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Avid -
I think many surf drummers use that setup because you really don't need any more
than the items you listed, plus its easy to mic (either in the studio or live).
If you're like me and have seen what Dusty or Jimmy Lester can do on a 4-piece
set with 2 or 3 cymbals, then certainly adding another tom or a few more
cymbals isn't going make a better player out of anyone. If one really wants
to go after the vintage look and sound, one might get their hands on a vintage
era kit, which generally have smaller sizes than a rock kit from the 70s/80s or
90s, plus they're a hell of a lot lighter and easier to schlep around. Today's
drums are actually made alot better than they were 40 years ago (some of the
older ones may not be as round), but there's something to be said for that old
sound that newer kits can't produce.
As far as snare drums, that's personal preference, but generally speaking, metal
snares are less expensive and more widespread than wooden ones, and there are
probably more Ludwig drums out there than the other brands - mostly because
they've been making them forever, whereas some of the other brands (Slingerland,
Rogers, etc) have experienced either sporadic production (Slingerland) or ceased
to exist altogether (Rogers) since the early 80s. The sound is all up to the
player - I tend to use a metal snare (either a 1966 aluminum Ludwig or a late
60s/early 70s steel Slingerland) 95% of the time because I like the extra ring
that the metal shell produces - cuts through all the noise the other guys are
making - especially in a live, unmiked situation. I do have a couple wood
snares (including an old Gretsch) that I pull out once in a great while - and as
Marty pointed out - they do make a nice rimshot, probably 'cause of the die cast
rim, which they are famous for.
For cymbals, again personal preference as far as brand & size. Some older ones
are nice, but inconsistent in sound and reliability. Best to try and play them
at the store before you buy them if you can - I know the Zildjian website
actually has little MP3s of what each model sounds like if that's any help. It
also depends on the music you're playing and in what environment (big places,
little places, miked or unmiked, etc). For a ride cymbal, I like them with a
little bit of wash/ring, so I can crash on it as I see fit, but still keep
riding on it. For crash cymbals, I like something in the medium size range
(15"-16") so it doesn't keep ringing forever. Bigger (and thicker cymbals) tend
to make more nice and are tougher to control - in small rooms and the studio)
Hihats? Who cares about hihats? Its friggin surf, although I think they need to
make a nice "chick" sound when played with the foot. If and when played half
open, I find they are usually very loud and can easily drown out other
instruments and occasionally wind up being too loud in a recording environment -
even when they aren't miked (which they should never be in the studio anyway).
I've never heard of surf drum tabs - I wouldn't think there would be much of a
market for them since there are no chords involved, but playing a surf drum beat
is not that hard. If you keep listening to, and playng along with, enough surf
(maybe with some moderate tempo, less involved drumming) you should pick it up
fairly quickly. Speed will develop naturally over time with practice and Duvel!
tfj
----- Original Message -----
From: avid
To:
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 11:37 AM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Surf drums
Sorry if this is off topic, but there is really nowhere else to ask.
My cousin and I noticed that most of the surf bands use the same
exact setup, Floor tom, Mid tom, snare, bassdrum, and four cymbals.
It seems that the snares are usually Ludwig and don't have a wood
shell, that they are all metal. Could someone describe the typical
setup? Are the cymbals a certain size and material?
One last thing, how is the "typical" surf beat played? For instance,
The Nebulas NEMATODE ().
Does anybody know where to get surf drum tabs?
Thanks!
.
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