How does your drummer keep the volume down?

[mrtcat]

We have a few weddings booked this yr where we've been asked to keep the volume to a reasonable level. This is all good but, as with most bands, our volume is dictated by the volume of the acoustic drums. Our drummer is a fairly firm hitter and says hitting softer affects technique. I have no reason to doubt it as he's an honest guy. He's open to suggestions tho for taming the levels. He works really hard to get a really nice sound from his kit and it would be a shame to compromise on this.

It would also be nice to be able to mic things for regular gigs and then bring the level up when needed using the PA.

How do you guys do it? Do you have any damping ideas or anything?

[LukeFRC]

the drummer I play with has practiced lots to have a more advanced technique.

[arthurhenry]

Hotrods.

[discreet]

He doesn't.

[xgsjx]

Hotrods FTW!

Other solution is an electronic kit. Can get Roland & Yamaha ones at a decent price now & they sound awesome.

[EssentialTension]

Our drummer is in control of his volume. This is in part by using a variety of sticks, beaters, brushes, hot rods, etc., but mostly by only hitting the drums and cymbals as hard as is needed for the song and the gig.

[D.I. Joe]

I find that the best drummers that I have played with have good dynamic feel and can hit as heavy or soft as need be. I don't know for sure, but hitting softer would probably encourage better technique rather than compromising it, or vice versa.

My covers band's old drummer once rehearsed with a magazine on his snare - did the trick!

[wateroftyne]

Yip - a good drummer can play authoratively at living room volume.

[discreet]

[quote name='D.I. Joe' timestamp='1339095146' post='1683646']
My covers band's old drummer once rehearsed with a magazine on his snare - did the trick!
[/quote]

But did it help with his volume..?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1339094540' post='1683622']
... Our drummer is a fairly firm hitter and says hitting softer affects technique ...
[/quote]

[quote name='D.I. Joe' timestamp='1339095146' post='1683646']
I find that the best drummers that I have played with have good dynamic feel and can hit as heavy or soft as need be. I don't know for sure, but hitting softer would probably encourage better technique rather than compromising it, or vice versa.
[/quote]
Yes, if you can't play softly then you can't do dynamics.

[JTUK]

The drums are the key to our band going up through the gears..we can start off at practice level and we can reign it in any time we choose.
Our dynamics are good, but we can be loud.

He isn't quiet..and that can be good.... but you just need to consious of what is required

Having said that..we don't promise anything..we do what we do..and make sure people know that.
I think the band are more conscious of level that the audience.. or at least of late

[xilddx]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1339095305' post='1683648']
Yip - a good drummer can play authoratively at living room volume.
[/quote]

All the drummers I've played with over the last ten or so years can do this. It takes real skill and practice.

A suitable cloth over the snare and floor tom can help too.

[bassace]

In my experience, I can put up with a lot from a drummer as long as he keeps his kick drum under control. So often I get reports that the bass is too boomy - when it is the bloody kick drum.

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1339096105' post='1683664']
In my experience, I can put up with a lot from a drummer as long as he keeps his kick drum under control. So often I get reports that the bass is too boomy - when it is the bloody kick drum.
[/quote]

That sounds more like a problem with head tuning or equalisation on part of the engineer if it is miced up rather than how loud the drummer is playing.

I guess it depends on what you're doing. Drums played loudly have a completely different sound to drums played at soft to medium volume. If you want to start playing the drums more softly, it is going to have less attack and not sound quite as good if you're doing rock music. I guess the question is whether you want to put up with that compromise for the purposes of not being too loud? The only other thing I can think of is either getting an electronic kit or drums with smaller shell sizes but I am guessing your drummer does not want to spend loadsamoney.

[paul_5]

He didn't. Note past tense.

[Lozz196]

Our old drummer used very light sticks, so although he was very quick and hit quite hard, he was never particularly loud.

[Hector]

Same way any instrumentalist learns to control dynamic - good technique through practise.

[BottomE]

Its all true ^ but there is a limit to how quiet. Some places book a band then complain that its too noisy. The person booking has to be realistic about what booking a band means in terms of volume levels.

[chris_b]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1339094540' post='1683622']
....Our drummer is a fairly firm hitter and says hitting softer affects technique.....
[/quote]

He is wrong. His technique will affect the volume, not the other way around.

Sounds like drum lessons are called for.

There's no point in having a great sound if it's too loud. That's a bad sound to your clients.

[Gust0o]

Have you tried turning his knob down?

[BassTractor]

From the surface looks of it, the OP's drummer lacks technique, dazzall.

Don't know about his experience level, but I've heard wedding bands play both softly and authoritively, and we're talking very young lads here, and indeed an acoustic drum set.
Remember a great soft-playing band where the audience in fact asked them to turn up the volume.

The drummer I've worked most with, before he got a music college education, would just change sticks, use pads on the kettles and a pillow in the bass drum. I understand that these things change sound, but still.

Edited June 7, 2012 by BassTractor

[peteb]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1339097210' post='1683687']
That sounds more like a problem with head tuning or equalisation on part of the engineer if it is miced up rather than how loud the drummer is playing.

I guess it depends on what you're doing. Drums played loudly have a completely different sound to drums played at soft to medium volume. If you want to start playing the drums more softly, it is going to have less attack and not sound quite as good if you're doing rock music. I guess the question is whether you want to put up with that compromise for the purposes of not being too loud? The only other thing I can think of is either getting an electronic kit or drums with smaller shell sizes but I am guessing your drummer does not want to spend loadsamoney.
[/quote]
I completely agree!

Loud drummers by no means necessarily have bad technique ! A mate of mine is a very capable, hard hitting Bonhamesque drummer who plays in a function band (among others). He uses an electronic kit in that band to keep the noise levels down.

The only other option is to get a different type of drummer who plays quieter - just don't expect him to cut the mustard if you want to play Led Zep covers...!

[BassTractor]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1339104502' post='1683900']Don't agree that loud drummers necessarily have bad technique ![/quote]

I get the feeling we're maybe talking in different terms here.
I for one, don't mean that a loud drummer necessarily has bad technique, but I do mean that a drummer who can't play softly without getting his technique affected, does need more technique. Dynamics are an integral part of most instruments. If one can't handle that, I think technique is lacking. One can still be a wonderful musician though.

[Dad3353]

A [i]good [/i]drummer can play 'most any style at 'most all levels of volume. Not all good drummers are [i]good [/i]drummers. It's not easy; drumming takes a lot of time with good practice routines, and a good foundation with a competent teacher is extremely beneficial, at any time, but especially at the start. There are some 'tricks of the trade' to soften the blow (a tea towel over the snare, muffling rings on the toms, moongel, stick choice; the list is long...) but the real key is technique. Drummers up in the 'Weckl' class play without giving any impression of movement, and belt out mega-licks at any volume, using the dynamics of the instrument with mastery. This mastery is not luck. It's talent, and work. No secret. The art of tuning is also often neglected; most drums, of any make, are capable of being highly musical at any volume. Good ears help here, and can be acquired with patience, trial and error (ok, lot's of error..!); in short, experience.
Just my tuppence worth, and imho, of course.

[Monckyman]

What worked for me was sticking our drummer on In ear monitors.
A simple feed from an aux to a small Spirit folio 4 chan desk and earbuds of his choice,(currently Shure E2cs off ebay).
Because he hears his kit a little louder than usual, he backs off.
He can also hear us!
MM