These Drums Weren't Meant to Do This | Season Six, Episode 47

[@dreadedscarpia2066]

Perhaps one of the most important concepts for any player to come to terms with. One never sees, say, a pianist having the Baldwin "for blues" and the Steinway "for jazz," or the orchestral trumpeter saying, "Oh no, THAT horn is only for Bartok, never for baroque." Madness! Instruments should be regarded as transparent to the player.

[@jc3drums916]

You see that all the time with guitars. And with pianos it may not be practical, but with piano samples, it happens a lot as well - Steinway and Bösendorfer are used for classical, Yamaha for contemporary styles, etc.

[@jndmoto7340]

The more i watch the more i love this channel. Its nice to listen to someone who actually understands what they're saying and not just mindlessly play chops

[@VanillaMoose101]

Own up Cody, this episode is just an excuse for you to show off how versatile and well-rounded a drummer you are! 😉 Excellent content and truth-bombs as always!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Haha, he’ll appreciate that and I can confirm that the reality is just as good as what you see in the episode. Cheers! -Ben

[@xyanide1986]

If that silly ozzy man can make a "Jin Bao" trash kit with rough chopped bearing edges sound good, then so can you.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Ha! It’s not about making a drum sound good though. That’s easy once you’ve gathered the information and worked towards building experience through concerted effort and practice. This is about stepping out of your comfort zone / the preconceived notions for what certain gear is for.

[@xyanide1986]

@@SoundsLikeADrum yeah I getcha but aside from that it is the notion that certain drums are only suitable for certain things, and with that comes a price tag.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

The price tag is a separate discussion (and something we didn't really address at all in this episode since we have previous episodes that cover this) but definitely don't let it be a defining factor for what you're willing to try any more than how the drums were marketed.

[@dr.threatening8622]

I was wondering if I was the only guy who thought about the cashies kit and the bootleg Zildjian. Great message here.

[@the6ig6adwolf]

​@dr.threatening8622 the "bootleg Zildjian" isn't actually a bootleg. It was made by Zildjian for the drummer of 21 Pilots.

[@_gigi_1143]

Put emperors on my toms like 2 years ago now, been hitting them like a monkey and changed the tuning a hundred times, each time is renewed creativity for the new few months.

[@mikefloyd5359]

Another fantastic video, guys! I'm a pretty new drummer, continuing to learn and have a blast for the past 14 months. I can easily get lost in the mechanics and details of learning to play, so I love your channel for the constant reminders of what is possible through exploration. As my playing proficiency and consistency increases, I'll start playing with different tuning even more. I am really looking forward to finding out what all the different sounds are that I can get out of my Ludwig Element Evolution kit. You guys give me confidence that this kit will be able to take me anywhere I want to go on this drumming journey! Two more quick points. I LOVE the sound you are getting from the bass drum in this video. It sounds amazing.... to me! Also, Cody's playing is always a treat and is extra enjoyable in this episode. Will we ever get to see/hear Ben play, or is there a nugget buried in past seasons that I need to dig up? Cheers!

[@jonashellborg8320]

I just love the statement that drums don’t make a sound. And even more love hearing two different drummers play the same setup, the kit/cymbals sound completely different in different hands. One of the most powerful things to learn, I find, is various ways to grip and throw the stick, or hands, or brushes onto the kit/cymbals. Even sticks vs brushes is about gear, and I focus a lot more on what my hands are doing in either case, than what size stick I have in my hands.

[@Aeolus999]

I like hearing and playing high tuned toms and also I played jazz for years with a 22 inch kick. Jazz people sometimes turned their noses up at it but it sounded great. There are sometimes weird expectations and judgements from other musicians, not even drummers, about what your gear should be. I was once told that my cymbals 'weren't really jazz cymbals' by a band leader

[@morrinsville23]

I watched a video from "the drum thing" playing a bunch of fifferent style of sticks on the same ride cymbal, the difference was huge, would be keen for your guys take on that

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We’ve addressed this topic in episodes of Cymbal Sounds on our Patreon.

[@morrinsville23]

@@SoundsLikeADrum all good thank you for replying : )

[@remygaron8311]

Thank you i sure will chek my material with a diff way now

[@nikolabegonja5490]

Looking at the comments, seems like you really struck a nerve with some people who think with their wallets. Expensive kits are "better", but any drumkit can do what you want it to do if you have the experience to get that sound you want. Or even the sound you don't want, but it's still an interesting sound.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

That really seems to be the case and it's a bit surprising as none of this was about the price tag or even the quality of the drums. In a way, this is a perfect example of how the drumming community has been conditioned to expect certain things from an instrument.

[@willymccabe6602]

What comment would that be? I haven't seen any of the sort.

[@jerrygamez5723]

Loved the video. Thanks for all your content.

[@Andrew3154]

I have a very cheap PDP entry level set. I get compliments all the time on the sound. What did I do? New heads. It’s my rehearsal set, so I don’t know how they would sound at a gig. I think still pretty good.

[@markospolar1577]

Hi guys, great video and great advice! Thank you! BR, M

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@5:00 "Billy Martin' ... right now..? I had to verify who you were referring to at first I thought you were talking about BIlly Martin who recorded for London Records in Canada in the late 60s.. jazz funk idiom. Cheers sir good demonstration of the possibilities available to the drummer.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

The one thing I do want to play with is taking 'meh' cymbals and crashes and hammer them out so they sound more appealing to my tastes or needs. That's a 'point of no return' type of destruction though ! I haven't come across any 'secrets of zildjian cymbal makers' books lately though 😂

[@Kozouakomachan9079]

Ａwesome alwais✰you are the best drummer!!🥁🎶⚡✨🌠🌟☝🏻👌🏻👍🏼

[@camerondean6804]

I'm not sure if this comment is relevant, I've really began to question the belief that jazz equals tight heads and rock equals looser heads. In the past few days I've heard techs from three of rocks best drummers (Peart, Van Halen, and Copeland) all comment about the high tuning all three used, especially on snare (Peart and Copeland) and toms (Peart, Van Halen, and Copeland). Van Halen's tech said it never fails that drummers he sees trying to get Alex's sound always tune too low, especially the toms. I'm not saying tune your snare snd toms high... I'm certain all three of the previously mentioned drummers tried tuning every way under the sun. What I am saying is preconceived notions and there's only one way to get a certain sound might not be the best path. In a way, similar to what he shared in the video.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Absolutely relevant and we love your thought process and references!

[@camerondean6804]

@@SoundsLikeADrum Thank you.

[@benkornak]

I’ve been leaning into the same belief you stated at the beginning of your comment. One of my favorite recordings is Autumn Leaves with Steve Gadd playing drums, and his kit is not tuned high like we think of ‘jazz’ drum tuning. I never once thought that those drums sounded weird or didn’t fit the style or vibe of the music

[@camerondean6804]

​@@benkornakBen, I guess it comes down to: Don't be afraid to experiment and tune to the songs/situation at hand. Have a great day.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

It’s funny because this seems so simple and even familiar, is it’s often the same approach when it comes to what’s best to play (the beat, the feel, the phrasing, etc.). It makes a lot of sense that we would approach the tone of our instruments in similar fashion. It’s no surprise that the sound of our drums will also impact how/what we play so working to establish alignment between the musical context and our artist intentions (inclusive of tone and performance elements) up front will yield the best possible performance. I know this can start to sound a bit clinical/overly analytical, but these subtle (and often not-so-subtle) choices make all the difference. Cheers!

[@DrummerRIP]

Fantastic! EXPERIMENT! 10 out of 10! A+++ TY

[@Michael_Stipend]

What’s the batter head on the bass? Sounds incredible!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks! That's the UV EQ4 with the Calftone EQ4 as a reso with an added felt strip. All gear is listed in the video description for future reference.

[@Michael_Stipend]

@@SoundsLikeADrum Awesome, thanks for your response. I’ve got a Calftone EMAD batter and plain Calftone reso on my 20” and I’m close to this tone, just trying to get a bit more boom out of it. I like both heads tuned up quite high for that “third tom” sound, but it’s sounding a little dead at lower dynamics. I’m going to keep tinkering.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Lower dynamics tend to suffer when the batter head is muffled too much for a given context. You might consider using the thinner ring if you're still on the wide EMAD ring or even remove the muffling ring entirely. Happy experimenting!

[@ericessenberg3591]

I’m wondering if you’ll be able to pitch those heads back down and still get a usable sound from them or are they stretched too much???

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep! I just brought them back down after having them up in this range for a couple weeks and they did quite well. It helps that we didn’t beat the hell out of them either. They’re as durable as a set of Evans G1 drumheads and are surprisingly capable of traversing the range of a drum multiple times over with realistic usage.

[@GillamtheGreatest]

but can you make a cheapo amazon kids drum set sound good?

[@AtTheSourceStudios]

I know it's not an advertisement for the drums but those are some amazing drums there. Great sound and beautiful finish. Perfect studio kit! Curious if you guys will try the new Pearl R2 Air suspension mounts?

[@norbertrenner9364]

It's easy to say....all you can experience in the hole wide world,you can also experience in your garden....when you' ve allready been travelling around a lot of countrys....and travell further every week to new territory.....so,let the folks try out what ever they want....money and time is not the same for everybody.....and a Pearl mlx or masters drum set ....by the way...is kind of a pritty high quality set....so in the sizes you have it there,you can for sure get allmost every sound you want....if quality or brand dosn't matter....as you preach....why don't you use a Pearl Export or Sonor special edition set with china made poplar shells....that would be a lot more easy to beleave your message....

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater on this one. We're both simple musicians working our way through the world. I've bought very few drums and have invested in good quality instruments that last a good, long time. Simply put, we don't have the money to buy another kit (or the space to store one!) for the sake of these videos. We use what we have available to us. It sounds as if you're questioning whether we practice what we preach here and we absolutely do. As was stated in this video, this isn't about the drums but more about what you're willing to do with them. As you implied, not everyone has the same experience that we've worked so hard to get for ourselves (we've made a lot of compromises along the way!) or the same equipment (something we've also invested in as professionals). We hope to share what we've learned so that others may have similar experiences and be able to learn these lessons without needing to travel to quite the same extent. Not everyone is/wants to be a professional musician and that's okay. This is stuff that we can all learn and benefit from. ✌️ -Ben

[@quintessenceSL]

Would be a more compelling argument if you took a junker set and showed the different sounds available.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Hmmm, we appreciate what you're saying but this wasn't about the quality of the drums being a defining factor in the range of options. In fact, if you're still fixating on the drums themselves then it might be worth going back and rewatching the episode because the key variable being highlighted here is what YOU are willing to do with your drums.

[@quintessenceSL]

@@SoundsLikeADrum Except you are using a 4 grand kit to make your point. Imagine my surprise those can be used in numerous contexts. Tone deaf much?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Again, you're focusing WAY too much on the price/quality (even though these drums can be found for half of what you quoted). If your expectation for what sound a drum can produce is dependent on the price tag, you're setting yourself up for quite a bit of placebo. Still, the point here is that it's worth experimenting outside of your range of expectations. Can that be easier with a quality instrument? Sure! But that doesn't make the point any more or less valid here.

[@ErickC]

I mean, you could get that from watching RDavidR or That Drum Thing. If the shells are reasonably round and the bearing edges aren't terrible, you're going to be able to do pretty much everything this kit does. Why should they go out of their way to buy a cheap kit just to prove that? Plenty of other channels have already made that point.

[@c.l.4895]

Seriously though, for many of us a “starter kit” is a luxury. The posters point is what can you do with cracked shells and warped hoops and a rusty pedal chain? I’m playing on 20 year old tom heads because $. What about the free afterthought cymbals that were thrown in that literally sound like trashcan lids? Where is that minimum entry point?