the things you think about when it comes to
playing the room?
[Garrett] One of the biggest things is the
music I’m playing. I can give you two opposite
scenarios and what the band is. One of the
artists I play with, Christy Nockels, she just
had a Christmas record out, she’s had a few
worship singles come out, she released a
lullaby record, and on the road we’re playing a
lot of different churches. We have our own front
of house engineer, he’s absolutely incredible,
but we’re not bringing our own PA into these
rooms, so we’re dealing with whatever sound
system is available and the band is only a three
piece. That consists of Christy who’s singing,
Nathan, her husband who is playing keys and
running tracks, and then myself on drums, and
Christy Nockels Kit
maybe a stringed player like a cello. So, in that
setup the only instrument that is acoustic and how loud they are able to push the speakers, off and it allows the drum to resonate. That’s
actually makes real sound is me. I take that into and then how big and boomy the room is. the natural way of playing a drum, snare, toms,
consideration, I’m in this room and if the sound Then lastly, what is the band setup? Are there whatever, you hit it and your stick immediately
system is off, I am the only thing that can be amps on stage? If there are you can play a little bounces off and the drum resonates, the air
heard. If they’re not able to push that sound louder. If not you should probably bring it back. pushes through and it causes the tone.
I would play at, then that makes me have to [WM] I played bass at a big Church that had a On the flip side of that imagine hitting a floor tom
really dial back in order to play within the sound great P.A. and FOH engineer. He gave me lots with a stick but as soon as you hit it your stick
that I have. of dynamic range to play with, which enabled just buries into the head and doesn’t move.
me to manipulate the subs to drive the band That sound would be completely different, it
Some tricks and tips that help me do that, if dynamics, kind of like my own personal fader would be a lot of attack and no sustenance. So,
I know I’m playing a room where the cymbals on the bottom end. What are some approaches you’re achieving two different sounds just by a
are going to be naturally hot, and the sound for learning how to do this as a drummer? technical aspect of your playing. That is very
system to match a normal playing volume that
common with the bass drum. Most drummers
system isn’t as good, and I’m the only acoustic
instrument, a trick I do is I tell the monitor [Garrett] To me that question is more about don’t treat their bass drum like a normal drum
engineer to turn up my overheads a bit hotter heavy musicianship. That’s something in the because they haven’t really studied bass drum
than I normally would have them. That forces drumming world, which there is a specific way technique. Most drummers, when they hit the
me, if I were just to play normal volume, they to achieve what you are talking about that a bass drum with the beater, they stop in the
would just be crushing my ears, so that makes lot of drummers don’t talk about. Especially center of the head and just burry it until the next
me play softer naturally. On the contrary to that, learning drummers rather than technically note occurs. What that’s doing is choking off
on the Heaven tour for instance, we were using trained drummers. In drumming language we the potential sound that the bass drum has and
the church sound systems but we also brought have something called “burying the beater” it’s creating a lot of attack and no sustenance.
in four subs of our own, and our own board, and the flip side of that would be to not bury You get none of that woofy sub sound, more of
our own front of house monitors, so we were the beater. From a strictly technical sound just the attack. If you’re not extremely versed in
really able to push the decibels pretty hard. It perspective, imagine a floor tom with a stick your tuning, most drummers just throw a bunch
was really bumping in those rooms. In that case in hand and you’re going to hit the floor tom. of stuff into their bass drum and they’re only
I know that I can really play into the drums a Would any drummer in the world, when they really able to achieve one sound from the kick
lot more because it’s being matched by front go to hit that floor tom, would they stop their drum, which is just attack, attack, attack, really
of house. I think the biggest thing is just taking stick when they’re playing? The answer would dead sound.
into consideration what the sound system is, be no. They hit the drum and the stick comes
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