What pro drummers know about dynamics that you don't

[@ChipJam]

Great vid. Years ago I heard a quote from John Bonham (perhaps apocryphal) to effect of: ‘in the studio I hit the pads as hard as I can, and the cymbals as soft as I can’ - and I find that to always produce the best result - it allows for a LOT more subtlety and expression from the cymbals overall.

[@CommonSenseMusician]

I don’t care if that’s true or not, I’m stealing it. Thanks for the comment!

[@BD2and4]

Great video 🥁👍🏻 As a Drum-Teacher I totally agree. For starters I ask my students about the Sound behind (where they sit) the drums, and the Sound in the room. 9 out of 10, plays the Kick to lound (rock style), and the Snare to soft. Because the way they are placed (behind the kit). They have difficulties hearing the Kick, so they hit harder with their foot/leg. Because the snare is right in front of them, they have a tendensy to play it too soft. Learn them that it’s the Sound in the room that matters 🥁😉

[@CommonSenseMusician]

Man, I absolutely love this. Thank you so much! I am definitely going to adopt some of this philosophy. Thanks for the comment!

[@eschaef71]

This is great!! one note: My drum teacher asked me to start playing my LF (high hat) stronger to give my beats a more solid anchor, and it helped me. Hard to step on the high hat too hard. Cheers!!

[@1111Paiste]

Great video!! Todd Succherman’s Drumeo video “The Biggest Rock Drumming Myths” is a good one to watch. Also Drumeo’s “What Makes A Drummer Sound Great” with Matt Johnson is a must watch for every drummer wanting to sound better and more professional.

[@CommonSenseMusician]

YES! Totally agree on both!

[@ralphgilbert9527]

Wow haven't heard a lot of those words since I was in high school...another great video.

[@alfredosincovichmartino5027]

Excellent video and explanation using analogue things!

[@JayOConnor-m3t]

Very helpful and useful ideas and suggestions. Thank you!

[@blh174]

Great, informative video.

[@CommonSenseMusician]

Thank you!

[@heathchappell9608]

Good advice for balancing the components of the drums. Looking and listening beyond the cymbals, sometimes I'll pull back for vocals/verses and dig in more for choruses and non-vocal sections. And if I can't hear someone in the band I'll pull back a little. After a while it becomes natural without too much thought.

[@CommonSenseMusician]

Totally agree. If you work at it long enough, it's an instinct more than a conscious decision. Thanks for the comment!

[@dominikn19]

Great video!!!

[@samoliver9132]

Very good info!

[@timdrummer]

Keith is back, very good video as always. A little demonstration on the kit could have been helpfull just to make clear that dynamic is not theoretical kind of a thing invented by ancient composers. :-) Looking forward to a lot more vids to come. I love your humble and competent approach. Greetings from Germany.

[@CommonSenseMusician]

Hello! Thanks for the comment again! I considered including a few playing examples, but decided against it. Maybe I'll do a part 2. Thanks for watching!

[@effthegop]

From my observations, 90% of entry level cover band drummers have no idea how loud the snare and certain cymbals are. Pro bands have pro musicians pro gear and sound techs so the mix is generally good to great. In the drummer's defense, we sit in the absolute spot to be able to fit into the mix but some drummers can do it.

[@CommonSenseMusician]

Truth on all points!

[@CraigShawCraigShaw]

It took listening to recordings of my live playing to realise my cymbals were very loud. So replaced them all with thinner, darker cymbals - easier to get them sounding great at lower volumes. Bigger hi hats are quieter than smaller hats too imo. And lower snare drum tunings sit better in the mix if volume is a concern

[@CommonSenseMusician]

Absolutely. Snare tuning is a big factor. I definitely like it to crack, but it gets pretty loud. Thanks for the comment!

[@timothyslaughter476]

When i need a dynamics reminder i listen to big band. Thank me later!

[@CommonSenseMusician]

I’ll thank you right now. Thank you!

[@luigisavoia2401]

If you're bashing everything there's no place to accent. Everything is an accent at that point. Lower volume equals more control and that leads to more speed, at least for me.

[@CommonSenseMusician]

Very well said. I 100% agree!

[@kane2734]

I don't mean to be pedantic here, but please stop saying 'soft' when you mean 'quiet'. 'Soft' is the adjective to use when referring to the texture of a particular material or the texture of a piece of music. For example: 'The jumper had a soft feeling to it.'. Thanks

[@CommonSenseMusician]

You definitely have a point, and I've always wondered why the music world chose the word, 'soft.' But that's the music school in me, I guess. Thanks for the comment!

[@kane2734]

@@CommonSenseMusician I appreciate you be very understanding - it's a rare quality to have :)

[@seansessions3116]

Sure, but I think words like soft or strong are sometimes more helpful than quiet or loud when approaching a piece of music. “Play this part softly” can have a different meaning than “play this part quietly”

[@kane2734]

@@seansessions3116 To add more detail of how to finesse the performance of a piece of music, phrases such as 'strong manner' and 'delicate manner' come to mind, but I would use them when regarding articulation. 'Strong' or 'delicate' combined with 'quiet' and 'loud' (or somewhere in between) would help the musician perform the music's needs or would help with the expression of the composer's intention(s)