Overly loud drummers

[Mikeg]

im in a small band with two guitarists myself a singer and a drummer, all i can hear is the drummer and my hearing going

Anyone else had this?

[stingrayPete1977]

Anyone not had this?

[mep]

Try These

[attachment=58966:drum_pads.jpg]

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Mikeg' post='958840' date='Sep 16 2010, 09:32 PM']im in a small band with two guitarists myself a singer and a drummer, all i can hear is the drummer and my hearing going[/quote]
My advice if the drummer doesn't quieten down one way or another... buy earplugs, or find another drummer. Or band.

Don't put up with it - life's too short.

[JTUK]

yes... it is a problem when drummers play something quietly and loose something in the feel or play too loud and the same thing happens.

The only thing that will shut our drummer down...is a quieter kit, which would suit us, but not his heavier bands.
Him hitting the skins quieter looses something, IMV.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

I find that during the break, switching on my Zoom b21u drum machine seems to do the trick.

[the_skezz]

I often have trouble hearing myself at practise because the drummer's hitting the skins so hard...that said, I don't mind with him, as his power is responsible for a lot of our sound, if he didn't play so loudly we'd sound nowhere near as good.

[endorka]

[quote name='JTUK' post='958857' date='Sep 16 2010, 09:46 PM']The only thing that will shut our drummer down...is a quieter kit, which would suit us, but not his heavier bands.
Him hitting the skins quieter looses something, IMV.[/quote]

I know this is the case with some drummers, but it doesn't have to be, it is just down to poor or limited technique on their part.

I know some drummers who can groove or swing like nobody's business, while playing in a restaurant at conversation level.

Unfortunately they are rare beasts, who are always busy. Funny that :-)

Jennifer

[Doddy]

[quote name='endorka' post='958934' date='Sep 16 2010, 11:08 PM']I know this is the case with some drummers, but it doesn't have to be, it is just down to poor or limited technique on their part.

I know some drummers who can groove or swing like nobody's business, while playing in a restaurant at conversation level.

Unfortunately they are rare beasts, who are always busy. Funny that :-)

Jennifer[/quote]


This.

[peteb]

Are you in a rock band?

Because all decent rock drummers are pretty loud (ever since they first discovered John Bonham)! If you don't like it you're probably in the wrong band - try playing in a folk trio or jazz or something.....

Edited September 16, 2010 by peteb

[Colledge]

while playing i can stand it, except for his new china, loudest thing on earth.

its when me the 2 guitarists and the singer are all having a quiet conersation / doodle while trying songwriting and he starts bashing away that gets me.

its got to a point now where me and one of the guitarist (cage fighter) have to literally drag him off the drums. its a bit of a running joke now, but he's literally like a 6year old who just ate too many blue smarties.

[TimR]

I have a pair of these. I depped for a loud thrash band and had 10 rehearsals with them. They frowned on them at first saying that they've never played with anyone who wore earplugs before. Not very Rock'n'roll. I told them not to worry I wouldn't wear them at the gigs.

One of the guitarists now has tinitus and had to take a year break from playing. He's back now and has the custom plugs that he always wears at practice AND now at gigs. They're invisible from the audience.

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elacin-ER20S-musicians-hearing-protection/dp/B002W7VNCI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1284676908&sr=8-3"]Elacin ER20[/url]

Of all the drummers I know only four drummers can play the drums properly at all volumes but they also play piano and (coincidently)brass so that might go some way to explain it.

[TimR]

This is a sticky!

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=533&view=findpost&p=4287"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...post&p=4287[/url]

[Cat Burrito]

Our band use a lot of rods & brushes. Failing that you just bang them on the nose with a spoon. They soon get the idea

[risingson]

I think dynamics are the first thing a drummer should concern himself with. Bad dynamics = bad technique as far as I'm concerned. Telling him might offend him but it's probably the only way round it, either that or find I new drummer I reckon.

[gjones]

I know excellent drummers who can play loudly or quietly and you never need to tell them to shut the F**k up! If they ever turn around and tell you they can't play quieter then they're crap drummers, end of story. Power and groove does not always have to equal volume. Not every drummer has to be Animal from the Muppets.

[Happy Jack]

The drummer in my main covers band tends to play too loud and has a tendency to accelerate, especially when he's doing BV's (he's a pretty good singer) or when a song is building to a climax.

It's irritating as hell BUT I'd be very reluctant to swop him for someone with better technique or more restraint.

I've learned a lot from playing with him, he's totally into the music and committed to the band, and more than once I've come off stage and heard people in the audience commenting that "he's a REAL rock drummer".

I'm not trying to contradict earlier posts on this subject, just saying that sometimes it's worth putting up with this sort of thing.

I wear ER15's.

[stewblack]

It's difficult and being in a band often if not always calls for compromises. I've been playing for a million years now and still I've ended up trapped with a drummer I dislike. He can play, it's a personality thing. In my other band the singer is a Spurs fan so that is of course far from ideal.
I'd ask yourself a simple question. Does what he brings to the band compensate for the annoyance? If the answer is yes then learn to put up with him if it's no leave or kick him out.

[JTUK]

[quote name='endorka' post='958934' date='Sep 16 2010, 11:08 PM']I know this is the case with some drummers, but it doesn't have to be, it is just down to poor or limited technique on their part.

I know some drummers who can groove or swing like nobody's business, while playing in a restaurant at conversation level.

Unfortunately they are rare beasts, who are always busy. Funny that :-)

Jennifer[/quote]

Understand this...but when this guy winds up, there is really nothing lacking in his technique...and I mean nothing.
I wouldn't call him an animal as he has way too much finesse for that, even though he comes from a rockier background, he can cook up some nice grooves.

I often ask for a restrained session in the first set, which can work really well, but I know something is lacking. When the volume goes up in the second set, we go to another level. OK, a lot of that is sheer energy, but this guys plays much better loud.
With plenty of other guys, they can play well quieter, but they can't play as well as this guy when full-out.
Would I choose to change drummers...well, I know a few classy drummers , IMV, and I would have to say no

I agree some drummers lose it when chasing volume.

Would he be wasted in a restaurant combo? I'd have to say yes.
Would he blow most of the guys around here away in his context, I'd have to say yes, again, as I think I have played with a fair few of them.
It is horses for courses and he is loud.
I don't know how to get a round that, bar buy him a quieter kit.

[ezbass]

Ask him to use Thai Sticks [url="http://www.jhs.co.uk/regaltip.html"]http://www.jhs.co.uk/regaltip.html[/url] (near the bottom of the page). These significantly reduce the volume without altering the sound of the drums or requiring a change in technique. Amongst others the great Manu Katche uses these.

[Kiwi]

I left a band because the drummer wouldn't play more quietly...even when it was clear we were tighter as a result.

[endorka]

[quote name='JTUK' post='959095' date='Sep 17 2010, 08:23 AM']Understand this...but when this guy winds up, there is really nothing lacking in his technique...and I mean nothing.
I wouldn't call him an animal as he has way too much finesse for that, even though he comes from a rockier background, he can cook up some nice grooves.

I often ask for a restrained session in the first set, which can work really well, but I know something is lacking.[/quote]

I hear what you are saying :-) That's the reason I mentioned that drummers such as this may have poor or limited technique - in this case his ability to play well is limited to high volume levels.

There is no need for this, he has simply not spent enough time practicing at lower volume levels.

Jennifer

[Lozz196]

+1 to suggesting a change of sticks. Our drummer is incredibly quick, but uses the lightest sticks possible, as such he`s not overloud, when in comparison to some rock bands I`ve been in, where the drummer uses heavier sticks, the volume from those guys has at times been way over the top.

[kingforaday]

trouble with hot rods and brushes is most drummers seem very reluctant to even try them in my experience, i play drums as well and i really like using them for certain styles of music but trying to convince drummers of bands i've been in has proved very difficult indeed, they don't like change!

[BigAlonBass]

[quote name='ezbass' post='959096' date='Sep 17 2010, 08:24 AM']Ask him to use Thai Sticks [url="http://www.jhs.co.uk/regaltip.html"]http://www.jhs.co.uk/regaltip.html[/url] (near the bottom of the page). These significantly reduce the volume without altering the sound of the drums or requiring a change in technique. Amongst others the great Manu Katche uses these.[/quote]

+1 for these. A Drummer from the band I was in about three years ago actually bought these himself! He thought he was too loud in the rehearsal room, so these were an easy way of holding the volume back, without having to alter his technique. Back to normal sticks for a gig, and our collective ears thanked him for it.