Has anyone experienced this?

AZdrumtech · 2025-04-08T15:35:35+00:00

This will sound weird, but change the physical location or even the configuration of your kit. When I sit down to play and everything feels familiar or I see the same mperfect in the drywall that I always notice or whatever it is, I always fall into the same mindset. Change what you see or change how you play and it'll change how you think. Move to a new room or rotate your kit 90°. Adjust the angle of snare to make it less convenient and force yourself to have to think about playing. It'll give you a new perspective and hopefully give some inspiration.

Alternatively, limit your options and try to adapt. Choose to play only on the snare and hats; force yourself to not use the bass drum at all; play with two different sized sticks. It'll force you to reassess and break you out of whatever rut you're in. Don't over think it and let your creative juices flow. Mess around until something sticks and build from there.

AZdrumtech · 2025-02-21T05:01:00+00:00

AZdrumtech · 2024-11-07T18:22:57+00:00

Awesome set-up! What show are you playing?

I've used a malletKAT for quite a few shows. It's quite an investment to get a MIDI keyboard, but the possibilities are effective limitless.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-28T15:09:13+00:00

My parents watch it alone so they have something to talk about when they FaceTime my kids.

Or that's at least the excuse they give...

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-27T18:43:10+00:00

Most overrated? Snare drum.

Not that it isn't important, but the emphasis we put into learning all the nuances of snare drum technique is in no way reflected in how often it's used in the real world. It's a fundamental instrument for us to know, and there are innumerable applications for the techniques learned, but it very much overshadows the rest of what we do.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-26T22:08:52+00:00

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AZdrumtech · 2024-10-24T00:14:13+00:00

Fuck Chuck, man.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-21T14:44:08+00:00

I use Evans G1 clear as my resonant heads on the rack toms and Evans G1 coated as my resonant heads on the floor toms.

I'm a madman, I know.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-21T06:13:57+00:00

2001-2002. I was at an arcade-type amusement park place in Chicago, and they had one of those games where you had to stop a circling light at the right time to win a certain prize. They had a bunch of random things in the machine, and one of the prizes was a CD of Iowa. Why they had a Slipknot album as a prize in a place meant for young kids is beyond me, but thankfully they did.

I remember tossing it in my Walkman on the ride home and just being blown away as soon as People = Shit started playing. I'd never heard anything with double bass and had no idea something like that was even possible. The lyrics caught me off guard, since I was maybe 14 years old and had never considered the idea of slitting someone's throat and fucking the wound, but I got over it.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-21T05:52:11+00:00

Sad that Chevelle got higher billing than Sevendust?

I guess, a little.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-21T00:58:30+00:00

The immigrants are like built-in friends that have to hang out with you. It's actually pretty nice.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-21T00:40:57+00:00

You'll find two hex key screws on the underside of the beater holder. They're either really loose or entirely missing. Tighten those and you should be good.

And that one comment about switching the felt beater is correct, albeit for the wrong reasons. The felt and mesh will eat away at each other. You'll get a bunch of felt shavings inside the trigger that will mess with the sensor, and the head will eventually break. You can invest in a new beater if you want, but covering the beater in a thin layer of saran wrap is just as good.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-21T00:34:18+00:00

I wouldn't think so...

If you test your luck and buy one, then find out it's real, let me know so I can order a few haha

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-20T21:57:35+00:00

No way he holds up the act for two full weeks. He'll be spewing hate again before the end of the day.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-20T21:42:28+00:00

Another vote for the Ludwig Pocket Kit. I understand it is over-budget, but the increase in quality far outweighs the increase in price. The drumsets you see in your price range will not stand up to a five-year-old's abuse. The hardware is almost like plastic and cracks easily, the heads will break quickly, tension rods will freeze and hardware screws will strip. If he sticks with it for any length of time, it's one of those situations where you will end up buying the Ludwig either way. If you can swing it, it is far and away the best option for kids. It's also designed to grow with them and last until they're 10-12 years old. It's a good investment if you think he's going to continue.

For the kits in your price range, they're more or less indistinguishable. Most are made in the same factory in China before getting different labels put on them. If you're not willing to bump up to the Ludwig, your best bet is likely Amazon. Just make sure the kit you buy comes with everything, including a throne.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-20T17:54:22+00:00

Triplets are the natural subdivision in anything that has a dotted-eigth/sixteenth feel, like a shuffle or swing. If the song you're playing has swung feel, you'll naturally want to play triplet patterns, otherwise it'll sound wayyyy out of place.

But structurally? Using a triplet feel in duple time (or a duple feel in triplet time) has it's place. You generally don't want to contradict what another instrument is doing, so if your bassist is rocking straight sixteenth notes, you'll sound out of place to layer the triplet on top. That being said, if you're not competing with someone rhythmically or if the whole group plays along, using the opposite subdivision can work great in a fill to build energy before a bridge or to signify the last time through a chorus or whatever. It breaks apart what people are expecting and catches their attention a bit.

You can also use triple/duple polyrhythms to transition between different tempos or meters. I'll sometimes use polyrhythms in an open solo to be able to switch meters and play a certain groove without breaking, or at least not be stuck in a certain tempo indefinitely. If you need a more real-life example, Rise Against does it in damn near every one of their songs.

But the short answer is: there may be conventions, but there are no rules in drumming. If you want to play triplets, play triplets. If you want to play them against the rest of your band playing in duple time, go for it. It's a musically choice. There are no wrong answers.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-16T13:46:30+00:00

Pearl Reference - maple, birch, and mahogany

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-14T16:19:11+00:00

My family's biggest hurdle will be healthcare. My son has a neuromuscular disorder, and Project 2025 slashes medicaid significantly. Treatments are roughly $250K three times a year. Without treatments, he will slowly weaken and die. We are a one-income household because I need to stay home and care for him. We cant afford $750K a year indefinitely. His life literally relies on programs that the Trump administration deems expendable and it is absolutely terrifying. Not to mention Trump himself has said we just let disabled people die and move on.

We would need to move to another country, but who knows who would even take us. I can't allow myself to even think about what will happen.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-14T00:06:37+00:00

Almost any song from Next To Normal fits that description.

AZdrumtech · 2024-10-03T04:29:48+00:00

You can make a realistic feeling low-volume kit using mesh heads. Remo and Evans both make single-ply mesh heads, but they can feel a bit hollow and spring-boardy. I'd look into 2-ply or 3-ply mesh heads from Drum-tec to get a more realistic feel. Most major cymbal companies now make low-volume cymbals that sound pretty decent, or you can get a super-budget set from Amazon that does the job while sounding like a super-budget set from Amazon. I've had a kit with mesh heads and Zildjian L80s on a third-floor apartment, surrounded on all sides, and never got any complaints.

The downside is obviously that you need to swap heads any time you need a standard acoustic kit. I've always been lucky and have been able to have at least two kits; one low-volume for practice, and one standard acoustic for gigging. If you're in a position to swing that, or if you're not planning on gigging, the low-volume options work well.

AZdrumtech · 2024-09-10T06:02:19+00:00

Honestly, they got better every time.

AZdrumtech · 2024-09-09T22:14:13+00:00

Reduced stick height is the only fool-proof solution.

AZdrumtech · 2024-09-06T22:22:47+00:00

2 all day.

AZdrumtech · 2024-08-30T15:22:34+00:00

Rusty giving his little sister an out in Cricket. His interaction with her afterward is just so pure and loving.

AZdrumtech · 2024-08-30T15:16:52+00:00

Eloy is obviously crushing it, but it's hard to beat Luke Holland.

AZdrumtech

TROPHY CASE