Hi All,

I've been playing on a practice pad (Vic Firth) along with some introductory video lessons for about a month now and have finally managed to pick up a second hand snare drum to get started with while I try to convince my wife I need a drum set...

My question is this: on the pad I've gotten pretty good, compared to where I started, at getting a nice rebound and multiple bounces, but on the snare I don't have nearly as much success. Is it common for practice pads to provide a false sense of confidence with the amount of rebound in your stroke, or does this indicate that I have not tuned the heads on the snare correctly?

Thanks!

it may b the tuning is 2 loose
try to tighten it but not too tight or itll get a flat dead sound

Ahh, we have stumbled upon the concern of many a drummer. Do practice pads really help you in sensing the feel of an actual drum. The answer is: Yes and No.

There is a brand of Vic Firth pads called the Heavy Hitter's. I despise these with a passion. They have a very poor sound quality, and are, sadly, simulated to the feel of a marching snare, which are Kevlar/DuPont heads cranked to Heaven and above. Crap practice pads for drumset, which are tuned much lower, and not as bouncy. This is a problem with practice pads. They are usually bouncier than actual drums. A single-stroke roll on a pad will be different feeling on a snare and much different on a tom.

With that being said, practice pads are a drummer's best friend. The combination is bitter-sweet mind you, because of statements above. However, they irreplaceable when working on everything but a drum groove. You learn control, technique, rudiments, and everything, all from the comfort of your couch watching TV. They can be taken everywhere. Use the pad to work up your technique with your hands, and then adjust when you play on the kit. It's a change that is a different feel, but with tuning and good control, it can be negated.

I'd first check the tuning of the snare. It might be too low. Tune it up a bit, and make sure the head is tight enough to get a good pop sound. Then, go back and forth from pad to drum when practicing, making sure that you are able to compensate for the shifting feel. After a few weeks, the feel should seem to become one, and you'll be able to shift seamlessly from pad to kit.

Homki890








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A very good drummer and teacher I know says, "if you can't play a double-stroke roll on your thigh, you can't play a double-stroke roll."

Like Homki said, practice pads are good but only to a point. You have to take that technique and transfer it to actual drums.

Working on a pillow and a pad will help you adjust to feels of drums. A practice pad can give you too much rebound and when you start playing on cymbals and toms, you don't have that at all. It just takes time, practice, and patience.








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Rata-tata-zzzzzzz......Drums Always!

www.youtube.com/robthedrummer

Thanks for all of your replies, several of the suggestions were very helpful. I am getting more used to the feel of the actual drum now, which is good. I loosened the lugs all the way and re-tuned both heads too, which definitely has made an improvement in the sound as well, so I think its just a matter of practice now! That and convincing my wife that five drums wouldn't be any more loud than one...

By the way, I've gotten the snares to have a nice sound now with a good focused burst, but there definitely is a quiet but very long duration "hummmm" type vibration or buzz that lasts as much as 5-10 seconds depending on how hard I hit the drum. Any suggestions on what might be causing that? It almost sounds like it is coming less from the snare wires and more from the drum itself. (We are talking about a POS second hand snare I got from a neighbor who's kid quit band here.)

Thanks again to everyone!

sashowal wrote:

Thanks for all of your replies, several of the suggestions were very helpful. I am getting more used to the feel of the actual drum now, which is good. I loosened the lugs all the way and re-tuned both heads too, which definitely has made an improvement in the sound as well, so I think its just a matter of practice now! That and convincing my wife that five drums wouldn't be any more loud than one...

By the way, I've gotten the snares to have a nice sound now with a good focused burst, but there definitely is a quiet but very long duration "hummmm" type vibration or buzz that lasts as much as 5-10 seconds depending on how hard I hit the drum. Any suggestions on what might be causing that? It almost sounds like it is coming less from the snare wires and more from the drum itself. (We are talking about a POS second hand snare I got from a neighbor who's kid quit band here.)

Thanks again to everyone!

How tight is the snare side head? Use your thumb and press on the head about an inch in front of each tension rod. It should be almost like glass, but with some give. If not, it's probably not tight. Also, once you get the head where you want it detune the four tension rods that surround the snare wires by one half turn. Then tune the rest of the tension rods up so you're back at the same pitch. That will help with the sympathetic hum when you hit the other drums.