Drumming Volume vs. Tone | Season Two, Episode 41

[@thomaslthomas1506]

In my humble experience: I’ve never been fired for playing too quiet. I however have been asked not to come back for playing to loud (ouch). Several years ago I changed my practice routine to always do to rudiments at pianamiso or less never louder. I found my pocket got better and my playing faster and more articulatie. Consequently I’m getting more calls and working a lot more. Hmmmm.....

[@rushxanthemtcg5607]

Have you ever played in a hard rock or metal band?

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

I had an old pro who drummed throughout the 70s and 80s say: Remember, you don't "hit" the drums, you "play" the drums. Which I sort of took to mean don't bash them like you're cleaning dirt out of a rug, play them with some finesse. Idk, it's just always stuck in my head as a great thing to feel. Play, don't hit.

[@johncollins5552]

I like Cody's playing style and can clearly hear when playing hard that the left hand is weaker. Probably a combination of not using matched grip, but I dont have that common problem as I am a leftie who plays with the kit set up rightie so my strong left hand is on the back beat snare with enough power to almost match perfectly my strong right hand on the hats and ride.

[@TheJohnnyMustang]

Christmas in Italy and I'm at dinner watching "sounds like a drum" ❤️🌲merry Christmas 🌲

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Merry Christmas! 🥁🎁🎄

[@djmaxamillionpdx]

I grew up self taught in the 80's, immediately started gigging in the hardcore punk scene in early 90s where most venues were DIY warehouse, basements or dives with no PA so fast forward now I'm trying to unlearn all my bad habits of pummelling the drums to try to keep up with Ampeg SVT fridge rigs and guitar full stacks!

[@1111Paiste]

Can totally relate to 'unlearning' the bad habit of hitting too hard. Kudos for allowing yourself to grow and expand your skills as a player. Check out Todd Sucherman's Drumeo video here on KZbin on this very subject. Also look up his video on the 'myths' of rock drumming. Good stuff! Happy New Year!

[@DZNTZ]

It’s a genre thing I think. I play groove stuff, whether it’s funk, jazz, soul, etc. and I’m a light hitter. I like to think I’m ‘pulling’ a sound from the drums rather than beating a sound out of them. No burying of beaters or sticks, low on attack, really allowing the drums tone to come through unadulterated. I like a thinnish maple stick, and heads that are big on tone, light on attack - Calftones, Modern Vintage, Vintage Ambassadors (and regular A’s). 18” or 20” bass drum, again for the tone and playability. For what I like to play, I want each drum to be a well tuned instrument in itself. It’s not about the percussive smack, it’s the ‘voice’ of the drum I want to hear. To me, that comes across best with a more dynamic approach. There is a sacrifice - speed. I’m not the fastest guy, but that’s okay with me because the music I love to play doesn’t require epic fast hands. If metal was my thing I’d be on the other side of the fence - more attack, more percussive smack, speed over tone. There’s no time to pull a sustained note from each drum when you play at a zillion bpm. I recognize the skill required, but it’s not my bag. Groove, tone, sound, nuance, feel - these are my keywords! Light and tight, baby.

[@only4crap]

I'm curious, do you play heel down or heel up?

[@DZNTZ]

Me? Heel down 98% of the time. I never bury the beater - I use an unported reso a lot, so I never got into the habit. Rebound is the heel down players friend... if you can bounce a stick with your wrist then you can bounce a beater with your ankle, right? I don’t think I’m sacrificing anything by playing heel down, there shouldn’t be a difference in sound.(“Hey, that sounds like he’s playing heel down” isn’t a thing afaik) I don’t see heel down as a disadvantage, although I know many folks will dispute that. I think it comes down to finding a pedal, settings, beater weight/position, foot position that works for you and practicing. For instance if you feel you’re not getting enough power - move your foot back a little, maybe bring the beater head back a little, maybe raise your throne an inch. Try reaching out to a serious heel down teacher (Chuck Brown is a legend, and iirc teaches heel down), sky’s the limit!

[@DaPhunk73]

Thanks for another great video. What a great way to show what playing at different dynamic levels sounds like thru the mics. Never seen anyone shed light on that topic like this!

[@davidsuprenant893]

All the years I played out everything from small clubs to outdoor events I used promark 747 hickory sticks and for the most part ambassador on the snare,remo pinstripes on toms and for the kick I used like a black dot with foam in the bass drum. I never was a hard hitter I always played consistent. When I got my first set of DW drums in the 90's that all changed.There factory single ply heads and the quality of drums they produced ,man I was in heaven.Went from promark 747 hickory to SD4 maple sticks.My playing and the sound I was able to pull out the kit was incredible. Everything got better,and I didn't have to knock myself out behind the kit.To this day I continue to use single ply heads ,and maple sticks.

[@heychrisgreen]

I get it! I always tend to think “hit harder” because I know I can have more consistency at 100% than if I fluctuate from hitting the snare at 60% - 80% of my effort. In hearing your examples I can instantly tell this will change the way I play and think about playing in the future. Also: in ear monitors have made it so easy to turn down parts of the drum that might be too loud. I love in ears, but what i should be doing is setting my mix more flat and mixing myself through my playing and not the faders

[@DZNTZ]

Chris Green - I would add this: DONT think of it as 60%, but rather as 100% at a different level. When you hit a wedge shot in golf, you don’t hit it 60% - you bring the club down lower and swing 100%. Same consistent motion, same follow through, only the backswing changes. Same rules apply. Get your sticks down to where you can retain the intensity and feel but change the dynamic. You can be just as consistent IF you’re not trying to “hit it halfway”. Don’t hold back, just play from a different place.

[@markfeener3341]

Just a thought from a sound engineer. With the drummers I work with on ears who are worried about the dynamics, I'll often get them to take more of the overheads and less of the close mics so they have a better overall picture of the whole kit as an instrument. I work with a lot of folk and jazz acts where you really need that push and pull, and it seems to work really well!

[@alexriquelme]

One of your best videos. Congrats!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much for the kind words! Please be sure to share the video with your drummer friends.

[@lifesglorydead]

Definitely appreciate what this video is putting across! the album Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes is a great example of quiet drumming that comes across sounding massive and boomy.

[@GingerDrums]

Great content. I mix and produce records and "big" is certainly genre specific. I must say though that quietly played, consistent rimshot backbeats are easy to mix. Playing quietly brings out the sustain and subtleties of the drums when miked, but you need a player that has the control to do that consistently. Playing louder provides less sustain and more attack, so we can compress and limit more aggressively to poke through guitars. In non metal genres I find loud playing is often a crutch for the player to mask inaccurate timing and lack of dynamic control.

[@jangobango2847]

Most high level metsl drummers actually play super quiet and use triggers, its hard to play super loud when youre ripping double stroke rolls and blasting at 150 bpm

[@Drummer12ify]

Jango Bango i wouldnt say so. mostly metal drummers are real hard hitters because they have to be. and i think u meant 300bpm. thats true.

[@only4crap]

how do you feel about heel down on the bass drum? most sound/recording engineers I've met HATE it when I play heel down, which I tend to favor over heel up

[@jangobango2847]

@@Drummer12ify eeh 300 bpm blasts are quarter notes i think it makes more sense to use 150bpm 90% of the time, and idk most technical death drummers play very loose as tensing up doesnt help speed, at all

[@jbfan1263]

Cody & Ben, Thank You for producing drum related videos that are highly informative and extremely practical. Literally every moment is filled with useful information. Subscribed.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much for the kind words! We really appreciate it. -Ben

[@ILikeWafflz]

8:06 Exactly! The epiphany I've had that's had the largest effect on getting the sounds I want out of my snare was discovering the usage for rim shots across the whole dynamic spectrum, and not only as a heavy accent. For my first 6 years, I did not realize that rim shots were the source of the sharp crack in the snare that I've always looked for; I just thought I wasn't any good at tuning my snare.

[@ianmuessig]

Such an important topic! Watching some jazz guys who had a bit more of a bombastic heavy handed approach (like Elvin and Philly) really helped me learn about how to make your presence known without drowning the group and when to get out of the way.

[@skinf]

I'm not even a drummer (my instrument is the guitar) but recently got a nice drum set for my home studio and the stuff you are publishing here is pure gold, keep it up man.

[@CaramelSons]

Great Video, that was definitely a missing piece in the video collection! Thanks a lot!

[@daviddobbins8948]

Great video as usual. I had never thought about my ability to play with the click changing depending on the dynamic level i was playing at but I can totally see how that is the case and I think I too need to check that out. I think I will struggle at quieter volumes.

[@johnreardon4944]

I play in an SRV tribute band. Blues and rock. Very dynamic between soft and loud. I also use the same drums and tunings in a Journey tribute band. I've discovered a best middle of the road sound that is versatile for me and for most other live drummers. I play gigs where five different bands play the same set, but with my tuning. They all love it! My personal snare is just under G sharp. The toms are all a P4 higher on the bottom head. High tom fundamental is a B flat, middle tom a G, and the floor tom an E flat. Bass is tuned to the room. Yes, I use a Tunebot which helps me quickly. Of course my ear makes final adjustments. BUT given the wide variety of kits, sizes, and head combos, this tuning seems to universally work for everyone's band. If your looking for a great rock or blues sound with limited time to tune, try this. My personal kit is dialed in the same and it really sounds musical and clear cutting at all volumes. With or without mics. Has anyone here also found themself in this same sweet spot range? I keep ending up back here no matter how much I experiment. Even without a Tunebot! Great video today! Thank you!

[@georgepelekoudis]

If you’re gonna be a studio drummer, you have to have total control over your own MIDI Velocity knob. Thanks. Happy holidays :)

[@johnrobinson8323]

I too play many small rooms. I usually muffle with rings and sometimes I'll even put some moon gels on my ride cymbal. Sometimes I use smaller sticks but mostly I just play softer with my usual size 5B stick. It's still a work in progress.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

I'd say that's most people. I'm not actually a drummer. I'm a singer and also soundguy, and we've found that the Snare is usually too loud in most situations even un-miced, snd to combat that we've devised something we call the "drum skirt" which is basically a towel with some foam padding sewn onto it hangs from the bottom rim-area to the floor but is open in the back, just to take away the projection of the bottom head onto the floor and out into the room. But behind the kit it sounds totally normal, just out in the room it cuts the volume of the snare by what seems like 50%. Try it some time if you find yourself in that situation.

[@johnrobinson8323]

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely try that.

[@a.j.wilkes6352]

@@djjazzyjeff1232 Thanks for posting this idea.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

@@a.j.wilkes6352 No problem friend! What I like to do it take a small-medium towel and fold it in half "hamburger style" if you remember that from school, so it's almost square, and then just above the bottom rim (so it doesn't touch or muffle the bottom head), stretch it around the shell from one "hand" on your snare stand, to another, and have the third on the back facing you(the 3rd snare stand hand, that is), give that a try, and seriously, let me know how you get on!

[@MikeGiraldo]

just love the way that maple pearl drumset look and sounds amazing!!!!!!

[@jonashellborg8320]

I tend to mix myself for low end: so I kick hard, hit floor tom hard, but try to go easy on snare and cymbals. Sure, I get excited at times and smash the cymbals, or lean into the snare, but then I notice that the kick is “gone” and try to reign myself in. It’s all about mixing yourself!

[@christiancanalita6487]

Awesome video! One of the things I've been working on for a LONG time (still don't have it) is playing quieter but with energy. So friggin tough!

[@thepluggy1]

i just want to say say Happy Christmas to you guys and all the subs, you have become one of my favourite channels and i always enjoy your videos so much. All the best in the future guys.

[@MichaelVernonDavis]

I LOVE the technical fodder!!!

[@fransterhorst3694]

seems like we are always asked to be as IMAXy as possible, so being able to take you from a pindrop to the thunder... To that end i usually have a variety of sticks, the 'loudest' being tommy lee signature downsized baseball-bats, the quitest 7a's or such. brushes are off my menu i'm afraid. i hate using the heavy sticks because it makes it very difficult to add any finesse to the playing, at those volumes nobody besides myself would even notice. It all totally depends on the situation and the players on your team and what gear they bring. Great video again!

[@SvenElven]

Been a while since I saw a SLAD vid. Cody is an awesome presenter!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks! We release new episodes every Tuesday at 12:30pm Eastern. Be sure to turn on notifications so you never miss an new episode or bonus video. Cheers!

[@Customwinder1]

I don't think I have seen you play like that before Cody ! Great to see you laying into that snare drum. I notice the subtle differences in tone when I'm playing. I'm a heavy hitter and enjoy trying to get tone and volume from my drums. Head choice helps as well. Thanks for another great video. And thanks for everything you guys show us. Merry Christmas Cody and Ben . ✌

[@lajollascott]

That's what I came to say. As (typically) interesting and informative as this was, seeing Cody really rock out like that was in some ways the best part. :)

[@Customwinder1]

@@lajollascott it was good to see mate. These guys surprise us in so many ways. Happy New year buddy 👍

[@sammbobdylan]

I have 10", 12", 14" and 16" toms. In respective order my drums are tuned as follows... D (3rd octave), A# 2nd, F# 2nd and D 2nd octave. For my snare I use the Udo Masshoff technique and for my bassdrum which sounds like someone has their subwoofer cranked, is custom but resonant with all drums including the snare as I didn't like the E tuning. It's a 22" x 20" with minimal muffling of a thin, folded up blanket just touching the batter a little bit at the bottom.

[@elijahfaith7480]

Another great lesson guys thank you and Merry Christmas to everyone in the "Sounds like a drum" realm of awesomeness!. I personally play in alot of small venues where all I mic is the snare, hi- hat, and bass drum. And always say to myself " The word of that is...FINESSE ...the sound engineer introduced me too that..so I try to play like that everytime..sometimes I get too excited and hit harder which is soooo true what you said..the sound changes tremendously! Thanks guys another great lesson today!😁👍🥁🥁🇨🇱🇨🇱♥️🌹⚘🌷🎁🍭🍭🌲🌲🍻

[@sergioponti3195]

Playing is great, too, as well as the whole content!

[@aphexon.]

Sounds like Christmas :) and a happy new year!

[@garysmith3173]

Really interesting video. Thankyou for all your efforts over the last year. Merry Christmas to you from the Uk.😘🥁🌻🏹

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[@1111Paiste]

Love this stuff! Todd Sucherman has a great story about his experience with this very thing. Watch his Drumeo video or look up his 'myths' of rock drumming video here on YT. Thanks for what you're doing here on SLAD, it is SO valuable. And best to all in the new year! Upwards and onwards!

[@DrSamE]

I thought about this before you posted this video. I thought about making 3-5 volume levels and posting audio files to a forum. Doing it as a full BLIND test. Cause im so tired of people saying theres no energy if drums are played softly. Heck, drums are 90-100db when played ”Quietly”.(at the source) Theres a plenty of acoustic energy there. I have also recorded one drummer that hit so hard that he couldnt play single ply snare heads(cause he broke them straight away). But when we were done the tracks i dont think they sounded energetic at all, more like wimpy and choked.

[@StefanGoranov]

I have a question in the context of what you are talking about. Usually I play low-medium volume gigs. I have the questlove breakbeats with aquarians modern vintage II. I had the impression the snare is kind of louder than the toms on this kit. Recently I got a couple of gigs which require very loud playing - rock bands with two guitars and el bass who like loud amps and noticed that on the gigs I have to hit the snare really hard to make it cut through the guitar sound (of course had to change the bass drum to a 22 as well). Obviously, the breakbeats' snare is not the best snare drum ever made but for low volumes I was pretty ok with it even on low volume/jazz recordings. However, I am considering getting a brass snare for those kind of gigs cause it seems like metal drums and brass especially have the ability to sound well on higher volumes. In particular was considering the mapex brass cat (somehow I am not a fan of deep snares as the sledgehammer). What are your ideas on the subject guys and do you have any ideas on a drum head for such rock gig situations? The Modern vintage II are great heads but after an hour of playing super loud I felt I am destroying the head without getting the best out of it...

[@spencerj]

I sincerely appreciate not making a Christmas/seasonal/holiday episode, not for any other reason than this video becoming watchable throughout the year and not receiving a timestamp

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hope you enjoyed the episode!

[@yelltempus]

Wow, I applaud you for tackling this difficult sunbect. Difficult because you can't just hear about it & say "cool" & go do it. It takes a lot of experience to know how this works & it's very difficult to figure out in a practice room. At least now people are more aware of it & that's so important. As always it was articulate & succinct. I just hope people understand that this will take experience to really take affect. Season's greetings to y'all & keep up the awesome work.

[@U2WB]

I’ve had trouble passing a few rock band auditions for the simple reason that they want me to hit harder. My drum sound is fine; I’m just not an arena volume drummer, nor do I wish to be.

[@lizandromello]

I've been a hard hitter my whole life (almost 30 yrs drumming) and my "sweet spot" bashing the kit becomes as effect, not as cause: large and deep drums, thick heads, large and heavy cymbals, mostly room mics, etc. Also, for me drumming is not just about making music: it is therapy - if you had a bad day you can sit behind the kit and relieve yourself. Although, when recording I try to lower the intensity of playing, for the very reasons you put in the video (and it becomes very difficult to do so, since it's more of a physical habit than a musical trend). Thank you very much for your videos, they are educational in so many ways.

[@einjarjar]

Now I'm not criticitzing in any way. I just noticed that you are not hitting the power rim shots like loud/metal player. The hard hitter usually goes a bit more tip first when rim shotting loudly. It isn't a huge difference probably like 1mm difference at the hit point, but they get more body in the sound. Usually they are laying down with more intent to strike lower than the rim. Playing loud is kind of a different beast because you cannot use your fingers as much. The normal loud hit is more of a combination of arm movement and whip movement with a wrist to emphesize it. It punishes the drums more, but it is also a major part of the sound as well. When the light player plays "just to hit the rim", the loud player plays "just to hit under it". What I have noticed with the hard hitters is that they tend to tune one step lower than soft hitters. It helps with the hit transferring to wrist but it also helps with the sound. If the snare is tuned too high, it doesn't carry the punch through the mic as well as in lower tunings. The punch resonance is kind of too high to work with the music.

[@kennethschwartz898]

What does a "bit more tip first when rim shotting loudly mean. Also, it does not appear that all your strokes are rimshots and some are merely center hits

[@einjarjar]

The rim shot sound can be modified a bit. By angling the tip lower at the strike point you get more bottom end and a bit less rim-click. If you angle the tip higher you get more hollow sound and more rim-click, until you hit just the rim and no head.

[@kennethschwartz898]

@@einjarjar just to follow -up.. when you state to angle the tip lower are you saying that you strike the rim with less of the stick vs angling the tip higher meaning that more of the stick is extended over the rim. In otherwords the former will have less of the stick striking the head and the latter will have more of the stick striking the head

[@einjarjar]

@@kennethschwartz898 That is actually one way to modify the tone as well, but no. The strike point of the tip/stick stays the same. The stick just changes the angle a bit. English isn't my first language, so It's a bit hard to explain. We are talking about a really minor change in a angle. More like a feel -based thing than a drastic change in technique.

[@kennethschwartz898]

@@einjarjar I got what you mean... thank you for the reply

[@ivoshterev]

Excellent

[@kennethschwartz898]

Cody, around 8:06 are you stating that you should record yourself in practice and make sure you can hit RS and stay in the pocket, Thank you

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

In essence yes, i'm saying that recording yourself can be super helpful for analyzing your playing and when it comes to tricky things like playing low-to-the-drum rimshots I found it especially helpful for checking my consistency of sound as well as pocket/phrasing. - Cody

[@TonyGellaMusic]

Thank you for posting this! I was surprised, when one interesting soundengineer ask to play always loud on same level. Literally on max volume)). He cant work with drums without it))... I has hard time with .. as results- shit sound in the mix.. It was no tone drums- very flat and dead... plus pain in my hands

[@philstireservice5476]

You also can get a fuller snare drum sound (rimshot) when you make sure your stick tip is about 2" or so north of the center. It allows you play firm, yet not beat the hell out of the snare drum and lose all your tone. Great video though. Not many talk about tone in reference to playing volume.

[@kennethschwartz898]

"north of the center"" I assume this means more of the stick is into the snare?

[@philstireservice5476]

Kenneth Schwartz Exactly!

[@user-np2td3lg7t]

I thought the low tuned snare sounded best when hit medium hard. Although I like the choked sound that whaling on it gave it wasnt anywhere as big as the medium loud one. When the snare was tight it sounded best when hit hard because it choked the sound a lil

[@MikeGiraldo]

also im waiting to earthworks audio notice you guys and sponsor you to keep making awesome content, if not lets make a fundraising!!!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We’d absolutely love to work with them! You can always help support the series and get access to extra content by joining our Patreon: www.patreon.com/soundslikeadrum

[@magz390]

Some serious good info, thanks! I was wondering if you guys have some thoughts about bass drum depth. You see i have 2 "24"x"24" kicks, and these are what i call a binary drum. Great sound if i hit them very hard, and anything less is just a rumbling muffled sound. The thing is. It's hard to get the shells moving, and the reso heads working. To put i mildly, a very fatiguing experience. So i'm currently thinking of cutting these down to "16"x"24" or "14"x"24", but i don't know what to choose.. BTW my shells are 8ply maple. ( I play Metal, Rock and Funk. So i'm going after a big modern punchy sound with a fair amount of click). Thanks for the great content!!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hey there! This is gonna sound like a blanket statement but I honestly like 14" depth best on every diameter of bass drum i've ever played. 16" totally works too, and i've also played a rad 18" that was only 12" deep a couple of times :) But for me, 14" is the go-to depth and if I need something special or weird i'll branch out from there. My 24" is 14" deep and It does exactly what I want out of a big punchy drum. You'll get a more immediate thump with less distance between the heads for sure. The air can do its work a lot faster. - Cody

[@magz390]

@@SoundsLikeADrum Thank you for the reply:) I'm leaning towards the 14 deep option. From the YT videos i've seen, they seem more versatile sound vise.

[@anthonydratnal1870]

The medium dynamic definitely sounded best to me, but wouldn't this also depend heavily on the gear being used? I imagine that (for example) a Bell Brass wouldn't choke out much sustain no matter how hard you hit it, and is much better suited to the most aggressive hits.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Absolutely! The dynamic range is totally dependent on the instrument/heads/tuning and the “best sound” should (generally) be dependent on the context. Cheers!

[@sammy6305]

What ride cymbal is that? Sounds gorgeous.

[@miyahollands6136]

Hi. Got a question: Where should you place a cow bell, and how does its placement affect how you play it?

[@sammbobdylan]

You will need a specific to 'your' cowbell stand or clamp but a good place is between the hihats and first rack/mounted tom. However, it depends on your kit set-up and personal preference and if that preference does not work, wherever you can find somewhere. You definitely will need a specific to your cowbell type of mounting.

[@drummercarson896]

Merry Christmas

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Merry Christmas! 🥁🎁🎄

[@oakleywarioe9937]

Hey, big fan here! Was wondering if you could mess around with vintage stuff. Ive got a vintage vistalite kit that have been through a world tour or two. They are pretty beat up and the rims might be bent. Any suggestions on getting the best sound with what I have? Lots of love and happy holidays!

[@jangobango2847]

Get new rims and those vistas had funky bearing edges maybe look at them to make sure they are true

[@artpereira]

I’ve always struggled to play to a click and get a good sound when I play softer

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Definitely a good thing to work on then!

[@joshuacarrico7236]

What kind of ride are you using?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Jesse Simpson made my cymbals here in Brooklyn - Check him out! -Cody

[@alohafromkenya21]

Until it begs for mercy

[@kennethschwartz898]

Are you hitting all rimshots. it seems like some are center hits

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep, some are! Particularly with super low-tuned snares i find the rimshot sound less useable than plain center hits. -Cody

[@SONORSQ2guy]

The harder hits produce more stick attack imo. 👍

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep, and often less low end and, in some cases, less resonance (not necessarily sustain).

[@simonvasey8546]

Cody. In bringing down the volume of the "loud" notes in the mix, it sounds like the harder you hit the less snare buzz and overtones you get. Weird.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Exactly, I think that’s a component of choking the drum’s resonance with the force of the stroke 👍🏻 -Cody

[@sammbobdylan]

I meant Udo Masshoff

[@jangobango2847]

Burying the beater makes a horrible twoooong sound when you are micd in certain venues so many drummers do it unconsciously and it really ruins a fat sub bass tone i think

[@remygaron8311]

Try the butt end of the stick like Aronoff

[@69zenos1]

John Bonham didnt hit hard. He just turned his kit properly, etc..

[@1111Paiste]

Sometimes, he did hit hard (in no way as hard as some drummers are hitting today...and ruining their hands BTW), but never seemed to grip his sticks so hard that he choked the the tone of the drums (and sticks). And he did hit them as well as the cymbals, right. What an amazing player he was.

[@jimflys2]

Yes, yes, yes! Been playing live for 40 years now. Where were you when I was young? You all are great. 90% of the drummer's I see out there today are hitting way, way too hard. They have no tone. Everything sounds like a smack, smash or a burst of noise. They have great technique for power, but they have no tone and everything sounds the same. Very fast very loud and no tone. Frankly, I don't care about their show. I listen to a wide variety of music because I like the sound and texture and vibe. Tired of seeing guys wind up from the small of their back. One top pro, who shall remain nameless has one of the worst drum sounds I have ever heard. Closing in on 30 years of his fame. Any guesses?

[@matthewzagorski9161]

I know you generally strive for objectivity by suggesting there are no wrong answers, just different sounds for different situations but... drums just don't sound good when you bash them. Your mid range was the perfect sound. Plus that reserves room for dynamics.