Tip 1
Play with a relaxed, whipping motion. Don't press the sticks into the drumhead or cymbal but make them rebound.
Instead of playing all notes and all four limbs equality loud, use dynamics, accentuate the fundamentals and play the rest softly. This will also improve your musicality.
Tip 2
Use maple sticks, they're lighter than hickory.
5A is an all-around size, don't go larger than 5B. I you need more grip, take a larger size but lower weight instead of a small but heavy stick. For ex, 5A maple is preferred over 7A hickory.
Wood, long barreled tips make cymbals darker and thus softer.
Tip 3
Use less gear.
The more gear you have, the more you're tempted to hit everything and the more noise you make. Concentrate on the fundamentals: kick, snare, hats, ride. Add two toms and two crashes and you're set. Only take what you hit frequently. That could mean dropping the 2nd crash in jazz, adding a cowbell and timbales if playing latin or adding a double pedal for metal, but be strict.
Tip 4
If you're playing in a band and don't hear an instrument, don't turn it louder but make all others quieter.
Tip 5
Inspect the room's acoustics and muffle hard surfaces, especially directly behind the drum.
A large room is preferred over a smaller because it will sound warmer.
Tip 6
Buy a transparent drum shield or make one.
Tip 7
Use coated, muffled heads. These will cut high frequencies and sustain. Single batter heads are preferred over double heads because they're more sensitive and can be played softer.
Tip 8
Use no more than 16-18 wires on a snare drum. You can cut them down to 12, especially on 10-12" snare. The smaller the snare, the less wires you need. The less wires, the more of the shell's character you hear. In the past, only 12-16 wires were used. The current standard of 20 wires (and sometimes up to +30!) makes for very aggressive snares.
Tip 9
Use thin, small cymbals and avoid bright series.
Crashes and chinas make the most noise and should be thin. If you need more presence, take a larger size instead of a thicker model. Don't be afraid to stray from the default; try 13" hats and medium-thin rides.
Tip 10
Use thin, small shells.
Kick no larger than 20" and snare no larger than 13". Deep size is OK to offset the loss in diameter but avoid very deep shells.
One thing NOT to do, is taking out ear plugs. This will simply damage your ears because no matter how soft you play, a drum will still be loud if you're stting right behind it. If you feel that the standard -25dB plug muffles too much, make one of -15dB but don't go bare. The only occasion I would avoid earplugs or iso-phones is when playing with brushes or playing very soft acoustic music. But even jazz and large latin bands can produce quite a lot of volume, so beware.
Play with a relaxed, whipping motion. Don't press the sticks into the drumhead or cymbal but make them rebound.
Instead of playing all notes and all four limbs equality loud, use dynamics, accentuate the fundamentals and play the rest softly. This will also improve your musicality.
Tip 2
Use maple sticks, they're lighter than hickory.
5A is an all-around size, don't go larger than 5B. I you need more grip, take a larger size but lower weight instead of a small but heavy stick. For ex, 5A maple is preferred over 7A hickory.
Wood, long barreled tips make cymbals darker and thus softer.
Tip 3
Use less gear.
The more gear you have, the more you're tempted to hit everything and the more noise you make. Concentrate on the fundamentals: kick, snare, hats, ride. Add two toms and two crashes and you're set. Only take what you hit frequently. That could mean dropping the 2nd crash in jazz, adding a cowbell and timbales if playing latin or adding a double pedal for metal, but be strict.
Tip 4
If you're playing in a band and don't hear an instrument, don't turn it louder but make all others quieter.
Tip 5
Inspect the room's acoustics and muffle hard surfaces, especially directly behind the drum.
A large room is preferred over a smaller because it will sound warmer.
Tip 6
Buy a transparent drum shield or make one.
Tip 7
Use coated, muffled heads. These will cut high frequencies and sustain. Single batter heads are preferred over double heads because they're more sensitive and can be played softer.
Tip 8
Use no more than 16-18 wires on a snare drum. You can cut them down to 12, especially on 10-12" snare. The smaller the snare, the less wires you need. The less wires, the more of the shell's character you hear. In the past, only 12-16 wires were used. The current standard of 20 wires (and sometimes up to +30!) makes for very aggressive snares.
Tip 9
Use thin, small cymbals and avoid bright series.
Crashes and chinas make the most noise and should be thin. If you need more presence, take a larger size instead of a thicker model. Don't be afraid to stray from the default; try 13" hats and medium-thin rides.
Tip 10
Use thin, small shells.
Kick no larger than 20" and snare no larger than 13". Deep size is OK to offset the loss in diameter but avoid very deep shells.
One thing NOT to do, is taking out ear plugs. This will simply damage your ears because no matter how soft you play, a drum will still be loud if you're stting right behind it. If you feel that the standard -25dB plug muffles too much, make one of -15dB but don't go bare. The only occasion I would avoid earplugs or iso-phones is when playing with brushes or playing very soft acoustic music. But even jazz and large latin bands can produce quite a lot of volume, so beware.
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