Drummers & Percussionists

One an' two an' three an' four an'...


Some starters, but feel free to discuss everything around drumming and tabouring here.


Do you play the drums or percussion or would like to? Why?
How long do you play?
How does your drum kit / percussion set look like, do you use a decent trap set?
Do you have any extras on your drum kit one won't find on usual sets (I'll tell about my cistern chain on the right crash later... )?
Crucial question - electronic drum kits are made by Dumbledore or Voldemort?
Did you ever or do you still play in a band? (Orchestra drummers welcome, just also notice our Orchestra (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=112629) thread!)
Which kind of style do you play and how does it affect your choice of material, speaking of drumheads, sticks, tuning...?


I thought of not separating drums and percussion for now, just seeing how many we are here on CoS!

Just as always please keep the discussion civil, respect each other (and your drum kits) and please keep in mind that this is no advertisement thread for certain labels. Go for it!



One Christmas, was I three, was I four? I don’t remember. My parents gave me a drum kit, and then, that was it. Lost forever. No rush, really, with weight. There is a part of the brain, the precivilised human parts of the brain, I mean almost maybe, whichever part is descended from the lizards, where rhythm is it. The first idea, I think, probably the first communication, was through rhythm, before words. And I think when you get that as a child, somehow you’re connecting with your primal origins. But I know from that moment, whatever it was, that connected, that was going to be my life.”
Sir Simon Rattle

*shameless bumps her own thread* This looks even more odd when nobody follows, so you have to come out of your cellars and rehearsals and post now guys. Seriously. Even if you beat your steering-wheel in traffic holdups only. :relax:

Do you play the drums or percussion or would like to? Why?
I do play drums with some rare trips in percussion.

How long do you play?
I began to play when I was 16, self-educated mostly. My dad did music with some bands and showed me the basic grooves in around one hour (or two) - rest had to be done by me. In the beginning he was more happy to have a drumkit in the house again than me I assume. Later I visited some workshops and had lessons for some time, but by beginning to study I couldn't afford it it anymore.

How does your drum kit / percussion set look like, do you use a decent trap set?
I use a very easy set (three toms, two crash and one ride cymbal, cow bell, double bass pedals) still by a not too well-known producer (Dixon). I'd love to have decent bass and toms though, but the sound is OK and over the years I could at least pimp it with a better snare, the bass pedals (both by Pearl), Zyldjian (avedis series) cymbals and hi-hat.

Do you have any extras on your drum kit one won't find on usual sets?
To keep an old family tradition I added a cistern chain to one crash. It does a neat reverberative chin-sound, but one has to renew this chain by time. As if it weren't made for drum sets one just destroy it by beating the cymbals regularly. Tss tss.

Crucial question - electronic drum kits are made by Dumbledore or Voldemort?
I never liked electronic drums (or classified them as kind of toy :eeep:), but after playing a gig on a very decent one (one that actually looks like a real drumkit, just that all actually runs over electronics and there's not much effect from the resonating body) I changed my opinion a bit. It really had a good sound.

Did you ever or do you still play in a band?
Currently not, but did for some years. My main band always was some kind of melodic punk band (this just became melodic because the drummer became to bored with this usual fast punk groove I assume), two 'projects' (this already sounds like too much) with not so common instrument combination followed, but we never made gigs with the latter.

Which kind of style do you play and how does it affect your choice of material, speaking of drumheads, sticks, tuning...?
I came from punk/hardcore and so tuned quite hard. Now for practising (if I actually play to songs) I like indie pop or jazz and the like and so try to fiddle with the same materials to get a squashier sound. It works, but should I ever be able to do music with my friends again, I latest need to invest in some more materials.
Its definitely a heritage of my dad that I often play with nylon sticks. I'm used to the clear sound on the cymbals and so hardly wish to change.



And now I've finally killed the thread with too much text. :lol: Feel free to also just ask questions if you're just interested in drumming. I'm sure here are some more drummers hidden who could give an answer as well.

I play the bongos, and I have a pretty awesome sense of time when it comes to beats. I'm not like a real drummer though.

I play the bongos, and I have a pretty awesome sense of time when it comes to beats. I'm not like a real drummer though.The bongos are cool actually, I think. What comes closest I've and try to get some noises on is a djembe. I love the deep bass sound, but bongos are very variable. They look easy, but you can do really good stuff on them. :)

I'm taking a creative rythyms (I can't ever spell that word right :rolleyes:) class this year. We started out with five gallon buckets and drumsticks :D Right now we get to use real drums because we are performing at Christmas time. I love it, it's so much fun!! Only, my hands are bright red afterwards, and if I've forgotten to take off my rings, they have been embedded into my hands.

Rhythm groups are fun! You can get such great effects with actually quite very easy figures like paradiddle and clave already when you're just stay together with some people. Its even more fascinating when you learn more. Cool, good luck for the performance!

Did you ever or do you still play in a band? (Orchestra drummers welcome, just also notice our Orchestra thread!)
I used to play in a band, when I was in Middle School. I played the Bass Drum, not for that long though, sadly :(.

I don't play but my daughter is a professional drummer. She started playing at the age of eight. She plays rock, blues, jazz and most everything. She's been on tour with different bands, twice to London. She also did a USO tour in Europe.

I used to play in a band, when I was in Middle School. I played the Bass Drum, not for that long though, sadly.So then you played in an orchestra? I just listened to one on Sunday - its not so much what they did with the drumkit and percussion, but it seems to be an awesome trainee center for getting fast on techniques (double stroke roll mainly)! :lol:

I don't play but my daughter is a professional drummer. She started playing at the age of eight. She plays rock, blues, jazz and most everything. She's been on tour with different bands, twice to London. She also did a USO tour in Europe.That's really interesting. I think its nice to play different styles on drums on a regular basis already when it is a hobby only - but sometimes I wish I had ever being that ambitious (and talented :p) to get professional. Seems you supported her in a great way for her future when she was a kid!

So then you played in an orchestra? I just listened to one on Sunday - its not so much what they did with the drumkit and percussion, but it seems to be an awesome trainee center for getting fast on techniques (double stroke roll mainly)! :lol:

That's really interesting. I think its nice to play different styles on drums on a regular basis already when it is a hobby only - but sometimes I wish I had ever being that ambitious (and talented :p) to get professional. Seems you supported her in a great way for her future when she was a kid!

Nope, but it probably would be :lol:. I had a lot on my plate at the time, so I had to give up a class, and I gave up band.

Nope, but it probably would be :lol:. I had a lot on my plate at the time, so I had to give up a class, and I gave up band.Yay, me too actually currently. I still play, but less often than some years ago (just realized recently how bad my condition for fast grooves became :sigh:) and I gave up the band, too. But I try to do more these days, if not on my set (which I just can play when none of my housemates is home) at least with some exercise pads during working breaks or whatever. I want my condition back! :lol:

Yay, me too actually currently. I still play, but less often than some years ago (just realized recently how bad my condition for fast grooves became :sigh:) and I gave up the band, too. But I try to do more these days, if not on my set (which I just can play when none of my housemates is home) at least with some exercise pads during working breaks or whatever. I want my condition back! :lol:

Well, that stinks that you can't play as often as you used to. But it's good that you're still able to get some practice every now and then :). Good luck on getting your condition back! :lol:

Me me me me!

I play on an electric kit :D

Ha! Got you! :lol:

Is it an electric kind of this kind mor elooking like a 'real' drumset (with actualy toms and a huge bass and stuff) or is it this classical electric style with flat pads and triggers?

Ha! Got you! :lol:

Is it an electric kind of this kind mor elooking like a 'real' drumset (with actualy toms and a huge bass and stuff) or is it this classical electric style with flat pads and triggers?:D

Flat pads and le triggers. It's a yamaha dtxpress.

I need to start learning rudiments... and some new beats.

Being an autodidact first (although my dad taught me some basics the first one or two weeks), I learned many rudiments rather late (and there are still some I likely never heard of). On a workshop years after I started to drum and actually already played in a band I learned the Flam Stroke. :lol: Later I had lessons for a year, but there's still always much too learn. What is nice, though.
If I had enough money I'd take lessons again. Even after over fifteen years of drumming there's always something you can detect and much you can improve.

[QUOTE=gertiekeddle;4803897]One an' two an' three an' four an'...


Some starters, but feel free to discuss everything around drumming and tabouring here.


Do you play the drums or percussion or would like to? Why?
How long do you play?

I've been playing drums and other percussion instruments for about five years now, mainly because my parents forced me to join band. I'm not sure if I like the whole band aspect of percussion, but at least it got me started on set a couple years ago and hopefully the band I'm in will get a gig somewhere.

How does your drum kit / percussion set look like, do you use a decent trap set?

Actually I use a Roland electric kit. It basically has a lot of different pads to synthesize each drum.

Do you have any extras on your drum kit one won't find on usual sets (I'll tell about my cistern chain on the right crash later... )?

No, unfortunately the only thing I've added is a double-bass pedal.

Crucial question - electronic drum kits are made by Dumbledore or Voldemort?

They are most definitely created by Voldemort. I mean, they're not terrible if you'd just like to use them to monkey around with, but if you're any serious about drumming, then do NOT spend the money. The trigger on even the most advanced electric kits are a split second off from the sound you hear, and that can easily mess up your timing. You can't do a lot of the things that you can do on an acoustic kit (i.e. heel-toe method, getting thousands of different sounds out of each drum) so when you play on an acoustic kit, it's going to sound VERY bad. I've sort of begun to lose my feel for the electric kit, and am looking at buying an acoustic kit very soon.

Did you ever or do you still play in a band? (Orchestra drummers welcome, just also notice our Orchestra (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=112629) thread!)

Yeah, I'm in the school band still (bleah) but besides that I'm also in a very odd kind of soft rock band with a piano, guitar, marimba, wind chimes, gong, and other oddities of instruments. As well as my awesome bassist friend and I are planning on starting a mix of a psychedelic and funk rock band pretty soon.

Which kind of style do you play and how does it affect your choice of material, speaking of drumheads, sticks, tuning...?

I can play jazz, funk, rock, latin, and a smidgen of metal, although I still prefer a John Bonhamish classic rock style of drumming. Also really gotten into Jon Theodore (old drummer for The Mars Volta). When I play on my friend's acoustic set, i recommend to him that he uses either Evans or Remo drumheads, and I almost always play with Vic Firth SD2 Bolero sticks. And when I practice rudiments and other fun stuff, i use Magnum sticks (kind of like a doughnut in baseball).

Yes, I have played drums as well as timpani and mallets for awhile. I don't have a set anymore but am thinking about getting another one.
I play anything from rock to classical.

I am a percussionist for my school concert band :).

I tell everyone I play the triangle :err: I've been promoted since then though :D

I once had a go at drumming, but it was epic failure :sigh:

I play mallets, mostly vibraphone. Hint to all new players: don't try to play the vibraphone with bell mallets. Makes my teacher crack up every time I do it.

I haven't practiced in about a week (which is REALLY long for me, I usually practice loads because I'm obsessed with music in general) because I hurt my wrist and elbow. I'm back to normal now, so I'm going to practice ASAP.

At the moment all I own (because I'm fourteen and don't think I could ask my parents to buy a vibraphone) is a practice pad for snare (as I only use it to practice strokes and timing) and a bell set.

Hey WriterForever,

That is a tough instrument to play (the vibraphone). Have you got up to 4 mallets yet?

As to the practice pad, I remember those. I wish I would have practiced more on the double bouncing per hand when doing double stroke rolls. It would have put me ahead in the drum corps.

Nope. I'd like to try four mallets, but I've got to get better at hitting the right notes with two before I can do that...

This will probably happen very fast, WriterForever.

I always found it fascinating how fast one actually can get better with new stuff on drums, but while becoming able to play the deeper 'real' differences in accentuation and rattle (and probably also speed) take years. Or maybe that's just like it is for me. :lol:

Do you play the drums or percussion or would like to? Why?
I play the drums and other percussion instruments, yeah. I started out because I wanted to play either the electric guitar or the drums because I thought it was cool. Their was a shorter line for drum lessons, though, so that's why I ended up with that. Since then, I have also picked up the guitar and played that for a while aswell, but that's another story.

How long do you play?
I've played for a bit over 8 years now I believe, since I was ten.

How does your drum kit / percussion set look like, do you use a decent trap set?
I have actually got 2 drum sets, one is at home and one is at my rehearsal place. The one at the rehearsal place is just a Tama Swingstar 10", 12", 14", 14", 20" with one crappy cymbal. The one at home is my good set, a Premier Artist Birch 12", 13", 16", 14", 22" in a lovely see-through sort of cherry red color with:
17" Zildjian A-custom crash
15" Zildjian A-custom crash
21" Zildjian A-custom ping ride
18" Zildjian Z-custom china
14" Zildjian Z-custom dyno-beat hihats
Pearl Eliminator double pedal and other hardware by Pearl and dw

Do you have any extras on your drum kit one won't find on usual sets (I'll tell about my cistern chain on the right crash later... )?
Not really...

Crucial question - electronic drum kits are made by Dumbledore or Voldemort?
Ehm, well, I would only use one if I needed to practise quietly...

Did you ever or do you still play in a band? (Orchestra drummers welcome, just also notice our Orchestra thread!)
I play in a wind orchestra, but mostly percussion stuff and not so much the drumset. I also since quite recently play in a percussion-only group consisting of 6 people doing for example marching stuff on the snare and melodic pieces with various mallet instruments and timpani. I also play in a band rehearsing some metal covers for an upcoming concert, but it won't be any more than that. I would like to start up an extreme metal band, but would proabably play the guitar in that case since it would make it easier to be more involved in the writing process of the music.

Which kind of style do you play and how does it affect your choice of material, speaking of drumheads, sticks, tuning...?
Difficult question, haha, I guess my main style is metal but I wouldn't say it affects my choice of material that much. I use Vic Firtch American Classic 5A sticks, which are quite allround, but I do use 2-ply heads on the toms. Looking at my set, though, their are things are things which could give my style away, such as the double pedal, the heavy hats, the big ping ride...

I got a drumset last year for Christmas, but it was really shoddy. The toms echoed for too long and my snare sounds tinny, and my crash cymbal has mold growing on it :scared:. I got some stuff to muffle my toms, but I'm still not sure about what to do with my snare. Any help?

I got told that i was a good drummer by a drummer who lives next door to me, but i've never had a lesson.