Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of drums and cymbals should I get ?

The majority of us are limited by what we can afford. If you only have £200/$300 US you don’t have so many choices. There are new kits about for around £200; every year there seems to be a new name in Woolworths, Walmart or wherever. It should be obvious that budget kits are going to be cheaply constructed. Drums are chunky things. They take a lot of battering and don’t get looked after like those shiny guitars that get all the perspiration wiped off them after a gig so as to preserve the finish. Quality drums are usually thicker and heavier with well-made rigid fittings. However, budget drums can be made to sound a lot better by fitting good quality heads such as Remo Pin Stripe or Evans, if you can afford them. You can prolong the life of your drums (and heads) by using cases.

For a just little more money I have seen good quality second hand kits (even Ludwig and Rodgers) for sale in the UK. You can’t really go wrong with makes like Tama, Pearl and Yamaha if you see them. Ludwig, Rodgers, Gretsch….snap em up. In my opinion the golden rule is; If you can’t afford to buy a quality kit new, buy one second hand. Just examine the drums for obvious damage before you part with cash.

For £200 you might be looking at four or five Pearl drums without hi hat and cymbals. It’s still a much better buy than the “Thunderclap” kit from the catalogue. You will then have to hunt around for cheap stands, but, they are there.

Don’t compromise on cymbals though. They are such an important part of your sound and you may convince yourself that they sound great, but, cheap cymbals sound cheap anywhere, anytime.

I'm currently looking for a second hand drum kit. Where are the best places I can find one?

It depends where you live. In bigger cities there is generally at least one private dealer with a dozen or so kits in a spare bedroon. It can be hard to find them if you don't know them. Ask other drummers if they know of a second hand dealer.
Always look in the 'Musical Instrument' or 'General' columns in whatever local papers you get in your area. These carry private ads also.
There are always lots of kits in Loot or Exchange and Mart, although, I have never bought anything this way. There is also a magazine devoted to second hand instruments - try W H Smiths, next to the fifty Guitarist magazines. Or, while you are in Smiths, "Rhythm" magazine which, last time I looked, had British ads for kits.
You could try E-bay or other on the Internet. Obviously you don't get a chance to see the drums before you buy them this way, unless you travel, but if someone is prepared to guarantee the articles are in good condition and as advertised you should be alright.
I hope this is of some help.
Regards
Phil Little

How Can I find a Teacher ?

Keep a regular watch on the Musical column in the local Free Advertiser or local newspaper; teachers often can’t afford to advertise every week so these adverts may appear sporadically. Check at the nearest Musical Instrument Shop where there is usually some kind of list of local teachers. Also, the music library. Contact The Musicians Union who have a national directory of music teachers.

How Do You Tune Drums ?

With regard to a drum kit, the correct way to tune a drum is by tightening the tension rods in opposite pairs around the drum.
You tap the stick on the drum head just near to a tension rod and tighten it up until it is at the pitch you want. Then you tighten up the rod oppsite until it is the same pitch as the first. You test this by tapping your stick near to the first rod then the opposite rod, making adjustments 'til they sound the same.
Then you move to the next pair of opposite rods and tighten those 'til they sound the same as the first pair, and so on around the drum. You will probably have to make some fine adjustments until the pitch of all of the rods sounds the same. Then the drum head is tuned and you do the same with the opposite head.
There is different opinion about what sounds good as far as the comparative tensions of the upper and lower head on a kit drum is concerned. An upper head that is slightly tighter than the lower will produce a flat sound without any ring.
Most drummers want a loud sound that will carry, and heads that are tensioned equally will move the most air, making the loudest sound. So that's what you aim for.
Getting even more technical; if you calculate that when you strike the drum, the pressure from the stick actually adds to the tension of the drum by the time the sound escapes; the upper head should be left very slightly slacker than the lower head. So that when your stick connects with the drum head, adding to its tension, the pitch of the two heads will be the same.
Most drummers tune their drums to ear but you can pick out some low notes on a keyboard or guitar to tune to. In a subtle sense this will improve your sound greatly. If you are not sure what notes to use try C F G D and E. Just play around with it till sounds right to you. Tuning a whole drum kit properly could take quite a long time. Doing it patiently and not taking short cuts will make a big difference to the sound of your drum kit.

How often should I practise ?

At least every day and for at least an hour or however long you can manage. You need to practise for an hour a day to see any real results, especially with drums and percussion, which are both very physical.

How do you spin a drumstick ?

I have never really been into drumstick twirling but you can find out how to do it at this website,
http://members.iweb.net.au/~kith/juggling/Micro/pencil/pencil_c.htm

I just wondered if you had any suggestions for other resources on brazilian rhythmns for a Bateria, and whether there were any books or sheet music you'd recommend ?

For Beginners - Latin American Percussion by Birger Sulsbruck. The Essence of Brazilian Percussion and Drum Set by Ed Uribe

If you have any questions about playing Drums and Percussion e-mail us and we'll do our best to give an answer.

E-mail phil@littledrum.co.uk