pearlsnaredrummer77 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 (edited) Having marched and taught mainly in the 80s, I'm kind of in the middle on this issue. On the one hand, those of you who haven't heard a late 1970s era drumline live do not understand the power and musical presence of those sections. That sound (and power) drew me into drum corps. Even the rim shots had a very sharp dinstinctive sound as opposed to the darker crack of the modern kevlar. On the other hand, marching in the 80s, lines were constantly struggling to get a higher pitched snare sound. Come to think of it just about everything higher pitched was in vogue in the 80s. During my era, the die cast hoops (used with mylar heads in the beginning) came of age because the standard rims couldn't take the cranking. BDs started getting smaller and higher pitched. Tenors moved to a general standard of quints or six packs around 8/10/12/13 or 14 inch set-up making for a much higher tenor sound. Although I miss the power of the old drumlines, I also really enjoy the advantages of kevlar snare lines. So..... I wonder if we all wouldn't be happy if: 1. Snare drum. I like the articulation and higher pitch possible with kevlar, but wonder if it isn't time for Remo or Evans to come-up with a head that better blends the qualities of kevlar AND mylar? Really, it's about time for a paradigm shift in snare drum heads. 2. I'm wondering if bds could benefit from a slight bit lower tuning in general. Wouldn't this get us closer to that perfect section that combines the power of the 70s and articulation of the 2000s? Edited January 11, 2009 by pearlsnaredrummer77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryfe Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 I wonder if we all wouldn't be happy if: 1. Snare drum. I like the articulation and higher pitch possible with kevlar, but wonder if it isn't time for Remo or Evans to come-up with a head that better blends the qualities of kevlar AND mylar? Really, it's about time for a paradigm shift in snare drum heads. Hmm. I think I'd heard about some sort of head like this, a hybrid. I remember it being a big deal for like a day then I didn't hear about it ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slow Adam Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 I lol'd. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024... Laughing at your own ignorance? 24th notes exist, and you've probably played a whole bunch yourself. Today everyone calls them sixteenth note triplets, or sextuplets, but it's not uncommon to hear old school drummers and musicians use that term, since, you know, 24 of them fit evenly in a bar of 4/4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryfe Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Today everyone calls them sixteenth note triplets, or sextuplets, but it's not uncommon to hear old school drummers and musicians use that term, since, you know, 24 of them fit evenly in a bar of 4/4. In that case, I still I laughed at the ancientness of the phrase. Old people, how silly. Also, flamebaiting. Quite silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fievel Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 I can't really even hear them when I'm in the parking lot and standing 20 feet away Sounds like you have a hearing problem. You might want to get that checked. Tuning will not likely come down. As it was mentioned before, there has been a very long push to crank the snares up going back to the days of mylar heads. Anyone remember double/triple rimming the heads as they'd stretch? Good times.... not really. Even though it's been over 20 years since the Falam head hit the activity, groups are still experimenting with tuning the kevlar/hybrid heads. I think Phantom Regiment achieved my favorite snare tuning this past season. Not too high, not too low, and a TON of snare response. I think groups will likely continue to experiment with tuning for quite a while. But they'll never sound like the drums of the 1970's again. Not in DCI. I love the bass drum tuning nowadays compared to say 20+ years ago. First of all, the muffling. Ahhhh, the sweet muffling. No more ringing bass drums. With the stuff bass drummers are playing today, lower drums and less muffling would only be a disservice to them and their music. The only gripe I'd have is possibly more space in the pitch intervals between drums. Sometimes they're way too close together. Tenor tuning is all over the map. Some groups crank them until they can't crank no mo'. Other groups favor lower pitches. I absolutely love the variety in tenor tuning in the activity. I've never really had a problem hearing the drumlines today. Be it in a dome or outdoor stadium, I've heard them just fine in a variety of listening spots in the stadium. Sure, they don't pop out like lines did before, but there is a tremendous amount of attention put into balance these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Swiss Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 2. I'm wondering if bds could benefit from a slight bit lower tuning in general. I don't really care either way if bass drums are high or low. I focus more on the spread between drums, especially in the top three. I like to have a reasonably wide range in the basses, so that the runs really come out and you can hear exactly what is being played Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearlsnaredrummer77 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 (edited) Sounds like you have a hearing problem.You might want to get that checked. As it was mentioned before, there has been a very long push to crank the snares up going back to the days of mylar heads. Anyone remember double/triple rimming the heads as they'd stretch? Good times.... not really. Yeah, lol. I remember those days-you'd cut out the mylar and reuse the rim on top of the playing head, if I recall correctly. (Then crank it down seriously with those little red Ludwig cranks that were in vogue.) I even played on some very early kevlar heads that when you would try and crank them a little, it would blow-up the old style snare casings. Now those early kevlar heads were horrendous, (extremely dark) but eventually the manufacturers got their act together. I agree-snare tuning is not likely to go down in pitch, but I do suspect that eventually technology will change things from today's paradigm. If one thing is true: nothing stays the same. I wouldn't be surprised within the next 1/2 dozen years that a revolutionary new snare head will be developed that fully combines the high pitch and durability of the kevlar era with the gutsyness of the mylar period. Then we'll all be happy, except for those folks who long for the good old days, lol. Edited January 12, 2009 by pearlsnaredrummer77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccieboy Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Oops...sorry, I wasn't trying to be a flame-baiter...that wasn't my intent. You are right, Drums Corps is a young mans game. Each generation gives it a stamp. When I was young we liked to hear the melodic low frequencies of the bass drums along with the occasional show of force. It just sounded good. And it felt good. That's the sound that drew me in also. Kids today have a different ear and they want something that suites their taste. Just keep in mind that every drum has to ring otherwise the human ear won't detect it. Any good high school physics class covers the concept of resonant frequencies. Bass drums come in different sizes. If you tune them all up outside of their natural resonance they won't ring (as much) and thus they won't be as loud. With regards to volume (loudness)...it's not taste...it's physics. (kinda' like math...six-times-four equals 24). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearlsnaredrummer77 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 (kinda' like math...six-times-four equals 24). You are right. The ring is something Paul Rennick speaks about on a video floating about regarding his philsophy of tuning at Phantom. One thing he commented on was 'embracing the ring' in order for the drum to project. Although the kids are too young to remember the louder (but still musical and articulate) lines of the past, the current crop of instructors do. Yeah, I also agree that to a great degree, it's a young person's game. Everytime I look at a picture of those mack daddy tenors in vogue now, I feel the need for a cortisone shot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryfe Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Oops...sorry, I wasn't trying to be a flame-baiter...that wasn't my intent. It wasn't you! :S Sorry for the confusion. I totally agree, it's a matter of taste and of the changing ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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