"Don't forget" list

Have a "Don't forget" list for packing up your drums before you head out the door. This works!! Type it out on your PC (O.K., your Mac) and maybe laminate it. You can keep this in your stick bag as well to make sure you have everything before you leave for your gig.

Warming up before a gig

Warming up before a gig. This is terribly underestimated. Spend 20 to 30 minutes warming up with drum rudiments and related sticking exercises. Practice them with music playing through a Walkman. It's a great motivator and you'll be very loose when you get ready to play.

Non Standard Sizes Of Drum Sticks And Their Impact On Drumming

By: Ronald Black

You'll sometimes see sticks made by one manufacturer or another that are named after a famous drummer. These are usually slight variations on a standard size, and they usually cost a little bit more because the person after whom they're named is just really, really cool. It's certainly not a bad idea to check out a pair named after a drum hero of yours, but don't expect to magically sound as good as your hero by merely using his sticks. I know you're smarter than that, and I don't even know you. However, if I ever come out with my own model of sticks, then you'll know that they are magical. You might also see sticks that are not named after someone, but also are not standard sizes.

These are usually sizes that fall in between the standard sizes. If you want to check these out, it's important to ask "Oh, these are like 5As but a quarter-inch longer", or "These are in between a 5A and a 5B". If you've tried a standard size and it never feels quite right, some of these in between sizes are worth checking out. One of them might be the perfect stick for you. Ten Pairs of Sticks for a Dollar: just Say No! At some point very soon in your future, you might walk into a large music store and notice that there are some sticks named after the store that cost so little that it seems like the price must be a mistake. The mistake would be for you to buy them. I know it's tempting: Why would you want to pay up to $10 for one pair of sticks when you can get 10 pairs for the same $10? For one thing, drumsticks are made of wood, and wood can be very inconsistent.

What this means to a drummer is that you can have three pairs of sticks that are supposed to be the very same weight, but they don't feel the same when you compare them. One pair might feel much heavier or lighter than another pair. One thing that a name (or more expensive) brand offers you is greater consistency between pairs. In other words, higher quality brands go to the trouble of making sure that every stick of a certain size feels as close to the same as possible. That is why they get the big bucks. When you buy the cheap sticks, even though they are all supposed to be the same weight, they can vary wildly. There is nothing worse than dropping or breaking a stick during a show, reaching into your stick bag for a quick replacement, and having the new stick go flying out of your hand because it's lighter than a butterfly's antenna.

The straightness of a stick is also an important factor. The first class sticks are almost always as straight as they can possibly be. If sticks shaped like a banana (which the cheap sticks can often be) were easy to play with, we would just use really hard bananas instead of sticks. Try it if you don't believe me. You might think that the cheap sticks might last as long as the top-shelf ones, but they won't. You'll end up with a big pile of lousy broken sticks, while the good sticks will still be in one piece. Also, the cheap sticks can break while you're playing them, fly into your face, and kill you. I've never actually heard of this happening, but why take a chance with your life?

Non Standard Sizes Of Drum Sticks And Their Impact On Drumming

Drum Rack Or Stands

Drum Racks And Drum Stands Discussed

Stands
Stands for drum kits were initially fairly light weight, because they were designed to hold one cymbal, or a snare drum, or later on two rack toms. However, it wasn't until the 1980's that drum companies beefed up the hardware making it possible to have a steady base of support for multiple cymbal arms, etc.

For a while stands keep getting heavier and bigger, finally adding counter-weight booms and getting big enough to jack up your car for a tire change. Nowadays, that "race" has backed off a bit and drum kit stands are available in a variety of sizes (and weights), with clamps and attachments for all sorts of gear. So you do not necessarily need a separate stand for each cymbal or other item with those options available nowadays.

Racks
Drum racks had been "home made" versions until recent years. I remember seeing one from the 1930's. They are now available from several major companies in a variety of shapes and materials (aluminum, steel, PVC, other composites) with all sorts of extensions, add ons, clamps, arms you name it. It can probably be configured now from commercially available parts.

Okay, So Why Choose One Over The Other
I have used both racks and traditional stands. I have even used a combination of by having spanner tubes connected to cymbals stands (which was the best of both worlds for me). It worked great for my touring needs because all of the cymbals, toms, microphones, etc. were on the spanner tubes and the supports were actually heavy duty cymbal stands. That made it easy to set up because I didn't have to juggle a one legged post while trying to clamp on a fairly heavy (because of all of the attachment clamps) spanner tube. As just the 28 clamps on the tubes made them very heavy.

About Using Racks
If you seen the photos of Pasha's drum kit, then you realize that without using rack system components that he would require an incredible number of specialty stands. There is no question to me that using the racks are a must for him.

Racks can eliminate a lot of floor clutter if you use a lot of gear that is now on (or else would be) on separate stands. It is now possible to have everything, including your snare drum, and hi-hat, attached to a rack set-up. If you don't use a rug to mark the floor positions of the components of your drum kit, then a rack might help you with positioning the components of your drum kit the same way each time. It might not happen to you, but I have experienced times when the tubes of the rack interfered with the spot I wanted to place a cymbal or a tom. So it takes a lot of time and trial & error to get it all "just right". That also means that a rack system might not be as easy to modify when you find yourself on a stage with less than desirable space.

About Using Stands
Stands can be adjusted and moved "on the spot" without a lot of hassle in situations like a small stage. It is also possible to significantly reduce the number of stands by using clamps and attachments. Stands are a more flexible option if you tend to change your drum kit configuration for different performances.

Transport
Whether you choose to use a rack or traditional stands, they must be transported to the next performance. So if you do a lot of one niters, either way could mean schlepping a lot of weight around if you have a large drum kit. I don't believe there is much of a weight or load volume difference.

I did not want 400 pounds of drum stands to transport so here are some of my personal set-up decisions that might give you some ideas.

I have reduced my hardware load considerably during the past five years. The attachments and clamps available now have made that possible.

I don't usually use a really big set, so this is what works for me. On my left side I have one single braced stand that holds a cymbal, a mounted tambourine, and a rack tom. On my bass drum, the mounts hold two rack toms and a cymbal. On my right side, a second single-braced stand holds three cymbals, a cowbell and a jam block. The other hardware left to pack is my throne, bass drum pedals, snare stand and hi-hat stand.

I purchased an SKB Hardware case (that looks much like a hard shell golf club flight case) that is 48" x 18" and has tilt-back wheels. I do not break down the tiers on my stands. I just remove the cymbals rods. I did not disassemble my hi-hat or snare stand. I simply collapse the legs. I can lay the still-assembled stands into the SKB case for transport. When I set up my kit, it is just a matter of placing the cymbals rods back into the ratchets and opening up the tripod legs.

I think racks look really cool with some kits, although when they get really bulky it kind of hides the beautiful finishes on some drum kits. But, I think too many floor stands can look just as cluttered also. Maybe that's just the reality of using a really large drum kit.

I have used racks, stands, and the combination of both. I had my logic and reasons for that. Nowadays my playing involves using various components, depending on the performances requirements. Since I change things quite often I'm back to using stands. If I had a larger kit and was playing the exact same set-up each performance, I'd probably get my rack gear back out.

So, like so many aspects of drumming, it comes down to your personal preference of comfort, stability, convenience, portability, and even the desired "look". hey, it's all about you.

Ken Sanders
Drum Rack Or Stands

Steve Gadd - In Session - Watch free drum lessons & techniques video

82.39 minutes
Steve Gadd and friends live, in session, featuring Richard Tee, Will Lee, Forge Calto and Eddie Gomez.
Steve Gadd demonstrating several explosive Latin feels - and then explaining how he did them - topped off by some of the most exciting solos Steve has ever recorded. This video comes with its own accompanying instructional booklet, contains a wealth of teaching by simply showing Gadd playing his relentlessly impeccable licks in loose improvisatory jams, and fleshing them out with illustrative voiceover comments. Watch him jam out with amazing musicians in such styles as funk, Latin, reggae, shuffles and ballads.

Steve Gadd - In Session - Watch free drum lessons & techniques video

If this video is not showing up, You can also see this video here
Track list
1. R&B Reggae
2. My Little Brother
3. Suffle Reggae
4. Slow Blues
And more tracks

Steve Gadd - In Session - Watch free drum lessons & techniques video