Tone

Monk of Chunk

Junior Member
I've been drumming for a while, but haven't really been focusing on it as much as I should be... I'm a slacker, haha. I'm recently going through a phase where I want to improve as much as I can. I know the only real way to improve is through some serious wood shedding and just learn by doing, but I'd like to hear what you guys think. What's some tips or tricks you've learned to getting the best tone out of the drums? I know there's a lot of factors that impact the tone including stick technique, placement, gear, and style of music that you play, but I'm just looking for some basic ways to strike the heads better and trying to find what works and what doesn't. Thanks!
 
well... thats kinda vague, but i have found the flatter you hit drum the better, though i think thats kind of obvious.
you ask about striking. make sure to use as few moving parts as possible to get the most efficient stroke.

what style of music do you like to play?
 
Don't use pinstripes and EMADs and don't play through the head, play off the head
 
Don't use pinstripes and EMADs and don't play through the head, play off the head

If you're choosing/avoiding heads thinking that will improve your tone for you then you've missed the point - good tone comes primarily through good technique and dynamic control, regardless of the head you're playing on. If you're not sure on your technique then seek a teacher.
 
The best way I learned to improve my tone was to loosen my grip. The secret to playing stringed instruments is this- TONE IS IN THE FINGERS! For drummers it's in the fingers, hands, wrists, arms, etc.

A good teacher will really help you fine tune your grip as well as how you strike the drum. There are also tons of helpful videos, so start searching - places like vicfirth.com are a good place to start.

As with everything, I think experimenting is crucial. Take the time to do just that! Try wooden tips vs nylon tips. Let the stick just fall on a drum or cymbal and see how that sounds. Now grip it hard and notice the difference. Play the center. Play close to the edge. The tone variations are endless.

Pay close attention to how it feels! Especially how things rebound. Reposition the angle of drums and cymbals as well as altering the tension of the heads. Find YOUR sound.
 
If you find that your hands/grip are tensing up then that will contribute to a bad tone.

So, do the opposite. Mentally, you can overcome tensing up if you focus on it the whole time you are playing, eventually you won't have to focus anymore it will be built in to you.
 
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