Quantization drums is a well-known process in the music of shifting and aligning the transients of waveforms to a pre-determined grid. To give you an example, aligning transients of the kick and a snare drum to eight notes is one of the common forms of quantization. 

Since the dawn of time, people have learned to constantly produce two sides of a single story, and that is the same with quantizing drums. Some musicians believe this process is good, and some say it is terrible. 

In some sense, musicians who refuse to compromise are purists, and their opinion is valid as the opinion of others. I firmly believe that the process of quantization is necessary only in certain situations. 

Also, it is an excellent time to use quantization after editing, recording and merging since there will be a need for timing correction. 

Here is a straightforward piece of advice. You should choose the tracks that will be the Q-reference tracks for the group if you want to quantize your drum tracks. In addition, enable Flex Mode on the tracks, and apply timing adjustments. 

Now, we need to showcase both sides of the story, side by side, and see if you should quantize your drums or not. In addition to upcoming sections, I will also add my piece of advice and personal experience that will be most relevant and helpful to the reader.

Reasons why you should Quantize Drums

There are numerous reasons why you should quantize your drums. The following sections will clarify the most obvious reasons and benefits of quantizing.

Recording Enhancement

More often than not, samples are blended with the original recording, and engineers are free to share their creativity with the vast amount of libraries today. 

For example, there is one product from Drumforge, and its name is Drumshotz. It is an excellent example of a library. 

The primary goal of this product is to enhance the drum recordings, especially in choruses where an extra punch is necessary.

The Case for Software

Both free and paid digital audio workstations have software to wrap and quantize audio. One of the excellent examples of such digital audio workstations is a Subase with a dedicated quantization panel. 

One more example would be Beat Detective, featured by Pro Tools. Which one you choose is totally up to you. The reasons why you might choose one over the other are subjective since all of them yield a similar result.

Specific Sections Need Quantization

There is a myth that quantization needs to affect the entire recording. In reality, it needs only to affect it partially. Aligning individual sections will save you time. 

Since quantizing specific sections is newer, some engineers still punch in parts in real time.

Efficiency: Quantization as a tool Between Engineers and Artists

There is a good case for efficiency since quantization and efficiency go hand in hand and are not separable. 

The time has come when engineers don’t need to spend countless hours waiting for the artist to complete the perfect take. 

Quantization is an excellent way to save time, which is one reason why it is preferred to be included. 

Sampling Capabilities

Aligning the transients to the grid allows producers to use sampling software with higher accuracy and better outcomes. When the recording process is not ideal, quantization comes in handy. 

There is a case where recording in a bedroom or even a basement may produce professional results when utilizing quantization with samples. 

Many studio owners have these limitations, and this method removes them completely. In addition, producers with limited microphone selection can benefit from sampled drums.

Quantization for Musicians with Poor Timing

Poor timing is often a result of lazy and unprofessional musicians who probably shouldn’t be in a recording studio yet. 

They should spend more time at home practicing with a click. Today, everybody thinks that they deserve and have the capabilities to record an album, but that is not true. Quantization provides a better way to produce more quality products without hindering the results, reputation, and the studio’s brand.

Why you shouldn’t Quantize Drums

There are a few reasons why you may decide to not quantize your music.

Uniqueness of Playing

There is no doubt that we lose something very unique to our playing when we quantize our music. It doesn’t matter which factor we are taking into consideration. 

We need to accept that we still may change because of the quantization. Internal clocks, swings, and grooves usually become lost in the process of quantization. 

Quantizations should be used only on certain occasions, with the goal of not losing the original playing style. Here is one good example. 

If you make house music, you need to quantize the cake or hi-hat, or your DJ will start to hate you. A good piece of advice would be to quantize the kick and let the rest of it just be you. Your grooves on the hi-hats and your grooves on the baseline. 

Also, your swing on the clap and your swing on the percussion. That is what nobody can replicate. It is something individual to you and what makes your music yours.

My Thoughts and Experience on Quantizing Drums

My most significant consideration in quantizing drums is the lack of feel. It is evident that quantizing leads to music sounding robotic and not human. Some musicians go as far as to say that quantizing lacks a voice. 

I only quantized drums when necessary and always aimed to do it as little as possible. However, we can dispute the nature of quantizing, but it is here to stay, and we need to adapt and use it as best as we can. 

How to quantize in Ableton?

Quantizing in Ableton is quick and straightforward, and you have three options.

Record Quantized Midi Notes

This is the function that quantizes MIDI notes while recording. The first step is to enable Record Quantization from the Edit menu. 

Then, select which meter subdivision the notes will snap to when recording from the chooser. 

This feature will save you the time of fixing notes that are not in sync. In addition, after you finish recording, you are always free to add a groove to humanize the recording.

Moving Midi Notes in the Midi Editor

There is a feature in Live’s MIDI Editor that allows grid snapping. The feature will snap MIDI notes to the grid lines when moving them. 

There is also an option to enable or disable it, depending on your needs. If you want to adjust specific notes rather than every note, I suggest manually quantizing MIDI notes because it is easier. 

Some examples are fixing the timing of a recording or applying a groove by your hand.

Correct Note Timing with the Quantize Command

Let’s give an example. 

If you are quantizing at a 16th note resolution, it will move the selected notes to the nearest sixteenth note. 

If you are using Live’s Quantize command, it will automatically shift selected MIDI notes to the grid.

Is Quantizing Cheating?

I wouldn’t categorize quantizing as cheating mainly because it is a tool for correcting timing errors. You can use it for recording, which is handy for recording bass and drum parts. Also, if it helps you to record quickly, you should use it. 

The only thing we should focus on is the recording quality, which may be the primary reason quantizing is not considered cheating. The mechanical and robotic feel gives a sense that it may be cheating, but it is necessary to quantify the music for its performance. In addition, quantization is a fundamental part of MIDI. 

One of the most important things is the ability to slide performances and vary degrees into tighter rhythmic precision. However, there is no need to quantize every performance automatically, and most experienced composers don’t quantize the initial recording.

Conclusion

Quantizing drums is an excellent way to improve your performance and make it more precise. There are numerous reasons why you should quantize drums. Efficiency is one of them, as it is great to save them and comes in handy for engineers since the don’t need to spend countless hours waiting for the artist to complete the take. 

There are also benefits for musicians with poor timing, sampling capabilities, specific section, software etc. Quantizing offers many benefits and reasons why you should do it. However, there is always a different side of the story. If you happen to quantize your drums more than you should, you will make your sound more robotic and not human. 

To avoid this, only quantize certain parts of your drums, and leave the rest for your style. Quantizing too much will come as a sacrifice to your unique playing style. The things like internal clocks, swings, and grooves are the ones that become lost in the process of quantization. 

It would be best if you quantized only in certain situations with the goal of not losing your original playing style. Lastly, quantizing your drums is not considered cheating. It is essential to every musician’s performance and should be treated accordingly.

Drumsticks are essential for every drummer who takes their drumming seriously, and it isn’t apparent which drumstick should you pick. 

Because of that, today we will explain how to choose the right drumsticks and never get confused again when deciding to buy them. 

Nowadays, there are a lot of drumsticks on the music store’s rack, and the options are overwhelming. It doesn’t matter whether you are new to drumming or a professional. You are always going to face problems when picking the right drumsticks. 

In addition, you don’t have time to try every single one of them, so you need a consistent number of factors upon which you decide to buy them or not. 

Before we go into the exact steps of choosing the right drumsticks, we will quickly go over different types of drumsticks.

What Are The Types Of Drum Sticks

Finding the right drumstick is just as important as picking the suitable drum set. You need a well-balanced set of sticks that will make you feel comfortable and help produce the best sound possible. Different things like numbers, letters, and tip shapes play a significant role, and we will review them first.

Drumstick’s tip shape

There are five types of tips: teardrop, round/ball, oval, barrel, and acorn. Each of those tips produces a different sound. 

Also, they all have a different feel, especially when it comes to playing cymbals. Oval tips are great for providing the most extensive spectrum of sound. 

Teardrops are excellent for warm and focused low tones. However, if you are a drummer seeking a clean and bright sound, you must opt for round tips. 

Acorn tips are the best for producing rich sound, and barrel tips are excellent for punchy and loud sound. When you choose the right type, you need to consider the kind of music you play. 

Teardrops are great for playing with an acoustic ensemble, and barrel-style are great if you need to be heard over a few amps. If you are a beginner and don’t know which tips will best suit your need, maybe you should speak with someone professional or a music teacher.

Numbers and Letters

The letters represent styles of music, and numbers are directly related to the stick’s diameter. 

The larger the diameter, the lower the number. For example, 7A sticks are smaller(in circumference) compared to the 5A sticks. However, companies today adopted individual systems for naming numbering sticks. 

This means that 7A of one brand may differ from 7A of another. That is why professionals recommend trying different sizes or shapes every time.

Common Drumsticks

Here are some common drumsticks:

2B – High thickness, heavier weight

5A – Medium thickness, lighter weight

Extreme 5A – Medium thickness, lighter weight, extra length

5B – Medium thickness, heavier weight

7AN – Low thickness, lighter weight, nylon tip

7B – Low thickness, medium weight

Steps For Choosing The Right Drumsticks

Follow the next steps to choose the right drumsticks.

Step 1 – Wood Type

The first step in choosing the right drumsticks is to select the suitable wood. Drumsticks are generally made of maple, Japanese white oak, or hickory. 

Recently, laminated birch has regained its popularity. However, each one of these has a slightly different feel. 

The distinct feeling is achieved depending on how the stick transmits or absorbs vibration and how much it flexes. So now let’s review all wood types and see which one is the best for you:

• Hickory is a widespread well-rounded and well-rounded wood that is used in drumsticks. In addition, it is highly regarded for its strength, flexibility, and resistance to impact.
• The weight of maple is lower than hickory, which allows for a greater diameter with less weight. It is more flexible and soft than maple. It adversely affects the durability of sticks. Maple is more mellow and clear on cymbals and drums.
• Oak is heavy and dense and transmits more vibrations. It is generally more robust, but it will break without warning. The heavier weight of drums gives them an even, deeper sound. It also produces a large yet brash sound of cymbals.
• Laminated birch is made of top-quality Birch plywood. The sticks are cumbersome and long-lasting. They create an intense sound of cymbals and drums.
• There are smaller businesses that specialize in exotic woods. Vic Firth is currently making carbon fiber sticks. Companies like Ahead create sticks from nylon.

Step 2 – Material

The second step is to pick a suitable material. Generally speaking, tips come in wood, nylon, or delrin. Wood tips are known for having a darker contact sound and less articulate sound on cymbals. Certain companies mainly use Delrin because it is supposedly more durable. Lastly, nylon tips have a brighter sound on cymbals.

Step 3 – Shape

As we mentioned, tips come in different shapes, producing different sounds. The most common tip shapes are barrel, ball, acorn, and oval. In addition, each shape comes in multiple sizes. Bigger create deeper sounds while smaller create more articulate sounds. Here is a brief overview of all common shapes:

• Barrel tips have a wide smooth contact area. This results in a dark but booming contact sound.
• The Acorn tips feature the most extensive contact surface. This helps to reduce the sound produced by contact considerably, resulting in a rich dark cymbal sound.
• Ball tips have a tiny contact area, which results in the most bright sound of contact.
• Oval tips lie between the barrel and ball tips.

Step 4 – Thickness

The fourth step is to choose the thickness. This matters because the thickness also changes the sound. Generally speaking, there are two ways to know the thickness of a stick. The first is to see a model number, and the second is to understand the diameter of the stick.

Regarding the first one, higher numbers represent thinner sticks. For example, 7A is thinner than 5A. However, this system is unreliable because companies tend to have individual parameters. The second way to know the thickness is to find the diameter of the stick by finding a three-digit decimal. Here are some general guidelines to follow when choosing the thickness of the stick: 

• 7As are lighter and thinner. They sound better on cymbals and drums. In addition, they are great for less volume play.
• 5As are slightly thicker than the 7As. They are thought of as being the more general and flexible stick.
• 5Bs are heavier, more powerful drumsticks commonly employed by metal and rock drummers due to their weight.
• There are many different designs, and each firm has its unique idiosyncrasies. For instance, Promark has a thinner 5A than many. Vic Firth’s 7A has a shorter length than many, and their 8D is closer to all 7A.

Step 5 – Varnish or lacquer coating on the drumsticks

• Keep the stick in your hands as you would during playing. Allow it to slide between your fingers.
• Different manufacturers employ different coatings to affect the grip. Vic Firth favors a thin lacquer, whereas Regal Tip favors a heavy lacquer that makes their sticks slippery and more resistant to moisture and skin oils. Promark’s unique finish turns tacky as your hands warm it up. Promark also has a variety of sticks that are finished by sanding. Zildjian, as well as Vic Firth, also offers many sticks that have a rubber coating. Provide the butt end on the stick.
• The only way to find out what interests you is to try playing with sticks.

Step 6 – Choose the brand

The market has to offer many brands of good drumsticks, but not all are the same. Good advice is to consider your favorite artist’s preference in sticks when buying ones. 

Here are some of the top brands when it comes to choosing the right drumsticks and their endorsements:

• Ahead (Lars Ulrich, Rick Allen) – Ahead is the most popular choice of metal drummers because of their durability and the size of the sticks. Many complain that their sticks hurt their hands.
• ProMark (Joey Jordison, Mike Portnoy, Glenn Kotche, Benny Greb) – Promark doesn’t have a lot of variety in tips but has several excellent options for finishing.
• Vater (Chad Smith and David Silvera) – Vater is an item similar to Vic Firths but with different shapes.
• Vic Firth (John Dolmayan, Vinnie Paul, Mark Guilian) – Vic Firth offers probably the most extensive range of sticks. They prefer a light lacquer finish, and many stick designs are painted. 
• Zildjian (Dave Grohl, Travis Barker)
• Los Cabos Drumsticks (Mike Sleath, David McGraw, Cameron Losch)

Step 7 – Experiment

There is no better way to choose the right drumsticks than to try them out and experiment. This is a smart thing to do when choosing a new kind of drumstick or size or brand you never used before. 

Practice with them and see if they suit you. Try them on a practice pad until you get a feel for their springiness, balance, and weight.

Conclusion

When choosing the right drumsticks, you must consider everything from material, shape, tip, numbers, and letters. 

Also, your style is one of the deciding factors in choosing the right drumstick. Thickness and brand are also important factors. 

In addition, the most crucial advice is to take the drumstick and try them gently on a practice pad and see if they suit you.

Despite its popularity learning how to play the snare drum isn’t easy, and it takes patience, practice, and time.

The snare drum is featured in orchestral and marching percussion scores and is one of Western music’s most widely utilized instruments. 

A lot is going on, from setting up and tunning drums to having good dynamics and learning to drum roll. This is why so many people get scared of learning to play drums at first.

Positive thinking and discipline will get you through, but you must trust the process. 

In this post, I decided to break the learning process into seven not-so-hard steps. These steps are intuitive and easy to follow, so make sure to pay attention.

Step 1 – Set up your snare drum

Before you learn how to play the snare drum, you need to set it up as it best suits you. Setting up is very important, and skipping it will make your learning process harder.

How should a snare drum be positioned?

Position your snare drum a couple of inches above your feet so that when you hit it, the stick won’t hit your feet. 

You should play around with it and find the most suitable position. If you can hit the drum and advance your technique easily, you are positioning it correctly.

How to set up a snare drum stand?

Place the snare drum on a stand so the snares are on the bottom.

The next step is to adjust the snare basket so the snare drum is snug and cannot move. Using the height adjustment, adjust the snare drum so that the top rim of the drum is slightly below your waistline.

How to set up snare drum wires?

The first thing you should do is flip your snare drum upside down. Then, lay the snare wire bed flat and position it carefully in the center. 

Thread the cords or straps through the holes, keeping things as centered and even as possible. Any uneven tension will affect the mechanics and the sound.

You should loosen the tension knob to the max. Then, carefully adjust the knob to be about in the middle. After the bed is secure, take your time and slowly bring the tension knob to the – on position. Then, you can adjust the tension knob up and down with ease. Continue to experiment with the tension of the snare wires and the tension knob until a crisp snare sound is achieved.

Step 2 – Snare drum tunning

Loosen the top head completely. Place the drum on a flat surface and unscrew all the tension rods so that there is no tension on the top head. 

You don’t need to take them out; loosen them all the way. Next, begin to tighten down each rod until they touch the counter hoop (or rim) without pulling it down. Just screw the tension rod down until it just touches. 

Go across the drum and do the same to the opposite tension rod and repeat, always working across the drum head in opposites. 

This keeps the head very even. When all the tension rods are seated and just touching the counter hoop, take the tool like the Evans torque key, set the desired tensile strength, and start tightening down each rod. You can also use a Tama tension watch to see the tensile strength of each rod.

Remember, we are not concerned with how tight the head is right now. We only care how even the tension is. 

Turn the drum over and follow the same procedures to tension the bottom head evenly.

The most important thing is that the sound intensity coming from each rod is the same. Also, the bottom head can be as tight or even tighter when compared to the top head. 

What should snare drums be tuned to?

For a 6.5” snare drum, the pitches G – Bb are what you should listen for (Ab – B for a 5” drum). Use a piano or keyboard percussion instrument to help find your pitch.

Using your drum key, tighten each tension rod ONE EVEN HALF TURN, always working in opposites across the drum until you come near the pitch. Make sure your snares and muffler are not on when listening to the pitch of the top head.

How can I make my snare drum sound better?

Fine-tuning the top head will help the drum ring longer and sound better. 

Tap the head very near the rim and softly right before each tension rod. Listen for the same pitch at each station. 

If one spot sounds much higher or lower than the other, make a minor adjustment with your drum key. Remember not to over-adjust. 

Turn the lug one-quarter turn to the right and then listen again. Here is a valuable piece of advice from Benny Greb: Purposefully release the tension of the top two lugs, and you will get a cool sound. 

At this point, you may also want to adjust your snare muffler to make the top head sound a little drier if needed.

How tight should the snare head be?

The most common advice is to tune your resonant head tighter than your batter head. It’s a common mistake to over-tighten snare wire tension. 

This can choke the sound of the snare drum. So the best option is to aim for a medium, not too tight, and not too loose.

How tight should snare wires be?

The golden rule is never to tension your snare wires so tightly. That is because it will result in choking the snare sound. 

You should find a sweet spot that allows them to “sing.” And be sure to mount the snares straight. That will ensure they last longer and respond optimally.

Step 3 – Different drum grips

There are two primary drum grips: the traditional grip and the matched grip. Also, there are three variants of the matched grip—the American grip, the German grip, and the French grip. Each type of grip suits a different style of music. 

We will cover all of them below.

American grip 

This grip became one of the most common ones because of its comfort. You should start with empty hands, and the first thing you should do is make a gun shape with your right hand. 

The thumb and the index finger must be extended like a gun shape. The rest of the fingers must be curled into your palm, and the back of the hand must be facing upward when playing.

The next step is to pick up the sticks and place or grip it between the thumb and the index finger’s first joint (Balance Point), approximately one-third of the distance from the butt end of the stick. 

Close the other fingers loosely around the stick. Place the thumb on the side of the stick but don’t put too much pressure on it.

Then, place your sticks on the snare drum, and try to make a 45-degree angle with the back of your hand. This is what is called the American Grip.

The last piece of advice is to make sure you have the right balance point since you need to get the maximum rebounds off the snare.

French grip

The French grip brings the sticks together, so they are almost parallel. In the other two grips, the palms face downward. 

But in the french grip, the thumb and the palm faces a short side upwards. It is well-known that not much power comes from holding the sticks with this kind of grip, so you should only use it with a fast tempo.

German grip

With a german grip, palms face down, and the sticks protrude from the side. It is designed to support wrist playing. Very similar to the American grip that arose as a slight deviation from the German.

The downside of the German grip is in the movement that is left and right rather than up and down like in American. 

Also, some drummers consider the stick should be fully in hand, and the palms should be in a more natural position. That’s why the American grip was developed.

Traditional grip

The traditional grip is asymmetrical. Because of that, we will cover both hands separately.

Right hand:

Grab the stick between the thumb and the index finger’s first joint, one-third of the distance from the butt end of the stick.

Left hand:

1. Hold the stick with your hand upside down, palm side up, and place it in the socket between the thumb and index finger (one-third of the distance from the butt end of the stick). The pad of your thumb must rest on the index finger’s first joint.
2. The default position is where the stick rests across the middle finger on the top side.
3. Now rest the stick on the top(cuticle or the outer layer) of the ring finger.
4. The little finger can support the ring finger.

Step 4 – Practice wrist and finger control

It isn’t foolish to say that practice makes perfect. Before you start playing snare drum better, you will need to practice wrist and finger control. 

There are a lot of exercises out there that will help you increase your wrist and finger strength. Also, it’s not only about strength. The flexibility of your wrists plays a significant role. 

This is because a flexible wrist has a more extensive range of motion, and therefore it can produce more power. Besides this, you also need to perfect the control of your fingers.

How can I increase my wrist and finger strength?

Since there is a wide variety of exercises to choose from, we will only give and fully explain one for both of them. 

You can do this exercise for fingers while watching or listening to your favorite music. The only thing you need is the object to squeeze, and that can either be a metal grip strengthener, squeeze ball, tennis ball, or even a bag of rice.

It would be best if you aimed to squeeze for at least 10 seconds and do it as often as possible. 

This is the best way to build your endurance fast. Don’t be surprised when the bag of rice beats you after only a couple of minutes.

For the wrist, you can perform simple weighted flexion and extension. Anything from small weights to balls can be used as a weight. 

Aim for at least 12-15 repetitions for each arm, and then do it for 3-4 sets with as little rest in between them.

How do I get better finger control on drums?

An excellent exercise for better control of your fingers would be to perform single stroke rolls with different tempos, using a french grip. 

Also, it would help if you only practiced with your thumb and index finger, and the rest of your fingers should not touch the stick. 

After mastering to play with only the thumb and index finger, you can gradually start adding the rest of the fingers.

To keep or improve your finger dexterity, you should regularly stretch your fingers, wrist, forearm, and shoulder. 

You can stretch your fingers easily by extending them as far as possible. Regular extension of the wrist and forearm will help as well. 

Maybe the best way to keep your shoulders flexible and mobile is to swim at least two or three times a week.

How do drummers make their wrists flexible?

The best way to keep your wrists flexible is to stick to a daily exercise stretching plan. More often than not, these exercises are easy to perform, and they don’t need any special gear whatsoever.

The most important thing is not to overcomplicate. It would be best to stick to pronation, supination, flexion, and extension. 

You should primarily focus on the extension. A simple extension exercise would be to pull your fingers with another hand towards the outer part of your forearm.

Step 5 – Ghost notes

Ghost notes are musical notes with a rhythmic value but no discernible pitch when played. 

This can sound confusing, so we will define it as notes played very softly between the main notes. 

More often than not, they are unnoticed by the listeners because they require extraordinary listening abilities.

In the world of music, they are also known by the names “false notes,” “dead notes,” and “muted notes.”

What is a ghost note on a snare drum?

Ghost notes on a snare drum are the same as on any other drum. They are very soft notes with no actual “attack,” as we said before.

You can learn how to play ghost notes on a snare drum by starting to practice playing at a lower volume.

Why do drummers use ghost notes?

The reason why they are essential is that they create color and texture in the groove. Also, they are often used to create more complex drum beats and contrast in drumming.

These notes are used in various arrangements, and you can hear them in the works of different drummers across almost all genres.

How do you improve ghost notes on drums?

Some simple tricks will help you improve ghost notes on your drum. 

You should first play the beats with various ghost notes and work on them until you perfect them or feel comfortable. 

Here is a list of valuable tips and tricks:

• Start with some paradiddles and practice the ghost notes with both hands.
• Practice groove patterns on the hi-hat with a hand-to-hand sixteenth-note in a short and repetitive rhythmic pattern as the right hand play the backbeats.
• Play the same patterns with your right hand on the hi-hat and snare while your left hand gently strikes the snare.
• If you want to make sure you are doing it right, record yourself playing.
• It can also be helpful if you play in front of the mirror so you can see your drumstick’s height while practicing.

Step 6 – Dynamics on drums

To understand drum dynamics, we need to define it first. Dynamics refers to how hard or soft you hit each drum or cymbal and how loud or quiet you play overall.

Drummers need to have full control over the volume of each limb.

It is well-known that this element of playing can make or break a song. By having and understanding the dynamics, you have a huge sound toolkit at your disposal.

Here are the benefits of drum set dynamics:

• You can play the same beat in countless different ways.
• Your stockpile of fills will take on a whole new life.
• You can make elementary patterns sound a lot more complex and interesting.
• You will be able to blend your drum volume perfectly with other instruments.
• Quiet sections will seem more intimate, and louder sections will pop out much more.

Do drums need dynamics?

Playing with dynamics is necessary if you aim to make your drumming more attractive to your listeners. 

Also, it is crucial to adjust the volume of your drumming to match the overall volume of the music you are playing.

How do you practice dynamics on drums?

To truly master dynamics, I suggest practicing at a really slow tempo. You should start practicing playing rudiments with only one accented note at 50 BPM.

A single paradiddle (RLRR LRLL) is an excellent option for starters. 

It has eight notes, and you should learn to play it with only one accented note. Start with accenting the first one, then move to the second, third, etc.

Step 7 – Snare drum rolls

The snare drum roll is created by playing alternating strokes R L R L etc. It is a technique used to produce a sustained sound for the duration of a written note.

Snare drum rolls come in groups of notes, for instance, 5, 7, and 9. Usually, you start with your right and then follow up with your left hand. If you accent the last note, they become significant for mastering dynamics. 

If there is too much pressure, the buzz will be too short or nonexistent, and if there isn’t enough pressure, it will be too open sounding.

How do you drum roll a snare drum?

To do a drum roll on a snare drum, you need to follow simple steps.

Here we will show you how to perform a single stroke roll:

1. Find a balancing(Fulcrum point) to figure out where to grip your drumstick. 
2. Test the bounce back for your grip placement. 
3. Alternate single drumstick bounces slowly.
4. Speed up the drumstick bounces as you feel more comfortable.

Basic drum rolls

Here are some of the most common types of drum rolls:

1. Single-stroke roll: Also known as a closed roll, snare drum roll, or concert roll. Repeatedly alternate the right hand (R) and left hand (L) in time with the beat. RLRL. Repeat.
2. Double-stroke roll: Also known as an open roll. Play two single strokes on each hand. RRLL. Repeat
3. Buzz roll: Also known as a press roll or multiple bounce roll. Buzz rolls require a different grip and fulcrum point, which is where you place your hands and fingers on your drum sticks. Generally, a buzz roll is executed with a tighter grip between the index finger and thumb. Buzz rolls are single-strokes played in rapid succession. RRRRRRRRLLLLLLLL. Repeat.

How can I improve my drum rolls?

Consistency is the key. 

To improve your drum rolls, you need to practice them regularly. 

Also, it would help if you learned to hold your drumsticks properly and train both your dominant and non-dominant hand. 

When you get more comfortable with your rolls, you should aim to increase your speed. After achieving the desired speed, move to the more complex rudiments and rhythms. 

How to drum roll fast

To make your drum roll faster, you need to relax your muscles. 

When you get used to applying pressure with relaxed muscles, you can gradually speed up your strokes on the drum.

Wrap up

We have covered everything from learning how to set up your snare drum, snare drum tunning, different drum grips, practice, ghost notes, and snare drum dynamics to the snare drum rolls.

Your musical journey is like any other. It requires patience, consistency, and a certain amount of dedication.

Don’t get discouraged if you fail at something at first. With regular practice, you can only get better.

Should you practice drums with a metronome?

You should use a metronome for drumming to help you slow down difficult passages while keeping the pace consistent. 

This enables you to work through challenging bars without making mistakes. It will also gradually increase the speed as you become more familiar with it.

How do you practice drums with a metronome?

You should start slow and make sure to play the phrase, rudiment, or beat perfectly. 

This way, you do not have any technical limitations keeping you from playing the phrase perfectly.

Here are some general guidelines to follow when practicing with a metronome:

1. Isolate the problem measures (no more than 2-4 measures at a time).
2. Find the tempo where you can play these measures perfectly. This might be much slower than performance speed, and that is okay!
3. Once you have played through your practice passage three times perfectly, increase the tempo by four bpm (beats per minute).
4. Repeat step three, gradually increasing the tempo. If you make a mistake, slow the tempo back down by two bpm.
5. Once you have reached the performance tempo, turn the metronome off.
6. Play through the passage without the metronome.
7. Turn the metronome back on. 

Equalization is one of the most important tools for shaping the sound of your drum kit. A lot of beginners and even intermediate producers struggle with EQ-ing their drum recordings to make them sound good.

There are so many different ways to approach it—and if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can all get pretty confusing! In this ultimate guide, you’re going to learn how to EQ drums, including kick drum EQ, snare EQ toms, and cymbals EQ, by using additive and subtractive equalizers on your frequencies.

There is no universal law for EQ-ing drums, and balancing the frequencies will depend on the specific sound of your recording. However, we will give you a drum EQ cheat sheet for all drum parts, which you can use as a reference when you start mixing.

This knowledge will allow you to mix and produce better-sounding recordings in less time than ever before.

Kick Drum EQ

Let’s start our ultimate guide on how to EQ drums with the kick drum EQ.

Kick drums are the heartbeat of any song. When they’re pumping, you feel it in your chest. But if they’re dull and lifeless, the whole song is going to fall flat.

Kick drum EQ is a balancing act between cutting out unnecessary frequencies to gain clarity and boosting frequencies that make the kick drum punch through the mix.

You want to take the best elements of your sound and enhance them, bringing out the punch, bottom end, and attack, which are all essential characteristics of a good kick drum sound. Let’s take a look at where we can make cuts and boosts on our kick drum EQ to get it just right for your mix.

Kick drum EQ cheat sheet

50 – 60 Hz: Bottom

400 Hz: Hollowness

3 – 5 kHz: Beater attack

First things first: the bottom end.

That’s where the weight of your track will come from—it’s why you need a good kick drum in the first place. You’ll want to boost frequencies around 50 – 60 Hz (or whatever feels right for your kick and track).

Don’t go too wild, though—you don’t want to break someone’s subwoofer or make people complain about ear fatigue.

Next: hollowness.

To get that effect, you need to cut frequencies around 400 Hz. It’ll give the kick a really distinct sound that cuts through the mix and helps it stand out from all the other parts of your song. Finally, add some beater attack with a boost between 3 – 5 kHz.

This will help you hear how hard the beater hits the drumhead instead of just how much energy is coming from the bottom end of the drum itself. This can be especially helpful if you’re using a sample instead of a real kick drum.

When you’re using this cheat sheet as a reference, make sure you’re keeping your ears out for anything that doesn’t work in the context of your mix.

If you have a really soft, gentle kick that’s not meant to have much attack, then low end might be the priority. If it’s a really big, roomy kick that needs space in the mix, hollowness might be more important.  And if it’s a loud and powerful punchy thing, you’ll want to focus on the overtones.

Snare drum EQ

If you want to know how to EQ drums, our ultimate guide is taking you to the next step – the snare drum EQ. When you’re working with a snare drum EQ, use subtle, small EQ moves.

If the recording is really bad or really thin-sounding, feel free to boost at 400 Hz and cut at 3.5 kHz to add more thickness and reduce some of the rattles from the top end (although this will only get you so far).

But remember: as much as possible, try and keep your midrange intact since it’s crucial for a great snare sound.

Many engineers use high pass filters set below a snare’s basic pitch to reduce unnecessary low-end energy. While this helps with focus, snares frequently require a little extra support to pierce through the mix.

To bring out the body of the snare, a slight boost around 100 Hz to 250 Hz often works nicely, though you’ll need to discover the snare’s fundamental pitch first.

Snare drum EQ cheat sheet

120 – 240 Hz: Fatness

900 Hz: Point/Attack

5 kHz: Crispness

10 kHz: Snap

120 – 240 Hz: The frequency range around 120Hz to 240Hz will give you a more “fat,” “punchy,” or “boomy” sound.

Boosting this part of the spectrum will make the snare really pop, but it can also make it too muddy, so be careful and subtle with any boosts here.

900 Hz: This frequency range is where a lot of the snare’s point or attack sits, so boosting here can make the snare stand out and cut through a dense mix.

5 kHz: Boosts around 5 kHz will increase the overall crispness of your snare, as well as its “crack” that cuts through the mix. Be careful not to boost too much here, though—it can end up sounding harsh and brittle.

10 kHz: Boosts around 10 kHz do a number of things for your snare—they make it sound more open and airy, as well as crisper and more present in the mix.

Rack Toms EQ

The toms EQ is an inevitable part of learning how to EQ drums.

For rack toms, you want a punchy sound with a bit of warmth to it.

There are two main frequency ranges that you should focus on doing rack toms EQ: low frequencies around 240 – 500 Hz and high frequencies around 5 – 7 kHz.

When you’re EQing your rack toms, it’s a good idea to start with the low mids (around 240 Hz) and the high mids (around 5 kHz). The low mids are where you’ll find the fullness and body of your rack tom sounds, so you can mix them in or out depending on what kind of vibe you want from that sound.

The high mids will add or subtract a bit of attack, so if your rack toms are sounding a little too flat, try adding some high mids and see what that does with the overall sound.

Rack toms EQ cheat sheet

240 – 500 Hz: Fullness/Body

5 – 7 kHz: Attack

Rack toms are middlin’ in size, so they don’t produce a lot of low ends.

That means you don’t have to worry too much about cutting those low frequencies. Boosting a rack tom’s low end between 240 and 500 Hz adds fullness or body to the tone. Cutting at the same frequencies helps reduce boominess.

Once you’ve got the foundation, it’s time for attack! Try boosting at 5 – 7 kHz with a narrow Q for a nice crisp crack. If you want a more modern sound, remove some of the boxy 500-700Hz frequencies.

You shouldn’t go too far with it, as a deep cut will destroy the sound rather than improve it.

Floor Toms EQ

When it comes to floor toms EQ, the two main points you’ll want to focus on are the low end and attack.

Let’s start with the low end. We suggest boosting at around 80 Hz for fullness and boominess. This will help round out your sound without making it too muddy.

Next up: attack. You’ll want to boost at around 5 kHz for the attack, which will add bite and punchiness to your sound.

Floor Toms EQ cheat sheet

80 Hz: Fullness/Boom

5 kHz: Attack

To EQ floor toms, start by rolling off everything below 60Hz—this will get rid of the frequencies that don’t add anything to the sound of your kick.

This will also help you avoid any phase issues between your kick and floor tom. Then boost everything between 60Hz and 100Hz. This is where you’ll find your fundamental tone. Be careful about boosting too much here, though—you want this punchy energy just on the bottom end of your tom’s range, not going too high into it, or else you could muddy up what’s higher up.

If you crank the 80 Hz range on your floor toms, they’ll sound full and booming. But if you crank them too much, they’ll start sounding muddy. Next, cut everything around 250Hz-400Hz—this is where you’d find most of the annoying ring that comes from floor toms. You don’t want this sound in your mix!

You can then boost between 1kHz-2kHz for some snap or around 3kHz-5kHz for some smack and attack. When boosting, always make sure you’re boosting such a subtle amount that there isn’t any ringing or ringing when you solo these tracks.

The 5 kHz range is where your attack lives. If you turn this up, it will increase the attack and make it easier for your drums to cut through the mix.

Cymbals EQ

One of the most important steps in learning how to EQ drums, and the center of our ultimate guide, is cymbals EQ.

When it comes to the cymbals EQ, you need to address the “clang” sounds found in the low-end frequencies (around 200 Hz) and get rid of the unwanted sounds. To boost the sounds of your cymbals, you can use some additive EQ for boosting the higher frequencies (6 – 7 kHz) and add some sparkle and brightness or make some cuts to remove the sizzle.

Cymbals are usually recorded with the overhead microphones, so you can work on overhead EQ as a unit. However, you can also address the particular cymbals if needed.

Cymbals EQ cheat sheet

200 Hz: Clang

6 – 10 kHz: Sparkle/Sizzle

You need to eliminate the low-end frequencies of the kick drum and the snare that can get into your overhead microphones. To do that, cut all the frequencies below 350 Hz with a high pass filter.

You might need to remove some of the mid-range frequencies and reduce the boxy sound of the snare drum that may come to your overhead mics. This sound is usually found around 500 Hz, and you can give it a 3 to 6db cut.

In the area of 10000 Hz and above, cymbals can have some sizzle and harshness, so take care of it if necessary. If you want to add some clarity and sparkle to your cymbals, boost around 6kHz to 8kHz.

Understanding EQ

Now you know how to EQ drums. However, you might still have some questions about the process. Don’t worry; no stones will be left unturned. Here are some answers to the common questions you might have when learning how to EQ drums.

EQ terminology

Let’s begin this addition to our ultimate guide with some terminology. Here are some main words you need to learn if you want to know how to EQ drums.

Frequency

Sound frequency is the measure of the number of vibrations per second, and it is measured in Hertz (Hz). The human ear can hear frequencies between 20 Hz and 15,000 Hz (15 kilohertz). The higher the frequency of a sound wave, the higher its pitch.

A high-pitched musical instrument produces sound waves with a high frequency. A low-pitched musical instrument produces sound waves with a low frequency.

High-pass filter

High-pass filters are also called low-cut filters, and they allow you to remove unwanted low frequencies in a signal. It is commonly used to remove unwanted rumbles and noise.

Using a high pass filter, you can clean up the sound without losing its body or warmth. The high-pass filter is mostly used on a single track, but it can also be applied to a bus where the entire mix is being sent.

This is mostly done if you want to get rid of any unwanted low-frequency noise present in the mix. Another use for high-pass filters is to clean up your tracks so that the frequencies don’t overlap as much as they would have.

For example, if your bass guitar and kick drum are covering each other in the same frequency range, then you could use a high-pass filter on the bass guitar to remove some of its low-end frequencies so that it doesn’t interfere with the kick drum.

Low-pass filter

A low-pass filter is a filter that passes signals with a frequency lower than a selected cut-off frequency and attenuates signals with frequencies higher than the cut-off frequency. 

The amount of attenuation for each frequency varies from filter to filter. It is sometimes called a high-cut filter or treble cut filter when used in audio applications.

Shelf filter

Shelf filters increase or decrease the overall level of all frequencies above or below the set frequency. The best way to think of a shelf filter is that it acts as a volume control for all frequencies above or below the set frequency. 

For example, a high-shelf filter at 1kHz will raise anything above 1kHz by the same amount. Shelf filters are used to make broad changes to your tone and can give instruments more “bite” or “warmth,” depending on where you place them in your EQ.

Bell filter

The Bell filter, also known as a peak filter, is an equalizer tool that lets a user boost the amplitude of a selected frequency band by a certain amount.

The bell allows you to raise or cut a portion of the frequency spectrum in a seamless manner. It alters the color and texture of your music as you boost or cut more.

Q

The Q value is the ratio of the center frequency to bandwidth.

If the center frequency is fixed, then bandwidth is inversely proportional to Q—meaning that as you raise the Q, you narrow the bandwidth.

In parametric EQs, the bandwidth is often expressed by a Q value, which is a measure of the sharpness (or “quality”) of the filter.

A higher Q setting on a filter makes it narrower, and so it cuts out a smaller chunk of frequencies. A lower Q setting makes it wider, and so it cuts out a wider spread of frequencies. The adjustable range for Q varies from one equalizer to another — some may have a maximum Q as high as 10 or more — but values above 1.5 are usually considered high-Q.

Types of equalizers

There are different types of equalizers that you should get acquainted with when learning how to EQ drums:

• Graphic EQ
• Parametric EQ
• Shelving EQ
• Linear Phase EQ
• Dynamic EQ

Graphic EQ

The graphic equalizer is the most commonly used type of equalizer today. It uses a series of frequency bands that can be adjusted graphically. This allows the user to make large changes very quickly, which is why they are often found on live sound mixing consoles.

The drawback to graphic EQs is that they do not provide as precise control over frequencies as some other types do. Because of this, they are not recommended for mastering or any situation where precise frequency adjustments are necessary.

Parametric EQ

The parametric equalizer provides precise control over center frequency, bandwidth (Q), and level (gain). The Q or bandwidth is what determines how much area around the center frequency will be affected.

A low Q will affect a wide range of frequencies, while a high Q will affect only a small range around the center frequency.

Shelving EQ

Shelving equalizers have a fixed cut-off frequency, above which all the frequencies will be boosted or cut by the specified amount.

The two most common types of shelving EQs are high-shelf and low-shelf EQs. High shelf EQ is an equalizer that boosts or cuts all the frequencies above a set frequency, while a low shelf boosts or cuts all the frequencies below a set frequency.

Linear Phase EQ

Linear Phase EQ is one of the most transparent signal processors, but it comes at the cost of latency. It’s a great choice when tracking instruments with multiple microphones (such as drums), and you need that zero processing latency to maintain phase coherence.

When you use a linear phase EQ plugin, the frequencies are simply nudged back in phase, removing this smearing effect.

Dynamic EQ

Unlike regular EQs, dynamic EQ adjusts itself based on the amplitude of your signal. It works like a compressor, but instead of compressing the signal at certain levels, it boosts or reduces the gain by a set amount when your signal reaches those thresholds.

Dynamic EQ can cut and boost frequencies, as opposed to a compressor, where you will only be able to reduce the dynamic range.

What are additive and subtractive EQ?

When mixing drums, you will use both additive and subtractive EQ, depending on the sound you want to get.

Additive EQ is the process of adding gain to the sound frequencies. Adding gain to one frequency will increase the gain of that frequency in relation to all other frequencies.

This type of equalization does not remove any frequencies from the signal but instead adds energy to a given section of frequencies.

Subtractive EQ is the process of removing gain from your signal. Removing gain from one frequency will decrease its volume in relation to all other frequencies. In this case, you are removing energy from a given section of frequencies.

Sum-up

Learning how to EQ drums starts with managing the main parts of the kit: kick drum EQ, snare drum EQ, toms EQ, and cymbals EQ.

You can use different filters such as high-pass, low-pass, shelf, and bell for additive or subtractive EQ if you want to boost or cut the sound frequencies.

Although the frequencies you will need to address when mixing drums can vary from song to song, an EQ cheat sheet can serve you as a starting point. The rest is on you and your vision of the sound you want to get.

We hope that this ultimate guide has been useful in teaching you how to EQ drums and that it has inspired you to get working on your own engineering and mixing projects. We encourage you to continue experimenting and coming up with new ways to be creative with audio!

The bongo drums are an instrument that originated in West Africa, but it became popular across the world, especially in Latin music. They are not only fun instruments, but they are also relatively easy to play.

The bongos are usually placed between your knees and played by hitting the drum’s head with your palm and fingers, with different ways of strokes producing different sounds.

If you’ve ever wondered how to play bongo drums or whether they were worth the investment in time and money, read on!

Beginner’s guide to bongos

They come in pairs and are made out of a large wooden drum shell on top and a thin drum head, which is stretched over the shell and can be loosened or tightened with pegs to fine-tune the sound.

The larger drum is called the hembra (female), and the smaller one is called the macho (male). You can learn how to play bongo drums with a little bit of practice and some simple instructions.

Step 1

Play bongo drums in a comfortable position.

Sit upright on a chair or stool with your feet flat on the floor and your arms hanging loosely at your sides.

The bongos should be resting on top of your knees, with the larger drum on the outside and the smaller drum on the inside.

Step 2

Position your hands over the bongos.

Your left hand should be over the macho, and your right hand should be over the hembra.

Your palms should face each other, and your fingertips should rest lightly on top of each drumhead.

Step 3

Strike each drumhead using a different part of your hand. Strike both drumheads at once by pressing down hard on each head with your fingers spread apart so that they all make contact with the head at once.

You can hit the drum in the middle of the head or on the edge. It all depends on the sound that you want from it. If you want a more open and resonating sound, you should use the middle part of your hand and place it in the middle of the drumhead.

If you want a more soft and articulate sound, then you should use more of the side of your hand and hit closer to the edge of the drumhead.

Begin to incorporate all these different things—the way you strike, where you strike, and how quickly or slowly—into a regular pattern. Don’t worry too much about making mistakes here—just have fun!

Bongo drums notation

If you want to learn how to play bongo drums, you need to understand the tone notation.

The notation is pretty simple, and it represents the basic strokes that produce different sounds:

1. Mute strike: slapping the edge of the drum with one hand while deadening the slap with the other.
2. Open strike: striking the bongo drum’s edge to produce an open resonating tone.
3. Heel: striking the drum with your thumb, driving into the drum.
4. Toe: rocking your hand to strike the drum with the fingers on the opposite side of your hand.

Let’s learn more about the basic strokes you can use to hit your bongos.

Basic strokes on bongo drums

When you learn how to play bongo drums, you can experiment with basic strokes. 

Open tone stroke

1. Hit the edge of the drum with your palm.
2. Let your fingers bounce off the drum’s head. 
3. Move your fingers back and forth, four inches from the drum’s center, experimenting with different sounds.

Basic muted tone

1. This stroke is similar to the open tone stroke, but you leave your fingers on the drum’s head after you strike the drum. 
2. Keep your hands relaxed, and move them as little as possible.
3. You should hear a very light sound of your fingers striking the head.

Slap

1. Cup your fingers slightly and hit the head of the drum, creating a louder note with more color and flair.
2. Relax your fingers after the contact with the drum and allow them to bounce off the head, creating a popping sound with a higher pitch.

Heel-toe movement

1. Put your hand on the drum’s head.
2. Rock back and forth, switching the stroke between the heel of your palm and the tip of your fingers.
3. Keep your hand in contact with the drum’s head constantly during this stroke.

Martillo pattern

The Martillo pattern is a rhythmic pattern used in many different kinds of music, particularly in music that involves bongos.

This can be Latin music, jazz, rock, and so on. This pattern is called the “Martillo” or “hammer” because it sounds like a hammer hitting an anvil.

It is a very common groove that both beginners and experts can use to get into the feel of playing bongos. It has eight separate strokes and is a one-bar pattern that is repeated.

The right hand highlights the first and third beats, with a crisp, muted sound performed on the high bongo.

The left hand fills in the rhythm by swinging sideways with the thumb and fingers (heel-toe movement); the thumb muffles the right-hand strokes. Open sounds are played respectively on two and four on the high and low bongo.

Striking your bongo directly in the center (instead of near the edges) will allow you to capture a rich sound that makes it easy to play with power and precision.

Wrap-up

If you came here to learn how to play bongo drums, we hope you are now armed with the basics. To wrap up, holding the bongos between your knees as you sit on a chair is usually a good place to start.

Next, try hitting the drum with your palm and fingers in various ways—you’ll be amazed at how many different sounds you can create.

The basic strokes on bongos are open tone stroke, basic muted tone, slap, and heel-toe movement. Try out the Martillo pattern, which is popular among “bongoceros” (bongo drum players.) And finally, let your creativity flow, and enjoy the rich rhythms of this amazing instrument.

When you’re first learning to play the drums, it can be frustrating to play them as often as you want to, especially when you don’t have your own drum set. 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t practice!

In fact, there are lots of ways to practice your drums without ever even touching an actual drum set. It may just surprise you that this can be accomplished with some creativity and determination.

From pillows to drum pads, many alternatives can help you learn basic drumming. We are here to tell you how to learn drums without a drum set.

Practice pad

If you really want to know how to learn drums without a drum set, the answer is – a practice pad. Although all other ways can be helpful, nothing can give you the real feeling like a drum pad.

They are cheaper than a drum set, less noisy and easier to carry around.

How to learn drums with a practice pad

We’ve rounded up a few tips for learning to play on a practice pad below, so you can start putting your best foot forward on the road to mastering the drums.

1. Get your hands on some good drum sticks.

Let’s start with the basics: you’ll need some good sticks, and it’s important that they’re not too heavy.

If they’re too light, they’ll be harder to control as you’re playing on your practice pad – and if they’re too heavy, they’ll be difficult to use in coordination with your footwork while playing on an actual drum kit.

2. Place the pad on the stand where the snare drum sits typically.

The pad should be at a similar height, with a similar angle, to what you would use for your snare drum.

3. Position yourself in front of your practice pad.

It’s important that you sit up straight when using your practice pad – both for ergonomic reasons and because good posture is an integral part of learning how to play this (or any!) instrument well.

Make sure that your feet are flat on the floor and that your knees are bent at a comfortable angle so you can easily move them.

3. Use all the same techniques you’d use on a real drum kit.

You can try out different grips and playing techniques and practice almost everything like on a real drum. 

The first thing you’ll want to learn is the grip: hold your sticks loosely, and make sure they’re not too close together or too far apart. 

Then, you can get started on practicing beats! 

Advantages of a practice pad

A practice pad is basically just a drum head without the sides and other apparatus. It has a smooth surface that lets you practice your technique while keeping the volume very low. 

You can find them in most places where percussion instruments are sold. As for how they work—well, they work just like a regular drum: you strike it with your sticks!

The difference is that since there’s no body of the drum, the sound won’t reverberate as loudly as it would on an actual drum set. This means that you can use a practice pad to practice your technique without waking up your neighbours (or annoying your roommates).

Practice pads are typically made of rubber—which might not seem very exciting at first glance, but this makes them extremely portable and easy to store.

Other ways to learn drums without a drum set

We will now tell you how to learn drums without a drum set or practice pad.

Yes, it’s possible!

Of course, the level of this kind of practice is not the same as with a drum set or a pad. However, you will be able to scratch the surface of learning drums.

Pots and pans

Although it sounds like a joke, you can actually practice drumming on kitchen utensils.

You can use pots and pans in your kitchen to set up a rudimentary drum kit while practicing basic rhythms. Just arrange your set from what you can find in the kitchen, and have fun with it!

You will be amazed at how good you can actually play with pots and pans. However, this practice will be noisy, and it’s not recommended if you have grumpy neighbours.

Practice your hands on a pillow

When you’re first learning the basics of drumming with your hands, practicing on a pillow or with pillows where your hands would normally rest on a snare drum can be helpful.

Plus, this is a good way to practice without making too much noise! However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Because a cushion is much softer than a drum head, it has significantly less rebound.

That is, it will not return the stick to you, forcing your muscles to do all of the hard listings. This can be difficult in the beginning, but you will quickly adapt.

Air drumming for practicing arm movement

For such a simple idea, air-drumming is surprisingly effective.

You can practice keeping your arms loose and moving them in the right rhythm while still getting used to actually hitting something. It will help you develop the arm’s muscle memory and coordination.

However, even with imaginative drums, your arm should go to and arrive at nearly the same location in the air as if there were a drum.  Otherwise, your brain will not be able to internalize repetitive movement.

Humming or clapping for practicing timing

Practicing timing is one of the most important things to do when learning how to play any instrument – and it’s also one of the easiest things to practise without an instrument.

Just hum or clap along with whatever song you want to learn. It will help you take the muscle memory and coordination part out of the equation and focus only on timing.

Why Practice Without A Drum Kit?

If you’re a beginner drummer, you may not have access to a kit, or you might be looking for ways to practice without making too much noise. 

Maybe you want to refine your movements while away from the kit, or maybe you want to work on some rudiments, but your neighbours are sleeping.

No matter what your situation is, there are many reasons why practicing without a drum kit can be beneficial. Here’s what you can learn when practicing drumming without a drum set:

Technique – Practicing without a drum kit allows you to focus purely on your hands by removing the distraction of all of the other elements involved in playing.

This can help you isolate and improve specific techniques that will make your overall skills better.

You can learn different grips and variations of playing styles and get used to it before applying it to a real drum.

Coordination – allowing you to move all four limbs in different directions at varying speeds and intensities without tying up your brain.

 Drummers use both hands simultaneously, but this doesn’t always come naturally for beginning drummers. 

To work on hand coordination, try playing basic quarter note beats first with one hand and then with the other. Then try out simple variations by adding eighth notes or changing the rhythm of your notes between your two hands.

Improves timing – allowing you to execute those moves at the appropriate time.

Learning to play along with a metronome helps improve timing and tempo. 

When drumming on hand percussion, it’s easy to feel the pulse of the beat in your hands, which helps train your muscle memory for consistency in time-keeping.

Counting – the ability to count rhythms is essential for any drummer.

Whether playing with a small combo or a big band, it’s crucial to be able to count off songs and keep time. 

Even if you’re using written music, you’ll want to be able to tell at a glance which measure you’re on.

Conclusion

While it may not be as much fun as playing on a drum set, practicing without drums can aid you in becoming better at the drums.

If you want to understand how to learn drums without a drum set, check out some alternatives to a drum kit and see what fits you the best.

Practice pad can be the best solution if you are serious about drumming. It’s cheaper than real drums, much less noisy, and easy to set up and carry around.

However, if you can’t afford a pad or just want to try out the drumming technique before getting more serious with it, you will find other ways to drum without a drum. Kitchen utensils, pillows and your hands could be all that you need to start drumming.

Although these alternatives are far from serious practice, they are great for improving coordination, timing, counting and technique.

The best aspect about learning drums without a drum set is that you can do it at any time, without disturbing your neighbours with loud sounds.

Get in the groove, dive deep into your practice, and don’t be afraid to really work on something specific until you’ve mastered it.

Drums make up the backbone of a song. It not only establishes the beat but can also be the most memorable part of a song. 

Just like anything else, mixing drums can prove to be very challenging.

If you are new to this, encounters with so many different elements of mixing such as balance, EQ, reverb, compression, bus processing, noise gate, and transient enhancement can look perplexing.

This article is a step-by-step guide that will teach you how to mix drums, and it includes all the tips and tricks I use when mixing drums.

Step 1: Mix bus

Before you can start mixing drums, you need to organize different audio sources.

Multiple snares, kick, or overhead mics need to be sent to their own instrument bus, or you’d have to mix each of them separately.

A mix bus is a way to route one or more selections of audio to specific places such as aux sends, subgroups, and your main L/R mix.

Desired channel or audio is sent to the bus that you choose (Aux Send, Main L/R, VCA, etc.) That signal is fed to the destination you wish by turning up faders or knobs for channels within that bus.

If you have two snare mics, you should set the output of each channel to the same bus and set the input of an aux channel to that bus.

The process will be the same for all other audio sources.

Set the output of each source as a new bus, and then set the input of an aux track as that same bus.

Step 2: Create balance

The next step in learning how to mix drums is finding the right balance.

First, you should solo your drum bus and turn all your mics down.

Then, bring up the most important elements one at a time, usually starting with the kick or the snare. Finally, bring in everything else and balance each drum together until the whole drum set sounds natural.

You need to balance the sound of each element of the kit and the sound of the drums and the other instruments.

To do it, you need to listen to the drum kit and make sure that you can hear each element clearly. The snare is usually the loudest element in the kit, followed by the kick and toms. 

You can use the overhead and room mics to make all of the close mics sound united by creating a space for the drums. If you are not sure that you reached the perfect balance, you can use the reference mix.

You can compare the sound of your current mix with some of your best mixes and make sure you are on the right track.

Just listen carefully to each element in the mix and adjust the levels of each drum until you get the balance right.

Step 3: EQ

We came to the fundamental part of how to mix drums called EQ.

Equalization, or EQ, is one of the most well-known forms of audio processing in music production that help you manipulate the frequency response of the instruments in your session. 

With EQ, you can the character of an instrument, increase separation, create effects, and more.

Here are some tips and tricks for the EQ of each drum element.

Kick drum EQ

1. Remove low-end rumble with a high-pass filter (up to 50 Hz)

1. Boost or cut the basic frequency of the kick (between 60 and 120 Hz)

1. Take out any muddiness in the low-mids (around 250 Hz)

1. Remove excessive room tone in the mid-range (between 250 Hz and 1 kHz)

1. Increase the 1 – 5 kHz range if needed to emphasize the snap and attack of the beater

Snare drum EQ

1. Take out low-end rumble with a high-pass filter (up to 100 Hz)

1. Boost or cut the basic frequency of the snare (between 150 and 250 Hz)

1. Remove muddiness or boxiness in the low-mids (between 250 – 500 Hz)

1. Take out the ringing in the snare drum with a narrow band (between 500 Hz and 1.5 kHz)

1. Increase 3 – 5 kHz to emphasize the snap and attack

1. If you want to add sizzle and air, boost 8 kHz and above with a high shelf filter.

Toms EQ

1. Cut the mids to get rid of the boxy sound (250 Hz and 1 kHz)

1. Boost the lows (80-100 Hz for floor toms, and 250 Hz for smaller toms

1. Remove low-end rumble with a high-pass filter (up to 100 Hz)

1. Remove muddiness in the low-mids (around 250 Hz)

1. Add the attack by boosting from between 5 kHz and 7 kHz, depending on the size of the tom.

Cymbals and Overheads EQ

1. High-pass the close-mic’d cymbals (up to 300 Hz) to make room for other low-end instruments.

1. Remove muddiness in the low-mids (around 250 Hz)

1. Take out the boxiness or excessive room tone in the midrange (between 250 Hz and 1 kHz)

1. Make the space for the vocal with a small cut around 5 kHz

1. If you want to add sparkle and glimmer, boost above 8 kHz with a high-shelf

Step 4: Use compressor

A compressor is a useful tool if you want to learn how to mix drums because it allows you to control the dynamic range of your sound. 

It’s most commonly used to ensure that no sounds in the mix are too quiet. 

You can use compressors in many different ways to shape your drum sound. 

For example, if you want a punchy and tight snare drum, you can use a fast attack and release time with a ratio of 4:1.

 If you want the soft and round kick drum, you can use a slow attack and release time with a small ratio of 1.2:1.

The compressor takes a sound and decreases its volume if it surpasses a certain threshold so that you can lower the volume of the whole track and make sure nothing gets lost.

The first way to do this is by using a slow attack time.

Attack time is how long it takes for the compressor to get going or how long it waits before compressing the signal. 

When you have a slow attack time, you’re letting those low, loud sounds come through before applying compression. 

This lets those big bass hits sound full and rich while compressing everything else so that they remain steady and consistent in volume throughout your song.

The second way to use compressors on drums is with fast attack times. 

This gives those low sounds less room to breathe, which can be great when you want a more punchy-sounding kick drum or snare drum.

Step 5: Use reverb

Reverb is a highly popular effect to use on many different instruments, but it is especially important if you want to learn how to mix drums.

It helps create depth in the sound by adding artificial reflections to the signal. 

This can help you make your drum sounds seem as if they are in a much bigger space than they are.

It is important to note that reverb should be applied after the drum sound has been processed with EQ and compression so that you don’t accidentally affect any of these settings by adding reverb.

When mixing drums, you can use different reverbs:

• Room reverb: gives drums the impression that they were recorded in a room, giving them an authentic feel.

• Chamber Reverb: a good choice if you want a natural-sounding, non-electronic reverb for your track.

• Hall Reverb: brings huge and epic sounding, so they’re good if you want a stadium or “live concert” feel for your track. 

• Plate Reverb: give your track an “old school” vibe and make it sound like it was recorded in an earlier era.

Step 6: Noise gate and transient enhancement

When learning how to mix drums, you can use noise gate and transient enhancement to your advantage. 

A noise gate is designed to eliminate unwanted drum bleed, whereas transient enhancement helps emphasize attack and sustain.

First, let’s talk about the noise gate. 

This process is just a way of getting rid of any frequencies you don’t want in your track. 

You can set a threshold for the gate. As soon as a signal hits that threshold, it’s simply muted. 

This is a great way to keep your mix clean and free from bleeds, but you have to be careful not to accidentally cut out parts of your sound that are actually intentional.

On the other hand, transient enhancement is a completely different technique that results in the opposite effect. 

Rather than muting sounds above a certain frequency threshold, you can use a transient enhancement to make those sounds louder. 

This is great for emphasizing certain aspects of your drum mix, like attack or sustain.

How do you make drums stand out in a mix?

The volume of the drums will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish.

If you want them to be loud and aggressive, then crank it up.

However, if you want them to be more subtle, you should lower the volume.

If you do want your drums to stand out a bit more, here are some tricks:

1.  EQ the drums to taste.

1. Reduce some low end from the other instruments in your mix if they compete with the kick drum.

1.  Put a compressor on the kick drum and adjust it to start pumping at about -4 dB. Then turn down the threshold as much as possible without making it sound unnatural or “squishy.” This will make the kick drum sustain a bit longer and seem louder than if it wasn’t compressed.

Should I mix drums first?

When mixing a song, it’s common to hear several different strategies on how to get started learning how to mix drums.

Some engineers might say you should mix the drums first, while others say you shouldn’t.

Let’s check the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.

Advantages of mixing drums first:

You get a better idea of how to treat the rest of the instruments in your mix.

This is especially true if your song features guitar or other percussion instrumentation that can easily get lost in the snare. If you’re not careful, you’ll get a lot of mud in your mix by default. 

By starting with the drums, though, you can get a better idea of what frequencies need to be carved out in order to leave space for those other instruments.

You can save time and make sure everything is working together cohesively.

Disadvantages of mixing drums first:

The downside of mixing drums first is that it can be difficult to go back and make adjustments later, especially if your song has a lot of layers.

 If you need to tweak something on your kick drum or snare drum, those changes might affect how the rest of the track sounds.

How do you mix powerful drums?

Drums can be pretty harsh and can easily overtake the sound. 

Here are some tips for understanding how to mix drums that have a powerful sound.

For a natural tone, start with a slow attack and a fast release. 

More of the initial transient travels through the unit without being compressed when the attack time is slow.

Increase the attack time gradually until you achieve the ideal balance of tight and punchy. For fast drums, quick release times are ideal.

How loud should drums be in a mix?

The first thing to do is make sure your drums sound good on their own.

Put all your faders down, then listen back to the drums. 

Don’t forget about the snare!

It’s easy for the snare to get buried in the mix. 

Make sure it cuts through and sits nicely with everything else.

The next step is to listen to other songs for reference and see if you can find any patterns in terms of how loud the drums are compared to everything else. 

It’s a good idea to do this at several different volume levels.

This will help you get an idea of what works best for different musical styles and genres.

How do you make a snare sound better when mixed? 

If you want a snare drum to sound better when mixed, there are a few things you can try. 

Here are some tips:

• Use a high pass filter on the track

• Reduce the bass frequency

• Consider whether your reverb is too loud or too quiet

• Try using a gate to cut off the reverb

Should you pan drums?

When trying to make your drum sound fill the entire room, panning is one of your most important tools.

If you want to understand how to mix drums, you should consider panning.

Panning drums to the center

When you pan all your drum sounds to the center, it results in a very mono mix, where nothing stands out.

The kick and snare are also not very present in the mix because they share frequencies with other instruments. 

When you have a lot of instruments in your mix, it’s important to leave some space for them.

A good way to solve this problem is by using groups and buses. 

You can route all your drum sounds to one bus, then push all those sounds together into one sound source, making it easier for you to control that source.

Panning drums across the stereo field

When you pan drums across the stereo field, it results in a clear separation between each sound source, and when processed correctly, it creates stereo width without compromising its mono compatibility. 

A disadvantage is that if you want a more narrow sound, you have to process every individual sound separately, which can be time consuming and confusing.

Should drums be recorded in mono or stereo?

Drums can be recorded in mono or stereo. 

Every drum should be recorded as its own instrument. 

The kick drum, snare drum, and toms are all recorded separately with individual mics. Therefore, they’re in mono. 

The overhead and room mics, on the other hand, are captured in stereo.

If you have enough mics to capture the kick, snare, and toms independently, you should record them in stereo.

This will allow you to mix them separately after recording.

Conclusion

Mixing drums can be complicated for those without knowledge of music production.

However, if you decide to learn how to mix drums, start with the main elements such as mix bus, balance, EQ, compressor, reverb noise gate, and transient.

Many beginners do not know how to mix drums, they understand the music, and they know the sound they want. 

So, in addition to learning music theory, one of the best ways to improve your ability to mix on the drums is to take existing songs you like and deconstruct their drum sounds.

 Add these components into your own drum mix and practice creating these sounds until you are comfortable with them.

You may be overwhelmed with the amount of information about mixing drums.

However, learning about each aspect of mixing can help achieve better results for you and your mixing projects in the future.

If you want to learn how to play steel drums, you are in the right place.

A steel drum, also known as a steel pan or pan drum, is a pitched percussion instrument played by striking the metal surface with the beaters.

Different types of steel drums require different mallets, and some of the subsets of pan drums, such as handpan or tongue drums, are played by hand.

There are various ways to approach this instrument, but one thing is sure – you will have a lot of fun while playing!

So without further ado, dig in.

Step 1: Choose the steel drum

If you want to learn how to play steel drums, the first step is to select the type of steel drum you want to play.

You can play several different steel drums, but it’s better to start with one if you are new to this.

There are different types of steel drums:

• Tenor pan
• Double tenor pan
• Double seconds pan
• Bass pan
• Double guitar pan
• Cello pan

Tenor pan

The tenor pan, also known as a lead or soprano pan, has the highest sound range of all steel drums.

It consists of a single barrel and traditionally plays the melody in steel band arrangements.

Double tenor pan

The double tenor pan is comprised of two barrels, and it has the next highest range after the tenor pan.

It usually doubles the tenor pan’s melody but in a lower harmony.

Double second pan

The double second pan is also comprised of two barrels, but it has a lower pitch than the double tenor.

It usually plays chords, but it can also play melody or harmony.

Bass pan

Bass pan is the largest of pans, and it has the lowest range of notes.

This instrument usually plays bass lines, but it is often assigned the melody or countermelodies at some point in their arrangements.

Double guitar pan

The double guitar pan is made up of two pans that have eight notes each.

It has fewer notes than the double seconds, and it is usually used to play chords or the harmony horn section.

Cello pan

Cello pan consists of three or four barrels set in a semicircle, with eight or nine notes each.

It is usually used for lower chords and bass riffs, filling in the bass line.

Step 2: Set up the drum

Whether you are learning how to playsteel drums for the first time or you’ve had some experience, it’s important to take the time to learn how to set it up correctly.

Here are some tips for setting up your steel drum:

• Set your drum at the appropriate height for you
• The perfect position for easy access is around the height of your waist
• Make sure you’re not standing too close or too far away from the drum
• Your elbows should be slightly away from the drum 

Tuning

An important part of learning how to play steel drums is to make sure it is well-tuned.

The best option is to leave it to the professional tuner to do his job.

The tuner has to set up two elements of the tone of the steel drum:

• The fundamental (playing pitch)
• The timbre (color of the tone)

The tuner will use a small hammer and a rubber-tipped tuning stick to tap the notes and tune the steel drum accordingly.

The size of the notes determines the sort of hammer used to tune the notes.

The tuning process consists of three main steps:

1. Coarse tuning – softening the metal and setting up the right pitch
2. Fine tuning – adjusting the pitch and timbre while the steel drum hangs in the playing position
3. Blending – final tuning and adjusting the pitch, the timbre, and the loudness of the various notes.

Step 3: Holding the pan drum mallets

You can choose different techniques to hold the sticks or mallets when playing pan drum, but it’s crucial to do it properly if you want to learn to play steel drums.

Pan drums are usually played with both hands, and you can use different kinds of sticks and mallets.

Here are the ways you can hold the mallet when playing the pan drums:

• Grip the pan mallet/stick with a fist
• Press the grip with your index finger
• Hold more than one-third of the mallet with a light grip
• Grip the mallet with three fingers

If you hold the mallet too tight, you won’t be able to produce a good sound.

It’s better to hold it a bit loose and keep the mallet contact time as short as possible so the notes can vibrate freely.

Types of steel drum mallets

A steel drum mallet consists of a dowel (shaft) made of wood or aluminum and a rubber tip that comes in different sizes.

Various materials, thicknesses, and weights of the mallet bring out the best sound for each of the steel pans.

Different types of steel drums require a different playing mallet.

Steel drums with higher pitch (for example, tenor pan) require thinner rubber tips, while thicker and softer tips are used lower-pitched drums.

How to play handpans

When it comes to the handpans, a subset of steel drums, you will need a different approach.

As the name says, handpans are usually played with hands, although they can also be played with mallets.

Learning how to play handpan is not so hard.

Within 20 hours, you will already know how to play handpan decently.

Step 1: Choose the handpan scale

The notes of the handpan have the pitch ascending in order of the numbers, positioned left to right, from back to front.

Handpan is tuned to a specific scale, with 8 or 9 notes.

Each handpan note holds at least three frequencies:

• the fundamental note
• the octave
•  the compound fifth on a 1:2:3 ratio

You can choose the handpan scale according to your taste.

The major scale has a happy sound, while the minor delivers more sad and nostalgic tones.

There are many other variations of the scales, such as Indian, Middle-Eastern, and Chinese, and they bring the exotic sound.

Step 2: Position your handpan

Handpan is usually played in a sitting position, but you can also do it while standing.

The position will be a matter of personal choice or circumstance.

If you want to play it while standing, you will need a handpan stand to put your instrument at the appropriate height.

Most handpan players position their instrument in a way that the lowest notes are placed closest to the body, but the choice is ultimately up to you.

Step 3: Start playing

The specific thing about handpan is that it’s usually all about improvising and going with the flow, without much musical theory.

However, the technique of the strike should be established.

Try hitting the handpan with your fingers as if the instrument’s surface is very hot and release immediately.

This way, the instrument is going to release the most resonance and not mute the note.

Steel drums vs Handpans

The main difference between steel drums and handpans is their shape and sound.

The handpan is made of two convex sheets of steel glued together.  

The instrument has a center tone field, surrounded by a circle of seven tone fields on the upper side and an opening on the bottom side. They have tuned notes on the top that can be played with the hands.

Handpans can be tuned to different scales such as major, minor or harmonic minor, but also many others.

Steel tongue drums

The tongue drum is played with the fingers or with mallets and delivers a bell-like tone. If you want to play a tongue drum, you should hit a tongue with your fingers, hands, or a mallet. 

The drum amplifies the sound, releasing it through the slits of the tongues. If you hit several tongues at a time, you create a chord.

A steel tongue drum is more similar to handpan than a steel drum. They are shaped similarly, but there are some differences that make them separate instruments.

A steel tongue drum has a round steel body originally fashioned from a propane cylinder, with tongue-like slits on the top.

It is often tuned to pentatonic scales but can be tuned to the diatonic, the chromatic, or other scales.

Wrap-up

Although there are various types of steel drums, they all produce the sound when the notes are struck with a mallet or hand. 

After you learn how to set up the steel drum, hold the mallet, and balance your strike in order to produce the best sound, you will master them in no time.

If you want to learn how to play steel drums professionally, you can always take lessons and expand your knowledge deeper.

With the right know-how and DIY house projects, you can hone your skills into becoming a professional musician!

However, instruments like handpan and tongue drum are often played without musical knowledge for the purpose of meditation and enjoying the music.

Whatever instrument from the steel drums family you choose, you will discover their uniqueness and undoubtedly enjoy the experience.

The term panning refers to the stereo positioning of sounds.

When you pan a drum, it means you place it in a particular position in the left or right channel of your stereo image. Panning is one of the most crucial things you can use to make your drum sound fill the entire room.

The kick drum, and in some cases the snare drum too, will usually be in the centre of sound, so it will not require panning. However, toms, cymbals and other percussions should be panned on either side of the stereo image, regarding what result you want to get.

Do you want to know how to pan drums? 

Start by following our step by step guide to panning drums.

What is panning?

Before we introduce you to the steps to pan drums, let’s see what exactly is panning.

The “pan pot” (panoramic potentiometer) is a volume control that splits the audio signal into the left and right channels.

If you turn it left, the pot lifts the left speaker’s volume and turns down the volume of the right speaker simultaneously. Panning will distribute stereo or mono tracks throughout the left and right channels of a stereo field.

What is the pan law?

Pan law is a principle that states that any signal of equal amplitude and phase played in both channels of a stereo system will increase in loudness up to 6.02 dBSPL.

The panning law ensures that the volume level remains constant regardless of where you place the pan pot.

Step 1: The perspective

Before you start to pan your drums, you should choose the perspective.

You can pan drums from two different perspectives:

• Audience’s perspective
• Drummer’s perspective

Panning drums from the audience’s perspective means the drums will be panned towards the direction of how you’d hear these sounds if a drummer plays in front of you.

The drummer’s perspective is the opposite. You will pan your drum like how you’d hear them while jamming. Choosing the perspective is important for some panning elements when you have to choose the right or left side, as in the case of panning hi-hats.

While many drummers prefer panning drums from their own perspective, most engineers choose to pan from the audience’s perspective.

Step 2: Kick drum

The kick drum is always panned in the centre of the stereo field. It means the kick drum will be dead at 0 of your stereo image.

The most impactful element of your drums, such as the kick drum, should remain at the core of your beat. In simple words, the kick drum doesn’t require any panning.

Step 3: Snare drum

Some people like to keep the snare drum in the centre together with the kick drum. There are a couple of ways to pan the snare drum instead of just placing it on the centerline of a stereo track.

Some people like to place the snare slightly off centre, which can help it stand out a little more. In this case, you could place it at around 9 o’clock or even 7 o’clock (panned hard left), depending on how aggressive you want it to sound. 

However, you shouldn’t have it at more than +/-20% left or right. The downside with panned snares is that they are one of your track’s most important rhythmic elements, and centring them allows them to take up the entire “middle” space in your mix. 

That means that if you pan them hard right or left, they will be competing with other elements such as guitars or vocals for space in the middle.

Tips

Some people prefer to go less drastically left and right to get a less open stereo image. Don’t hesitate to experiment with the panning and different combinations. 

You might discover new ways to pan your snare according to the result you want to get.

Step 4: Toms

If you want to get a wide-spread sound, the floor tom should be panned 50% left or right. You can then pan the two rack toms by less than 20% on each side.

This way, you will get a great stereo effect during fills. The best way to pan toms is to listen to your overheads.  Pan the spot mics where you hear the corresponding tom.

Tips

For the more melodic and exotic percussion elements, like toms, bongos, and congas, you can use a more radical panning, like between 45 and 90%, on either side.

Step 5: Cymbals and other percussions

Cymbals, tambourines and shakers should be panned a little to the right and/or left from the centre.  Anything between 10-30% to the right or left will do the trick.

You can create a bigger stereo image by panning the hi-hat a little farther away from the centre to the right side. That will make your kit sound more spacious.

Tips

If you want to pan your hi-hat from the drummer’s perspective, you can place it on the far right. Many drummers prefer this style since it’s more natural to them.

However, if you are panning from the audience’s perspective, stick with the right side to keep the sound close to what the audience would hear.

Conclusion

If you’re planning on mixing and mastering your music, then you might want to learn how to pan drums.

Panning the kick drum is easy since it will stay in the centre. The snare can also be left without panning. However, most people like to place the snare, toms, cymbals and other percussions right or left from the centre.

Ultimately, the panning technique will depend on whether you are doing it from the audience’s or drummer’s perspective and your personal preferences. Once you get the hang of panning drums, you will be able to easily throw them around in the left and right channels, depending on your creative choice. 

It is a very important technique to understand and learn because, ultimately, it will give you the freedom to do pretty much everything with drums in the mix.

People want to remove drums from their songs for various reasons.If you are a drummer, you might want a song without drums so you can practice playing along with it.

There are versions of songs without drums you can find to download online. However, sometimes you might not find what you need. In that case, you will want to know how to remove drums from a song.

There are many ways to remove drums from a song, but the most popular methods are:

1. Using a digital audio workstation (DAW) with a VST plugin

2. Using online applications

In this article, we’ll explain how to remove drums from a song and what’s the best way to do that.

How to remove drums from a song by using DAW with a VST plugin

A digital audio workstation (DAW) is an electronic system designed to record, edit, and playback digital audio files.

DAWs use a software interface to the sound card to play some or all of the following tasks:

• Loading and editing audio
• Mixing and applying effects
• Recording new tracks
• Exporting finished mixes
• Mastering

VST plugins are software modules that can take the form of real-time instruments or effects or even MIDI effects. 

They can be used in any application that supports VST technology, such as Steinberg Cubase, Cakewalk Sonar, Ableton Live, Sound Forge Pro, and many others.

There are two main ways you can remove drums from a song by using DAW with a VST plugin.

1. Using an equalizer 
2. Using a compressor

Here is how you can do it.

Using an equalizer to remove drums

An equalizer (EQ) is an audio engineering tool that manipulates the frequency content of a music track.

Here are the instructions on how to remove drums from a song with EQ:

Step 1: Know the drum frequencies

If you know the frequencies of drum elements in the song, you can minimize or remove them by using an equalizer.

The usual frequencies of drum elements are: 

• Kick: 80-150Hz
• Snare: 120-250Hz
• Cymbals: 400-500Hz
• Hi-Hats: 300-300Hz
• Floor Toms: 60h-110Hz
• Tom-toms: 100-600Hz

Step 2: Use a high-pass filter (LCF)

Use a multiband equalizer that includes a low-pass and high-pass filter. You can filter out drums with a high-pass or low-cut filter (which is the same thing).

Single-band or DJ EQs can likewise be used for the same purpose, but multiband equalizing gives you more control to precisely chop the drums. You can play around with EQ until you get the desired result.

Using a compressor to remove drums

You can use a multiband compressor to remove drums from a song. To ensure that the compressor only compresses the frequency ranges of drums, follow these steps:

Step 1: target two frequency ranges – from 0hz – 550Hz and 1kHz – 2kHz

Step 2: set a low threshold of -45dB 

Step 3: choose a high compression ratio of 21:1

Step 4: if the hi-hats in the song are prominent, try to additionally lower them by compressing a high-frequency range between 5kHz – 20kHz

Most audio software and DAWs include a multiband compressor, a fusion of a compressor, and an equalizer. With equalizers, you filter out frequencies, but you compress the sound’s dynamic range with a compressor.

The compressor reduces signals at selected frequencies when we select the frequencies to do downward compression. The problem you might encounter is that even with all the EQ-ing and compression work done, you might still hear the drums in the song.

Also, you can lose some sounds of other instruments of the song which have the same frequencies as drums. Most DAWs have built-in software to remove drum tracks from songs, but there’s no guarantee it will work with your track.

If you are persistent, you’ll likely be able to find the right settings to remove drums from a song. If that doesn’t work, you should try using an online service.

Removing drums from a song with online apps

You can use some of the applications found online that will help you remove drums from a song in a more simple way. These kinds of applications are easy to use, powered by the latest AI technology, which makes your job quite simple.

You can extract any instrument from the song, including drums, in just a few clicks:

1. Upload the song
2. Choose which element you would like to extract/remove
3. Save the elements of the song you would like to use

You can download the extracted files and use them as separate audio files, which you can use and combine however you like. It’s also possible to edit them further with DAW, so you get a perfect balance.

Some of the web applications that you can use are: 

• Lalal.ai
• Spleeter
• Moises
• PhonicMind

Most online apps have free versions with limited features and paid subscriptions for the full experience. With those apps, you can remove drums from a song from any public media URL (YouTube, Soundcloud, etc.)

To conclude

Using online apps to remove drums from a song is simpler and faster than using the software. However, if you want to get a high-quality production, going deeper into song editing and understanding the process can be useful.

You can play with lowering the certain frequencies of the song by using a digital audio workstation (DAW) with a VST plugin until you get the balance of song that suits you the most. Equalizer and compressor will help you with that, but it’s not an automatic process like with AI-powered apps.

Sometimes you will find it hard to remove the drums from a song completely, and it will depend on the song itself. Different songs require different approaches, and you might need to put more effort into the sound editing experience.

In the end, removing drums from a song will depend on how much time you are willing to spend with it and your goals. But all in all, it can be an interesting and fun experience that will broaden your knowledge of sound.