🥁 SNARE DRUM DAMPENING - tricks, hacks and what doesn't work!

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Today let's talk about snare drum dampening 🥁 🤘!! I want to give you a quick guide about the most common ways and my personal favorite options. There will also be some tricks, hacks and do-it-yourself tools and I'm talking about which products you should not buy 😉...

[@powellrandolph]

Great sounding snare all around!

[@UCS0608]

10:52 The first time I saw a drummer actually using this type of damping was when I was invited to a drumclinic from Simon Phillips in 1983 in the Netherlands, where he showed how he damped the snaredrum. He had cut a small ring out of an old 14" drumhead! Cheap and it worked very well. Nowadays I don't always use this method, though I do always bring several different sizes to a gig, so I can change the amount of damping very fast. They are all 14", but I use three different withs of the ring itself, if you know what I mean. I'm Dutch so I hope this makes sense.... I don't know if Simon Was the first drummer to do it like this. I know drummers that use it on toms as well, but that really sucks i.m.h.o.

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Thanks for sharing 💪. I guess Steve Gadd must have been one of the first ones famously using rings too.

[@MatthiasKnorrMusic]

Sehr cool. Das Tool bzw dein Kommentar dazu bei 15:10 gefällt mir am besten 😂

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

😅👍Danke dir 🙏🤘.

[@marting.3771]

Thank you for this great video! A coaster made of carton („Bierdeckel“) works great as well, you can break it into smaller pieces easily. You can also tape it to the rim on one side, so it works like a snare weight.

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Thanks Martin and great idea - will have to check that out 💪!

[@markyoung8014]

Thanks for your wonderful drum channel. You have excellent ideas and some great tips for muffling here. I have to let you know that I use the snare weight product with really good results. I see the problem you are having with the short version. I think if you tried the longer one you would agree that it's one of the best solutions out there.

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Hi Mark and thank you so much 🙏! Yes, I have heard that the longer versions are great. Can't get that small one to work, though 😉.

[@benedict3178]

Yes sir 🎉

[@HenkJanDrums]

Great video! You really mention and demonstrate all great methods that work and ... what doesn't work like ...the M1. I use the wallet but i dont say it is OK ...it moves around my snare drum. Sometimes use O-rings.

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Thanks, Henk-Jan 🙏💪🥳! I use the Weckl Dampener and gels the most often - sometimes O-Rings as well...

[@HenkJanDrums]

@@SimonSpringerMusic Thanks. I did forget: i use the Pearl OM1 Clamp-on Tone Control Muffler very often. It almost does the job ...but not totally.

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

@@HenkJanDrums Haven't checked it out yet... Looks good!

[@alexriquelme]

Very useful! Whats the hi hat you use?

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Thanks 🥳!! Paiste 14" Signature Traditionals Medium Light Hi-Hats 🤘

[@andreasbreitwieser1449]

Ich fände es interessant mal die Ursprünge der jeweiligen Dämpfungsmethoden herauszufinden, jedenfalls wenn jeder mal kommentiert, von wem er/sie zum ersten Mal davon gehört hat. Da ich von Anfang der 1980er Jahre erst das Fachblatt, dann drums & percussion und finaly ALLE Zeitschriften gelesen hab, war mein wichtigster Informant Manni von Bohr, der die "Maashoff-Methode" schon seit den frühen Achzigern verwendet. Wenn ich mich richtig erinnere , sagte er mal, dass die auf Gene Krupa zurück geht, oder mindestens auf Jim Keltner. Den Dämpfungsring - damals noch WIRKLICH aus einem alten Fell geschnitten, sieht man zuerst auf dem 1984er Zildjian Day in New York Video von Steve Gadd benutzt. Ob er aber zuerst drauf kam..........?! Deine Erfahrungen mit den Snareweight M1 teile ich, die ewigen Versuche, das Ding wieder plan aufs Fell zu kriegen, nerven! Das M80 funktioniert etwas besser, verzieht sich aber leider auch ständig. Abgesehen davon passen die Teile auch nicht wirklich gut an alle Spannreifen, sondern nur an die Standart-Modelle. Wenn wir von vorgefertigten, industriellen Dämpfern sprechen, finde ich den MiniMuff von Mr.Muff am besten.

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Hi Andreas und danke für den Kommentar 😎!! Ich kenne die Masshoff Methode erst seit ca. 5-6 Jahren. Der O-Ring hat sicherlich als ausgeschnittenes Fell begonnen und Steve Gadd hat ihn zweifelsohne berühmt gemacht 😉 - wobei er ja später zu einem vorgedämpften Powerstroke Fell wechselte, das den Ring ja quasi ab Werk schon innen ans Fell montiert hat. Vom MiniMuff habe ich schon gehört und habe ihn bei einem Backline Set schon mal am Floor Tom erlebt. Auf der Snare habe ich ihn noch nicht verwendet - ist aber sicher super 👍. Allerdings bekomme ich wie gesagt jede beliebige Dämpfung mit dem Felt Strip hin, ansonsten verwende ich gern Gel, den Weckl Dampener und wenn nichts anderes vorhanden ist Tape 👍.

[@alexg4284]

Love my o rings

[@ofdrumsandchords]

You forgot one : climb on your snare drum when the skin is new. I put a towel and all my weight on the head, it loses a half tone, I tune it on the note I want, then I do it again. Not only the head will keep the note, but that eliminates some harmonics. Of course, the rule is tune precisely all the lugs on exactly the same note. Playing latin tunes snares off, detuning is not an option. A little cloth change purse, tied to a lug can do. When you have to play brushes, just throw it. Most of the time, a gel is more than enough. The hard part is playing lightly in small places.

[@SimonSpringerMusic]

Thanks for sharing! I do that pressure thing too while tuning. It's very important to get the head settled. Also cracking the glue in most drumheads is super important. But all that would really belong more in a tuning video 😉. Man, tuning is another world of its own 😅.