Have You Found As You've Aged That You Prefer A Smaller Kit?

sydfan

Junior Member
When I was 24, I bought my first professional kit. A Yamaha Power Stage Series 7 piece kit. I had a 10", 12" 13" 14" and 16"toms and a snare and bass. I played that kit for a few years, then I went down to a five piece, using the 12" and 13" toms. I quit playing drums and switched to guitar in '93, and recently got back into playing. I have a Yamaha Birch/Maple Custom Absolute, and while I have a 6 piece kit, I only use a four piece and am really comfortable with that. I have two crashes, a small China, a ride and Hi-Hats. I used to have four crashes, a China a ride and Hi-Hats. I love the smaller kit and I don't see myself turning back. How about you?
 
Some things change:
1978: Ludwig 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, snare and double bass (with lots of cymbals and me with an afro). Now I am saving for a Gretsch USA Custom be bop (or perhaps a DW jazz) kit.

and other's don't:
1978: VW Beetle; now, Passat.

GJS
 
Yeah my original kit configuration 25 years ago was 8,10,12,13,14,15,16 toms. About two years ago (same kit) I downsized it to 10,12,14,16 and in reality I don't use the 16 that often but it's nice to have it there for a little extra low end. I still have all the drums just don't have them setup.
 
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Im 52, and I've played for over 35 years. I always played a full sized kit, with as many as 10 pieces. Now I play only 5. About 6 months ago I bought a Pearl Rhythm Traveler for a bump around kit. I really liked the small drums. I found that it was easier for me to play ergonomically as well as volume and control wise. I immediately felt comfortable behind the smaller kit. My old back didn't hurt as much. I could reach everything easier. I didn't mind transporting as much.
I just bought a Tama 5 piece kit with an 18 inch bass drum, 10, 12, 14 toms, 13 snare. I'm in drum heaven with this little kit! The shallow drums are easier to tune. I like the 13 x 5 snare. I'm using light weight stands for the snare, hats, and the cymbals.
I still like my big old Gretsch, It feels good to get behind it and feel the power after playing the smaller kits.
I like the small kits equally as much. I no longer want to play the big full sized kit all of the time.
I only want to play it on occasion.
So I guess that it is true that as I have aged, I like smaller kits.
My first kit was a 4 piece Slingerland with a 20" bass. I've gone full circle.
 
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Only because I had such a long lay off, and the fact that I play better now than I did before, I glad my current kit is bigger. I can always make it smaller but for love all of the drums. Great thread idea by the way.
 
I've always been a mid size kit guy. A six piece, two up, two down, bass and snare has always been my favorite setup.

It's only been in the last couple of years that I've come to really apreciate the nice four piece kit. I had mine scaled down to that for about a year and really enjoyed it. I may not prefer it to a mid size but I sure do like it, whereas when I was young I really didn't.

We do see things differently when we get older...
 
I'm using light weight stands for the snare, hats, and the cymbals.

I think this is a critical point that is often understated or missed; with smaller drums, you can get away with lighter (and perhaps a bit less expensive) hardware. Set up and tear down is also a breeze. With small kits, it is possible you can beat the pedal steel player in a race to tear down and sit down for that post-gig beer!

GJS
 
I think this is a critical point that is often understated or missed; with smaller drums, you can get away with lighter (and perhaps a bit less expensive) hardware. Set up and tear down is also a breeze. With small kits, it is possible you can beat the pedal steel player in a race to tear down and sit down for that post-gig beer!

GJS
This hardware is half the price! It is sturdy and strong. My hardware bag weighs at least half as much as the bag for my big kit! I like the look of the thin stands also.
I can mic the kit and make it sound as big as I want.
I can't find any downside to the smaller kit!

Standard drum dimensions were established when there was no electronic amplification systems. A big band drummer had to be heard is a giant ball room over a large band.
The big, (many drums kit) became pop with bands like ELP and such.
Most drummers don't need a large dimension many piece kit. They play in small clubs. There is a sound system.
 
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I agree with this whole premise. I am 58,in good shape,but changed for a different reason than many of the older guys.
Many of the younger guys on this forum motivated me to reduce for the sake of CREATIVITY . Even among the famous and very gifted,I often see the owners of large kits whacking at an endless array of cymbals and drums, often overplaying or being driven to sample every percussion toy surrounding them in a 10 foot circle .

As I have aged,I desire better drum sound more than more speed.(OK,OK I would still like more speed...) No criticism intended if you are one of those guys with big kits,just an observation.
tracer
 

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tracer, You make a good point! As I have gotten older, I have learned how to be more creative with less pieces.
I have learned how to get many sounds from my drums and cymbals with technique.
Drums, heads, and cymbals have also changed a great deal since I began playing in the early 70s.
My Tama kit is an entry level kit. The sound and build quality is so good that any level player can appreciate it.
 
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In a word, yes. I went from 10 drums, down to 7 drums, then to 5 drums, then to 4. My current set up is back to 5, with an extra floor tom for a 1 up 2 down configuration, because sometimes two toms just isn't enough for everything.

Also, not only less drums, but smaller drums too, as many others have said.

One of the best things about having one rack tom is having the ride positioned over the bass drum where that 2nd rack tom used to be. It's just SO much more comfortable!
 
One of the best things about having one rack tom is having the ride positioned over the bass drum where that 2nd rack tom used to be. It's just SO much more comfortable!
That is the first thing that I learned when I began studying Jazz four years ago.
 
I've found that how many pieces I prefer depends on what kind of music I play. Heavier stuff, or prog rock kinda stuff... I prefer more pieces. The band I'm playing in now, a 4-piece is enough.
 
I've found that how many pieces I prefer depends on what kind of music I play.

Same here, and I had that sensibility even when I was younger. I never show up with more drums than necessary, which is typically 4 or 5 pieces. Some gigs require literally just a kick & snare, so that's what I bring. But one gig in particular requires the whole enchilada, so this is what I bring:

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Bermuda
 
Same here, and I had that sensibility even when I was younger. I never show up with more drums than necessary, which is typically 4 or 5 pieces. Some gigs require literally just a kick & snare, so that's what I bring. But one gig in particular requires the whole enchilada, so this is what I bring:

vlitectoms.jpg


Bermuda
Can I mount resos on those for you? LOL
It's not fair that you don't have bottom heads to tune!
Phil Collons just called. He wants his kit back. He said that he only said that you could use them for the weekend. That was twenty years ago!
Is the Mexican guy in the background pretending to sleep while guarding the drums for you?
 
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I'm currently only playing in one band so I use the same setup all the time. It's a 6 piece, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20 kick & 14 / alt 13 snare. I sometimes break it down to a 4 piece or even just kick & snare. I once played a 30 date tour with only kick & snare. Quite a challenge in a rock band. The smaller sizes observation is quite interesting. I've always played smaller sizes, even in the early 80's when everything was super huge. I was the odd guy in a sea of rock drummers. I did occasionally add a 24 kick to my 20 kick kit for the prog rock stuff. Double pedals didn't exist back then. I practice with kick & snare most of the time and only with 1 x crash & ride. I do like a lot of cymbal flavours for gigs though.
 
Hey Bob and Tracer, You're both touching on something Jack DeJohnette spoke of when advising drummers who use big kits. He wasn't speaking against them (he often uses a 7 piece kit, as you know) but he cautioned drummers not to rely on lots of drums; to still be able to have a big vocabulary and feel with a four piece and then carry that approach to the big kit. Some drummers have done a great job at that , while others...
 
There is a great video on YouTube of Jack playing on a four piece kit (more recent, not 60's Jack) and is great to see him play on such a kit. Still just as musical, magical and flowing as ever.

I think a smaller kit forces one to be more creative- you have to say what you need to say with less.

Less is More.
 
Same here, and I had that sensibility even when I was younger. I never show up with more drums than necessary, which is typically 4 or 5 pieces. Some gigs require literally just a kick & snare, so that's what I bring. But one gig in particular requires the whole enchilada, so this is what I bring:

vlitectoms.jpg


Bermuda

Sweet old 70's Ludwigs! They look to be in great shape. That's an octa-plus....plus!
 
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