Drums are loud...

If you're reading this page, you are probably the frazzled, half-deaf parent of a young drumming enthusiast. At this point you're probably asking yourself why your kid couldn't have learned to play the flute or piano. There's no way around it...drums are loud!

Below are some tips that will help to lessen the blow and bring some sanity back into your household. Important to note is that each of these WILL affect your young drummers technique in some way. There is no substitute for practicing on real drums, so try to make time during the week where he can practice loudly and freely on the instrument without anything holding him back. 

A few general tips

  1. The bass drum is often the loudest part of the drum set and it cuts through the most. Deaden it by removing the resonant (front) head and stuffing a blanket or pillow inside. The less space there is for the sound to move around in the drum, the better. Your bass drum should give a punchy "thud", not sound like a canon being fired. 
  2. Try cheap, homemade remedies like placing towels or old t shirts over the snare drum, toms, and cymbals. 
  3. Try moongel. It's a gel substance that you place on drum heads to control overtones/resonance. You can also use it on cymbals. 
  4. Buy ear protection. This should be a must for every drummer if they're playing for more than 15 minutes at a time. I like the cheap sound protection muffs that you can buy in the sporting goods section at WalMart. 
  5. Be considerate of neighbors and those in your house, but also understand local laws. Most neighborhoods don't have sound ordinances until around 9pm. Find a time when not a lot of people are home and practice then. For instance, I try to practice between 11am and 1pm while most people are at work. 

3 options to consider

Drum Mutes

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ADVANTAGES:
  • Relatively cheap (<$50)
  • Easy to attach and remove. 
  • You can remove them and still play "like normal". 
  • Mutes sound to a manageable 'thud'. 
  • Work on coordination w/out volume. 





DISADVANTAGES:
  • Lose considerable rebound (sticks don't bounce as well as on normal drum heads)
  • For drummer: Doesn't sound like drums. 

Bundle Sticks

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ADVANTAGES:
  • Really Cheap ($10-$20)
  • No setup. Play on drums like with normal sticks. 
  • Cuts a lot of volume while still maintaining the feel/sound of the drum set.
  • Mutes sound to a manageable 'thud'.



DISADVANTAGES:
  • Lose some rebound (sticks don't bounce as well as on normal drum heads)
  • Feels a little different than normal sticks. 
  • May not be quiet enough. 
  • Has no effect on Bass Drum volume. 

Mesh Heads

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ADVANTAGES:
  • Relatively Cheap (about $50)
  • Retains tone of each drum while drastically cutting sound. 
  • Can be paired with drum triggers/module to make an electronic set. 
  • Quiets to a pleasant blend of decreased volume while still retaining tone. 

 

DISADVANTAGES:
  • Gain some rebound (sticks bounce better than on normal drum heads)
  • Increased rebound makes it easier to play, but harder when moving to normal drum set. 
  • Requires changing drum heads. 
  • Still have to find a way to mute cymbals. 

A few pieces of advice:

  • If you haven't already muffled your bass drum, do that first. 
  • Buy some moongel (or you can use well placed tape for the same effect) to cut overtones on snare and toms. 
  • Try bundle sticks before getting mutes or mesh heads. It's the cheapest option and every drummer should have a pair. 
  • If bundle sticks are still too loud look into mute or mesh options. Both have pros and cons. Decide which is best for you. 
  • When buying mesh heads or mutes, be sure to check the sizes of your drums and order the correct sizes!