Steve Smith on sound and volume - drumtalk [single strokes 17]

Steve Smith knows that a good drum sound is absolutely crucial and while tuning your drums properly is the foundation for your sound, it really comes down to how you hit the heads. Volume isn't bound to force, in fact the stronger and harder you hit, the less you might get into trouble with the soundquality. But are there musical genres where a certain amount of power are strongly required?

[@CampSwampy18]

Not just a drum lesson but a music lesson. Thanks so much for this.

[@RandyHanley]

This is an awesome interview! Steve Smith's dynamics have always stood out to me!

[@marval9119]

Steve Smith is in my top 3 of the best drummers alive. What a genius!

[@HardEdge53]

Thomas Lang, Steve Smith, Dave Weckel are my top three

[@HardEdge53]

Gavin Harrison and Sonny Emory round out top 5

[@williamkleitsch1153]

Correct

[@KONAMAN100]

What a fascinating subject unravelled by Prof Steve. Dude is not only fluidly articulate behind the kit. Great insight.

[@archisalcedo7045]

A BIG lesson from a Master !

[@soundhaus6404]

Smith is out of this world! Incredible drummer!

[@FloatingRotation]

Steve Smith,such a brilliant musical mind! Many thanks.

[@costamesa22]

As a drummer of over 30 years Steve is 100% when saying you don't need to bash the drums. If the gig calls for it and you need the added volume in a large area it's really about the front of house delivering that. Good technique, tunning and mic's is 100% key.

[@jonashellborg8320]

Awesome! Thanks to Steve for condensing years of learning into a few beautiful statements.

[@slandelius]

Such wisdom coming from a master. Great stuff!

[@jcdrums2798]

excellent ! huge respect for you Steve, totally agree with your vision of sound

[@toothnail605]

I really really don't think most people know how good Steve is. Way too much to list on what not only does he know, but the many different genre's... From jazz to rock to fusion to world to indian, I mean this cat is as big as the universe! Seriously; would take most of us 15 lifetimes to achieve Steve's level. Top Tier musician big time!

[@Tonyr0206]

Drummers know. The general public have no idea. They know three or four big name drummers, and think they have no peers -Bonham, Peart, Rich. Where guys like Smith, Jojo Mayer, Dave Weckl, Virgil Donati, Vinnie Colaiuta, Thomas Lang, Marco Minnemann, Billy Cobham, Dennis Chambers, etc...etc...are complete masters, and a shame that nobody outside of the drumming world knows of them.

[@toothnail605]

@@Tonyr0206 Yes you nailed it! That's the Top Tier and there are actually many up there, glad you mentioned those names lol those cats are all mind boggling! Millions of people are not in the drum community like you and I, so they only know "songs," which is the vehicle for many drummers to get noticed. There are a LOT of drummers that if it weren't for they're bands and songs, I highly doubt they would have got noticed. The thing at least for me about Steve S is that when he puts on a clinic and/or teaches I walk away learning more than some of the names you mentioned. I have been and seen clinics from the names you mentioned, bottom line Steve has the gift of teaching, not to mention you really really learn something even in his interviews, and to me that's what separates him from a lot of Top Tier drummers. Peace

[@OndrausCissell]

​@@Tonyr0206 TRUTH... Well said !!

[@drl1046]

Yep. I first saw Steve play live in NYC at a Buddy Rich Big Band concert in. 97. I think he was a last minute fill in for Omar Hakim or someone who couldn’t make it at the last minute. It was a straight ahead / bop small group and I was TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY. In fact I haven’t had that “blown away” experience since. He was just such a technical force. Been a fan ever since

[@natelowey8856]

Drummer for 37 years.. MY SINGLE BIGGEST INFLUENCE.. THERE ARE MANY.. I have My own signature style .. BUT - he opened up the door of possibilities for ME .. and I’m sure MANY OTHER YOUNG DRUMMERS.. INSANE TECHNICAL ABILITIES AND CHOPS AS WELL AS CREATIVE EXQUISITELY CRAFTED PARTS WHILE SHOWING US HOW DRUMMERS COULD BE VERY MUSICAL- ALL OVER TOP IMPECCABLE METER AND FEEL WITH THE SOLID AS GRANITE GROOVES . Took ROCK DRUMMING TO NEXT LEVEL ALONG WITH JOURNEY .. totally agree- HES ONE OF THEEEE ABSOLUTE ICONS .. never got his deserved acknowledgment- except with us real drummers .. TO HELL WITH NEAL SCHON AND Jonathan CandyCAINE.. criminals.. ANYWAY.. THANK YOU MR SMITH .. 🍻🎼💥

[@JohnJohnson-rc6ci]

Good on you Steve. You have said what needs to be stated more. Shalom.

[@jeffreywegener8841]

Brilliant. & talk to the sound guys . Great stuff on bass drums too . Thx Steve .

[@matthewpaluch777]

😎👍💗🇺🇸 🥁🔥🎼 💣🔊))STEVE!!! I still listen to Tony MacAlpine's "Edge of Insanity" every other day.......your playing on it is both inspiring & creative!

[@robertbelanger6733]

All your experience and expertise makes perfect sense, You are an excellent musician🥁👏🏻

[@sarinsahil]

Watching him on tour in my country just from behind the kit has been one of the most magical moments of my life. It felt like he levitated while playing. The sound he was producing was so musical, so big and the dynamics were par excellent. Everyone who played before him played twice the volume but sounded not half as 'big'. I couldn't agree more that for some genres one has to be very mindful of the context/starting point like a dead bass drum will never really sound as big as an open one. At the same time, one can't really play an open bass drum at a metal gig. In the modern rock context I have used his approach in my own way. I start building my mix at the soundcheck using a pillow muffled/short bass drum sound dialled in w wedge to bring the volume up while the decay still stays short then dial in everything else acoustically from there. This really helps balance the rest of the kit for the overheads acoustically. P.S Butt kicker/Porter and Davis really helps as well. Have fun and try it :)

[@sarinsahil]

Adding another perspective! When you are looking at selling it to the audience you really stepping into the role of a PERFORMER / ENTERTAINER. Very visual. Your snare can only be reinforced by a P.A. no matter how hard you hit a snare even if it's a TAMA bell brass. You can't compete with a stack of a Marshall Amps. That's a lost battle. As a ramification of playing it with the loud visual choice, one ends up with diminishing returns because now the entire balance and tonality of the kit has gone for a toss. Coming to Metal, even when you watch say a guy like Nolly program a metal kit. He is like the best sound is not the loudest one. He goes for the lower velocity for the tone then compress it to make it sound 'louder'. Ultimately it's a choice, do you want a better tone or do you want to look the part while playing :)

[@kevinrogers2384]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@wilkinsnl]

I’ve seen Steve several times and he always sounds great. I wish I could get in person lessons from him. I’m constantly trying to get ahold of trying to play quieter with the same vigor and intensity.

[@CraigShawCraigShaw]

Guru, Steve🙏 Todd Sucherman says the same thing. 'A lighter touch'

[@krashboombang]

Words of wisdom, thank you Steve!

[@maximomastrolia]

So good to witness these masters speaking their minds freely!

[@paulboisvert3215]

This is exactly what i have been going through. I went back for lessons with an incredible teacher and he changed my sticking and had me focus on the mix of my kit. Getting complete control over the dynamic of each limb is how you get grooves to sound like Jeff Pocaro or James Gadson.

[@primslim620]

@9:54 This is a great moment. Talking about snare technique; that's Steve's point. I went through this for many years to make sure the snare isn't overpowering the kit no matter what genre I'm playing. I do Jazz, Metal, Hip-Hop, and Classical. So I get exactly what he means. It's about developing technique. But not every drummer has the same disciplined experience and journey in developing this. No surprise Steve Smith is one of my favorite drummers.

[@johngeorges1510]

Steve is a great drummer, but he's also a great musician. Dynamics are part of music

[@ericwilhelm2941]

So much Wisdom..............from Steve! ;-)

[@ziccuj]

Everything Steve says just makes so much sense, be it jazz, hard rock or the "gray area". You don't have to hit super hard and bash your kit to make it sound loud. Just play with a good feel, dynamics and balance and allow the drums and cymbals to breathe. The sound guy is there to catch and amplify exactly that: not to exaggerate or diminish anything but to bring out everything to the audience at the right volume level - and to appreciate the kit balance that the drummer creates. Any drum is easily choked when you hit it too hard, and usually the end result is just terrible - it's much wiser to find the sweet spot. Be creative, be musical and make full use of the kit you have. Thank you so much!

[@OndrausCissell]

One of my favorite drummers !! Plus, he is such a nice guy when I met him !!

[@sarojaband4664]

Check out Journey Escape Tour Houston STONE IN LOVE. Steve Smith at his peak 🔥

[@davidolson558]

I met Steve at the drum fantasy camp last August and asked so many questions, that he said, "you have a lot of questions," in a laughing way. But he was great and I learned a lot

[@DrumsBonedo]

Dankeschön! Sehr spannend ihm zuzuhören.

[@SuperDrdirty]

Imagine living in a time when Steve Smith has to “reason” with a drummer who has probably 1/6th of Steves knowledge and skill. Very diplomatic indeed.

[@JarrodJohnson-py2ks]

Great prospective and information

[@andrewboettcher9853]

Control your dynamics and be your own sound level mixer by how you balance your playing. Steve is a master at his craft. He isn’t dependent on the sound guy to produce his sound. Just his overall room volume.

[@rick3747]

Steve Smith, Peter Erskine, Bernard Purdie and Todd Suchermann are my four favorite drummers alive today.

[@mitchphillippe5785]

In the world of high value men, Steve Smith is a high value drummer plain and simple.

[@TRayTV]

"make the snare hurt" I think that phrase will stick with me.

[@eugeniovasquez3780]

This Drummer... thank you

[@popeyesailor9571]

I never break heads. I tune them tight on top and use the resonant head as the note you want making them loud and exposed so I practice my rudiments.

[@8020drummer]

With mad respect to Steve, this is one approach, and just one approach: watch Matt Garstka and Thomas pridgen, two great examples of drummers who can play hard and relaxed at the same time. There are some gigs that simply require hitting hard. 6:38

[@JMGERE]

Good scarf , cozy

[@fleatactical7390]

6:50 Been saying this for decades when I see guys beating the crap out of their kits. Why? And I also have spent a lot of time "building" the kit as well. When I've chosen cymbals, snare, etc. it's with a view of "how will it fit into the kit?" and can I control it like Steve stays. I've bought and returned cymbals in the same day because they simply didn't fit with the other voices in my kit, or I couldn't get the proper dynamic range from them. And I've had a few sound engineers look bewildered when they realize they don't have to really make any adjustments at all between the different pieces of my kit, particularly live.

[@bergerdrum]

I would say this in defending the interviewer: Metal has a certain amount of theatricality that goes with it. Yes, the front of house PA will give you the volume, but the ENERGY, the ATTITUDE, of metal has to come across, and to me that can only be achieved by using some force. I don't argue that balance in the overall kit sound is needed. My point is about overall flavor, and making sure that the vibe comes across. As far as bass drums being muffled and having holes in the front head: there's so much double bass in metal that if your bass drums are fully resonant they will quickly overwhelm a mix as much as overplaying your cymbals will, and the sound you produce will be muddy and will lack definition, and it will make all those unison lines with the guitars and bass less tight-sounding. That's what the muffling and holes do: they shorten the sustain and they allow greater articulation so that all the many notes that are being played are heard clearly. Again, the point about balance is still valid.

[@williamweiss6128]

Well spoken. Sounds similar to Simon Phillips methods.

[@mentoneman]

I wish every young drummer could embrace this lesson

[@eaiii1262]

A master class in 14 minutes. 🤣❤️🤣

[@AlexMPruteanu]

One thing for those hard-hitting metal drummers to keep in mind: mics are gated, and almost every time you hit super hard, the gate on the mic will be triggered. It's a limiter, basically, saying: whoa....too loud, I am going to gate this so I don't overmodulate. So, in a way, hitting super hard is useless. Also, the real good metal/speed metal drummers actually play like Steve says; it's mainly so they can use the jazz drumming techniques (uptempo jazz, I'm talking about) like Moeller or push-pull on the ride, etc. The great metal drummers utilize these techniques to achieve the incredible speed needed. But generally, drummers who are playing kits that are mic-ed need to realize that the "big sound" is achieved via the mics; the tone is achieved by nuanced, dynamic playing. Love Steve.

[@edwardl.492]

most rock & metal drummers started off playing really loud, as u watch most drummers progress in the later years, they start to ease on that.. Steve is right, there is really no need to hit the drums that hard, unless u enjoy smashing it into bits, incl. ur ear drums and develop carpal tunnel syndrome

[@paulboisvert3215]

I couldn't believe he pressed Steve on that. The interviewer really exposed himself as an amatuer.

[@vincenzoa2929]

Steve Smith and Sonor vintage drums!

[@scartabellomusic]

Death Metal drummers actually don’t play that loudly because they have to conserve energy and the triggers do the work. So I have to agree w Steve here!

[@Dan-hc1ow]

With so many bass drum head options now, it's not difficult to get a controlled bass drum sound without stuffing a pillow inside. And leave the resonant head intact.

[@5Antvin]

these legacy drummers have played more live gigs than any new up and coming drummer today will have the opportunity to do -The live music venues /scene is just not there as it once was

[@joelmaharry3697]

The lighting on poor brilliant Steve Smith makes him look like he's suffering from severe jaundice. He deserves better!

[@Gretsch0997]

I seen Journey 4 weeks ago. Except Dean C. was playing for them. Dean has an attached vocal mic to his head. It was picking up all kinds of unwanted cymbal sounds, regardless of gating. I felt bad for the sound man. Dean is an amazing musician just the same.

[@ferdinandwang1165]

Good to see that Rob Halford lost plenty of weight

[@PeteWaan]

I have a huge respect for Stewart Copeland, but what I noticed during the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert was the fact, that he was probably the only drummer who had his own drum kit & setup out there, and I remember thinking that this seems a bit snobby or rude, since everyone really played just a couple of songs. I don’t know, maybe there’s something I don’t understand here, but anyways…✌️

[@Gretsch0997]

Unfortunately when Steve lays off the snare (purposely) , the sound man likely increases snare gain

[@VON_RHEDBEARD]

You can tell Steve is not amused when he says beast mode for metal 😂😂😂

[@michaeltamares7974]

Alot of drummers play like they're chopping lumber.. Steve is right, technique is more important..if you wannt loud,,then the sound engineer will adjust it.. Thats why i respect jazz drummer more than head bangers...but thats my preference

[@STIXAHOY]

Dude ......the interviewer talks about going into beast mode............dude .........listen to george kollias......he's got dynamics down bro !!!!

[@t3hgir]

"can you get a drumkit like Billy Cobham" "sure but don't ask me to play like him :D"

[@loucontino4804]

I don't know if this interviewer understood what Steve was talking about with balance. It has nothing to do with the music you are playing, Steve's talking about the drum kit as an instrument.

[@djshad1885]

Metal drummers...and I used to be one...ALWAYS defend volume. Not many...even the best ones...truly understand dynamics and flow. Its usually all about precision and speed...and power. Lol

[@hazardeur]

but usually only the bad ones and many of the medium ones. the good ones know this. it's quite easy to find the sweet spot though - just record yourself hitting the same piece with increasing power. at some point you will feel the sound not getting any better even though you hit harder. that's exactly the sweet spot for metal or intense playing. it's as much sound as you gonna get out of the drum with the minimum necessary force applied. you will find it without listening to the recording but i never hurts to record anway. if you do that with all your drums regularly (i do it before i starting to play usually) you're basicall calibrating your sound and, as steve says, just make sure that you balance them all out vs each other in a way that makes sense for your music. if you do this for a couple of weeks, it becomes second nature. if good sound is not enough, as additional side benefits it will also enably you to play faster (because you use less force) and also for a longer time (as less force means more stamina).

[@mallorga1965]

Wise words. What he says makes me think of what's happened to the violin and other instruments throughout history; in times of Stradivari, luthiers and musicians prioritized tone over volume, but as venues got bigger and bigger things got upside down. Enter electricity and PA systems and you've got everything louder than everything else.

[@bobbyboygaming2157]

McCoy Tyner? High cymbals? A pianist with cymbals? What?

[@The_Other_Ghost]

Journey could be used to transition people to metal.

[@hazardeur]

bit of a stretch these days

[@The_Other_Ghost]

@@hazardeur For old british heavy metal not that much of a stretch.

[@hazardeur]

@@The_Other_Ghost fair enough. it works for the old school i reckon

[@The_Other_Ghost]

@@hazardeur Separate Ways (Worlds Apart: Heavy guitars, singing in a higher range, tapping in the guitar solo...

[@hazardeur]

@@The_Other_Ghost while that is all true, this song is a completely different spirit than metal. take for example early sabbath or even zeppelin. much more metal spirit even though they didn't have an yof the listed things

[@stever.9925]

You sit behind someone else's drumset, and it's "wrong?" You get expert information from Steve Smith, and he's wrong? I think there's another problem here. Lol Steve: "I would have to hear you to see if what you are saying is working." Interviewer: Nervous laugh

[@drumtalkofficial]

You know what the real problem here is, Steve? That you don't have your very own drumshow! And you know how amazing it would be, don't you? Don't be shy, you know it! So please, Steve, just do it -- people deserve it!!!

[@stever.9925]

@drumtalk ha, thanks for More Data. Obviously, when you have a drum show, you start to believe that YOU are the center of the universe. Other peoples drums are wrong, experts are wrong, and everyone wants to have a youtube channel like you. Wow! It must be great to be you. Oddly, it was Steve Smiths thumbnail on the video, not yours. And your intro video is a boy playing by himself - make complete sense now...

[@campusman1957]

just play the drums that's what there there for hard or soft you guys made this to technical JUST PLAY THE DRUMS

[@ghyogi1]

The force is strong within this 1.

[@markcooperartcom]

Amazing drummer. I saw him live a long time ago in the 90's at a weekend drum clinic/concert in Tampa.

[@markcooperartcom]

What he said about the bass drum is interesting. How the pillow and the hole kills the sound. But metal drummers use triggers anyways. I'd like to hear a death metal band slow down and have the drummer not use triggers. Use dampening rings instead of a pillow, like a marching drum.

[@hazardeur]

most DM bands that are slower actually use a natural sound. once you go past 200bpm it is kinda required to use triggers though if you still want definition