Soft hitting drummer...AAAGH!!

[bassliner50]

Many many drummers do not have the controll to play softly and dynamically. Your drummer has worth. Maybe bring down surrounding instruments or record a session and if the drums are buried, then point that out to him for any adjustments that need to be made.

 

[Acoop]

I've played for 50-years and the best drummers I've played with were slight in size and didn't hit that hard. ... If you need a heavy hitter maybe it's your time that's the issue? ...

 

[PlatoFunFactory]

How do you encourage your drummer to hit hard enough so that he can be heard?

He is a good friend and we have talked to him about this 100 times already! He hits so soft that we can't hear him and I end up leading the song and then he ends up going off on his own. I keep asking him to maaaaybeee mic the drums, even just the kick and snare. He says he will but never does. I asked him last night and he said thr mics are coming!. Thing is I have no idea why this is even nessary when we are just practicing in a basement and not even that loud. I mean a 100 watt solid-state Roland bass amp is even overkill for how loud we play, but still he is playing like he's in a low volume lounge setting and we are trying to crank out rock!

By my count this post is about 22 days late.

 

[Ekulati]

Why is he a (rock) drummer if he doesn't like to hit things? Your problem is very unusual, as many have pointed out. I'm not optimistic in this case. Good classic rock drummers just "get" what they need to do, you don't have to train them.

 

[P. Aaron]

Maybe the rest of you need to turn down.

Early in our Country band years, we dealt with timid drummers, trying to integrate them. They were scared, and let stage fright, being seen by others chase them back to their basements.

it can be frustrating. We used a Bose system, we had control of the volume. Timid drummers wanted gear not, a gig.

 

[MikePlaysBass]

It could be a couple things. One is that he learned to play that way, taught by a Jazz or lighter music teacher. Somehow, I don't think that's it because if he can play, then it may not be the volume level you want, but it would certainly be audible.
It might be that he isn't feeling secure enough in his ability and is holding back because of that. If that's it, then it's working because you aren't complaining about his timing or abilities, just his volume. Maybe you can't hear his timing and technical issues. This isn't just a drummer thing. Bass players, vocalists, etc... who lack confidence will hold back, especially on the parts where they feel the most insecure. In music, there can't be any hesitancy. You have to commit. If the note is wrong, you still commit and then recover. I'd ask him to play the part by himself and then give him positive feedback and see if that makes a difference. If you do want him to play something differently, then say it in a positive way that isn't saying he's doing it wrong. It's worth a try. A shot in the arm might be all he needs.

 

[electracoyote]

In most pop/rock/country/variety I'd much rather deal with a hard hitting drummer who understands dynamics than a tippy tapper. You don't get the full spectrum of wonderful harmonic content and transients from a drum kit unless you play with authority and confidence. It's similar to playing your bass with both the on-board and amp volumes at 50% with a light touch. You're not hearing near the full potential of the instrument, and it can have a disorienting affect on the rest of the band. Your audience can feel it too. Try explaining it like that to your drummer.

 

[bobalu]

What is this "soft hitting drummer" thing you speak of? In 30 years of playing (classic rock, country and blues), I swear I have never, ever been in any kind of band, show, jam, practice, audition et al.... where a drummer was NOT loud enough. My experience has always been one of a major deafening headache and throbbing ear drums from the sheer loudness of a drummer who had no concept or idea of how to play soft. Nothing but an endless repeating of "can you hit a bit softer for this number?" to no avail. There are actual times where we just went with a drum machine/Beat Buddy set-up rather than hire a drummer. The ONLY exception has been proper jazz drummers and some country bands where it was a pleasure to listen to. Are the rest of you maybe playing too loud? (i.e. it's not the drummer....). Long live quiet drummers! (both of you).

 

[Raman]

How do you encourage your drummer to hit hard enough so that he can be heard?

He is a good friend and we have talked to him about this 100 times already! He hits so soft that we can't hear him and I end up leading the song and then he ends up going off on his own. I keep asking him to maaaaybeee mic the drums, even just the kick and snare. He says he will but never does. I asked him last night and he said thr mics are coming!. Thing is I have no idea why this is even nessary when we are just practicing in a basement and not even that loud. I mean a 100 watt solid-state Roland bass amp is even overkill for how loud we play, but still he is playing like he's in a low volume lounge setting and we are trying to crank out rock!

I will wait until this thread dies down and hopefully comes to a solution. And then I will analyze it all, but in reverse: because my problem is I have a singer who sings way too loud.

 

[Lo Ki]

Mic his kick drum & tell him to get the deepest snare he can. Tell him to get some cymbals like Tommy Lee.

 

[CoffeeLove]

How do you encourage your drummer to hit hard enough so that he can be heard?

He is a good friend and we have talked to him about this 100 times already! He hits so soft that we can't hear him and I end up leading the song and then he ends up going off on his own. I keep asking him to maaaaybeee mic the drums, even just the kick and snare. He says he will but never does. I asked him last night and he said thr mics are coming!. Thing is I have no idea why this is even nessary when we are just practicing in a basement and not even that loud. I mean a 100 watt solid-state Roland bass amp is even overkill for how loud we play, but still he is playing like he's in a low volume lounge setting and we are trying to crank out rock!

OK, I'm playing devils advocate. Maybe he thinks the band is too loud, and is passive aggressively trying to lower the volume. Another thing you can try is recording the room with a single mic placed at a neutral location (overhead in middle of room), then you can play it back to see if the drums are cutting through, and just hard to hear because of room noise/dynamics.

Another way to deal with it is to make sure everyones amps are aimed up-towards their own ears, rather than the sound passing by their knees towards the drummer who is sitting, this might lower the overall room levels allowing the drums to cut through better. Unless you somehow plan to play all outdoor spaces, and covering quite a distance, most gigs require a drummer play somewhat controlled and at low-to-moderate levels, as well as the rest of the band. Do with that as you will, just another perspective. Nothing worse than a drummer (or band) that plays louder than a space allows.

 

[fakeneckplate'65]

We are not loud, he is just very lite

Yeah, yeah, yeah.. I'm a " finesse " drummer too & I too have been asked to play louder. It's because the guitars are too loud..

 

[andruca]

Some, but not all of this can be addressed by selecting the proper drums, heads, sticks, and then tuning the set the right way. Unfortunately the majority of drum sets sound awful unless you beat the #### out of them. To some degree that's an equipment and tuning problem, which relates to the skill, knowledge, and interest of the drummer. Many drummers don't tune their sets, and many who do don't have a clue.

There are a few drummers out there who can dial in a set to sound sweet without the need to bash it. They tune their set before each gig, and make adjustments as the night goes on.

Can mitigate, for sure, and a set has to be properly tuned, definitely. Still attack is attack. Not much of a workaround when talking hard genres.

 

[walterw]

i can say from experience that if he's older than like 16 you will never ever be able to turn him into a different musician than he inherently is

if his drumming style doesn't work for the band then it doesn't work and will never change

 

[fourstringdrums]

i can say from experience that if he's older than like 16 you will never ever be able to turn him into a different musician than he inherently is

if his drumming style doesn't work for the band then it doesn't work and will never change

That comment sounds like you're insinuating that people can't grow as a musician past a certain age.

 

[bassdrummer]

Great thread. I am a drummer too (a much better drummer than bass player!) and it’s great to read all of your different perspectives. I have played classic rock, big band swing and Latin jazz, small combo jazz, country, 80’s top 40 pop/rock, and a variety of church worship in different settings ranging from “play as loud as you want” to “play as soft as possible.” I have played acoustic drum kits, electronic drum kits, and hybrid kits utilizing a mix of electronic and acoustic drums and cymbals. Lots of great suggestions in this thread! Here are a few suggestions I came up with while reading through the thread and thinking about ways your drummer might be able to make some improvements.

Good drum heads are the fastest and cheapest way to improve the tone and tuning range of even the least expensive kit. The stock drum heads that come with low to mid-priced kits are generally very thin and difficult to tune evenly around the rim. This results in a ringy, undefined tone that can make a drummer feel less confident and play too quietly, or too loudly in an effort to force the drums to sound better. I recommend Evans, Remo, or Aquarian, going with thick single ply or double ply. Evans are my favorite. Some drums come stock with “Remo U.T.” heads. These are cheap, thin heads made overseas and branded with the Remo name. Avoid or replace them!

Good cymbals are key to a great sounding kit and consistent, accurate volume control. When I was giving drum lessons, I would convince my students (and in most cases, their parents) to buy used cast cymbals made with B20 bronze (such as Zildjian A’s/K’s, or Sabian AA/AAX/HH/HHX, or higher end Paiste). I recommended medium weight hi hats and ride, and a thin to medium-thin crash. Cheap, thick stamped budget level cymbals make it hard to control volume, and they have overbearing, unmusical overtones coupled with an excessively long decay. In other words, they hurt your ears!

It’s crucial to strike the drum or cymbal with a solid hit and good rebound in the sweet spot, regardless of how hard or soft you hit. This is most important and most noticeable on the snare drum. That will determine how well the band can hear it, how much control you have of dynamics and overall volume, and how musical the tone will sound in the mix.

Most important of all, as many of you have emphasized, is tempo. I used to set a timer for my students, set the metronome at a certain bpm, and have them play a simple 4/4 beat with straight 8ths on the hi hat, kick on 1 and 3, and snare on 2 and 4. They would start off having to play for one minute without rushing or dragging, and when (not if) they messed up I’d reset the timer and they’d have to start over. When they were ready, I’d have them play a more complex pattern for a longer interval, and then vary the tempo on the metronome from much slower to much faster.

Long-winded post, sorry! Just some pointers off the top of my head to keep in mind for possible conversations with your drummer to hopefully lead to some improvement in volume, tone, and timekeeping.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Of course some genres may benefit from a hard hitting drummer but if he is a good drummer and has a suitable style of playing for your music I would say: COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY!

A GOOD soft hitting drummer is a rare thing of beauty in my world!!!

Also, make sure his kit is ok, new drum heads, tuning etc. It can make a world of difference!

(Btw, amps have volume knobs you know, drummers generally do not...).

 

[baileyboy]

See how the mics work and go from there.

 

[chadds]

Try playing at his volume at practice. Then you will know how good you can sound. There may be dynamics and subtle stuff he is adding that you as a group are missing. Try it. It's good practice to learn to burn at low volume levels anyway.

 

[jeffb28451]

Sounds like you're bragging! No, seriously, if you can, mic him. I'm playing with a newer player and you can tell when he finds a "comfort zone" because he beats the hell out of the skins
and then disappears when the song gets a bit more challenging. I've really had very few instances over 4 decades where drummers listened as well as "real musicians" (I know, fire the drummer, etc.)
but it seems that everyone else usually has to dial up (or rarely, down) to the drummer.

So much the case that I hardly even think about the issue anymore. It's like trying to teach a pig to sing opera: the pig can;t do it and the farmer gets upset. Just dial up or mic up seem the only
real alternatives unless you have that rare and valuable commodity: a musician who takes constructive criticism and learns to function as a part of a band, instead of a rogue soloist who just
has to deal with other folks so he/she can "do their thing, their way." That's the way most of us are, anyway. Yeah, mea culpa for 40 years...