’s amp placed directly in front of my kick drum, I am sure the audience had trouble hearing me, too. The band ended playing tight against two walls in an L-shape. It was one of the most maniacal stage set-ups I have ever experienced. I should have asked that question well before the gig and also allowed time for readjustment after the sound check that was never conducted. Again, my bad.

This all takes me back to bagging out on the pre-gig band practice (I was teaching drum lessons at the time and should have just rescheduled those students). That dress rehearsal would have been an ideal time to talk about the gig dynamic, my needs, stage set-up, sound levels, and overall expectations. You should have that group discussion well before the gig.

All of this combined into the perfect storm of a third set meltdown for me personally with near exhaustion and frustration. In the end, lack of advance preparation killed my drumming technique at that gig and I have no one else to blame but myself.

- Tim Kane is a freelance drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

2 Comments

Being a fill-in drummer requires patience, practice and persistence

Published
by
Dennis
on September 20, 2011
in Artist Profile, DIY and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Whether you play in a steady band and/or float as a freelancing gypsy, serving as a fill-in drummer comes with its fair share of rewards and challenges that you must be prepared to deal with.

The biggest perk of being a fill-in drummer is pure exposure to the larger music marketplace, assuming you do a good job at the practice or gig. Showing up early, not getting drunk, and keeping your drum parts basic but musically interesting will inevitably lead to more freelance work. The single biggest marketing plan for any musician is getting your name out there on the local scene, and developing a reputation for being able to play multiple styles of music. Being professional at all times builds upon those prerequisites. And being low key and cool with a fun attitude takes you a long way, especially since most other musicians expect drummers to act that way.

THE DOWNSIDES

The downsides of being labeled a fill-in drummer are as varied as the upsides. Being a regular freelancing drummer comes with the “tag” or “label” of serving in that capacity. If you expect to play in a permanent band of your own while moonlighting on the side, like I do, then you must be clear and up front with your bandmates from the start about your performance ambitions. If they are true friends, they will cut you the slack needed to achieve your dreams, but you also must reserve quality time for them as well. Don’t drop your upcoming band gig for an impromptu fill-in opportunity.

Filling in on drums also requires you to often play someone else’s drum kit, which you need to treat with kid gloves. Bring your own snare, throne, foot pedals, sticks and even select cymbals to fill-in practices and gigs. Otherwise, the money you earn filling in may be poured right back into the other drummer’s equipment repairs. If you break a drum head, offer to pay for it. And ask beforehand if you can adjust tom-tom and cymbal positions, as some drummers are very finicky about that.

Bands often seek fill-in drummers because they are not happy with their current regular skinner – a back door audition, if you will. Be wary of bands looking to throw their own drummer under the bus because you could be the easy replacement, and that could put you in a very awkward position. My best advice is to ask to have a conversation with that band’s regular drummer before accepting the freelance gig. If the band leader says no to your request or buffers it with criticism of him or her, then Houston we have a problem. Advance research is key to getting good fill-in jobs. Drummers don’t stab other drummers in the back. It’s a cardinal sin in our clan – or at least it should be.

HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF

The best way to market yourself as a fill-in drummer is by watching for ads in the trade magazines and online forums, checking the band postings at local music stores, perusing Craigslist, and also attending rock and blues jams, which are a prime time to get you chops ready for a more permanent fill-in gig and meet other freelancing musicians.

The other thing drummers can do is some good old-fashioned homework, including:
• Master as many rock and blues standards as you can
• Learn to read sheet music and know how to chart out your own drum parts
• If you possess vocal ability, nurture that talent by singing aloud while practicing
• Clean your drums and ensure everything is properly working
• Answer your phone or text messages on the first call

The real trick to being a fill-in drummer is your ability to adapt to adversity, and having a willingness to say thanks but no thanks. Choose your gigs and fellow musicians wisely.

- Tim Kane is an independent drummer, instructor and writer living in Massachusetts. He writes a regular blog for Gibraltar Hardware.

0 Comments

New Lightweight Cymbal Stands

Published
by
Dennis
on September 6, 2011
in Accessories, Brand Profile, Extreme Hardware Makeover and Videos
. 1 Comment

Our Turning Point hardware features light weight aluminum based stands. It’s double braced just like our traditional 9606 brake tilter stands and just as solid but much lighter. The stand still has memory locks for fast set ups including a memory lock for the base to memorize leg height.
Included in the innovative design of the Turning Point is our Swing Nut technology. The Swing Nut offers drummers a faster set up and eliminates losing your nuts before, during or after the gig!

1 Comment