To our dear drummers, drop the knowledge

[capnreverb]

I figured it might be helpfull if some of you kind fellers could offer us non drummers some good drum maintenance tips.

I just had a drummer friend set up my drums in my new permanent recording space. I can record the drums well, but I am no drummer.

I bought some pads/felts, a drum key, some 7a sticks (thats the size both my drummers use.... I should get another size (sugestions?), brushes.

As a drummer if you were going to somebodys place to play the drums, what are some things you would like to have all ready there?

What is the general ettiquite on tuning a kit that is not yours? My one drummer tunes them amazing and i get a little bit weary when another drummer comes and tunes them down or differantly. It usually only takes my one drummer friend 10 minutes or so to get them back so I dont worry too much. Just wondering what the unwritten code is.

My kit is a small Slingerland jazz kit that sounds so nice that at least two other drummers have played them and went out and bought the same kind of kit, weening themselves from big huge rock kits. So, I know the kit is good. I was told by two differant drummers not to change the heads until they cant be tuned anymore, and that is part of their magical sound. I know Charlie Watts does not change his heads until he has to. What is the ettiquite on changing heads on drums that are not yours?

So, this has been a pretty long winded post to basically ask for drum kit tips for non drummers.

[suppositron]

I'm no drummer either, but I've been lectured by my drummer whom is very knowledgeable. If a drummer comes in and tightens up your heads and stretches them out you can't go back to tuning them the way they were before. I'd say if they want to make minor adjustments because they drifted from temp or humidity that's fine but if they want to completely alter the tuning you'll need new heads. Whether you want to tell them to bring replacement heads or charge them for it that's up to you.

[ckeene]

generally, the lifecycle of a head is either:
1. It progressively stretches out til further tightening can;'t get it in tune or resonating correctly
2. It gets dented up to the point where it can't be tuned

I guess in terms of etiquette, I'd mainly worry about the heads.

If you have a agreement to use someone else's drums for recording, that person should understand the drums will often be retuned back and forth. I think it's also fair to change the heads more frequently, and clients should be encouraged to come to the studio with fresh heads. I think if you need to change head type for a session, the session should end with you putting the original heads back on the drums. It's one thing to come in and find your kit tuned up differently, but it's another matter to come in and find the "wrong" heads on the kit.

Anytime you change heads, it's a good opportunity to clean the fuzz out of the drum and wipe down the bearing edges and lightly lubricate the tension rods.

Also another issue with shared drums is that hardware sometimes gets stripped, or abused. Make sure you have replacement felts and cymbal sleeves, and if something requires a wrench to turn, make sure you don't use pliers. Also, it would help to go through the kit with the owner to make sure you know about any hardware eccentricities - it seems like every kit has some.

In shared situations, it's generally accepted that drummers play their own cymbals and kick pedal, although in a studio, those items are often made available, so figure out beforehand how you want to arrange this.

[objektivone]

It is also considered quite rude to use "breakables".... this means cymbals, sticks, maybe even a snare depending on drummer. Most drummers when using another kit use hardware and shells.... but usually use their own pedal, sticks, cymbals, and usually snare.

From my experience touring and recording this is what I have come to know and is standard. However, many studios have a certain drum sound that sounds great in their studio so they will allow you to use a lot of these.

[farview]

First off, there is no 'one true way' to tune a drum set. The tuning will depend on the style of the player and the genre of music.

If a drummer is used to having the bounce off of heads that are tuned high, it will mess him up to have the heads loose, the opposite is also true.

If they are coming over to record your music, you should have some say in how the drums are tuned. If you are recording his music, not so much.

Having specialty things like brushes and mallets around is a good idea, sticks are more personal. If a drummer shows up without sticks, punch him in the head and get someone else to play drums-he's obviously not qualified.

Think of it this way: If you have a guy that has played a Gretch Country Gentleman strung with 12's his entire life and hand him a BC Rich Warlock strung with 8's, you won't get a decent performance.

A great performance with so-so sound will be great. A so-so performance that sounds great will still suck.

[snatchman]

SOT....Is there a " standard" key that drums are tuned to..? ( A , C,D, etc..).. I've heard where drums are tuned to different keys depending on the key of the song.. ( this is for studio recording of course...not live... ..)

[snoopy23]

Speaking from the perspective of being an active drummer for 20+ years, (And a studio owner) I would be happy to offer my two cents worth. On tuning, I would say that your ears know best. I prefer to tune my heads so that the bottom head is a little more tensioned than the top head. I tune the top head so the drums sounds full and boomy, without that "pingy" attack of a head tuned too tight. You may want something different, but you should play around with head tensions and see what works for you. Making the bottom head tighter or looser can really change the decay of the drum in interesting ways. I also saw a friend take off his heads, put some cotton balls inside, put the heads back on and tune the drums ridiculously loose and flappy. They sounded like shit when I played them, but in the mixing room, it was like "Dooooooooooommmmm", very cool and fun to play with. Ultimaltely, go with what you like best. If another drummer comes in and wants to crank your heads up, he obviously wants a different sound than you are offering and should probably be encouraged to bring in his own set. After all, your set has a special quality that is not going to sound too different, whether the heads are tight or loose and if the drummer doesn't like how they sound now, chances are all cranked up is not going to be the best option for him either. That said, if a drummer does crank your heads up and makes them all loose and flappy when you retune them. try hitting them for a few minutes with a hair dryer (obviously not too close to the head, rather in big, sweeping motions across the head). This will tighten it up a little and give the heads back some life.
As far as tuning to specific notes, I feel the drum should be tuned to itself rather than attwempting to reach a certain pitch. I do know a jazz drummer tunes to specific pitches and his kit sounds great for how he uses it, but in most cases this is simply not necessary.
Also, one great addition to any studio is this great stuff called "Moon Gel". It is a sticky resonant little translucent pad that can be stuck anywhere on the head and really helps in eliminating unwanted overtones without deadening the drum. It gets kinda hairy after being used, but a quick wash with soap and water makes it new again. It comes in cans of four pieces and is sold in most drum stores (and guitar centers) for about $10. And no, I don't work for them
Finally, if a drummer shows up and doesn't have sticks, you should take a pair of yours and shove them right up his ass. He should know better.
As a matter of course and courtesy, whenever I play on anyone else's set, I always bring my own snare, cymbals, pedals, and sticks. These are a huge part of why I sound like me, and I would not want to break anyone else's cymbals and snare. And as far as sticks go, I prefer my own particular brand and size. When I play with different sticks I sometimes think, "Wow, I like this size, I will check these out", and sometimes it is the opposite. The sticks are as individual as what kind of toothpaste you use, and you will not play the drums as well with someone else's toothpaste.

Ultimately, you can always replace a drummer with a machine in most respects. But damn, we are sexy.
As a good friends said recently, "An okay drummer can make a great band sound okay, but a great drummer can make an okay band sound great!"

[farview]

SOT....Is there a " standard" key that drums are tuned to..? ( A , C,D, etc..).. I've heard where drums are tuned to different keys depending on the key of the song.. ( this is for studio recording of course...not live... ..)

Some people do that, but it's pretty rare. Most drums have a range in which they 'like' to be tuned. Tuning a drum higher or lower than that won't sound very good. So, in order to tune the drums to specific notes, you would have to pick shells that like to be tuned to those notes...

[LeedyGuy]

So you say you have a small slingerland kit. Is it a 60s? Is it safe to assume that it is a 3 piece? 18, 14, 12? 20, 16, 13? Possibly a 4 piece? 20, 16, 12, 12?

Knowing that will help with what I can tell you about tuning those specific drums.

One thing about tuning to pitches I can add is taht you don't necessarily want to tune to certain pitches, but tuning to intervals can be okay. You can tune three toms to a triad or 2 toms to a 4th or 5th. I never do that for some reason, but when I see guys who do I tend to like that type of sound.

Also, if these are 60s Slings, they are 3 ply and, in my opinion, should really have clear diplomats as bottom heads to get that super vintage Motown-ish sound. Stay away from 2 ply heads and if you use a coated top head (like an Ambassador) it will sound awesome once about 1/4 of the coating has worn off!

.02

-Ken

[Professor]

For me it's a little different because not only do I play drums, but I'm also really quite good at tuning and tech-ing drums, and I have more gear than just a single drumset around the studio. So when I have someone come in for a session, I try to get them in ahead of time to check out the studio kit and see what they would like to use. If they like the bass drum, we use it. I have five toms (8, 10, 12, 14, 16) and they pick two or three that sound like what they want - and that last bit is key because I have them pick the sound, not the size, and that prevents having to drastically retune any individual drum. For the snare, I only have 3 so far, but the 5x14 wood drum is tuned on the low end of its range, the 3x13 steel picc is tuned in kind of the middle of its range, and the 5x10 'popcorn' snare is tuned approriately high - and here again, I have them pick the sound. If they want to bring in any of their own drums, hardware, or cymbals to supplement our kit, or just use some of our stuff to supplement their kit, that's fine by me. If any tuning is required, I generally insist on taking care of that myself. Yeah, it seems a little megalomaniacal, and yes that might even apply to their kit too, but once they see me doing it we're usually OK. It's a simple way to assure that the drums aren't really radically retuned, especially when there is another drum available as an option. If the song calls for a certain sound, and the appropriate drum is still too low or high, then it has to change and it does. As far as our cymbals, they are really top-shelf models that sound great (usually better than what the students own) so they are always welcome to be used. And the hardware and configuration is entirely up to the player, after all, the drum should be where he expects it to be. That can get really frustrating sometimes when I try to reset the kit after the session, but that's the balance. I'm trying to serve the client and their music, so setting the kit the way they want and tuning the drums for him is all part of the service.

Of course, all of this is just how things work around here and really may not help you too much, and doesn't really hit your initial question.

Here's what I figure is fair for you to offer, and to expect (or demand) of your guests.
- You have a drumset available but only one set, so it should be available to be used in whole or in part with the client's gear, and you should expect that it may get completely torn down and rearranged.
- Drumheads are a tricky spot here, and since you're not a drummer I would recommend that you ask that the heads not change. Ask your drummer friends what the most versatile heads for your set might be... not their favorite on their kit, but the most flexible and forgiving for general use for your set. (I happen to love the Evans EC-2 heads on my toms here, but your kit might sound better with Remo Ambassadors.) If the client really needs brand X they can bring their own drums, or pay extra for the new heads and for your tech to change them. Or if that feels weird to you and he insists he's a competent drum tech, let him take off your heads and put his on, but then have your tech/friend swap them back.
- Snares are tricky because drummers are pretty specific, and they are more complicated to tune. Like I said, I have three handy and would love to get two more. Since a nice 3x13 steel piccolo snare can be had for about $100-120 it might be something to add to the 'eventually' list because having one around will help when the drummer wants a really high-pitched snare sound. For now though, if they don't like yours, encourage them to bring their own. It should be a part of their personal sound anyway and I've often told players, "...and of course your snare sound is such a personal trademark that you'll probably just want to bring yours along anyway..." as a subtle way of coaxing them away from trying to mutilate one of my drums.
- Cymbals - just figure on sharing those. I believe they define a pro player's sound, but it's always nice to add another crash, or to swap to a different ride sound for different tunes. I have a bright & pingy ride and a darker, splashy (but still articulate) ride handy in the studio. I also have 13" & 14" hats, 3 crashes, 2 splashes, and 1 china. Just be really careful when the drummer is packing up that all of your cymbals stay in your studio - I like marking in Sharpie on the underside of the cymbal bells.
- Hardware - Have enough to put everything up. You may never need to, but at least it's there. I try to avoid mixing my hardware with theirs, but mine is pretty damn obvious, and just in case every piece is labeled.
- Sticks & such. Yes, he should bring his own. But it's not uncommon that the drummer might not bring brushes, mallets, etc. He may never use them normally, but in the heat of the session the producer might suggest them. Since I know drum sounds particularly well, I've often even swapped a player's sticks for something with a larger or smaller bead, etc. including occasionally going to my own stick bag for stuff. 7A sticks are alright but very light, and you would do well to have a nice pair each of 5A, 5B, brushes and felt mallets suitable for toms & cymbals. They don't need to come out for every session, but having them handy in a drawer somewhere could be useful. And you should play with them a little, especially on cymbals to learn the differences in sound from the different tips.
- Spare parts - You already mentioned the felts and washers and drum keys. Once you arrive at a brand and model of drum heads, keeping spares around wouldn't hurt. I even keep old heads that were taken off for sound but are still useable. One, maybe two snare heads, and one each for the toms should be sufficient. Bass drum heads are expensive to keep as spares and don't break very often.

Now all you need is a nice cowbell and you should be set.

-Jeremy

[cgarges]

As a drummer if you were going to somebodys place to play the drums, what are some things you would like to have all ready there?

Every single piece of the kit properly working and completely adjustable. This includes a drum throne that doesn't require a bunch of bullshit to adjust the height. There need to be cymbal sleeves on all the cymbal stands so that A) the cymbals won't rattle against the center post and B) so that my cymbals don't get damaged from rubbing up against the center post. The heads need to be a good shape with no dents or excessive wear. Same goes for the snare wires on the snare drum. There needs to be a clutch on the hi hat stand that is fully functional and won't slip.

If there's anything on the kit that's a pain to deal with, it defeats the purpose of not having to use my own stuff, which I generally prefer to do anyway.

Everything else is pretty much session-dependent. You can be really militant about the type of heads or tuning that's on your studio kit, but then don't be surprised when not everybody wants to use them. You can also be extremely accommodating and provide a kit that people love to play.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[percussion boy]

General thought:
If you're going to offer a drumset as part of your studio setup, you (or someone else you can bring in easily) should be able to tune and maintain that set. Just like having an acoustic piano tuned as often as needed, or having extra tubes handy for any studio amps.

Equipment failure and lame-sounding gear make a studio look bad. Sweet-sounding gear (e.g., well-tuned drums with frequently changed heads) makes a studio look good.

It's also worth experimenting to find out what mics, and what spot in the studio, usually flatter the kit. I was in a situation once where the engineer didn't know how to make my kick sound good, but did know how to make the studio kick sound good. I used the house kick, problem solved.

Hope this helps.

[DrummerMan]

a drum throne that doesn't require a bunch of bullshit to adjust the height.

+1. Fuckin' right. Damn important. I always find the kind that screw up and down to be more reliable than the straight shaft variety, but that might be just me, or my luck over the years.

There need to be cymbal sleeves on all the cymbal stands so that A) the cymbals won't rattle against the center post and B) so that my cymbals don't get damaged from rubbing up against the center post.... There needs to be a clutch on the hi hat stand that is fully functional and won't slip.

Also right up at the top of my list.

On the heads thing, as a general rule, I'd keep new heads around and some gently worn heads around. Different drummer prefer different things. I personally don't like new heads, but I don't like heads that are completely dead. It can be hard to find something in between unless you're playing your own heads that you never really hit super hard and don't change the tuning of much (if at all). That's why I usually end up bringing my own toms a lot of the time, or at least my own floor tom. If you really want to be prepared, have a set of Ambassadors, but also keep a set of, like, pinstripes around. That might be the tone (or lack of ) for a certain session and it might be frustrating for a drummer to come in and have to figure out how to maneuver the dynamics of Ambassadors when they've gotten really used to, say, the beat-to-hell pinstripes at their rehearsal space.

[objektivone]

SOT....Is there a " standard" key that drums are tuned to..? ( A , C,D, etc..).. I've heard where drums are tuned to different keys depending on the key of the song.. ( this is for studio recording of course...not live... ..)

This question has been answered but to add this in as well.... DW drums are tuned and pitch matched as sets. They check the resonance of the wood and stamp the note on the inside of the shell.....

So some drumsets are constructed to resonate at different pitches that match and don't cross frequencies too mcuh.

[cgarges]

So some drumsets are constructed to resonate at different pitches that match and don't cross frequencies too mcuh.

If drumsets are well-picked they are paired together like that, but they're not manufactured that way.

DW didn't do anything new except stamp the fundamental pitch inside the drum. People have been using the fundamental of the shell and tuning drums based on that for years. You can do this with absolutely ANY drum.

I've seen DW kits come out of the factory with the most fucked-up intervals between the drums, if you're going by what's stamped inside the shells-- whole steps between floor toms and stuff like that.

I have owned eight drumkits in my life and have never, ever, ever, not one time, ever picked the kit based on the pitch of the fundamentals of the shells. I've tuned drums to specific pitches on occasion, but I don't do it all the time. It's a useful trick, but not something I would base any sort of major decision on.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC