Pro Drummer TipsPublished Feb 11 2010 Do you want to get that professional, tight, "big drum" sound? Believe it or not, a better sound is not always the result of a high-end, expensive drum kit. With nearly any mid-level drum set and 3 simple tricks of the trade, you can improve your sound today! This article will explore the easy secrets used by top live and studio drummers to get that great professional sound. Whatever your skill level as a drummer, these tips can grow your playing skills to the next level. 1. Play your cymbals softer and the drums louder. This is the greatest pro drummer secret out there! Cymbals tend to wash out the whole band when used excessively -- especially when played hard. At all volume levels, intentionally train yourself to hit the drums louder than your cymbals -- it is a natural tendency, even for longtime drummers, to hit all the drum set with the same force. However, hitting the drum set with an equal force, especially at louder levels, causes you to actually lose your drum sound beneath the cymbals. Turn up the drums and quiet those cymbals, and your band will instantly hear the boom and the snap of your beat better! In fact, this one technique alone will enhance the crispness of your entire band. Do not worry, you should have no problem still hearing your cymbals. In fact, the sizzle and shimmer of cymbals tends to sound smoother and more pleasing to the ear when hit with less force. 2. Utilize the snare drum -- possibly the most underrated instrument in the band. A good snare drum is one major key to that tight professional sound -- and this does not necessarily require a $300-400 snare. If you have at least a lower mid-level snare (not a super cheap one), then you can make that snare sing simply by tightening way down on its heads, especially the bottom head. Try to avoid tightening your strainer (snare wires) really tight when you are aiming for a crisp attack, because this will severely choke and deaden your drum. Tight heads tuned to the same pitch at every lug, in combination with loose (but not floppy) wires, will produce a sweet, crisp snap without compromising drum tone! A quick word about snare technique. Employ your whole snare head for a range of different sounds. The dead center tends to pop with less resonance. The outer snare edges naturally increase in "ring" the further out you go. Creatively employ your different snare sounds for a variety of musical parts. Also, do not be afraid to use plenty of rim shots. A rim shot is when your stick hits the head of the drum and the rim of the drum together, producing an exceptionally tight crack with a hint of ring. Snare rim shots are particularly sweet-sounding in strong sections of music. Spend time tweaking your snare by adjusting and tuning it -- the snare is the the unsung hero of a rhythm section! 3. Learn how to listen closely to the other musicians in the band. This concept presents an obvious difficulty -- your drums are not only loud, but they also tend to create a barrier of sound between you and the other musicians. However, this difficulty does not exempt you from your responsibility to tune in to the other instruments around you. Many drummers fail to compliment music masterfully due not to a lack of skill but to the lack of hearing others. Learning to listen closely to other musicians requires intentional focus! To recap, 3 pro tips to immediately improve your sound are 1) play your drums harder than your cymbals, 2) master a crisp snare tone, and 3) listen more closely to the other musicians' parts than to your drums. These tips are proven avenues towards a better sound. Remember, never stop learning! |
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