Trying Out a Different Drum Feel
Okay, so I’d been hearing bits and pieces about this drummer, Tom Akins. Not like super famous rockstar stuff, just murmurs here and there about his solid playing. Got me thinking, maybe I should shake things up a bit with my own kit. You know, get out of my comfort zone.
So, this weekend, I decided to mess around with my setup. Didn’t have a picture or anything specific, just kinda went with a feeling I got from listening to some tracks people said he played on – solid, maybe a bit old-school, straightforward.
Here’s what I did:
- First, I pulled my snare drum a little closer and maybe tilted it slightly flatter than usual. Usually, I have it angled quite a bit towards me.
- Then, the rack tom. I lowered it just a touch. Not a huge change, but enough that I had to adjust my seat height slightly afterwards. Felt weird at first.
- My ride cymbal usually sits pretty low and flat. I raised it up maybe an inch or two and gave it a bit more of an angle. Thought it might open things up.
- Floor tom stayed put mostly, maybe nudged it back half an inch.
Playing with the New Setup
Alright, kit rearranged. Time to actually play. Sat down, and yeah, it felt different. The flatter snare made rimshots feel a little less natural for me initially. Had to adjust my arm angle.
Reaching for that slightly lower rack tom wasn’t bad, actually kind of comfortable after a few minutes. Didn’t feel like I was reaching over the snare as much.
The biggest change was the ride cymbal. Being higher and more angled? It definitely changed how I hit it. The ping seemed clearer, maybe? Or maybe I was just hitting it differently because of the new position. The bell felt easier to get a clean sound from, which was nice.
I just jammed for about an hour, running through basic beats, some simple fills. Nothing fancy. Focused on how it felt to move around this slightly different configuration.
The verdict? It wasn’t revolutionary, you know? But it was interesting. The ride cymbal position is something I might actually keep, or at least play around with more. The snare tilt… jury’s still out on that one. Might go back to my old angle. It’s good to try these things, though. Keeps you thinking about the ergonomics and how the physical setup impacts your playing. Even small tweaks can make you approach things a tiny bit differently.
