How to care for your drums

Ola Para

General drum-kit diagram

The bass drumThe Bottom drum and most important, typically used to start "bars" with and used to keep the beat. A bass drum is a type of musical instrument called a drum. It is a large drum, makes low sounds, and is frequently used in the common drum kit. You hit it by using a foot pedal.

The snare drumIt is the centre of the drum kit, the most prominent drum in most marching and stage bands, and the instrument that students of both orchestral and kit drumming learn to play first The Drum secondly important with small cables of metal wires (snares) stretched across the bottom to make the loud TAT sound used in solos, riffs, beats and rudiments.

The Hi-hatsTwo cymbals, typically of the same size, that are clinked together by the pedal below or hit by the Drum Stick, this is used to keep the beat, improvise rhythms and keep the accompanying instruments moving. Hi-hats can be played in the open, closed, and in-between positions. The hi-hats are the most important cymbals on the kit.

The Tom-tomsTypically, two drums across the top of the kit - as the drummer sits in the seat/stool on their left (Or right if they’re right handed) is the small tom making a higher sound, then on the right is the medium or middle tom with a slightly lower sound depending on tuning. The number and positioning varies by the drummer and some drummers have several toms on their kit such as an 8 inch tom giving an even higher sound used in jazz drumming.

The floor tom-tomSimilar to the medium and high tom-toms. typically placed to the right of the drummer. A tom that has its own legs or stand and produces a lower note (usually the second lowest after the bass drum). Sizes tend to range between 14-18 inches.

The Crash cymbal

A cymbal that makes a loud crash sound. The sound and decay of crash cymbals vary by brand and product line. The number of crash cymbals is dictated by the drummer's personal taste and need for the style of music being played. Used in solos, beginning of bars, riffs and rudimental studies. It is typically used to accent beats but can also be ridden like a ride cymbal, depending on the drummer.

The Ride cymbalA large, heavy cymbal that, typically, makes a light, airy sound, named from the fact that the drummer can "ride on it" or keep time on it. Oftentimes, the ride is used during choruses or bridges because it tends to cut through more aggressively then hi-hats. The bell of the ride cymbal can also be played, giving a pinging sound. The ride cymbal arguabley is the second most important cymbal on the kit next to the hi-hats.

How to assemble your drum kitIn order to assemble your drum kit, you

must first gather all of your necessary parts, such as the bass drum, the snare drum, the drum stands etc. You will also need something called a drum key which

will be used to loosen and tighten screws. The most important thing to do while re-

assembling drums is to have patience and time as the drum skin and the drums

themselves are fragile. Don’t give up if you fail once.

http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Drum-Kit

Tips for maintaining your drum kit

The drum should not be kept by direct heat as this could dry and crack the wood if the drums are wooden. You shouldn’t store it near a heater, in sunlight, or in general heat. It is best to store it in a case or a cupboard or another cool place when the weather reaches high temperatures; in very dry places, leave a damp cloth with the drum to help increase the humidity. The skin of the drums tightens and can split or pull away from the pins holding it in place if it over-heats.

• Make sure that your cymbal sleeves are fresh, as they tend to wear down, exposing the cymbal to raw metal. This allows for the cymbal to make small cracks appear. After you have set up make sure that your cymbals have reached room temperature, if they've been in a hot car they'll be a bit more bendy, or if it's very cold they tend to go a bit brittle.

• One of the most important things to do regularly is change the drum skins (the part where you hit the drum). In time, the skin will eventually weaken where you strike it the most. A weaker skin is more likely to dent, or even puncture with harder hits. Most skins should be changed every six months.

Tips for maintaining your drum kit 2

• Your drum kit’s rims and hardware are vulnerable to oxidation, which leads to pitting. Much of avoiding oxidation has to do with proper storage of your drum kit. Hard cases are best for between-gig, as well as for between-use storage. Soft cases are good for temporary protection, but will not protect your drums from breakage in the cases of dropping them. It is recommended to do basic cleaning once a week and spend a half of an hour or so doing the basic tasks. More intense cleaning doesn't have to be done quite as often.

• You clean your stands and pedals the same way you clean the hardware attached to your drum shells. For casual cleaning, wipe them down with a soft, clean cloth. For more serious cleaning, use a commercial chrome cleaner--and disassemble each stand before you start. Your bass drum and hi-hat pedals need a little extra preventive maintenance. All moving parts should be periodically oiled, per the manufacturers' instructions, to keep things properly lubricated. Make sure that you wipe off excess oil when you're done, to keep the oil from getting on your drums or heads.

Tips for maintaining your drum kit 3

Remember to set up your ‘throne’ (stool) in a way which will allow you to easily reach out towards the drums with ease, and keep your sitting position upright in order to not hurt your back.

Just like an athletic event, drumming can involve physical demands which you must be prepared for; not only for the sake of your performance, but for your health. Preparation, exercise and stretching can help maintain your overall health and help you avoid a hurting back or pulling a muscle

Good cardiovascular fitness can pay huge dividends by increasing your ability to perform for longer periods. Good cardio-vascular health can also enhance your ability to perform well throughout a long set by helping you maintain good technique. you can help maintain your cardiovascular health while helping maintain your weight by walking just 20-40 minutes a day

Proper warm up should consist of several minutes of gentle low intensity stretching. The legs, lower back and neck should be warmed up and gently stretched. The fingers, wrists, arms and shoulders should be stretched as they play an important part in generating speed and endurance while playing.

Examples of how to maintain physical health and stretch

before playingLet neck bend to the side. Allow gravity to fully take effect and traction your neck downward. Then gently assist bending of your neck. Keep your shoulders relaxed. You can also ‘roll’ your head for more comfort.

With a straight elbow, while holding the hand at the knuckles with opposite hand, gently pull wrist downward. Keep elbow straight and hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Perform this several times.

Examples of how to maintain physical health and stretch before

playing 2These feet stretches are very self explanatory. You simply want to place your foot up against the wall, and lean into it. This will stretch the tendants around your foot and ankle, allowing for better movement on your pedals. Try both ways for variety!

This stretch will work your wrists only. It is a very basic stretch. Simply hold onto your stick with both hands, and roll your stick upwards and downwards. Again, make sure you do not hurt yourself.

Examples of how to maintain physical health and stretch

before playing 3Loosen up and allow your hands and arms to become limber. simply shaking your hands in a controlled manner;

take each arm (one at a time) and hold your arm up with the palm of your hand facing skyward. Next, take your other hand and gently pull back on the fingertips of the skyward hand. You will feel the muscles stretching in your wrists and forearms.

Now place the fingertips of each hand (one hand at a time) on the edge of any surface (countertop, edge of your snare, etc) and push your arm downward. This will stretch your fingertips back toward you, further stretching your arm and wrist muscles.

 

Examples of how to maintain physical health and safety

before playing 4

Drum-kit health and safety

Drummers typically play two types of drum sets. Acoustic drums and Electronic drums, which must be plugged into an amp or a PA system to produce any sound.

There are hazards with both types of the drum-kits. They both can cause deafness if they are played loudly (especially with the electric drums as they can be made to be much more loud than acoustic drums) and you can drop both of them on your foot, floor, etc. They can cause harm, especially if the drum cases are heavy. There is a possibility of cutting yourself on the cymbals, hi-hats, drum rims, drum shells if you are not careful on the acoustic drums.

Electric drums have many dangers and hazards such as a possibility of being shocked or burned from contact with the electricity (especially from the PA system) or an injury from exposure to arcing, fire from faulty electrical equipment or installations of the electric drums. To prevent this, you must make sure you install the drums accurately before you play them. Make sure to check the amp system to check the wires and the volume before and after you play.

Drum-kit health and safety 2

In order to make sure your drum kit stays put, make sure all the nuts and bolts are tight and secure Posture is very important in drumming. Make sure you have stretched before hand, and can reach all your drums with ease and no stress or much effort to avoid hurting or straining your body such as your neck, hands, or back. Make sure your Check your sticks incase they’re split as id they break they could be harmful and cut you, or your drums. They also won’t be as useful as non-cracked sticks and have a worn out feel to them.

Check all rubber feet are on cymbals, and if not, replace them. If they are not replaced the cymbals might slip and break.

Use a drum mat if there is slippery floor to avoid your drum kit skidding around with a large chance of falling apart or not letting you play as easily. Never throw sticks into a crowd for obvious reasons – they hurt! Check if cymbals aren’t cracked –replace if they are as when they’re cracked, they can shatter and cause harm. Keep hydrated – drumming can get exhausted and get you out of breathe and dry-throated. Use ear defenders when practicing to avoid going deaf.