Our Drummer is too loud... help!!!

[ericdrmz]

I just ordered two more sets of multirods for him of different sizes and have asked him to at least have one of the ear muff off when he plays. He is stubborn and proud. I really do not want to lose him but I cant go on like this.

maybe check if he can hear the band (instruments) enough behind the kit,
and if he can hear enough drums (monitoring) behind the kit,
also have him stand in front of his kit, and let somebody 'pound' his kit,
like he does.. that can also be a 'wow' moment sometimes..
thing that strikes me as odd.. he's using earmuffs, so he doesn't hear himself
well.. then starts to hit harder, and the projection of a kit is mostly 'forward'
so, i think he shouldn't use those muffs, for better judgement.. maybe
you could try the meinl multirods 'heavy' (7 rods) and if you tape those up
(tape around the visible wood, up to 1-2 cm from the tip) they become
almost as rigid as a stick, although have a much lighter attack, but the feel
would be much closer to a stick, and they still retain detail on the cymbals.

 

[macrossgeorge]

What else can you do? Sounds like it falls under the column of "other people's s***", i.e. "s*** you have no control over".

His obstinance/defiance in the face of all evidence to the contrary - getting fired from a paying gig - would be the last straw for me. I'd run, not walk, to the nearest exit on this guy.

Because there is NO evidence to the contrary that things will ever get better. This is, by definition, a non-sustainable situation.

Meanwhile, down-payment? Pay-to-play? Say it ain't so.

Thanks. Yeah, it is just hard because there are so few drummers where I live and he is a great player. But totally this is such BS, especially his response. My other bandmates are making me out to be the a$$hole for bringing it to his attention (even though I did so in the most polite way). Really the first "drama" in this band so far but it sucks.

As for the pay to play, I know, crazy. We will be in charge of selling our own tickets so there is a chance we might break even and a very very very small chance that we might come up. The venue keeps the bar but we get the tickets income. It is just a really nice space to play at and they will also do a live multitrack recording of our show, and I will get some friends to do video, so I figured it would be an investment in the band to help us get some better content that might help us get better gigs down the line. The stuff we do have up on YouTube now is older stuff that is not so great and we have improved a lot since then so by December when this gig is we will be super tight (assuming we still have a drummer!).

At the very least I would find a sub drummer for the Brewery gig and work on getting that gig back. Let your regular drummer know that the band can't play the brewery gig with him and you don't want to give it up.

One of my previous bands went through two drummers before I left (covid & work reasons) and they both used electronic kits. After the first drummer left we made it a prerequisite that his replacement must play an electronic kit.

We were able to play the smallest places without any volume issues. The FOH & monitor mixes were always perfect, no matter how small or how large the venue. Sound guys loved us.

That is a decent idea but it is so hard to find any drummers where I live. My drummer does have an electronic kit too but it is a total POS, he got it at costco and it is literally the jankiest e-drum set I have ever heard or seen. Not gig worthy for sure. In the past I had played with another drummer (on a different project) who has a decent e-kit but he has a newborn baby and is moving out of town soon.

maybe check if he can hear the band (instruments) enough behind the kit,
and if he can hear enough drums (monitoring) behind the kit,
also have him stand in front of his kit, and let somebody 'pound' his kit,
like he does.. that can also be a 'wow' moment sometimes..
thing that strikes me as odd.. he's using earmuffs, so he doesn't hear himself
well.. then starts to hit harder, and the projection of a kit is mostly 'forward'
so, i think he shouldn't use those muffs, for better judgement.. maybe
you could try the meinl multirods 'heavy' (7 rods) and if you tape those up
(tape around the visible wood, up to 1-2 cm from the tip) they become
almost as rigid as a stick, although have a much lighter attack, but the feel
would be much closer to a stick, and they still retain detail on the cymbals.

Thanks for the tip on taping up the rods. Of course the last time I bought him rods they broke really quickly. He even breaks his normal sticks. Indicative of a problem? Also great advice on letting him hear what it is like. He has been using those aircraft earmuffs since our first meeting well over a year ago and has been a point of contention.

 

[TNJ]

ELECTRONIC KIT OR HIT THE BRICKS!!
And LOSE THE HEADPHONES!!

Sj

 

[Lava Lamp]

I had put a non-refundable down payment to play this really classy Jazz club where they have a decibel limit.

Why would you have to make a down payment to play a gig at a club? Not understanding.

 

[macrossgeorge]

Why would you have to make a down payment to play a gig at a club? Not understanding.

Unless you are a big name that they have asked to come play there, the only way to play there is to rent out the place, which a lot of people do. They do not want to take the risk of not selling enough tickets. It is not a bar, it is a music venue, that has a bar and a small kitchen, but they only operate when there are bands. They need to make sure they can pay their employees and make some money too. It is one of the few decent venues in my area and I feel like it is a great space for us to perform and to get some good footage of us playing somewhere decent to help us get other gigs.

 

[Guitar Dave T]

Thanks. Yeah, it is just hard because there are so few drummers where I live and he is a great player. But totally this is such BS, especially his response. My other bandmates are making me out to be the a$$hole for bringing it to his attention (even though I did so in the most polite way). Really the first "drama" in this band so far but it sucks.

As for the pay to play, I know, crazy. We will be in charge of selling our own tickets so there is a chance we might break even and a very very very small chance that we might come up. The venue keeps the bar but we get the tickets income. It is just a really nice space to play at and they will also do a live multitrack recording of our show, and I will get some friends to do video, so I figured it would be an investment in the band to help us get some better content that might help us get better gigs down the line. The stuff we do have up on YouTube now is older stuff that is not so great and we have improved a lot since then so by December when this gig is we will be super tight (assuming we still have a drummer!).

I don't understand succumbing to a pay-to-play date in an area where you have other venues that don't do that, but be that as it may:

You have plenty of time to get some other dates on the book between now and December. Book another low-volume venue in your area and advertise for a pro drummer to sub the date. If you're guys can't get on board with that when your regular guy obviously isn't capable of handling those kind of dates, maybe you should advertise for other musicians too - the point is, book the date, hire pros to help cover it. And you're in Santa Cruz - You've got musicians in San Jose, and even Carmel By The Sea to pull from. With any luck, you'll have a less defiant, more volume-appropriate, more professional-in-attitude drummer by the time your December showcase rolls around.

 

[CaliCaveMan]

Unless you are a big name that they have asked to come play there, the only way to play there is to rent out the place, which a lot of people do. They do not want to take the risk of not selling enough tickets. It is not a bar, it is a music venue, that has a bar and a small kitchen, but they only operate when there are bands. They need to make sure they can pay their employees and make some money too. It is one of the few decent venues in my area and I feel like it is a great space for us to perform and to get some good footage of us playing somewhere decent to help us get other gigs.

Record direct at home and video yourselves all you want live with your own mixes. Pay to play is BS. Electric drums are so much better for controlled mixes and the tone you can get with a proper pa and subs makes it sound great at lower volumes (i.e. 95-105 which is plenty).

 

[kombi1976]

Necro bump.

My post from nearly a year ago that my drummer was playing quieter has come full circle back to him playing way too loud again.

In fact his insanely loud playing just cost us our only regular gig at a local brewery.
When I told him about it he responded, "The recording sounded pretty good so I am not sorry for playing to loud!!" (yes exclamation points included)

Over the past several months his playing has gotten louder and louder and he has been using the aircraft grade double ear muffs on both ears again. He is a really strong dude so he can hit hard and he does. He is a tremendous drummer though and really dedicated to the band. He is just being difficult again regarding volume. But what really ticks me off was his response to our loosing our one regular gig. That was freaking lame if you ask me.

I really do not want to look for a new drummer again and am otherwise really happy with his playing.

I just ordered two more sets of multirods for him of different sizes and have asked him to at least have one of the ear muff off when he plays. He is stubborn and proud. I really do not want to lose him but I cant go on like this. There are few venues where we live and we cant afford to be banned from all of them.

Before our last gig, the one where we just got told not to come back (they only told me two weeks after the gig and a two weeks before our next scheduled gig there - which is now cancelled), I had put a non-refundable down payment to play this really classy Jazz club where they have a decibel limit.

Anyway, the struggle continues again for me. We had a good run of him being able to control himself so maybe there is hope for him to go back to that. Wish me luck!

/rant

DITCH HIM NOW. No matter how “good” you think he is he not only can’t control his volume, he’s refusing to try. That doubling down on having no consideration for band mates. Plus he’s wearing the bloody earmuffs to insulate him against his own poor conduct. No amount of history or perceived technique is enough for such terrible consideration for others. I’d rather play with a competent muso and fit the music around their capabilities that play with a noisy diva. Say bye bye and never have to deal with it again.

 

[RicOkc]

A good drummer knows how to pull his punches.

If he can't adapt it's time for a change.

 

[macrossgeorge]

Well some good news...
At rehearsal today my drummer was playing very lightly and really being aware of the dynamics again. I am still waiting for the multirods to arrive but he is down to use them and still was able to play much lighter with his normal sticks. So that is good.

 

[TNJ]

Well some good news...
At rehearsal today my drummer was playing very lightly and really being aware of the dynamics again. I am still waiting for the multirods to arrive but he is down to use them and still was able to play much lighter with his normal sticks. So that is good.

Uh huh.
So you say.
Hard to believe.
Drummers that hit hard, always hit hard!
Sooner or later, home base is slammed into.

My experience…

Sj

 

[RicOkc]

I have a friend who's a bass player in a local group and their drummer is a decent player. But.....the main issue I have with their drummer is that his snare sound is just too l0ud & piercing.

I mentioned it to him during one of their gigs and he would just smile and said that he loved the sound of that snare.

It's very distracting.

 

[RageAgainstTheMachismo]

Been there before. Worked with drummers that were awesome but too loud and had to stop booking them on gigs. Nowadays, a loud drummer should show up with plexiglass shield or e-drums.

 

[prodrigu]

I quit playing with a very loud drummer (ears ringing despite ear plugs) after two practices. He was (is) very good indeed but I value my hearing ability and don’t want have problems in the future.

Good luck…

 

[kombi1976]

Well some good news...
At rehearsal today my drummer was playing very lightly and really being aware of the dynamics again. I am still waiting for the multirods to arrive but he is down to use them and still was able to play much lighter with his normal sticks. So that is good.

For Pete’s sake!
Talk about Stockholm Syndrome.

 

[Lullaby]

When I had the rehearsal space I almost solved this by buying one of those plexi cages - nice, thick old-school thing. And put lots of acoustical panel behind the drummer. I think he got tired of hurting himself in there. But seriously, created enough seperation that he neeed a monitor in his cage. *We ALL hated that dudes kit, so weird!

 

[Lullaby]

I quit playing with a very loud drummer (ears ringing despite ear plugs) after two practices. He was (is) very good indeed but I value my hearing ability and don’t want have problems in the future.

Good luck…

Way to go, seriously. Too many of us who are older And don't drive with your car window down on driver's side - that white noise is a real killer from what I hear. From the other ear of course. :/

 

[PatrickE_FenderADV]

This thread is a year old… pretty sure the OP squared this away by now.

 

[wrxplayer]

I think you know the solution to this......

I don't know if he does, but I certainly do!

 

[NSW]

This thread is a year old… pretty sure the OP squared this away by now.

Current discussion is a new one started by @macrossgeorge, around post #530.
Did you not read the whole thread...?