In 2009, Cadillac started an ad campaign that was something akin to “you turn your car on… shouldn’t it do the same for you?”
Somewhere around three years ago, I was enjoying my new Yamaha Rock Tour custom kit. Sharp, punchy, and deep, these drums made me elated as I laid into them with reckless hard rock abandon. I’ve welcomed different styles and genres in my life as a drummer on my trusty Stage Custom kit, but the Rock Tour kit… THAT was my Mesa Triple Rectifier, my wall of Marshall amps. This ain’t no jazz kit, man. These were rock drums.
SCENARIO: When you take your car to the car wash, run it through, vacuum and clean the interior… does it feel like it runs better to you? Factually, we know it doesn’t, but c’mon… your ride looks good. As a result, you feel like it’s better.
My drum set is no different to me. So as I ripped through that new kit, I got an image in my mind… black drum heads. An
Evans Onyx heads look great!
order online later, I added Evans Onyx drum heads to my set, and it looked… well, dead sexy. Holy crap, they looked AWESOME! Those first two weeks, I couldn’t wait to get home from work to just go and play and play and play. My drum set turned me on, and I was playing better and harder than ever. It rocked – pure and simple.
We musicians are a passionate bunch, and though that comes with a price tag (both monetarily and emotionally), it gives us a chance to do something that people who pimp their ride or decorate their house don’t get to do: we can make our instrument behave differently. We have such power, such influence — I turn my drum set on. Shouldn’t it do the same for me?
Here’s a few ideas for drummers on how to get your kit to fire you up; most of the ideas free of charge.
CHANGE YOUR SETUP
There’s much to be said for consistency, but when you’re looking for inspiration, it often comes in the form of forced innovation. A new sound or a new motion can mean all the world to a drummer, so swap out that 12″ rack tom for your 10″. Maybe get rid of your double pedal? Or how about putting that long forgotten cymbal on a spare stand and seeing what it brings about. I always find it fun to play a style on a drum set that doesn’t necessarily fit it… the picture on the left is a 10″ rack tom paired up with my double pedal for SUPER-TIGHT hand/foot fills with the metronome. Who knew?
CLEAN YOUR CYMBALS
Again, some people will swear as the day is long that you should never clean your cymbals. That’s a conversation for another post (I think I made one awhile back), but no one can claim that shiny fresh cymbals don’t look hot as heck. So put a little elbow grease into your plates and utilize your bathtub for once, you filthy animal, to make your coppers look as good as you can. I promise you that the first time you bring them on stage to see that gorgeous glow, you’ll feel like the rock star you secretly are.
CLEAN YOUR PRACTICE SPACE
Cleaning your room isn’t just for kids! A clean. efficient, and well-decorated and lighted practice space can be the mother of
The Temple of Boom, circa 2013
all invention to a musician. I’ve slugged it out in practice spaces in Spencer, Norwood, Framingham, Brighton, and Watertown, and each one has their own…. uhhh… charm. Much like being in the recording studio, however, your creative environment can fire you up. So once a month, break out the vacuum, clean your trash, and give some love to your own Temple of Boom. You may also notice a sonic difference: you see, with a clean and organized practice space, ACTUAL MUSICIANS MAY WANT TO COME AND PLAY WITH YOU.
And when all else fails?
BLING YOUR DRUM SET
I said MOST of the ideas for free, right? Reach into the wallet and throw a few dollars at the thing that makes you who are. It’s a given that fresh heads and a good round of tuning will fire you and your drum set to life, but there are a slew of basic things you can do to your drum set for less than $50 that can fire you up… and your band!… AND your fans!
Visually, a splash of color can go a really long way. This may be a well-placed sticker on your resonant head, or maybe it’s a custom drum head from the amazing crew at www.drumart.com. Another option is slapping a port hole ring on your resonant bass drum head – I recommend Bass Drum O’s for a venture that’s less than $10 and 10 minutes to making your kicker look damned sexy (check out my new piece on the left – it will match my finish!). How about the floor? A new drum carpet can also be less than $10 during your local department store’s college weekend sale, and the same goes for a drop cloth to keep on or behind your set. As technology catches up, lighting has become cheaper and more efficient, and while I won’t recommend anything quuuiiiiite yet, let’s just say we’re really close to making all of our stage shows pretty rad for the same price as a night out seeing your friend’s band. Www.drumbum.com also offers a bunch of fun and whimsical additions to your kit – only you know how far you’re willing to go.
As previously said, we musicians are passionate, and we want to inspire those who see and hear us: we want them to dance, to smile, and to emote. Your drum set is an extension of who you are… and it you turn it on. Shouldn’t it do the same for you?
Fitch Drums 