Tim B. - SDS Staff Teacher

@Bruce hey! You are not the first, or last, drummer to experience this type of thing. Like Stephen said, now that you know the room is what it is, and that fills can sometimes muddy the situation - you can plan for it. I have a few other things to think about too: - Watch your dynamics on fills. As drummers, fills serve to add excitement and signal transitions - but that doesn't mean we have to play LOUDER. Excitement doesn't have to equal playing with more volume. If the groove is a basic kick, snare, hat groove and you want to fill into the chorus - just breaking the constant hi hat motion is a pretty big change and then if you start an 1/8th note build on the toms that starts SUPER quiet - now you have room to grow in that tom build back up to the volume you were grooving at. The dynamic contrast of starting the measure super quiet gives you "head room" to make the fill grow, but because you start the fill quieter than the groove you are about to get into, it seems as if you are "getting louder". - I might experiment with different tuning and muffling. You can't change the room you are in, but you can change how your drums will react in the room you are in. If I find myself in a big room and needing to play really quiet, the first change I make is my snare. I'm going to dampen it a TON. Dampening makes a drum quieter and shortens the sustain of the drum - both of those things with will help with volume and making a live room sound "muddy". I might also put gaff on my cymbals to make them less bright and ringy. Then it is about playing dynamically. We all want to bash and wail on our drums because that is the MOST fun way to play, but everything will benefit if we play at the proper dynamic range for the setting. I've played a TON of shows playing half the volume I wanted to play, and honestly it probably would've been fine if I had played louder - but on those shows I almost ALWAYS have the vocalist say something like, "wow it was so much easier to hear myself and sing today" - that is a job well done.

Zildjian really knows what they are doing. I have THREE of their rides (20" and 22" K Com Med Thin Low and a 23" K Sweet Ride). But my favorite is a pair of 15" A hats from the 70s. Bought those off a backline company at a gig for $200.

@Bruce the "perfect" stick probably doesn't exist. haha. But I think you can find a few pairs of "go to" sticks that will get you what you need in every situation. I use two pairs of sticks for every single gig/session I play: 1. Vic Firth SD2 Bolero. I use this for lighter playing (jazz or in a recording environment) because the stick tip gives CRAZY definition and even though it is a light stick it is very thick so it is light but produces a nice fat sound. 2. Vic Firth 5B Barrel tip. This is the stick I use for EVERYTHING else. The barrel tip gets more articulation and definition from cymbals and (to me) has a fatter sound than the traditional acorn tip most companies use on 5Bs. Also, a 5B is heavy enough to feel good when needing to play super loud but not so heavy it is hard to play quieter dynamics. I would say the goal might be to find a stick that can cover 80% of what you normally do, and then find a different stick that "fills in the holes" of what that stick can't do. That might relieve some stress about "finding the perfect stick". Also, part of the problem might be...you aren't playing Vic Firth sticks! haha. Just kidding, but I do think what they offer is the best on the market in the stick department. But I'm biased!

@Bruce that is a pretty GREAT selection of rides you have/want to try. My favorite ride of ALL TIME is my Istanbul Signature Agop 24". OHHHHHHH it is so beautiful. Second is probably my 22" Constantinople Medium Thin Low ride.

Hey @Tony. This is a great question. Firstly, @Stephen and I approve of you choosing Vic Firth (they are the best sticks out there). haha So, I would say the most "industry standard" stick on planet Earth is a 5A. A 5A stick is not too heavy or too light. As the number goes down in size, the stick is actually getting heavier (so a 3A would be heavier/thicker than a 5A) and as the number goes up the stick gets lighter (7A is a super light and thin stick). But these are mostly just numbers on a stick. They don't mean a whole lot when it comes to sitting down behind a kit and playing. So a few things to think about that will affect your experience while playing: 1. Stick weight. Do you like a heavy or light stick? 2. Stick tip. Do you like a tear-drop tip or a barrel tip? This really only impacts playing on an acoustic kit ESPECIALLY cymbals. 3. Stick length. Some people like short sticks as they feel it makes them "quicker" and get around the kit easier. Some people like super long sticks so they can choke back and get more power. I recommend you just go to a music store (Guitar Center, etc) and just try several pair. Play them on a practice pad and see what you like. Once you settle on a pair, try it for a while (a few months). Every stick switch is going to take some adjusting, so I like to let them settle for a few weeks/months before I really make my mind up. Last thing, if you are playing on an electric set - I would stay away from sticks with a colored finish. Actually even if you are on an acoustic set, I would stay away from colored sticks. They can (not always) leave marks and residue that normal sticks wouldn't leave.

Agreed! Really Brian's playing on ANY album is pretty savage haha.

For sure. I think that is why it is important in a studio environment to have different options. Playing a very muffled snare is going to make me totally change the ideas I break out as opposed to a super wide open and ringy snare. This is also why, when someone says they are bored of their ideas, I suggest to mix up your tuning and set up. Different tunings and drums will make us have different ideas.

hahaha. You just like him because he plays DW Drums @Joshua...

I've transcribed a TON of Nate Smith's playing. He is a legend. Here are a few: https://youtu.be/Oo0SReYA4po https://youtu.be/tIdzPYMUEys

The stick size, tip, etc can make a HUGE difference. As for how they change how the drummer actually performs - I'm of two mindsets. One side of me is like, "that makes sense." When I use my Vic Firth Bolero sticks versus my Vic Firth 5B barrels I play different because I use them for two different things. The 5B is for heavier stuff that I need a little more beef behind. The Bolero is for moderate to light stuff and jazz. But this is because the 5B are pretty significantly heavier than the Bolero. As well, the Barrel 5Bs and the Bolero have WILDLY different tips (which I've shown Joshua and Stephen and finally convinced them that it matter). So it makes sense that those sticks will make me play different. The other side of me has met a TON of drummers that were playing Vic Firth 5A sticks and switched to some other companies 5A sticks and is like "oh I can play so much faster and sound so much better." I think there is a LOT of psychology at play here. Most 5As made by any company have some sort of acorn/tear-drop tip and are almost the same length and weight. I think for the people that "feel so much faster" with certain sticks it is mostly psychological, they just like the feeling of "new" and are inspired. Now, that isn't to de-legitimize the sort of "placebo effect" but I think sometimes people use sticks/heads/kick pedals as a crutch to say "oh I'd sound so much better if I had my gear". We should avoid relying too much on gear to get our sound. I've seen Brian Blade play my drums, not move them, not tune them - and guess what? He sounded EXACTLY like Brian Blade. Because he (the person) IS the sound. Sure certain cymbals and sticks will help him get to his sound faster or easier - but someone who is a master of their craft will still be able to make anything in front of them sound like THEM. Just a few thoughts on the topic.

That kit sounds great. I think having one or two electronic pads like shown here is ideal, let's you trigger the occasional clap/808 very easily. Tambo and splash cymbals seem to be a bit much...haha. But I'm into it.

@Joshua I believe @Stephen has one of those and uses from time to time right?

This is a great question! Two great ways to start is just by talking with and meeting your worship leader or the current worship drummer. Or both. They will be the best place to start as you can get a feel for the culture of the worship team and ask them how it all works.

@Joshua I would stay in the K world. The A's are inexpensive (compared to anything with a K on it) but I don't think they sound great recorded. This doesn't always matter if live playing is most of your bag, but the A's really really sound thin and cheap when recorded. One man's opinion.