Categories: gear

What are the Best Practice Pads for Drummers?

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, gear, Reviews

Musicians know that practice is essential for progress, but for drummers, sometimes it’s not so simple. A drum set is loud, takes up plenty of space, or set up time may not be available.

One of the top solutions for the inconvenience of practicing drums is to grab a practice pad. Practice pads (sometimes referred to as “drum pads“) are useful for keeping skills sharp when on the road, can’t make too much noise, or to pinpoint specific aspects of a drummer’s playing.

So what are the best practice pads for drummers? With so many different pads available on the market, it can be confusing and overwhelming. I’ve compiled this practice pad buyers guide of the top selling pads to make things easier.

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Understanding Skins – Resonant Drumhead Explained

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, Drum Career, gear

I have heard the cries and wailing: “Can someone please explain what the resonant head does!!!” Ok, not really, but it is a question that doesn’t seem to have many straight forward answers. Not only that, most of the information available online is either sorely lacking, or is just downright wrong.

The reso head of a drum is probably one of the more overlooked areas when it comes to the set up of your drum kit. Most drummers understand that they need a reso skin, but once it’s put on the drum, it’s rarely tuned or replaced. Not only that, but buying new heads seems to be a large expense for something that you don’t know what to do with.

So what exactly is the resonant head of a drum, and what does it do?

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Tuning Drums – Tune The Best Snare Drum With the Udo Masshoff Method

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Blog, gear, Videos

If you’re frustrated by tuning drums, you aren’t alone. There is an art to making a drum sound great, and like so many other parts of music, tuning your drum kit needs to be practiced. At the heart and soul of any drum sound is the snare. It’s the most audible piece on the kit, and also the most versatile.

A snare drum can either make a kit sound great, or awful. Learning to get the best snare drum sound possible is important. Luckily, the “drum tuning guru” Udo Masshoff has a handy new trick to share with everyone.

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Gear Review – Roland Octapad SPD-30 Versus SPD-SX

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, gear, Reviews

Which is better, the Roland Octapad SPD-30, or the Roland SPD-SX? In today’s modern music, electronic drums are exploding in popularity.

Today, being able to blend digital samples and electronic sounds with acoustic drums is crucial. But with so many options out there, what do you pick?

Well, I’ve done the work for you and rounded up the two biggest players in the electronic drum pad world, and made a review for both:

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What is the Best Wood for Drum Shells

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Drum Career, gear
When you’re looking to buy a new drum kit, sometimes the number of options can be daunting. The most confusing of all is what type of wood is the best to get the sound you want.
When looking for the best wood for drum shells, we need to know the qualities of each different type of wood. The standard for American drum makers today is Birch and Maple. Both sound great, and if all else fails, you can’t go wrong buying a kit made with either of those woods.
But what about kits made from other wood types that aren’t as common? Are those kits worth picking up, or are drum makers just using those rare woods as a clever marketing ploy to get you to buy them for a higher price? The answer is both.
Each wood type comes with it’s own tonality and EQ, but due to rarity and difficulty in manufacturing, sometimes they come with a more expensive price tag. So what are these woods, and what are the best woods for you?

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How to Have Effective Bass Drum Technique

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Drum Career, gear

An issue that I hear a lot is how to properly use your bass drum pedal for effective bass drum technique. If you are a new drummer, the best tip I can provide is to just keep practicing. Most beginner issues usually revolve around muscle memory and simply getting used to using the pedal.

Having said that, there are a few things to keep in mind when working on your bass drum technique, such as the beater bouncing off the head, your leg getting tired, or having the bass drum move away from you.

I’m here to address some of these issues in order to help you get comfortable using your pedal.

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What is the Best Metronome for Drums

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, gear
What is the best metronome for drums? In order to be an effective drummer, you need to have solid time. An unwavering drummer with next to no chops will always be more important to any band or ensemble than a fancy drummer that can’t keep a steady pulse.
A great way to achieve consistent tempo is by practicing with a metronome. For drummers, the metronome is one of the most important tools in their arsenal. When it comes to buying a metronome, there are a lot of different options out there and it can be difficult to know what’s important.

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21 of the Coolest Gifts for Drummers – Christmas 2021 Edition

Posted by Duran Ritz on Posted in Articles, Buying Guides, gear

Finding good Christmas gifts for drummers can be tricky, especially if you don’t know what you are looking for.  But don’t fret, you’ve come to the right place because I actually am a drummer! I may not know what presents everyone wants, but I can at least tell you what sort of loot I’d like to receive. Here is a compiled list of some cool gifts ideas in 2021 that every drummer would want. I’ve also thrown in a few novelty gifts for the drummer who has everything, but might like something unique, fun, or personalized.

These are gift ideas for your drummer boyfriend or girlfriend, father, sister, mother, grandma, or anyone else you can think of. I’m sure you’ll find something they’ll love.

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