Drumset Equipment and Parts

Drumset Equipment

• Drumset names include: drum set, kit, drum kit, trap set
• Popular brands include Yamaha, Pearl, DW, Gretsch, Tama, Ludwig
• Double-headed bass drums (Jazz): 18" for combo; 20" recommended for general
• Double-headed bass drums (Rock): 20", 22", 24"
• Mounted toms (commonly 8" x 12", 9" x 13")
• Floor toms (14", 16", 18")
• Snare drum (typically 14" diameter, 5" depth)

Drumset Parts

• Diagrammed parts included: ride cymbal, crash cymbal, snare drum, mounted tom, floor tom, kick drum/bass drum, bass drum spurs, high hat, cymbal stand, high hat clutch, rug.

Drumset Equipment (continued)

• Spurs: bass drum leveling & slide deterrent
• Hardware: medium or light weights recommended for snare drum stand, hi-hat, drum throne, 3 cymbal stands
• Cymbal stands with rubber feet

Equipment Continued

• Drum throne: stool (wood, plastic)
• Bass drum pedal: with beater (flat, wood, plastic)
• Drum rug
• Drum heads: Remo Ambassador (medium coated), Remo Diplomat (thin clear), Remo Pinstripe, Remo Fiberskyn III, Remo Clear, Evans, Aquarian (many types)
• Mufflers: strongly recommended "open" snare and toms, without muffling

Cymbal Types

• Ride cymbal (player's right): often 20", dry, rhythmic sound quality
• Crash cymbal (player's left): at least one needed, typically 16" or 17"
• Splash cymbal: specialty cymbal, usually 6", 8", or 10" (8" or 10" recommended)
• Sizzle/Rivet cymbal: any cymbal can be a sizzle cymbal, often drilled into an 18" or 20" ride cymbal (used in backup jazz or ballet)
• Chinese cymbal: upward-flanged edges; "trashy" sound. Used for energized funk/fusion
• Makers: Sabian, K-Zildjian & A-Zildjian, Paiste, Istanbul

Sticks and Accessories

• Drum keys
• Drum sticks: Vic Firth, Regal Tip, Pro-Mark
• Brushes: (wire or Nylon), Vic Firth Heritage Brush, Regal Tip (561A), Clayton Cameron, Nylon brushes (good for lighter rock)
• Yarn Mallets/Felt Mallets: used for cymbal/tom-tom rolls in ballad styles
• Stick Bags: for drum set convenience (low tom)
• Cases: reinforced, weatherproof, foam-lined (with wheels) for large stands/hardware; Humes & Berg Co.

Basic Sound Guidelines

• Jazz styles
• Funk, hip hop, and fusion styles
• Latin styles

History of Drumsets

• Earliest influence: African and European military organizations, New Orleans funeral bands, military musicians
• Early drumsets were assembled due to economic reasons and comprised of a bass drum, snare drum, and a very few cymbals (one or two toms)
• Early 20th Century developments: ragtime, fox trots, Dixieland, vaudeville shows, theaters, and movies
• Time-keeping via military march approach
• Drumset expanded with cymbals, tom toms (snare and bass) -known as "traps" or "trap sets"

• Louis Armstrong's Hot Seven: influential ensemble

• 1930s-1940s: sound effects removed, cymbals/hi-hats more important ,two-headed toms replaced Chinese tom-toms, heavy bass drum to keep beat (Jo-Jones).
• 1950s and 1960s: Rock'n'roll influence, more toms, cymbals, and stylized time-keeping rock beats, strong backbeats (beats 2 & 4), and the use of big bands & post-bop, free jazz development, Elvin Jones (John Coltrane).
• 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s: even larger drumsets (more toms & cymbals), with double bass drums, use of lower pitches in tuning, manufacturers developing more variety of sounds for cymbals, development of electronic drums, digital interfacing and sampling, acoustic sounds recalled via electronic triggers or drum pads (Steely Dan).

Instructional Resources

• Recommended resources: Chapin, Jim. Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer; Reed, Ted. Syncopation for the Modern Drummer.

Five Approaches to Reading Drum Set Notation

• Start slowly (increasing speed gradually)
• Always count aloud
• Sing (verbally mimic)
• Work with a metronome
• Approaches: Single line addition, Vertical analysis (“Continuous”/”Beat-by-Beat”), Mixed combinations, Singing additions

Drum Set Playing Test

• Test consists of 5 different styles of music including Light Rock, Jazz (Swing), Bossa Nova, Samba, and Disco-Rock.

Rudiments on Drum Sets

• Various exercises for different Jazz styles
• Included rudiment exercises for various rhythms including "Triplet Phrase", "Subtraction Sequence", "Shuffle", "Paradiddles", "Rolls", "Cross-stick shots/Combinations", and "Right Hand Sweeps".

Syncopation Exercises

• Various exercises using different rhythms
• Exercises including "Swing", "Broken Swing Feel", and "Jazz Waltz or 3/4 Swing", as well as a "Shuffle" rhythm. Includes “Syncopation Exercises” (Ted Reed).

Syncopation Exercises with Cymbal

• Cymbal exercises (“Syncopation Exercises” from Ted Reed).

Teaching Swing/Exercises

• Multiple charts and figures for different practice types and timing/rhythm exercises for left/right hand.

Triplet-based Fills

• Various charts and figures focusing on triplet-based patterns for drumming timing exercises
• “Triplet-based Time-Keeping Fills” (based on Ted Reed's SYNCOPATION)

Art of Bop Drumming (comping)

• Method book for jazz comping in both snare and bass drum
• Includes specific drumset performance examples, including steady swing ride cymbal patterns and hi-hat beats on 2 and 4.
• Specific examples provided from page 18 & page 22.

Jazz Chart

• Includes drum charts for a Jazz song “When You’re Smiling”.

Rock Groove

• Includes rock and roll, rock, funk, and fusion drum charts.

Soloing for Drum Set

• Soloing ground rules for drummers to follow and examples for building solos
• Importance of playing in the style of the song, "good feel", and "telling a story"
• Use musical motifs, phrases, rhythmic motives when playing.
• Concepts of themes & variations, call & response, dynamic contrasts, tension & release, textural changes, and rhythmic displacement while playing.

Brush Playing

• Brush playing for ballads, light jazz, and Latin grooves.
• Importance of avoiding aggressive/sharp stick drumming techniques, instead using a flow and “satisfying experience”.

Basic Brush Patterns

• Various patterns (traditional, slide tap, eyes) for ride/medium tempos with specific directions and counting instructions for each hand.

Listening in the Band

• Listening aspects such as style, the rhythm section, and soloist(s) are important
• Dynamics of music should be evaluated, specifically how the bass drum "feathers" (sounds) within the music.

Problems and Solutions (Rhythm Section)

• Common problems and solution to the rhythm section including: Lack of counting & subdivision, Note length problems between bass & drums, Bass drum volume issues, Slow tempi, and playing errors such as “over-playing”, “kicks, hits, punches, set-ups, and fills” when drummers are not playing accurately with the other band members, and rhythm section cohesiveness.
• Various fixes for each problem by taking portions of music away to retrain musical skill.

Part Preparation

• Preparation techniques for various musical parts, such as notation, numbers, and identifying musical phrases
• Techniques using multiple measures / repeated bar exercises, marking and enlarging.

Director/Teacher Checklist

• Checklist for instructors and directors to ensure the drumset setup, position, and performance are correct
• Examples for position of musical items, such as cymbals, music stands, and position of "foot pedals"