www.futuredrumstars.co.uk
**WELCOME TO FUTURE DRUMSTARS**
This is a free advice website aimed at players who are just starting out with the drum kit and also for more experienced drummers, hungry for greater knowledge.
All of the information provided is the personal opinion of JIM FERRIS, a U.K. based professional drum kit tutor with over 40 years playing experience which includes 20 years as a successful professional tutor. However, no guarantee as to the accuracy of any of the supplied information, can be given.
Former pupils have gone on to perform with the following international artistes; GIRLS ALOUD, SIR TOM JONES, JAMES BLUNT, LEONA LEWIS, NATASHA BEDINGFIELD, JOHN BARROWMAN. Plus, RADIO ONE and TWO sessions, many T.V. appearances and tours to many parts of the world, including the Republic of China. Three pupils (out of three entered) have reached the semi final stage of the U.K. Young Drummer of the Year Competition.
Further details about obtaining tuition from JIM FERRIS can be found at the website; http://www.drumstyle.co.uk
Listed below are some of the most popular questions posed by beginners, along with answers provided by Jim.
** HOW DO I CHOOSE MY FIRST DRUM KIT?
Assuming you are hoping to spend as little as possible, you are looking for a "starter grade" kit. These usually consist of five full sized drums plus stands (sometimes a stool but not always) and some very cheap hihat cymbals and a crash cymbal. These kits are sold with many different names on them but I suspect nearly all of them originate in the same factory in China. The cost new is usually between £150 and £250 though don't assume that the £250 ones will be considerably better than the £150 ones, they often are not. There is not a lot of difference in quality between these kits though if you want to play safe, go with one that has a traditional drum manufacturers name endorsing it, ie; Premier, Pearl, Mapex, etc. These kits will usually have better quality parts in the fine detail, though a beginner may not notice it.
The main weakness with all starter kits is the quality of the cymbals, stands and pedals and also the factory fitted drum heads. These kits are ideal for light practise but should not be considered suitable for heavy use or indeed performing with a band.
If you are purchasing via the internet be aware that the kit will almost certainly be sent to you still requiring detailed assembly and tuning. If you buy from a local music shop insist that the kit is supplied to you fully sub assembled and tuned, otherwise they may not bother and just present you with one or two very large boxes from their warehouse!
**WHAT ARE "ROCK" AND "FUSION" SIZED DRUM KITS?
These names refer to the diameters of the drums. A ROCK sized kit which is considered the norm, would usually have a 22" diameter bass (kick) drum, 12" and 13" hanging toms a 16" floor tom and a 14" snare drum.
A FUSION sized kit may have either a 20" or 22" diameter bass drum, 10" and 12" hanging toms a 14" floor or hanging tom* and a 13" or 14" snare drum. Because of the smaller sizes, the fusion kit will produce a higher pitched range of sounds.
* Personally I would avoid buying a kit with hanging tom 14" or larger, they tend to be unstable hanging from the cymbal stand, go for a floor tom model instead.
** I WANT TO UPGRADE FROM MY STARTER KIT CYMBALS, WHAT DO I BUY?
The cymbals originally supplied with your starter kit will almost certainly have been extremely crude in quality and sound (and unnamed). Although I think this always appears to reflect badly on the drum kit manufacturer you shouldn't be too harsh on them. Historically these cymbals were always referred to as "free" ie just to get you started however the "free" bit seems to have been dropped from their advertising, but the quality has certainly not improved. Anyway, as soon as your drumming starts to improve, you need to upgrade. The cheapest upgrade would be to Zildjian Planet Z, Sabian Solar or Meinl Meteor. All three models make perfectly adequate practise cymbals but are not really good enough for public performance. Sabian B8 cymbals are for me, the lowest grade that are perfectly adequate for performance and they do a very good job of it as well, especially for the price. With discount a set of B8 cymbals (14" hihats,16" crash and 20" ride) should be available for around £160 (2008 prices). I'm not so familiar with the Zildjian models but I'm sure a suitable equivilant is available for around the same price.
I am often asked who makes the best cymbals. This is an impossible question to answer because it all depends on personal taste. All of the major manufacturers make "budget" through to "top end" cymbal ranges. You should choose your cymbals by the sound they make and not the name printed on them! This may mean that you end up with a mixture of cymbals from different manufacturers in your set up, especially when you move to the higher ranges of cymbals that are not usually sold in sets.
** HOW DO I CHOOSE WHICH SIZE AND MODEL OF DRUMSTICKS TO USE?
The range of different models and sizes available is mind boggling, but let me narrow the choice down a bit. Firstly the manufacturers, the best known and trusted makes include; Zildjian, Vic Firth, Vater and Pro mark, with these companies you should be assured good quality. Then you need to choose the wood, Hickory is generally accepted as the best compromise because it is strong and also absorbs vibration well. Oak sticks are even stronger but do not absorb vibration quite so well and Maple is good at absorbing vibration but is generally not so strong. After that you need to choose size, you have probably noticed the codes printed on sticks ie 5A, 5B, 7A, 2B etc. You have probably thought quite reasonably, that this refers to an internationally adhered to specification code for all manufacturers. Well, it was probably meant to be, but in practice it doesn't work. You cannot assume that a particular size will mean the same regardless of who made it. Some sizes do seem to be more consistant though and this includes the size that I would recommend to most players, it's a 5A. This size is suitable for most people, most of the time. If you are a particularly young player, say under 10 years of age, you may need a 7A, which is narrower and sometimes slightly shorter. Then it's a choice between wood or nylon (plastic) tips. The choice is yours really on this one, I prefer nylon because the tip gives a more defined "click" when hit onto the hihat and ride cymbals. Nylon tips also retain their density so always sound the same as the tip rotates. Having said all that, there are plenty of professionals who choose wood tips. So in summary, try a 5A Hickory nylon tipped stick from one of the above manufacturers.
If you have a different query about sticks, please email the question to me.
** HOLDING THE DRUM STICKS. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "TRADITIONAL" AND "MATCHED GRIP", AND WHICH IS BEST?
Traditional grip is how a side drummer in a traditional style marching band would hold their sticks. The right stick grip is the same as for matched grip but the left stick is held with the palm partly upwards and the stick lying through between the thumb and 1st finger and again between the 1st and 2nd or 2nd and third. This way of holding the sticks was developed so that the drummer could easily play onto the angled head of the side drum without holding the left elbow out and up into the air.
Matched grip, which is a more modern method of holding the sticks and where each stick is gripped pretty well the same as each other ie "matching", is really the most sensible way to play a drum kit. So, neither is best as such, but traditional grip is best for traditional marching bands and matched grip is best (in my opinion) for drum kits.
Before you start telling me that many of todays world class drum kit players use traditional grip, can I just say that often that is because their first drum kit tutor, back in the 80's 70's or earlier, also used that grip and not because it was better but because it was the only grip used at the time.
** I WANT TO BUY BETTER QUALITY DRUM HEADS. HOW DO I CHOOSE THEM ?
Again, there is a massive choice of models from several top quality manufacturers such as REMO, EVANS and AQUARIAN. Because I am only personally familiar with REMO, it is their drum head models I shall refer to.
If I assume that the kit you are upgrading the heads on, is either a starter grade kit or a low to mid range model, I would advise the following heads;
Remo Pinstripes (either clear or coated) for tom tom "batter" heads, ie the head you hit. The "response" or "resonant" head (the one underneath) should not need replacing unless it is damaged. If it is damaged, replace it with a Remo Ambassador "clear" drum head.
The snare drum batter head should be either a Remo Ambassador "coated" or a Remo Powerstroke 3, also "coated". You may also wish to use a plastic "O" ring on top of the head to contain the level of "ring" sound produced from the head and drum hoop. If the snare side head is broken you must replace it with a purpose made snare response head. Do not use a normal batter head, it will not be sensitive enough to respond to the snare wires and the drum will fail to produce the correct sound.
As for the bass drum batter head, I recommend a Remo Powerstroke 3 "coated". Remember to use a small pillow or cushion inside the drum to lean up against the bottom of the inside of the batter head. This will help to produce the short "thud" sound required by most players.
** I WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE MONEY, TO GET SOMETHING BETTER THAN A STARTER GRADE KIT. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND I LOOK AT ?
Most of the major manufacturers produce kits at around the £4-£500 mark. This would include makes such as Mapex, Tama, Pearl, Yamaha, Premier and PDP Pacific. They are all of a similar quality, the competition for sales is fierce so they must compete with each other on equal terms. Check carefully though what is included for the money as not all models include a stool or a second cymbal stand. The kit will probably not include any cymbals either so you have to be careful when budgeting and comparing models and specifications. At this price level you will get much improved hardware over the starter kits and the fitted drum heads should also be of a higher quality. In fact, it is probably this price range that offers the best value for money when buying any drum kits.
As for the actual price to pay, you should never have to pay the full retail price that is listed by the manufacturer. Do your homework carefully first to discover the best offers, the internet is a great tool for this. But again, be very sure about exactly what you will receive for your money. When you have found the best price (including the postage) go along to your local dealer if you have one and ask them if they can match the price you have been offered elsewhere. If they can, buy from them. Remember that if you do not support your local dealer and help to keep him in business, one day he may no longer be there when you need a drum part in an emergency.
** I CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND WHETHER OR NOT TO BUY AN ELECTRIC KIT INSTEAD OF A NORMAL (acoustic) ONE. WHAT ARE THE PRO's AND CON's ?
Well firstly, I've never met a drummer yet who has not expressed a preference for playing a "proper" (acoustic) kit over an electric one. It's the visual experience as well as the feel of hitting a real drum head fitted to a real drum, it just stirs the soul! Playing an electric kit will never give you that same feeling in my opinion.
Owning an electric kit is usually all about convienience and sound options. Firstly they take up less space in your home, playing one is comparatively quiet if listened to through headphones. Notice I said "comparatively quiet", electric kits are NOT silent* and if you are playing it in an upstairs room, the bass pedal unit can cause a "thumping" noise to travel down into the room below.
I suggest an extra thick additional carpet layer about 60cm square, placed under the bass pedal unit to help reduce this problem.
From a teachers point of view I am unhappy about the unrealistic bounce of the rubber pads and the mesh heads seem even worse. They are all too bouncy and make the player think they have better wrist development than they really do. This problem could be cured in two minutes by the manufacturers, but they choose not to, for obvious reasons. An advantage of an electric kit is the many different sound options on offer and if the kit is played quietly through a speaker system, you will still produce the same sound quality as when it is played loudly. If you try to play an acoustic kit very quietly, there are compromises in the sound quality.
If the electric kit option appeals to you, don't be tempted by the very cheap ones on offer, I think you would quickly become tired of it's limitations. Try to stretch to buying a ROLAND or YAMAHA, if you cannot afford one at the moment, it's probably best to wait until you can.
*Mesh heads fitted to the toms and snare drum will be quieter than the rubber pads that are offered on most models.
**WHAT ARE DOUBLE BASS PEDALS AND SHOULD I GET ONE?
A double bass drum pedal has a footplate for each of your feet, one to the right of the snare drum and one to the left. Then there are two beaters that hit the bass drum operating from the shaft of the central unit, each one is operated by one of the foot pedals.
In my opinion, double pedals are not for beginners, wait until you are fully experienced playing with a single pedal before entertaining the idea.
**CAN YOU TELL ME HOW I SHOULD SET UP MY DRUM KIT?
This is a difficult one to answer without pictures but I will try my best.
Start with the stool, set it at such a height that when your feet are on both the hihat and bass drum pedals and sitting close enough to them that your legs are going straight down from your knees to the ankles, your upper leg should have a slight slope downwards from hip to knee. If the slope is steep down to the knee, you are sitting too high and vice versa.
Then set the snare drum height so that the back edge of the top hoop is approximately 10 cm higher than the stool top. Before measuring this, if you are holding the sticks with "matched grip" as recommended, the snare drum needs to be angled with a 20 degree slope downwards towards the stool. Now the hihat cymbals (when closed) should be set approximately 12cm higher than the centre of the snare drum.
Set both* of the tom toms that are above the bass drum so that the curves of the top hoops that are closest to the snare and floor tom, are approximately 10cm higher than the snare. Each of the batter heads of these toms should be angled so that they look towards you when you are sat on the kit and with a gentle slope down. *It's usually two toms but may be only one.
The floor tom or large hanging tom if you do not have a floor tom, should be slightly lower than the snare drum ( approx. 2 or 3cm ) and angled so that again, the head slopes gently down towards your sitting position.
Position the crash cymbal so that it is above and between the hihats and the small tom tom. It should be sloping gently down towards the direction of your stool and remember that the wing nut holding the cymbal in place, should NOT be tight. The ride cymbal should ideally be low (about 12cm above the floor tom) and should be positioned so that it covers approximately 25% of the far side of the floor tom head. Again, a very gentle slope down towards the direction of the stool and don't over tighten the wing nut.
There, I told you it would be difficult to put into words!
**HOW DO I FIND A DRUM KIT TUTOR?
There are many ways to try to find a tutor. The most simple one is to try a internet search via a search engine. In the search box type; "drum kit tuition" followed by the name of your town. If you live in a small place it may make sense to add the names of towns and cities nearby to you. Failing that, try the Yellow Pages telephone book, your local musical instrument shops or contact the local branch secretary of the Musicians Union, he or she will know of any union members locally who teach the drum kit. Further to that you could look in the classified sections of RHYTHM or DRUMMER magazine though you are less likely to find someone local in a national magazine. Finally, ask any other drummers that you know, or speak to local drummers you see performing at gigs.
**AS I HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE, HOW CAN I TELL IF MY TEACHER IS ANY GOOD?
Well first of all you have to realise that some teachers are a better "match" for a particular student, than others are. It doesn't mean that the ones who are not such a good match are bad teachers it's possibly just because their teaching style or personality doesn't really suit the pupil very well. In my particular area of Devon I know a few other professional drum kit tutors quite well and what I can confidently say is that we all have totally different personalities, we probably approach the tuition in quite a different way, but in the end always have our pupils best interests at heart.
Anyway, how to recognise a tutor who is probably not going to be the best available.
* In my personal opinion, to be a good tutor needs life skills as well as drumming skills, so this probably rules out 99% of tutors who are still teenagers themselves. Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh but this is my own personal opinion and we are all allowed to have one of those. Of course there will always be exceptions to a rule, but I would think fairly rarely on this occasion.
* The cost of a lesson can be another good indicator. The national recommended rate for an experienced music teacher is presently around £26 per hour (minimum rate 2008).Therefore if you find a teacher offering an hourly rate of 10 or £15 etc you have got to ask yourself why? Are they desperate? Are they inexperienced? Are they just trying to make a few ££ on the side with no real teaching skills to offer you? Why so cheap? You are very unlikely to receive quality tuition at that price, in my opinion.
* Can the tutor offer regular weekly / fortnightly tuition, or are the dates a bit hit and miss?
* Is the lesson planned in advance for you or does it just amble along whilst you are there?
* Are you being taught to read real drum music (not tab) or even no written music at all?
* Does the teacher have proper facilities to teach you in?
* Is playing the drum kit your teachers "first" instrument or does he / she play and teach several different instruments?. Not a good sign in my opinion.
* Does your teacher have an impressive c.v. as a player or not?
* How many years have they personally been playing at a semi-pro / professional level? Less than a minimum of five years experience would rule them out in my mind.
* How big a part does technique play in the tuition? A good teacher will be explaining the best ways to hold the sticks, how to sit at the kit, the set up of the kit, the motions of your wrists, feet, etc etc.
* Are you always sent away with work to practise in preparation of your next lesson or not?
* Finally, can your teacher point to succesful former pupils that he / she has taught? Though this can obviously be difficult in the early years of a teaching career, if he or she has already been teaching for some years they should be able to point to some success stories.
Remember, the best advertisment for any teacher is to be recommended by a successful former pupil.
**WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY DO YOU TEACH IN JIM?
I am based in East Devon and have two teaching studios, one based in EXMOUTH and the other in EXETER. For full details of obtaining tuition with me, contact the website http://www.drumstyle.co.uk thanks.
** WHAT DO THE PLASTIC "O" RINGS DO, THAT SOME DRUMMERS PLACE ON TOP OF THEIR SNARE DRUM BATTER HEAD?
This is to eliminate the "ringing" sound that can be heard immeadiately after striking the snare drum. The "O" ring should only cost you around £3, from your local drum shop.
Tip: if the ring is wider than 25mm, trim it down to approximately that width (cutting from the inside edge). This will stop the "O" ring from damping the head response too much. I also tape the ring to the batter head with four very small pieces of tape to stop it falling off in transit or when it is hit with a stick.
I don't recommend fitting "O" rings to tom toms, though shops do sell them.
** COULD YOU GIVE ME THE DETAILS OF MUSIC SHOPS THAT SPECIALISE IN DOING MAIL ORDER?
The following shops are listed in no particular order or with any suggestion of any particular recommendation. This is just a list of known dealers who do mail order in the U.K.
http://www.drumspace.co.uk
http://www.angliadrumcentre.co.uk
http://www.andertons.co.uk
http://www.musicroom.com
http://www.thomann.de (based in Germany)
http://www.GAK.co.uk
http://www.rockfactory.co.uk
http://www.drumshop.co.uk
http://www.musiclodge.co.uk
** OTHER LINKS
Again, there is no suggestion that I endorse any of the companies listed below. Their details are provided purely for your information.
http://www.drumdeal.co.uk
http://www.mikedolbear.com
http://www.professionaldrumteachersguild.com
http://www.ukdrummerscollective.com
http://www.bimm.co.uk
http://www.drumfest.net
http://www.drum-tech.co.uk
http://www.icmp.uk.com
If you have a question that has not been answered within the site, please feel free to contact Jim with the details.
