The Big Kits vs. Small Kits Debate

Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

Hey all,

Perso I like fairly big kits (6 toms, 1 BD, snare etc), because I like the variety of sounds available. I love playing the toms, and the kind of music I play requires that. (Being in a Genesis tribute band, and into Prog Rock etc).
I find small kits frustrating, because doing fills I love doing simply does not sound good on limited sound sources. Big kits also inspire me in my playing more, because of the vast choice of things to play. I think small kits have their place in certain types of music, and big kits in others. Even on stage, I think that big kits look much better, but that is just my own opinion.

Cheers,

Phildas
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

big kit= more sound, therefor more fun
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

You can do the same patterns on a lot of different drums on a big kit and sound sort of wild. I beleive with a small kit, it forces you to be more creative and come up with a larger pallet of licks in order to stay interesting.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

i think that having a small kit does not limit your possibilities, the limit is in your creativity. watch some of the greatest drummers doing great and very variated things with 4 things only. a small kit makes you get out of the confort zone and innovate new stuff ,im not saying all monster kit owners choose to have that kit to take the "easy" way ia matter of taste

but i prefer the challeges, so small but only in the sizes not in the ideas
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

So im playing on hats+snare+bass drum+floor tom+ride.. And I like it.. I tryed to use toms and crash, but again, i felt that im just doing the same things on different drums.. Anyway.. There is always more than one sound that a cymbal or drum can make.. So I can crash my ride since I dont even like the sound of the crash.. I can do ghost notes.. Im improoving, thats whats important.. And I feel tired after playing.. Tired of thinking.. That means Im working on creativity.. Dont even care about whatanybody says..

Still..I love Bozzio.. I wonder what would he do on 4 piece.. Just curiuos..
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

I got new heads for all my toms the other day, so I keep setting them up when I'm at home doing some wood shedding. I've almost always removed them by the time I've finished. I like rocking just a kick, snare, hats ride and sometimes a crash. I like it.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

i saw Bozzio in a clinic and his "BIG" kit was pretty much totally worthless. for what he played he could have gotten away with a kit 1/6 the size he had.

i think his setup is more for ego than practicality. even the written pieces of his works that he passed out weren't close to what he actually played.

yes he is a GREAT player, but sometimes ego overtakes everything else. other than his snare and kick heads, he probably rarely changes the others because they are seldom used....but man they sure look impressive to a 14 year old.

i've tired of his "ostinato" BS a long time ago.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

i saw Bozzio in a clinic and his "BIG" kit was pretty much totally worthless. for what he played he could have gotten away with a kit 1/6 the size he had.

i think his setup is more for ego than practicality. even the written pieces of his works that he passed out weren't close to what he actually played.

yes he is a GREAT player, but sometimes ego overtakes everything else. other than his snare and kick heads, he probably rarely changes the others because they are seldom used....but man they sure look impressive to a 14 year old.

i've tired of his "ostinato" BS a long time ago.

There's a video of him on youtube playing with the Fantomas, Twin Peaks might be the name of the song. He just uses kick, snare and cymbals and its really pretty cool. He uses multiple pairs of hats, chinas and bells to great effect and leaves out all the toms.
Do you think his tech/roadies get annoyed when they have to set up that monstrosity of a kit and he hardley uses half of it?!
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

i saw Bozzio in a clinic and his "BIG" kit was pretty much totally worthless. for what he played he could have gotten away with a kit 1/6 the size he had.

i think his setup is more for ego than practicality. even the written pieces of his works that he passed out weren't close to what he actually played.

yes he is a GREAT player, but sometimes ego overtakes everything else. other than his snare and kick heads, he probably rarely changes the others because they are seldom used....but man they sure look impressive to a 14 year old.

i've tired of his "ostinato" BS a long time ago.

you dont like it, even I dont like it, but a lot of people do like it and get it. I dont think its to do with ego. its to do with the music in his head.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

I saw bozzio at a clinic once myself, he didn't have the kit he's using now, but it was close in size, I heard people in the audience saying how ridiculous it was to have such a big kit, I know someone else in this thread said he didn't use half of it, I think he used every piece he had, and I think it's a drummers choice how many pieces he wants to use based on the composition he wants to create, can he have played what he did on a smaller kit? yes, but does a 14" tom sound like an 8" tom, no, if he wants to use different pitches what's wrong with that? could he play on a small kit....I think so. It's a matter of choice.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

I think it comes down to a few things:

1. I can get over 15 sounds out of my snare drum. So with my four peace, I can get a lot. You just can't expect to have one drum play one sound and think more drums give you more sound.

2. Tonal quality is like painting. When a artist wants to make something red stand out, he doesn't make it more red, he uses a contrast color next to it. Thats why the colors in the American flag are red, white and blue. Red and blue are contrasting. So when playing drums, dynamics and sounds can make some notes stand out, thus giving you more sounds.

3. And lets face it, we would all have huge kits if we had roadies....How can you even compare Bozzio or any other pro drummer with anyone of us? I went to a 4 pc just because just to save my back. It has nothing to do with music, just physics.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

I think it comes down to a few things:

1. I can get over 15 sounds out of my snare drum. So with my four peace, I can get a lot. You just can't expect to have one drum play one sound and think more drums give you more sound.

2. Tonal quality is like painting. When a artist wants to make something red stand out, he doesn't make it more red, he uses a contrast color next to it. Thats why the colors in the American flag are red, white and blue. Red and blue are contrasting. So when playing drums, dynamics and sounds can make some notes stand out, thus giving you more sounds.

3. And lets face it, we would all have huge kits if we had roadies....How can you even compare Bozzio or any other pro drummer with anyone of us? I went to a 4 pc just because just to save my back. It has nothing to do with music, just physics.


Good points. It really is pretty simple isn't it. You play whats needed for the music. I still personally think that with some practice and creativity most people can bring down the amount of drums they use and still get just as many sounds out of it, but some people prefer big kits. Who cares?

Do you really think that everyone would have a bigger kit if they had a tech? I know I certainly wouldn't. I would have the exact same kit I have now. Well....thats not necessarily true. I would have the same number of drums and sizes...and the exact same cymbals, but I would go for higher quality drums. Still, it would certainly not be any bigger.

I use a four piece, by the way. 16" bass drum, 14" snare, 12" rack, 14" floor with 14" hats and two 22" rides. Gives me every sound I need and I haven't gotten close to finishing my discovery of the myriad possibilities that could be gained from it.

I think a lot of drummers still forget, when talking about this subject, that at least 90% or more of what we play is played on only bass, snare, hats and ride.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

I say play what you want/need. I adjust my number of toms/cymbals I use to the type of gig/genre. IMHO I think a huge drumkit looks impressive and it's part of the aesthetics of a show. I was on tour with a band (King's X) where Doug the bassist used like 8 full stacks. Only half weren't props.....he had them there to just fill a stage. I say that as a drummer and you wanna bring the big kit (with looks being part of the reason), go for it long as what your playing fits the music. BTW, I play a 4 or 5pc most of the time. Blessings.......
 
I think doing the "Big Kit" syndrome on Bozzio is really quite unfair. Personally, i don't regard him as a drummer when he plays his solo stuff. He's a percussionist. If he was playing with a band, he wouldn't use that kit - see Black Light Syndrome, some very tasty playing. His massive kit playing is extraodinary, and i wouldn't insult him for anything. He'd probably come orund my house and cut off my head with a custom made 15 and a half inch china. Plus i'm going to see him on the 9th of August, so there. lol.

Bozzio is a talented player without a doubt. but i saw him in clinic one time and it was overall boring. enough with the frikkin "ostinatos" OK?? even as a "percussionist" 85% of his stuff went untouched.

in the same respect i once saw David Garibaldi in clinic and he killed with a 5 piece kit.

so there you have it.
 
Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

This recent small kit purchase will suit me now till the reading of the will with no desire to add more drums down the road other than using various Agop cymbal combos in the mix. All the color and sound i'll ever need to get across musically personally speaking in a group situation. Another praise for small kits vote from me:
 

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Re: THE BIG KITS VS SMALL KITS DEBATE

i like 4 pieces with a double bass pedal,

number of cymbals doesnt really matter.

i play in a grindcore band and ska band.

so thats how i see it.

plus monster kits are a hassle for me.
 
Re: Big kits vs small kits

What is that small electronic pad? Can you plug it right into an amp? How much do they cost and where can I get one?

it has a USB plug so you can hook it up to your comp / laptop. Not sure where you can get it though . it was available at one of those websites that sell those sharper image type gizmos.. think its called a USB portable drum pad
 
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