Don’t Forget to Practice Pad

 

HQ RealFeel Practice Pad

Drumming is not a hobby that one can simply dabble in and expect to become proficient at.  The difference between a hobbyist drummer and a lifestyle drummer all boils down to one thing, practice habits.  The best way to become a better drummer is to commit to setting aside time in your busy life to work on your technique alone.  If you’ve got musician friends and enjoy jamming alongside a band, that’s great.  Likely your skill level will improve through that activity.  However, I can’t stress enough the importance of spending some alone time with your kit, or with a practice pad.

The landscape of independent drum practice is dominated by the rubber practice pad.  It’s a great solution for those of us who want to really drill specific rhythms repeatedly. Because the rubber pad absorbs sound so well, neighbors, roommates, and girlfriends can still inhabit the same space while you drill the same rudiment over and over and over again.  The action of getting out from behind the kit and sitting down in front of a single practice pad can be liberating and foster creativity, as well as improve playing speed.  For those of you who have never experimented with practice pads, I would suggest picking one up and working your way through Vic Firth’s 40 Essential Snare Drum Rudiments.  Once you’ve mastered these rudiments on the pad, they can be fairly easily translated to the kit.

HQ RealFeel Practice Pad

Rubber pads are not your only option for a focused practice session however.  I’ve recently fallen in love with a somewhat newer piece of drum practice technology, the “Corpsmaster Chop Out” sticks by Vic Firth.  These sticks are absolutely amazing when you’re on the road and don’t want to carry around a bulky practice pad, or when you’re just board in front of the television. They are available in a variety of different stick sizes from very light 5A twigs to the beefy Corpsmaster or Ralph Hardimon Signature marching logs.  To create these padded sticks Vic Firth has applied the same principle of shock absorbent rubber that practice pads have been using for years, and combined it with their famous corps master marching sticks.  The rubber tip allows you the freedom to play on just about any surface you can imagine without damaging it.  With these babies in hand you can chop out on the coffee table, cement walls of the venue, dashboard of the van, you name it these sticks can play on it.  The larger size and heavier weight of the wood make for a very satisfying workout too.

Vic Firth Corpsmaster Chop Out Practice Sticks

 

If fancy practice gear just really isn’t your thing or you don’t have the funds to invest in a quality practice pad, there is of course the tried and true method of working out your speed off the kit.  The good ol’ fashioned pillow practice pad.  All you need is a pillow of any shape or size and a pair of sticks.  Because a pillow offers zero rebound, this method can help build muscle and improve speed.

Today, there are a variety of pads, sticks, putty’s, gels, and electronic pads available at reasonable prices.  Each one of these quiet practice options offers a unique benefit.  However, I can’t stress enough that it really isn’t the gear that produces results.  The only way to get the results you’re after is to create a disciplined practice routine, set goals for your practice sessions, and most importantly have a good attitude.  Always remember to have fun and keep pushing yourself.

Here are few of my favorite practice pad set-ups including the HQ RealFeel pad I currently use and the Corpsmaster Chop Outs.

HQ (Evans) Realfeel Double Sided Practice Pad

Vic Firth Ralph Hardimon Signature- Chop Out Practice Sticks

Remo Putty Pad  (I can not personally vouch for the quality of this product)

 

 

How to Avoid Onset Deafness Behind the Kit

Image courtesy of Wikimedia user BruceBlaus

 

Drums can be loud, very loud.  That’s why it is so important for beginners and professionals alike to understand the very real threat of hearing loss from behind the kit. Human ears were not designed to take the kind of abuse most drummers put them through on a daily basis.

However, fear not drum brethren and sistren, we’ve found a preventative remedy so that you may hold on to your precious gift of hearing for years to come. It’s called… earplugs.

As section leader of the Douglas High School drumline and a member of the University of Nevada drumline, I’ve heard just about every excuse from young drummers as to why earplugs are “not for them.”

If you’re the type of drummer who has tried practicing or performing with earplugs in the past only to find yourself throwing them aside because they “make it harder to play cleanly,” then you haven’t tried to adapt hard enough. Change is weird especially when it comes to your hearing behind the kit.  If you’ve been playing drums for years without plugs it should come as no surprise to you that, just like any change in gear it is going to take time to adjust.

Because it does take a period of time to get acquainted with the idea of using earplugs every time you sit down at the drums I would suggest- as many other professionals have- to ease into the idea by using the cheap foam plugs you might find at any local drug store. Most of the time these brightly colored plugs come in bulk, so when you inevitably lose a pair or when they wind up in the dryer, you can just grab a fresh set.

My personal favorite brand of cheap plugs is “Hearos,” sold online for under $10 from Amazon.

If foam earplugs aren’t for you or if you think you’re responsible enough to keep track of an individual set of plugs, I would suggest buying a quality set of plastic musician plugs.  Because they can be washed and reused, they’re a good investment as long as you remember where you put them last!

My favorite lower end re-usable earplugs are again “Hearos” brand, available on Amazon for just $10.

If you consider yourself a lifelong earplug user and are looking for some higher end plugs you may want to try a set of MusicSafe Classics by Alpine.  Available for just $20, it’s worth giving these plugs a try.

If money is no object for you with regards to your hearing, then a set of custom molded plugs made by Etymotic Research may be something you should look into.

At this point in time hearing loss is permanent.  There is no replacing the Stereocilia in the inner ear once it’s been damaged by excessive drumming.  If you don’t own a set of earplugs, do yourself a favor and go out and purchase some before you’re next session behind the drums. It might take a few hours or even days to get used to having them in. But a few hours of training your ears to accept plugs is much better than going the rest of your life without hearing.

 

 

 

 

 

In Close Quarters, Sometimes Less is More

-DW Practice pad kit
-Iron Cobra Double Chain Drive Kick Pedal
-Gretsch 13″ floor tom
-Pearl Vision Series Snare
-Sabian Stage Hats
-Ziljian A Custom Crash
-Sabian XS Series Crash
– Vic Firth rubber drum mute pack
– Assorted Hardware

Drums are not a quiet instrument to say the least.  Therefore, finding a quality space to sit down and practice can be a challenge for those who live in an apartment or other close quarter arrangement.  When I sit down to practice, the last thing I want is to be interrupted by my downstairs neighbor at my front door because she can’t think over the sound of drums.

Five years ago I had it made in terms of practice studio space.  My parents were in a successful local band and had built a home recording studio in our detached garage.  Just about every day between 2:30 when I got home from school and 6:30 when I would go in for dinner, you could find me banging away behind my stepdads DW Collector Series.  Life was good, to be sure.

As I turned the page on that chapter of my life and looked to college, I was confident I could maintain a steady practice regimen and live in the campus dorms.  Immediately upon moving into my single room in Juniper hall, I knew that I would have to be creative if I hoped to keep my chops up.

For the first few weeks of my dorm experience I tried everything to get through a good practice session in my cramped dorm room. Finally, because I knew a full kit would be much too loud, I decided I would need to settle on using my single HQ practice pad.  A gel practice pad is great for those who want to work rudiments, and it worked wonders for my marching snare technique.  However, it is no replacement for a full size kit I soon came to find out.

HQ Gel Practice Pad
Gretsch Catalina jazz maple snare shell

That is when the DW Smart Practice compact pad set came into my life.  I had heard other members of the Wolf Pack drumline talking about their success using rubber silencers for their home practice set-up.  And after a little bit of research I found out that the team over at DW was producing a single stand quad drum pad practice set-up, specifically designed for those of us living in less than ideal drumming situations.  I had to have one.

A few days and $150 bucks later, my new practice set-up arrived in the mail.  The first time I set the thing up I wasn’t immediately sold on its functionality.  The pads seemed a little hard and the angles of the “drums” seemed unnatural.  However, after many minor adjustments and a few additions to the set-up, I was practicing like nobody’s business behind the door of dorm room 3A.All while the other residents of my dormitory were blissfully unaware.

The peace of mind and Zen quality of practicing drums was lost on me when forced to worry about the sound level of my kit and the comfort of other residents.  When I made the switch to practicing with the DW pads I could zone out and practice without worry.

Today, not a lot has changed with my practice set-up.  Since my time in the dorms I’ve had the luxury of living in homes conducive to un-muted drum practice.  But now I find myself yet again living above, below, in front of, as well as behind other people who may not enjoy 3 hours of my attempts to learn a new fill.

The DW practice pad kit has undergone some changes since its debut in my dorm room four short years ago. I’ve now got just a bit more space to work with at the foot of my bed.  With the help of rubber Vic Firth drum mutes, I’ve been able to incorporate a Pearl snare drum as well as Gretsch 13” floor tom into the set-up.  The biggest addition to the core set-up however, was cymbals and a hi-hat.  By adding these pieces to the existing DW practice pad kit, I am able to practice on a kit that makes virtually no sound but feels very similar to an un-muted kit.

Additional cymbals and drum shells to add to the existing practice pad set-up. (Highly Recommended)

Whether you’re a student drummer looking at moving into on campus housing or a drummer like me who enjoys the cost effectiveness of condo life, a quiet practice set up is essential.  I’ve fallen in love with the DW pad kit.  However, I know there are many options out there with regards to drum muting. If you have experience, thoughts, comments, suggestions, or questions on this subject feel free to share your knowledge on the comments section.

-DW Practice pad kit -Iron Cobra Double Chain Drive Kick Pedal -Gretsch 13″ floor tom -Pearl Vision Series Snare -Sabian Stage Hats -Ziljian A Custom Crash -Sabian XS Series Crash – Vic Firth rubber drum mute pack – Assorted Hardware

Iron Cobra double kick pedal. The dish towel modification to the practice pad gives the kick a snappy recoil and less noise production.

Vic Firth rubber drum mutes. They fit well, not great, but the job is done.

HQ Gel Practice Pad Gretsch Catalina jazz maple snare shell

 

The Do’s and Don’ts of “Crowdfunding”

The Do’s and Don’ts of “Crowdfunding” Your first Album

December 2013 was an exciting time for me and my band Six Mile Station. We’d just gotten home from a few successful days out on the road and were ready to start the process of recording our first full length record.  After much deliberation and talk amongst ourselves, it was decided that in order to cover the cost of recording, mixing, mastering, producing, and marketing we would have to get involved in the growing world of “crowdfunding.”  At this point in time I think it’s safe to say that most people are at least aware of sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, as well as what their purpose in the world of DIY art and entrepreneurial design.

For those that may not be familiar:

A band or artist that would like to produce their work in the form of an album or otherwise might turn to Kickstarter as a platform to raise funds for that project by offering rewards for “backers” in exchange for money up front.  Rewards can be almost anything you can imagine.  From private shows to the legal ownership of a band member’s mustache, anything the project creator feels people might give them money for could be up for grabs.

 

Back in the day artists and bands had a very limited reach as to who they could make aware of their project, therefore making it much harder to convince those interested to back it monetarily. Luckily, we’ve entered the digital age!  This means that with the help of the internet our project could be seen by just about anyone anywhere in the world.  With great power comes great responsibility however.  Just because you’re fishing in a larger pond for funds doesn’t mean you can skimp on the bait though.  Let me assure you, a poorly planned project will end in one of two ways: It will get no attention and you won’t meet your goal in time OR by a stroke of luck you might reach the goal and then nearly keel over when it comes time to collect and fulfill your backer’s orders.

 

With that said, here are a few Do’s and Don’ts of crowdfunding on Kickstarter.com

DO

·         Make sure to check out the successful projects of other artists in your area to get a feel for your audience might be expecting to see.·         Set a realistic funding goal.   ·         Title your project in a specific manner.   ·         Spend time, time, time, on creating an interesting video.   ·         Make that video interesting, don’t sound desperate.   ·         Keep the video less than 3 min.  No one wants to see a 10 min video.  Statistically, only 35% of people will finish your video to the end anyway.   ·         Offer interesting, thought out rewards for your backers.  Make sure to have a range of at least $1-$1000.   ·         Be honest.  Don’t promise something you can’t deliver.   ·         Have a plan from the start as to how you’re going to produce and distribute your rewards/product.   ·         UPDATE your backers.  The update function allows you to engage with your backers that have already pledged or are thinking about pledging.  Make an interesting update video.   ·         Keep in mind that the first and last day of your campaign are the most important.

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DON’T

·         Make your reward tiers tooComplicated.  Simplify where you can.  ·         Forget about shipping costs of your bigger rewards.  Typically 15-20% of the contribution will go to shipping.   ·         Keep hitting up the same circle of friends/family members for funding.  Your “crowdfunding” not borrowing money from mom.   ·         Launch a Kickstarter campaign in the middle of summer.  Every year Kickstarter traffic slows around this time.  Everyone is outside enjoying the weather.  Duh.   ·         If you’re campaign is centered on the creation of a new product.  Don’t forget to patent, or copyright your concept.   ·         Beg for money or use phrases like “I’ll be surprised if this project succeeds”   ·         Ask for money immediately. Take the time to explain yourself and your story first.  Then ask for funds.

Creating a successful Kickstarter campaign shouldn’t be like trying to navigate a minefield.  Avoiding the “don’ts” shouldn’t be your primary objective.  It just takes a little common sense and consideration to put up a quality project.  When it comes down to it a good campaign needs three things:  a strong project page video/description, strong networking once the project is launched, and quality rewards that people are interested in receiving.  If you take the time to plan your campaign’s course of action and do your homework, there is no reason your project should fail.  Keep networking and keep engaging with those who’ve already pledged.  Promote your campaign like it was a full time job. Hustle.

Relevant Links:

Here is the Six Mile Station project page I created to fund the production of our first full length album.  Notice the video, text, and reward tiers.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sixmilestation/six-mile-stations-debut-album

This video of Michael Paeck, Co-Founder of Cliffhanger Productions provides much insight into how he was able to successfully raised more than $558,000 in less than 25 days on Kickstarter.com.

http://www.visionlaunch.com/dos-and-donts-of-kickstarter-crowdfunding/

This is the Kickstarter project page of Zack Danger Brown’s potato salad campaign that raised over $55,000 with a simple goal in mind.  Zack wanted to fund his making of a bowl of potatoe salad.  It’s the wackiest campaign ever successfully crowdfunded.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324283889/potato-salad

Engineer’s Guide To Tuning and Damping Drums

Check out this great guide to drum tuning by Matt Seymour.  

Engineer’s Guide To Tuning and Damping Drums.

After getting a few tips and tricks from Seymour’s article, I couldn’t resist replacing the heads on my own kit.  It’s amazing how much better things sound when the drums are in tune. Sound on Sound is a great resource for drummers, it’s filled with informative articles.

Jeff tunes snare drum. Resonant head.

The Wikidrummer … Environment Makes all the Difference

In this video, Wikidrummer a.k.a. Julien Audigier, demonstrates how different environments affect the sound of his drum kit.  Not only is this video a beautiful piece of drum art, it’s also a great lesson in drum sound.

Double Stroke Roll

This video is the second in the Back-Stick Beat video tutorial series.

The Double Stroke Roll is featured heavily in many rudiments and rhythms on the drums making it a great place to start when learning how to play.

This roll can used to accomplish 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, and 17 stoke rolls and beyond. You can gain the knowledge of essentially six different rudiments by learning to use the Double Stroke roll effectively.

Juggle Roll

Week of September 30

Here is the first weekly video tutorial brought to you by Back-Stick Beat. This weeks topic is The Juggle Roll.

I chose this roll as the first of this series because it has a nice left handed Back-Stick beat right in the middle of it.

Used mostly in marching this trick roll can be adapted to the kit and other aspects of your playing.  It is best to get a feel for the movement of this roll by starting off at a slow tempo. However, it is my experience that once you pick up the pace, the momentum of this roll helps you maintain the juggle.  Practice Practice Practice.

The sticking is (R)RR(L)RRLL…. (R) is the right hand grab stroke (L) is the left hand Back-Stick beat.