The Big Kits vs. Small Kits Debate

Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

Reasonnable kit rocks.
A setup like Billy Ward , Gavin Harrison ...

It's perfect ... It give many possibilities in terms of sound but it's not too much like a monster kit.

I agree on that. I have a 5pc now, want to expand to a 6pc so it's gonna be pretty big, but not too big. For me, buying an additional cymbal or drum (or whatever) needs to add value to your playing rather than just your kit. I could get a much bigger kit than a 5pc (or at least, if it weren't for my budget), but at a certain point I would have a bunch of stuff that I rarely use, it would be a waste of my money.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

i'd like a big kit but the space i have for it is limited so i can't expand to much and there is a very very low budget
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

I would love to have a massive kit, but I can't even play a small one. So I would just have a bunch of stuff that I don't know how to use.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

Big drum kits are nice to look at . Depends on what you're into . I use a 4pc ...looking at purchasing a rack for tom suspension/cymbals.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

Sorry I have to

terribozzio.jpg
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

A cocktail kit is basically a four piece though.........
 
Big kit = big possibilities. More options, more musicality. You can play small on a big kit, but you can't play big on a small kit.


Cheers.

This ws posted awhile ago but i really have to disagree. I can think of two examples off the top of my head that use small sets but sound ginormous on recordings. The first is Rodney Holmes. First of all he is one of the most superb drummers I've ever heard and is set sounds alot bigger than it is. the second though I dont know his name and you've probably never heard of the ban. It's a local group called "Joules" i got there CD listened to it and thought he played a huge set, then to my surprize he actually plays a 4 piece set. if you want to hear what im talking about search them on myspace.
 
Small kit

I have been thinking for a while for my self what it is posible to do with only having a snare, hi-hat, and bass.. You know, these days every one has like bunch of toms and cymbals.. I think it takes a lot more creativity to make an interesting solo on a kit that i was talking about earlier and its very interesting to see someone doing that..
If you think about it, there's so many ways how to use a drum.. I mean look at those snare drummers.. http://www.snarescience.com/vids.html .. so what can we do with two drums and a "variable cymbal" how i would like to call it..?? I dont say, that those big kits are bad, not at all.. But sometimes theres just too much of punching and no soft touch..
Tell me whats on your mind??
 
Re: Small kit

I played 4 master classes this week where that was all we had to use- it really makes you focus on the groove and be incredibly creative at the same time. I thought it really helped me, and it was a lot of fun. I love playing small jazz gigs that way too
 
Re: Small kit

I've actually tried that before, just a bass, snare and hi-hats. It's very interesting to see what you can do with it, and its a really good way to work on your time-keeping without the temptations of tom fills and crashes and such.
 
Re: Small kit

its just fine for practices, but not very practical for gigs considering there isnt much you can do in terms of dynamics in volume and such.
 
Re: Small kit

its just fine for practices, but not very practical for gigs considering there isnt much you can do in terms of dynamics in volume and such.

Says who? Just because there's less stuff to hit doesn't mean you can't effectively use dynamics.
 
Re: Small kit

its just fine for practices, but not very practical for gigs considering there isnt much you can do in terms of dynamics in volume and such.

More drums don't increase your dynamics and volume options. That is in your hands. Tonal options to a point yes, but there is more that you can do with a small set than people realize, different tones you can get out of one drum etc.. You just have to spend some time to discover all of it.
 
Re: Small kit

I see a lot more small kits than big kits these days. I think your are defeating the purpose of playing a drum set. Why limit yourself and options? Those snare drummers were cool put they were playing snare solos. When I think of a drum solo I think of someone playing a full kit. Watching a drummer move around the kit and using the various drums and cymbals is more interesting to me than seeing someone playing just one or two drums. Yea you could pull off a solo with just snare, hat, and bass drum and be very creative but a full kit seems better to me. Like Tamadrummer 132 said, I don't think that would be very practical for gigs either although the drummer for the "Stray Cats" made it work.
 
Re: Small kit

I see a lot more small kits than big kits these days. I think your are defeating the purpose of playing a drum set. Why limit yourself and options?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the whole purpose of playing a drum set was to play drums, have fun, make music, provide a backbone for a band etc.. not count how many drums or cymbals you're using?

Yes, using just a bass, snare and hi-hat is not always pratical, but sometimes, it's all that's necessary. A guy like Bernard Purdie could start everyone in the room dancing by just using those basic essentials. For me THAT'S more interesting than seeing a drummer fly around a huge set.

*edit* You're not limited by how many drums you have in front of you. A great drummer will sit down at a bare bones set and see a full pallet of options available to him or her.
 
Re: Small kit

I played 3 gigs last month with nothing more than a snare and brushes. It was heavenly. What a change up from playing the 4 piece. They were in small intimate settings, that didnt lend well to a full kit, or cymbals or even the presence of a bass drum. A fourth gig, I brought 1 crash, 1 ride, hats, bass tom and ft. tom and played mostly brushes on snare with some accents on the toms. really light on the fills.......but it also went very well.
 
Re: Small kit

I played 3 gigs last month with nothing more than a snare and brushes. It was heavenly. What a change up from playing the 4 piece. They were in small intimate settings, that didnt lend well to a full kit, or cymbals or even the presence of a bass drum. A fourth gig, I brought 1 crash, 1 ride, hats, bass tom and ft. tom and played mostly brushes on snare with some accents on the toms. really light on the fills.......but it also went very well.

I do the same thing at the acoustic fingerpicking jams at the local bars. nothin but snare and brushes. very satisfying
 
Back
Top