The 7 Things Rocky Balboa Can Teach You About Drumming
Be Like Rocky. Photo Credit: Neeta Lind
This may sound odd but...
To me, Rocky Balboa is much more than just a movie character. He is a real person. Being born in the early 80's meant I was too young for his movies when they first came out. However, that didn't stop me growing up with Rocky.
His movies were the only violent movies that my parents would let me watch. They loved Rocky. They loved the character, the story, they loved that me and my brother would be quiet and stop arguing when we watched it. For me and my brother, Rocky was who we wanted to be.
The spirit of Rocky lives inside all of us. When we decide:
- To do something with our lives, that's Rocky.
- To achieve something even though the odds are against us, that's Rocky.
- To be more than just another bum from the neighbouhood, that's Rocky.
So what can we learn from Rocky Balboa that
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How To Get A Louder, Fuller Snare Sound - The Rimshot
Evidence of rimshots
If you want it, you've got work for it
Getting the sound you really want isn't just a matter of hitting your drums as loud as possible and hoping for the best. You need to learn different techniques to give you the best sound.
In this article, we're not just talking about techniques though. We are going to hack into the actual physics of your snare drum in order to get the best possible sound out of it.
The physics of your snare
Normally when you play your snare, you hit the drum head (also called the drum skin) with the tip of your stick. This makes the drum head flex downwards which in turn pushes the air inside your drum down towards the
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Which Drum Cases Are Best For Gigging?
Its taken 10 years, 3 strained shoulders, 2 near death experiences and a cracked cymbal...
but I've finally figured out the best cases you can use to gig. This combination of cases will give you the maximum protection, maneuverability and packing space that you need to get out and gig worry free. Leave your own suggestions and opinions in the comments below.
Drums
Use hard cases. Definitely hard cases. Your drums are fragile and expensive so you're going to need to invest a bit of money to protect them. But if you get some good cases they will outlast your drum kit (I've had mine for 6 years).
Why you should use hard cases
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How to Set Up Your Bass Drum Pedal - 3 Practical Ways You Can Improve Speed, Power and Sound
Photo credit: cod_gabriel
When you're setting up your bass drum pedal, the first thing to check is that the spikes on your foot plate are screwed out so the sharp tips just stick out past the footplate. These help achor the bass drum pedal to your mat. Warning: These may rip a normal house carpet and will not work on a smooth floor.
After you're confident that your pedal will not slip away its time to start adjust it to optimize your speed and power.
There are 3 main ways to adjust your bass drum pedal
- Spring tension
- Beater height/rotation
- Distance of beater from bass drum
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If Drums Are Planets Then Your Snare Is The Sun
Photo credit: chantrybee
Your snare is what gives life to the rest of your kit. Its the thing that all the other parts of your kit revolve around. Its what your drumming revolves around. And its also the thing that all your grooves, songs and bands revolve around too. Seriously. Your snare drum is that important and its critical that you get it set up right. So when your stool is set up and you've got your feet on the pedals, its time to set up your snare (Oh and I know the sun isn't actually a planet but hey, its still a good title).
Your stand usually comes in 2 parts:
- Base
- Basket
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2 Things To Radically Increase Comfort Behind Your Kit
Photo credit: dml82
If you really want to feel confident playing your drum set then you're going to have to spend some time getting comfortable sitting at your drum set. Think about when you're hanging out with friends. Everyone scrambles to get a seat on the couch, everyone want to sits shotgun in the car. Why? Its the most comfortable place. So you get to relax fully and really enjoy hanging out.
The same is true when you're playing with your band. If you're thinking about how awkward your set up feels or how uncomfortable your stool is then you're not really focused on what you're playing. To have the best time hanging out with your band you're going to have get comfortable behind your kit. So how do you get comfortable? It all starts with
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Are You Sitting Comfortably? - How and Where to Set Up Your Drum Stool
Photo credit: Petteri Sulonen
The stool is the single most important part of the kit. Think about it. Without your stool, you'd fall over. Yet many drummers don't think about their stool much and so have it set up randomly. Or worse yet, they use an ordinary chair. How you set up your stool will affect your playing and your comfort. But before we begin, lets just
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