Gaffer’s Tape Drum Hacks | Season Two, Episode 29

[@frankpellerin6999]

A snare in need, deserves Puffs Plus indeed.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Still working on locking down that Kleenex endorsement... 😉

[@DidYouReadEULA]

Now that's funny!!

[@RobBeatdownBrown]

Great video, Cody. That gaff/felt muffle hack was slick sauce, man 👌🏽🏆

[@cj_m2477]

Playing 55 years and learned something new today. Really like the cymbal felt/gaf tape muffler.

[@DidYouReadEULA]

9:56 Can't wait to try this one out. Even bought blue gaffer's tape to match my Pearl's!! Love all the hard work you guys are putting in and the depth of wisdom so freely given. ✌

[@peterlamear]

I have found gaff tape to be great on the undersides of my brighter rides, like my Paiste 2002 22" and my K Custom 20". The tape, more than a cymbal tuner or moon gel, adds a dry character to it without taking away too much volume or changing the way the cymbal feels to the stick. A tiny piece of gaff tape also works great on a snare reso with a deep tuning in an echoey room. Doesn't choke out the snare but kills some of the note-iness you can get with big tunings. Thanks for the video!

[@sullysullster8217]

I do the same to my 22" 2002.It adds little more ping . Ive had a 3" piece for over a decade.

[@lorenvguitar614]

Great videos, your no nonsense approach is refreshing. Professional and to the point without immature silly jokes that just waste time. Thanks very much. Laid back, cool and professional.

[@DanyMeyer]

Love the idea using the cymbal felt!!! GREAT gate idea =)

[@chiphammond1623]

lol gaff tape with a cymbal felt - kind of like my "vintage" drums from when was a kid that all had internal mufflers, just there ready to go if you needed them :)

[@wafulton]

Gotta say, Sounds Like a Drum has the most useful information! This channel has helped me develop a great sound from every single drum I play. Great information with an enjoyable presentation. Really - A+ To all involved. An excellent resource!

[@DidYouReadEULA]

I watched that Paul Liam session a year or so ago and didn't notice this genius hack...thank you for bringing it to our attention. Paul, like you guys, is an amazing musician.

[@thundermolloy]

I use one inch painters tape stretched across the bottom fourth or fifth of the batter head for a touch of tone control and to highlight some attack. more muffling can be achieved if you do a second strip perpendicular to the first ( creating an "L" shape). Helps that drum that sounds good but rings just a touch to long or has a high over tone you cant seem to kill. P.s. Painters tape can work as a substitute for Gaff tape in a pinch. It's not as thick so you will have to double or triple up in some situations, but it will work in a pinch, especially if you are seeking to the minimum amountnif muffling.

[@whiteeaglearai2481]

Yeah! Works. Love ur videos😘

[@niclectic]

Just wanted to say that your channel is awesome!! Pretty much the best 🤓

[@ffrjegs08]

i do AV and sound. gaff tape is life lol these videos are great. thanks for putting them out!

[@only4crap]

Another great video! btw, I went to a studio with my band to record last week, and the whole tuning of the drums came from your videos. It sounded great thanks to you!

[@lancethedrummer6921]

Nice one keep up the good work

[@simonbarth110]

Omg that gate thing is amazing! Thanks!

[@ianisaacs2340]

I know this is about gaff tape, but damn Cody you laid down some sweet grooves sir!! DAYUMN!!!

[@Kevsweets]

This is such a useful channel. Thank you!

[@nickferrence8593]

Thanks for another very informative video. Love this channel

[@tillsommerdrums]

Wow that cymbal felt/tape combo is brilliant ! How did I not know or think about this earlier. I will try that out ASAP. Also thanks for letting me know the difference between gaffer tape and duct tape, didn't know that either. I have learned so much from you guys, thanks for doing this !!

[@Thiscatsgotclaws]

Absolutely agree with you on the cymbal felt idea! It opened up the door for using other thing's besides felts. Gaff tape IS expensive! I've been using guerrilla tape. It took the coating off the Evans head but, not the Remo. Taken it on and off the Remo many times without hassle....

[@Loki_Morningstar666]

The last one with the cymbal felts also works with pocket change on the tape. As you can imagine its like the "gate" shuts a little quicker than with the cymbal felts. I also use gaff tape to tape down my slave side double kick pedal so it doesn't slide around and to mark out my drum kit on my rug to make set up go quicker.

[@davidcurtis4446]

Great video!

[@gordonwoodbatteur]

Very useful video! Thanks a lot for sharing !

[@ft.galpardo5081]

that cymbal felt thing is genius wow

[@garysmith3173]

Great video as alway. I often use my set list on my snare and floor tom.😘🥁

[@killercrabman]

Glad some people still call it gaffer tape!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

That’s exactly what it is!

[@a.j.wilkes6352]

Between you guys and the Modern Drummer podcast, I felt pressured to not pass up a $75 late-70s Acrolite. Who doesn't love spending their evenings brasso-ing lugs?!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

That's a solid deal right there! Can't go wrong with an Acrolite. Congrats on the new snare! -Ben

[@peterlamear]

I've got one of those! Love it to death--got it for a similar price and it would be my desert island snare, to be honest.

[@a.j.wilkes6352]

@@peterlamear Thanks for the rousing endorsement. I've got new wires and the P88 throw off/butt plate coming for it. What sort of genres are you playing with it?

[@peterlamear]

@@a.j.wilkes6352 The band I'm playing in mixes post punk and americana stuff, so I am going everywhere from smashing rimshots to brushes in a set. The Acro does it all

[@jangobango2847]

@@a.j.wilkes6352 nice man im about to get the p88 for my old supra! Did you get a 5 or 6.5? Ive been wanting a 6.5 acro bad lately

[@rocktonmusikschule]

Love your videos. Your groove feel is so cool. Thanks for all the wisdom. 🎶🎶👍👍

[@DavidEpstein]

That tape and felt washer trick is brilliant. It kind of reminds me of that crazy Active Noise Snare Gate Muffling System that came out a while back that was not cheap and not terribly durable. I remember seeing someone with one of those whack it with the stick and smash it to pieces.

[@Eurodrummer666]

I missed this video last evening! As I overused gaff tape in the past, I avoid using it at all cost nowadays. The only use I make is adding more weight to the snare wires by sticking it to the snare plates, not the actual wires. It prevents those zingy sounds, especially on a beat-up or slightly defect unit.

[@Driller72]

great ideas

[@GuitarHeroIsShit]

Deffo gonna try the taped felts idea, i do find just plonking multiple moon gels on a head diminishes some of the oomph when one hasn't done the job. Thanks! Depending on the room, I've found just a strip of gaffer across the floor tom reso quite effective. I once had to wedge my winter coat partway under it for recording because the sound was good to me, but the ring just wouldn't quit xD

[@rockdrummer80]

i love the idea of the gaff tape an a cymbal felt. So simple yet so effective. What a great idea. Just a thought, but maybe in the future do you think you can do a vid on how to make backline kit sound decent? Tips , tricks, etc, to make them not sound how they look :)

[@jangobango2847]

Not a bad idea, but i feel like almost every one of these vids already is that just in depth for each instrument, theyve done bass drum pedal, hi hat pedal, but i undersrand what you mean be cool to see them take a super cheap beat up kit with terrible heads and try to make them sound good in less than 10 mins or something lol

[@remygaron8311]

Just love your vid thanks👏👏👏👏👏

[@vincentdajay9089]

Thanks!

[@PabloJ1968]

Thanks! Specially the difference between the two tapes.

[@TealTactics]

Unrelated to the video topic but I thought someone here might have some knowledge on this topic. What would a snare batter head used on the resonant side sound like?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Choked out and generally dark/dry with a very small dynamic range. There’s a reason why thin heads are used for snare sides and it has everything to do with the transfer of energy and activation of the wires.

[@TealTactics]

Thanks for the insight!

[@Damith140388]

Amazing video! It’s, really interesting, well explained and demonstrated. #TapeSavesTheWorld

[@robinluo382]

that was really amazing trick！！Im learning a lot form your channel！ thank you！and I have a question of your rack tom，Im seeing you put something in the rack tom reso head，can I know whats that？

[@BIGSNAKE16]

Yesterday I took a folded up bandana (@1 1/2" wide) out of my stainless steel snare and man did it get loud.

[@michaelhembree4167]

I used to use moon gels but like tape.. Do drummers still use the tape..I like tha low end sound Woth ambasd1 ply

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

cell phone on the snare head works, too, but i haven't used it in a practical setting yet, though i have noticed it's a nice tight sound.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

This is true, though be VERY careful if you're gonna go that route and make sure "cracking screen with drumstick" is covered under warranty... 😉

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

@@SoundsLikeADrum 😂 alex rudinger said pretty much the same thing, but a snare head is alot of real estate to hit....in fact, i think i might see if i can use it at prscrice tomorrow and sunday in church; work it into part of a song....

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Put it on "vibrate only" and have someone give it a call and you've got yourself a "no-handed drum roll"...

[@a.j.wilkes6352]

Wallet...just use your wallet.

[@TwoCablesOCN]

Your snare would have to be perfectly flat for that. I tried it and my phone kept moving to risky places on the head. I almost hit it.

[@pyroeuropa]

I'm going to try out the niose gate! Didn't known it till now

[@Assimilator702]

I find a small 4” x 3” or smaller piece of paper cuts out most of the ring while not killing the tone. I’ve tried it with 2 pieces @ 11 o’clock and 1 or 2 o’clock and it will control even a wild snare. I use scotch tape to keep it in place and it works very well.

[@CliffGraham]

The tape and cymbal felt idea has me wondering if it could be used inside a snare resting on the reso head to reduce crosstalk buzz... (might reduce overall snare response too much tho)

[@NiklasHerzog]

Hey Cody, great video as always! I was wondering what kind cymbals you‘ve been using here... Looks like some vinatge K‘s... Sound really good! Keep up the great videos!

[@MikeGiraldo]

You guys should be endorsed by earthworks mics !!!! keep the great work!!!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We’d love to work with them!

[@Andrew3154]

Great show. I try not to use any tape at all. I like my drums to sing. But if I need to, Gaff it is.

[@ibleasse]

Speaking of gaph tape on cymbals. I just bought millennium still low volume cymbals and I’m not happy with how loud and ringing with a high overtone the hi hats are. I used a sliver of tape on the bottom hat, didn’t like. Top hat, didn’t like. Placed it close to the Edge, close to the center. Under to top hat and under the bottom hat. Any advice?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Might try putting a handkerchief between the cymbals to see if that helps. Those cymbals really aren’t designed for tone though, just lower volume.

[@AquaAnim]

Ive seen that same effect from the gaff tape and cymbal felt. Instead of a cymbal felt, just pull a extra long piece of gaff tape, and then fold one end to end to desired width then let one small portion remain sticky.

[@charlesseagraves6210]

Anyone ever thought of taping one of those “paper footballs” we used to play with back in school? I bet it would work! 👍

[@meekoloco]

Good one gents!

[@Pro1938ftc3ch]

Do you know if electric tape is good for dampening

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

I tend to avoid it, it’s gonna leave a residue for sure. Gaff tape is the way to go 👍🏻 -Cody

[@alexg4284]

Nice cymbals, what are they? Thanks!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Made by Jesse Simpson here in Brooklyn! Check him out on YT and IG :) -Cody

[@blindnotes]

How about a video (and of course an honest sound comparison) on re-cutting bearing edges on modern and vintage drums? How useful is it? Is it worth the trouble and money? Thanks, stay awesome :)

[@drumfanatik316]

Forgot one of the most important and most used technique. The accordion method. Depending on how much muffling you want, you take a piece of gaff tape, and make anywhere from 1-3 accordion folds and stick it to the drum. That’s one of the most effective muffling techniques I’ve ever used. I’m not sure how the science of it works, but the folds definitely make the difference as opposed to just laying a flat piece of tape on the drum!

[@ChrisSirico]

TL;DR watch 13:00 to hear unmuffled, tape + sheet of paper, single tissue taped to the head on 3 side, and cymbal felt suspended with tape.

[@capstonemethod]

What’s that ride cymbal ?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

it's a 22" made for me by Jesse Simpson here in Brooklyn - it's a copy of an old Zildjian that he fashioned from a Sabian AA Raw ride :) -Cody

[@leocomerford]

Language trivia time: 'gaffer' is short for 'grandfather'. It's the traditional term for a works foreman in much or most of England. In a fair number of Premier League soccer clubs the players customarily refer to the manager as 'the gaffer'. 8:49 Remo sells something which works similarly remo.com/products/product/active-dampening-system/ . Likely it was inspired by the handmade cymbal-felt contraption. It is possible to do better ...

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Ah! That's quite interesting with regards to the term. I know that, as it relates to the tape, it comes from the roll of the Gaffer within a production crew. As for commercially available muffling system, yep- there are a few like that out there. Of course, to do what we did here with that system would cost about $90 so we'll probably stick to (pun intended!) the gaffer's tape and cymbal felt approach that cost ~$1.50.

[@leocomerford]

@@SoundsLikeADrum Sorry, I phrased that misleadingly: I wasn't saying that the commercially-made systems are better, but that passive, mechanically-powered gating is inherently limited, in ways that are a lot more forgivable for a $1.50 fix than something expensive. For example, you could add more weight on top of the felt with a coin or washer to make it "gate" more strongly, but then you're also increasing the muting of the intial attack, and reducing the open time in between. It's possible to have a device which can mechanically "gate" the drumhead strongly and at any chosen point in the decay while not muting the intial attack at all, but for that you'd need a solenoid and a 9V battery.

[@briancaldwell283]

Leo, I didn't know that about "gaffer". No a word you hear in Scotland very often. Good to know. Thanks.

[@alexquayle6554]

Please do a tonal comparison between tape and gel products!

[@aryopratama4622]

The ride cymbals sound is straight BOMB! What is that? A&cie?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks! Its a copy of a 40’s A made for me by Jesse Simpson in Brooklyn from a Sabian AA Raw ride. Check him out!

[@dissaorlavey6943]

about gaff tape on snare wires???

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Haven’t ever had an experience where we felt such a thing was necessary to achieve a given sound.

[@dissaorlavey6943]

I saw that on the snare of a friend, and i asked him "why" and he answered me like this "oh yea, i put the tape on snare wires, because I need more controled snare wires" so...

[@CliffGraham]

I've tried it to reduce crosstalk buzz and it doesn't really achieve that so much as just reducing overall snare response. I think tuning and number of wires are the more effective variables there.

[@Chiroman527]

My PDP Maple Concept Floor Toms (14 X12 & 14 X16 ) just acquired , have fantastic sound HOWEVER, too much ringing. I Gelled the batter heads, Tuning it so many ways, but can't get it "right". Now trying Gatt taping the Remo Clear Reso Heads? Is that Wrong? It does seem to help. I haven't tried the Cotton balls... I changed all the Tom Heads to G2 Coated over from the PDP Remo made Clear Batter heads. The jury is still out on the difference. There is a difference, on all the drums, but I am still needing to Gel or Gatt tape them ... Man, I had no idea about the art of Drum Tuning ... I'm a 69 Year old "beginner" - having returned to playing drums after 50 years .

[@betulaobscura]

Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing! The last one could be nicely improved. Imagine elegant leather strap mounted to the rim instead of ordinary tape. It would be built to last - not temporary thing. Imagine some small pocket or clip above the felt to add some additional weight to adjust bouncing (gate) time. it could be cool looking and working gadget. I hate muffled drums. I know, I know: there are many folks out there who need it or love it. But every time when I play muffled drums and I hear this specific "gated" sound it makes me wonder: why spend thousands dollars on hi-end drums and make it sounds dull?

[@icepick859]

Alex van Halen tone?

[@peterlamear]

I have, more than once, had to use gaff tape to secure headphones on my head during recording

[@CliffGraham]

Related- rugby players often use tape to keep their ears on their head during play

[@radoslavradosevic4586]

thnx :-)

[@FernandoCuadro]

Does anybody knows what's the name of gaff tape in spanish?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Not sure if this is the common phrase used but gaffer’s tape would essentially translate to cinta adhesiva de iluminador.

[@AtTheSourceStudios]

El gaff tape

[@FernandoCuadro]

@soundslikeadrum nope that's not it. For example here we call the duct tape "cinta pato" which translates to "duck tape" (so I guess somebody did an awful translation and the name stuck). Anyway I'm from Uruguay by the way. Thanks for the reply.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

@@FernandoCuadroHmmm, "iluminador" is the Spanish term used for a gaffer in film (the person for whom the tape was named after) so maybe best to check with someone you know who works in the world of film. Cheers!

[@FernandoCuadro]

Amazing! I will try that!

[@terencecaligdong9960]

instructions not clear, gaff taped my hand to the snare now i its dampened but i cant play fat doubles anymore ;{

[@erictorres4889]

Any time you muffle a snare it kills the tone out of the snare . I prefer no muffle at all . I love the ring . Just like I don’t like to over muffle the bass drum . I like the muffle ring in my bass drums . Nothing inside . It’s quite boomy. That way and cuts through the guitars .

[@kenopsia9013]

there is no right answer for music what you think sounds good someone else might not but someone else might love something you both hate, tone is 100% art not science

[@97warlock]

gaffer tape? and what IS gaffer tape & is it very very Very similar to what we call Duck Tape

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Gaffer tape is a fabric-based tape used by gaffers on film sets. It's also quite common on stage and in studio and doesn't leave residue the way that duct tape does. Please, for the love of the gear, keep duct tape away from drums, cymbals, and hardware.

[@97warlock]

@@SoundsLikeADrum I used duct tape on my drums before & after a while, the residue seems imprinted in the surface, hard tyo get it all off.

[@allancueto22]

I bought the gaff tape,then i put litte pieces on the floor tom, play some shows, i took it off and now i have a drumhead with residue...do i bought the wrong tape? My floor tom say yes...🤔😔😂

[@TheCOZ]

I don't GAF(F). Just kidding. Love gaff tape.

[@creeperlolthetrouble]

My table sounds like a drum my neighbors are annoyed 😁

[@bowds7]

Gaffer a box of corn flakes to your table and give your neighbors some ear plugs or just gaffer the neighbors?

[@josteinv.jordet257]

Ludwig = yayy Pearl = meh What are those cymbals?

[@cj_ssfsm]

Almost 300 likes and 0 dislikes 🐕🥰😘

[@jensharald9091]

[@MetalxMasters]

Ghetto moon gel hacks

[@jahsurhofjudah6053]

nice channel but I am the type that like if you know it just show it period with less talk and walk.

[@Gretsch0997]

I tried returning to these videos again . Came back to them. But just cannot sit through them. Just hit the dam drum , will you?

[@dannylugojr3428]

When I see tape on drums it reminds me of back in the day like 80's and 90's. I'm not a fan of putting tape on the drums. To me it looks so ugly. That's why they created moon gels, and drumtacs just to name a few products. The tape on the drums to me just looks so tacky and bad. 👎

[@cjwolfedrums2077]

Great video!