It’s 2am, you just closed down a gig at a brewery hall, the parking for your van is 2 blocks away and there are 2 flights of stairs to the stage loft… now tell me you want a giant kit
The nice thing about big kits is that you have a variety of options. You don’t have to take it all to a gig. I play a 7 piece. But take a 4-5 piece to gigs. My preference will always be a big kit though
I remember owning a high end e-kit a decade ago and it gave me access to all these different sounds. After I relocated, I had to strip down to a kick-snare-hat setup and I enjoyed it more.
I really enjoyed this episode of Drum Dog, because I started out with a 4 piece kit which I bought used. I had some old random drums that were given to me that I added to my kit. I also purchased a couple of toms. Now my kit is a 9 piece kit, so I have a lot of drums to hit. Lately I have gotten the urge to strip it down a bit as you suggested, and that is the beauty of having some extra drums. Play a big kit or play a small kit. Changing things up is exciting, and changing to a more minimalistic kit might lead me to greater gains. Thank you for your help.
Great episode‼️for a tiro drummer less is definitely more. Recently I reduced my drum set to four shells and three cymbals. It’s made my learning so much easier. You are so right about kick/hat/snare. Add just a ride and a Tom and you’re set for learning jazz comping…✌️🌻
If someone asked me this in the late '80's to around 2010, I'd have said that I preferred a bigger kit. I had a 9 piece (without the snare)1986 Ludwig Rocker (USA). I got used to it. In 2010 I was injured in a car crash, then in 2014 I developed an auto-immune problem that mimics ALS, affecting my motor skills. So now, being in my 50's, I traded my Ludwig (not my cymbals) for a 5 piece Tama, & the thing is, I love the more compact setup. I play better, & my ALS-like problem went into remission thanks to drumming.
Glad to see you playing no matter what. As you saw, even though you knew it to be true already, music heals the body, and mind. And the only thing that stimulates the soul. "Life Without music (and drums) would be a Mistake" :) It's my doctor and psychiatrist. Ear Candy: Rolling Quartz - Fearless (live video) 5 girls from South Korea that can rock with a most intense perfect 3 minute song. Robot God - Long Way Road. An Australian band with a song that's a 12 minute trip that you don't need to leave the house to enjoy. But still ends too soon. Enjoy.
I always think that if you're starting off, small kit is the best to learn off of. Even if you're more of a professional drummer, they can still prefer a smaller kit. While big kits look cool, small kits are obviously easy to move around and set up quickly. Unless you're doing something more intricate, similar to how Mike Portnoy, Neil Peart, or Gavin Harrison plays, I prefer a small kit to get the job done.
I play a large kit (Kick, Snare, Two Rack Toms, & Two Floor Toms) I honesty got use to a 5pc kit but on top of that, I thought what if I wanna try a 6pc kit.
When one is focused on musical expression when playing drums, then more sounds at your disposal is definitely better. If you are hired to be a great rhythm section, they a simple 4 piece will do for me. That said, here is no wrong answer, just personal preferences. (Disclosure, my go to is a 6 piece with 6 cymbals) :)
I’ve always played the smallest kit possible. Kick hat snare. I use a floor Tom and some hand percussion like tambourine and bongos. Whenever I sit at a big kit, I look around and I’m like why on earth would I ever need this? lol
What about a crash ride? That's what I'm in the market for. I'm making a compact drum setup with kick, snare, hats, floor tom, and crash/ride (or equivalent crash or ride that can do both jobs; I want my accent and groove power, dangnabbit!!!! 🤣).
There’s plenty of videos of Nicko Mcbrain playing on a 4 piece kit and sounding as good as he does on his monster kit. I usually play a 5 piece although really it could sensibly be a 4 piece.
They are great until you have to pack it up and take it home at the end of the night! After 40 years of playing I'm happy to take a standard 5 piece out! I used to play 7 and had a forest of cymbals to match - not sure it made me a better drummer but it sure looked cool in the 80s!
The regular kit i played on b4 getting any of my own gear was a standard smaller sizes, 5 peice. since getting my own kit, my minium setups are kick ,hats,snare floor tom. and they are a 18"14"13" less is more, all though my fav sizes would have to be benny greb sizes, 20"10"16"
I prefer the standard 4 or 5 piece (2 rack toms, 1 floor tom) plus some higher-pitched drums like bongos or rototoms and sometimes a second snare drum. I've tried a second floor tom and I can't comfortably reach it with my left hand, so I don't use it. Just because you have something on your kit doesn't mean you need to hit it. The biggest issue with a big kit is if it compromises your positioning of the hi-hat or ride cymbal.
Great insight into your drum setup and the choices you make based on comfort and musicality. It's a good reminder that drumming is a personal journey, and what works for one may not work for another. Appreciate your thoughts!
It depends upon what you prefer, and what kind of music you play. You can do almost anything on a 4-piece. But in some cases bigger might sound better.
I often scale down to just kick, hat, snare, exactly for that reason to focus on rhythms. At gigs, I’ve limited my playing to kick,hat, snare, ride. Learn to crash on the ride, learn the various positions on the hi hat to get a broad sound palette. Plus lugging less stuff to gigs is a big plus!
I get sick of playing with two rack toms sometimes, my toms are 10",12", floor toms are 14", 16", and a 22"x20" bass. Getting sick of these 2000's sets that mostly come like this. I really like sets that have a 13" tom, 14" and 16" floor toms and a 22"x14" or 24"x14".
I play a larger kit (two snares/HH/two rack toms/two floor toms/22” kick/multiple cymbals) but I must say that some of the best technique I have seen is jazz players on kick/HH/snare/two cymbals.
I have five toms, and I don't use all for all songs. I'd say the 10 and 16 are the least used, and the 12, 13 and 14 are used the most. I've considered if I were to drop one, if I would drop the 10 or 16. Or maybe both? I think I could do without them, but for certain songs, they are useful. But 80% of my fills involve mainly the 3 in the middle. And I have them fairly low-tuned. If I were a touring drummer I probably would, but I just have them permanently in my basement, so there's no practical reason. The cost for replacing all batter heads does add up over time though...
I’ve always said John Bonham could do more musically with 4 drums than most could do with 10. Kit size typically goes hand in hand with the genre of music you are playing. But there are exceptions. In the end it’s what your style of music and band needs from you as a drummer. If you are playing Jazz you don’t need Neil Peart’s kit.
For me, it depends on logistics. If its your show (meaning your the headlining act or the only act), go wild as youll have all the setup and packup time youll need. However, if youre sharing the.bill, use less as much as you can.
The bottom line is you usually don’t have the stage room or time to setup a bigger kit. I have several configuration and landed on a 4 piece kit. So instead of big fills I focus more on the correct beat and bass drum work 👊🤘
@@JohnJohn-zn8ibif you look at drums simply as an instrument to make noise. I agree. However that’s a very not musical way to look at a musical instrument
I like bigger kits way better! Not to be the star and drown out a song, or even overplaying? I like them because of the options and more tones I can have available to me without overplaying!! It is how you play your drum kit, definitely not, hey look everybody how many drums I have and I'm going to be the showman? But having the option to have the higher pitched smaller toms, down to the deep this of the floor toms and or bigger drums. And their is nothing wrong with going all the way from high to low quickly or slowly if called for? Too many is too many, but nothing wrong with 8,9 piece kits used the right way!!
Hi I noticed this myself and asking it myself some days ago are you a mind reader 😁 Wenn you have a snare and hihat and bassdrum you are forced to play and learn basic skills. The more you have around the more you want to hit 😄 thanks for sharing greetings from Austria.
You have to learn the basic skills on a small set before you can master the large set. For example you may learn a 5 stroke roll on a snare first - then you can play the two doubles on the snare, and then hit a tom on the 5th note. You can also hit 2 double on 2 different toms, and then hit the snare for your 5th note.
honestly you dont need all that equipmwnt it is actually useless a simple 4 or piece kit with a couple of cymbals will work just fine ..I see no need for a bunch of cymbals
My friends always call me a cymbalholic lol - I play a 5pc kit, but I usually have around 8-12 cymbals lined up around me!
It’s 2am, you just closed down a gig at a brewery hall, the parking for your van is 2 blocks away and there are 2 flights of stairs to the stage loft… now tell me you want a giant kit
The nice thing about big kits is that you have a variety of options. You don’t have to take it all to a gig. I play a 7 piece. But take a 4-5 piece to gigs. My preference will always be a big kit though
I remember owning a high end e-kit a decade ago and it gave me access to all these different sounds. After I relocated, I had to strip down to a kick-snare-hat setup and I enjoyed it more.
I really enjoyed this episode of Drum Dog, because I started out with a 4 piece kit which I bought used. I had some old random drums that were given to me that I added to my kit. I also purchased a couple of toms. Now my kit is a 9 piece kit, so I have a lot of drums to hit.
Lately I have gotten the urge to strip it down a bit as you suggested, and that is the beauty of having some extra drums. Play a big kit or play a small kit. Changing things up is exciting, and changing to a more minimalistic kit might lead me to greater gains. Thank you for your help.
You got some mad skills dude. Thanks for the video! I will stick with the 5 piece I’ve used for years!
Great episode‼️for a tiro drummer less is definitely more. Recently I reduced my drum set to four shells and three cymbals. It’s made my learning so much easier. You are so right about kick/hat/snare. Add just a ride and a Tom and you’re set for learning jazz comping…✌️🌻
If someone asked me this in the late '80's to around 2010, I'd have said that I preferred a bigger kit. I had a 9 piece (without the snare)1986 Ludwig Rocker (USA). I got used to it. In 2010 I was injured in a car crash, then in 2014 I developed an auto-immune problem that mimics ALS, affecting my motor skills. So now, being in my 50's, I traded my Ludwig (not my cymbals) for a 5 piece Tama, & the thing is, I love the more compact setup. I play better, & my ALS-like problem went into remission thanks to drumming.
Glad to see you playing no matter what. As you saw, even though you knew it to be true already, music heals the body, and mind. And the only thing that stimulates the soul. "Life Without music (and drums) would be a Mistake" :) It's my doctor and psychiatrist. Ear Candy: Rolling Quartz - Fearless (live video) 5 girls from South Korea that can rock with a most intense perfect 3 minute song. Robot God - Long Way Road. An Australian band with a song that's a 12 minute trip that you don't need to leave the house to enjoy. But still ends too soon. Enjoy.
definitely more impressive to see a guy do a lot with less rather than the guy with a huge kit that doesn’t use 90% of the stuff
I always think that if you're starting off, small kit is the best to learn off of. Even if you're more of a professional drummer, they can still prefer a smaller kit. While big kits look cool, small kits are obviously easy to move around and set up quickly. Unless you're doing something more intricate, similar to how Mike Portnoy, Neil Peart, or Gavin Harrison plays, I prefer a small kit to get the job done.
I play a large kit (Kick, Snare, Two Rack Toms, & Two Floor Toms) I honesty got use to a 5pc kit but on top of that, I thought what if I wanna try a 6pc kit.
Short answer............. Bigger!
Real answer............... Whatever you like and whatever the gig calls for..
When one is focused on musical expression when playing drums, then more sounds at your disposal is definitely better. If you are hired to be a great rhythm section, they a simple 4 piece will do for me. That said, here is no wrong answer, just personal preferences. (Disclosure, my go to is a 6 piece with 6 cymbals) :)
I’ve always played the smallest kit possible. Kick hat snare. I use a floor Tom and some hand percussion like tambourine and bongos. Whenever I sit at a big kit, I look around and I’m like why on earth would I ever need this? lol
What about a crash ride? That's what I'm in the market for. I'm making a compact drum setup with kick, snare, hats, floor tom, and crash/ride (or equivalent crash or ride that can do both jobs; I want my accent and groove power, dangnabbit!!!! 🤣).
There’s plenty of videos of Nicko Mcbrain playing on a 4 piece kit and sounding as good as he does on his monster kit. I usually play a 5 piece although really it could sensibly be a 4 piece.
They are great until you have to pack it up and take it home at the end of the night! After 40 years of playing I'm happy to take a standard 5 piece out! I used to play 7 and had a forest of cymbals to match - not sure it made me a better drummer but it sure looked cool in the 80s!
The regular kit i played on b4 getting any of my own gear was a standard smaller sizes, 5 peice. since getting my own kit, my minium setups are kick ,hats,snare floor tom. and they are a 18"14"13" less is more, all though my fav sizes would have to be benny greb sizes, 20"10"16"
The only disadvantage I see with a bigger kit is it takes more time to set it up (and keep the tune).
2racks1floor,kick, snare , hats, 2 crash , ride , is enough for me
I prefer the standard 4 or 5 piece (2 rack toms, 1 floor tom) plus some higher-pitched drums like bongos or rototoms and sometimes a second snare drum. I've tried a second floor tom and I can't comfortably reach it with my left hand, so I don't use it. Just because you have something on your kit doesn't mean you need to hit it. The biggest issue with a big kit is if it compromises your positioning of the hi-hat or ride cymbal.
Great insight into your drum setup and the choices you make based on comfort and musicality. It's a good reminder that drumming is a personal journey, and what works for one may not work for another. Appreciate your thoughts!
It depends upon what you prefer, and what kind of music you play. You can do almost anything on a 4-piece. But in some cases bigger might sound better.
I often scale down to just kick, hat, snare, exactly for that reason to focus on rhythms. At gigs, I’ve limited my playing to kick,hat, snare, ride. Learn to crash on the ride, learn the various positions on the hi hat to get a broad sound palette. Plus lugging less stuff to gigs is a big plus!
You Can never achieve a proper dynamic without any Toms at all in my ears.
@@ALJessica
Dynamics in drumming is all down to the drummer and not how many, or little, toms they have.
I get sick of playing with two rack toms sometimes, my toms are 10",12", floor toms are 14", 16", and a 22"x20" bass. Getting sick of these 2000's sets that mostly come like this. I really like sets that have a 13" tom, 14" and 16" floor toms and a 22"x14" or 24"x14".
I play a larger kit (two snares/HH/two rack toms/two floor toms/22” kick/multiple cymbals) but I must say that some of the best technique I have seen is jazz players on kick/HH/snare/two cymbals.
I have five toms, and I don't use all for all songs. I'd say the 10 and 16 are the least used, and the 12, 13 and 14 are used the most. I've considered if I were to drop one, if I would drop the 10 or 16. Or maybe both? I think I could do without them, but for certain songs, they are useful. But 80% of my fills involve mainly the 3 in the middle. And I have them fairly low-tuned. If I were a touring drummer I probably would, but I just have them permanently in my basement, so there's no practical reason. The cost for replacing all batter heads does add up over time though...
I’ve always said John Bonham could do more musically with 4 drums than most could do with 10. Kit size typically goes hand in hand with the genre of music you are playing. But there are exceptions. In the end it’s what your style of music and band needs from you as a drummer. If you are playing Jazz you don’t need Neil Peart’s kit.
For me, it depends on logistics. If its your show (meaning your the headlining act or the only act), go wild as youll have all the setup and packup time youll need. However, if youre sharing the.bill, use less as much as you can.
The bottom line is you usually don’t have the stage room or time to setup a bigger kit. I have several configuration and landed on a 4 piece kit. So instead of big fills I focus more on the correct beat and bass drum work 👊🤘
It’s more for show, a smaller kit makes just as much noise.
@@JohnJohn-zn8ibif you look at drums simply as an instrument to make noise. I agree. However that’s a very not musical way to look at a musical instrument
@JoeyKaraffa1 yes it is, I have seen drummers with lots of toms and they hardly ever use them.
I must admit that for me a 7-piece kit is the optimal.
I like bigger kits way better! Not to be the star and drown out a song, or even overplaying? I like them because of the options and more tones I can have available to me without overplaying!! It is how you play your drum kit, definitely not, hey look everybody how many drums I have and I'm going to be the showman? But having the option to have the higher pitched smaller toms, down to the deep this of the floor toms and or bigger drums. And their is nothing wrong with going all the way from high to low quickly or slowly if called for? Too many is too many, but nothing wrong with 8,9 piece kits used the right way!!
Hi I noticed this myself and asking it myself some days ago are you a mind reader 😁 Wenn you have a snare and hihat and bassdrum you are forced to play and learn basic skills. The more you have around the more you want to hit 😄 thanks for sharing greetings from Austria.
You have to learn the basic skills on a small set before you can master the large set. For example you may learn a 5 stroke roll on a snare first - then you can play the two doubles on the snare, and then hit a tom on the 5th note. You can also hit 2 double on 2 different toms, and then hit the snare for your 5th note.
It is like telling to guitar player: "Play just with 3 strings, you will be more creative".
If you can't play it on a four piece, you ain't gonna play it on a large kit.
honestly you dont need all that equipmwnt it is actually useless a simple 4 or piece kit with a couple of cymbals will work just fine ..I see no need for a bunch of cymbals
These drummers who have big kits more or less do it for show, you make just as much noise on a 4 or 5 piece kit, big heads.