Do you notice that every innovation in percussion technology seems to make drums louder, with more punch and attack, cutting though to the back of the room, more extreme and aggressive. Maybe it's just because I'm getting older, but I really appreciate drum sounds that are softer, quieter, mellow and balanced. And it's nice to listen to a kit that has a nice balance between the volume of each individual drum.
I've been looking for ways to reduce the volume of my snare drum, it's always going to have enough attack to be heard at the back of the room, but it would be nice to have a snare that didn't make peoples ears bleed.
So, does anyone have suggestions for making a quieter drum kit?

You can play with Hot rods or rutes. Brushes can be another alternative.

Welcome to Drum Chat Avshook!

I would imagine that you are going to hit a chord with many of the veteran Jazz style drummers here. One of the things that I do, when I want to play quieter is to go to the 7A sticks. Now of course, I'm sure that one's a no brainer, and you're looking for things that you can do with the drums. At that point you're out of my league, so I'll just be quiet and let the others talk.

Again, welcome!

welcome! I feel the same way i recently got ribbed for wearing ear plugs at a show. I just said i've been playing for 35 years and can still hear !! I find that a fatter snare drum is easier to control sound. I love the yamaha absolute snare i have it can be soft or crack. I tell young drummrs it's all about control,dynamics. I do use hotrods at times i tape the end to tighten them up but, they just don't work on the ride. Join us in the shout box sometime !! Nice to have you here..John

What about heads like Remo Fiber Skins?

Fiber-skins are open and ringy. I think it all boils down to taking control of your instrument. Learn to get a good forceful hit and tone production while lessening the stick travel distance. It is a concious practice type of thing.

all the best...

It is a tough thing to play at low volume and have it sound good. I work on it all the time and still fight it. I play allot with brushes and cool rods, and have gotten much better at controlling volume.

You can fatten up the snare and deaden overtones and make it meaty by adding a deadening ring to it. Further, a moon gel will help, in addition to the dead ringer.

I remember getting the Gretsch Cat Club drums just to bang around on at home, and leave my Tamas for bigger shows. The Tamas are birch and the Cat Clubs (G2 coated) are mahogany, I believe.

The first thing that impressed me was how good the Gretsches sound at low volume. A light tap on the head, and they ring out a beautiful tone. I was so impressed, I replaced the Tamas with Gretsch Renowns (G2 clear), which are maple. The Renowns also don't have to be hit very hard to produce a beautiful tone. The Tamas had a volume threshold that they didn't sound very well under, just a plasticy sound with wierd overtones.

So, there is one way way to control volume - Gretsch! :icon_lol: (I know, other drums are just as good at low levels.) But seriously, maple shells do a lot in the volume area.

The next thing is sticks. I use Regal Tip 7A's, which are just above a toothpick in weight. With heavier sticks, it seems there is a point where you can't play them any quieter, while the 7A's don't have that problem. They are sufficient for about any volume situation, except playing outdoors.

After you get drums to sound good at lower volumes, the most important thing is technique, I was in a coffehouse playing last week, and the drummer before me insisted on using 5B's in this tiny room, and getting the rimshot CRACK out of his snare - it was like being punched in the face on the 2 & 4- just dang unpleasant! He just wasn't listening close enough to gauge the appropriate volume for the room, he wasn't trying to blend with the other musicians, and he was putting muscle into his snare stroke. In that room, letting gravity drop the stick onto the head was all that was needed. He had also Moongelled his heads to the point where they didn't sound good unless they were hit hard - absolutely killing this beautiful vintage Premier kit. But it just takes lots of practice in low-volume venues to sound decent at low volumes.

I'm sure you're right about some of the manufacturing techniques making drums louder, but even in the 70's if you were playing along to a soft ballad you had to make adjustments.

So to me, it's all about control, and as Catman mentioned, respecting not only the other members of the band, but the room size and audience as well. Nobody wants some clown doing rim shots in a small venue - it's not cool, and it doesn't make people say, "Wow, that sounded so good!". It makes people think you're a buffoon.

Playing in church has taught me a lot about volume control. I don't really like to play with brushes or rods, but I do when it's called for. But most times I just use O-Rings on my drums, and hit them softer. I can accompany a really soft acoustic ballad with sticks and make the drums blend in properly. I might be barely touching my ride sometimes just to give a soft accent. It takes practice, but getting it right is very effective. If you can learn to control your volume it's actually pretty rewarding, and that's a time when people (fellow band members AND audience) appreciate that you're a good drummer, not just when you're banging away. To me it's evidence that you can play anything and support the music, and honing our craft is what we all strive to do, isn't it?

Hell Avshook and Welcome to the Forum...Your question is one that I have dealt with for a great many years. As you've seen so far, there are many opinions from using lighter stickes, to drum mufflers to different heads. All of these help is specific ways: lighter stickers for lighter and faster playing (Jazz), Hot Rods and Brushes (Jazz/Latin), Moon Gel and O-Rings to cut down on overtones. Thicker drum heads will also mute the drum but you sacrifice much of the natural tone of the drum. You made mention of the fact that you are older. That leads me to believe that you remember what are called Vintage Drums of the 50's and 60's and are making the comparison to what's available today. To get that warm, mellow, musical sound you need to look for those drums that are focused on producing that sound. North American Maple at 6 plies on the toms and 8 on the bass will give you a focused, centered and definitive tone that can be extracted with the touch of a wire brush. The 3 ply Maple, Poplar or Mahogony, Maple shells will also give you a nice tone though not as focused as the 100% Maple. Vintage sets like Ludwig, Gretsch, Slingerland and Rogers would be an excellent choice. On the other hand, todays line of high-end DW's (Collectors Series), Ludwig (Legacy), Mapex (Orion) and Gretsch (US Custom) will also be in the right direction. You can get a lot of power out of these drums and turn around for the soft Bossa Nova or Ballad. Drums are a musical instrument and can play effectively at varying dynamic levels. A lot of what is out there today is meant for the the loud and power players from R&B to Heavy Metal. There are a lot more bands in these categories and a lot more drummers needing appropriate equipment. My own set is 1964 Ludwig Classics with the Supraphonic Snare. I get just what I need out of it when playing with my big band. However, I also have a 1960's Slingerland 3-ply snare that I use when playing with a jazz trio. It has a darker, mellower and woody sound compared to the brighter sound and attack of the Supraphonic. If I were to buy a snare today and want what you are asking for, I would probably lean towards the Yamaha Custom Maple Absolute...perfect!

What? I can't hear what you're typing over the ringing in my ears!





How about using dynamics when you play? You can beat the snot out of any drum to make it loud. Just play softer. I think people give the products way too much credit for what they do expecting the product to do all the work. (I left that generalized on purpose because it applies to more than drums.)

[QUOTE=quikstang2;141852]What? I can't hear what you're typing over the ringing in my ears!


EXACTLY!!!!...
Play what feels good & wear ear protection. I have lost 40% of my hearing & I'm only 42 years old (very immature for my age). Feel is in my opinion what makes one kit better than another, but always take care of you first.

Hot rods are a really good alternative. They allow you to play comfortably, produce good sounds, but make it much quieter. I generally play them at practice, but not at shows. Same with my brother, who is also a drummer. But you can use them at small shows as well. You'll get more attack than with brushes, and you can still play rock.

Probably the easiest option to try out, and they have different sizes for different needs. (While I'm more than capable of playing quietly, the style of music we play makes it difficult to "feel" it playing lightly.

AH!...GO NUTS!!!!!
...or you can use promark thunder rods..:silenced:

To be honest, A drum is a wooden tube with plastic stretched over it. My last kit was a Yammy Birch custom that replaced a 1960's Ludwig super classic. Wasn't any louder. I replaced the Ludwig snare with a pearl. Exactly the same.

Of course, the manufacturers aren't going to say, "Here's another one, just like the last one but more money.":icon_cool:

The main improvements over the years have come in the stability of hardware and the consistency of the drums.

WEAR EAR PROTECTORS!!!

They were loud 30 years ago, they are loud now!!!

If you don't believe me, try wearing just one earplug for one night. At the end of the gig, both ears will sound the same to you. Then take the earplug out and hear the difference! That deadening of the ears without protection will, eventually, become permanent. It won't happen fast, you won't notice it happening, but it will happen. Believe me, I know:icon_cry:

Docs pro plugs are a reasonable solution and not expensive. I use vented ones for Jazz gigs, unvented for louder stuff. Desperately clinging on to what hearing I have left.

Andy