Who ever said building drums is easy was wrong, but it is a worthwhile endeavor. Here is a quick history of my drum building career, which will hopefully encourage you along your journey!
Drum Building Supplies Parts and Terms Explained
If you know absolutely nothing about drums or drum making then you may refer to these definitions. Drum shell – This is the body of the drum. The drum shell material can be wood, metal, acrylic and even stone. The material you select for your drums will greatly affect the sound of your drums. Wood Shells – The most common …
Ludwig Drum Company: Innovation That Paved The Way For All Custom Drum Builders
Ludwig Drum Company History In 1909, the brothers Ludwig, William and Theobaldner, were the founders of what is now the Ludwig-Musser Company, which is owned by Steinway Musical Instruments. Ludwig Musser is a leading producer of drums and other percussion instruments. Ludwig’s initial product was an improved pedal for bass drums that could beat faster than competing products. The brothers …
David Milwain on The Importance of Reading Music for Drummers
Rhythm and drumming has been a part of society dating back thousands of years. Something so primitive and natural is simply engrained in our being. We, the individual, need nothing but to harness the rhythm and express it.
When learning a new instrument, be it guitar, piano, drums or any other, the student has the option of learning to read the notation or playing solely by ear. Although learning by ear may be easiest or quickest for a beginner, I am a strong believer that learning to read the notation leads to a more holistic understanding of the instrument. Some music teachers focus solely on the basics of how to play; in my lessons I focus not only on the basics of drumming, but I also place emphasis on sight reading drum set and rhythmic notation along with proper counting and steady breathing techniques to make the student a more well-rounded drummer.
Drum Tip: Mark Hardware Angles and Height On Your Cymbal and Hardware Stands
Drum Tip: Set Your Drums Up Consistently A couple of days ago Ed Francis shared a tip about spiking your drum set hardware layout with tape to make sure that you set your drums up exactly the same every time, which leads to a more efficient set up and comfort when playing. His post reminded me of another important aspect …
Ed Francis on The Importance of “Spiking” Your Drum Kit Set-Up
The Drum Coach from Round Rock Drums, Ed Francis (AKA: The Drummer on the Round Rock), combines his love of life, music and people with a HUGE and generous heart. At no cost to the recipients, Francis tours Round Rock and surrounding areas to share his passion for the arts and drumming. He donates countless hours to elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, juvenile detention facilities, music stores, drum studios, community centers, YMCA’s, daycare centers, and other outlets. He does this with one thing in mind – to spread his passion for music and drumming. I have had the privilege to become his friend over the past year and recently had a chance catch up and ask him to share a drum tip with the readers here at Makedrums.
How to Tune Drums – 4 Practical Drum Tuning Tips
The ability to tune drums is something that comes with practice and patience. In this post I offer just a glimpse in the world how to tune drums. This post is not inteneded to make you the next great drum tuner, but should at least give you some insight in the the art of tuning drums that you may or may not have already known. This is your basic drum tuning stuff….stay tuned (no pun intended!) for some more in depth step by step “How To” drum tuning advice in one of my next posts! Enjoy!
Bass Player – Turned Drummer Builds His 1st Custom Drum Set
Building a Custom Drum For The First Time This is a guest post from John A. Ledingham, PhD. He and his new custom drum set reside in Columbus, Ohio. I started out not as a drummer, but as a bass player in my hometown of Springfield, Ohio. One Thursday afternoon, the leader of a group I was playing bass with …
Drum Builder Interview: Jeremy Wolfe’s 2nd Custom Drum Set
I recently had time to interview Jeremy Wolfe about his recent experience with building drums. This is the 2nd custom drum set he has built with the help of this site. Check out our conversation and pictures below! Makedrums: Can you tell us about the drums you’ve built? Jeremy: This is the second kit I have built. It’s the first …
My Drum Head Recipe – The Best Drum Heads for The Working Drummer
I’ve used hundreds of drum heads over the 20+ years I’ve been playing drums, and these are my absolute favorite, along with tips on how to tune them.