bass drum sizes

[MikeN]

I know when this thread came up before, it seemed the only "standard" was a 4" split between drums 4/5, and usually a 2" split between 2/3 and 3/4. Something like 18/22/24/26/30. But it pretty much varies from corps to corps, really.

Mike

[UNTdrummer11]

i would partially agree with the size factor coming into play when choosing larger sized drums. i mean really....

would you put a 5' 3" 120lb kid on a 32" bass??

not everyone's arms are long enough to play larger bass drums the right way each corps wants. different techniques and things of that nature are affected i believe in part by the size of the person (when talking about bass drum)

i think the last time a saw a "little guy" on bass 5 was like either cavaliers 2002 or 2004, cant remember specifically.

[Jeff Ream]

i'm glad 16's have been phased out for the most part. the pitch could get totally lost

[Jeff Ream]

I can buy the dome, but "problems finding good people who can actually carry them" is a rose-colored generalization that I think would be difficult to actually support. if a major finalist wanted to field larger drums, I don't doubt that they could find some jump-and-die kids who would be willing to do it. It's more a matter of practicality in the modern style.

Bitd we didn't ask bass drummers to run around the field the way they routinely do now. Not commenting on whether that's valid, or a good idea, or more or less entertaining or anything like that; for better or worse, it's just where the activity has gone. To state that corps are using smaller equipment because kids today don't have the intestinal fortitude that we did back in the golden age (whenever that was) is bogus and unsupportable.

Fred O.

actually a bigger issue in finding people to carry them is moe than just size...people want to play a ton of notes, and on the bottom you wont get what you get up top

[drumno5]

actually a bigger issue in finding people to carry them is moe than just size...people want to play a ton of notes, and on the bottom you wont get what you get up top

could be a point well taken...

[OldManDrumCorps]

i think the last time a saw a "little guy" on bass 5 was like either cavaliers 2002 or 2004, cant remember specifically.

Bluecoats 04-06. His name escapes me but he was not a big guy. To be fair, he played 4 in 06 but they only went to finals with 4.

[SkyDog]

I came across a late 1970s or early 1980s set of Slingerland basses in our school's storage area. The 32" drum from that set is actually lighter than the 28" drum from the same set. The 32" drum has a thinner shell (3-ply versus 6-ply?) with reinforcing rings at the bearing edges. Both are noticeably lighter than the 28" Dynasty we currently use for a bottom bass.

Edited March 30, 2010 by SkyDog

[bluecoats88]

Bluecoats 04-06. His name escapes me but he was not a big guy. To be fair, he played 4 in 06 but they only went to finals with 4.

That's cause #5 was in the hospital.

When I marched in the 80's we used: 22,24,26,28,30,32 I believe in 1989 the corps moved up to a 20 but I'm not sure the configuration of the other 4, and I have no idea what they carry today.

Oh and in 1986-1988 we were carrying Ludwigs, which are heavier than most other lines.

Oh and believe me it was definately a lower back issue even with basses. It may have been due to the fact we wore the ludwig carriers with the hooks attached to the body plate like they are with the snares and tenors, not attached to the shoulders like they are on the harnesses most corps use now.

Edited March 30, 2010 by bluecoats88

[JBlade00]

I doubt that, I can't say I've ever seen that combination...not enough of a drop between 4 and 5. When I marched junior coprs we used 18, 20, 22, 26, 32 and that is probably my favorite combo. I can't explain it, but from my experience I avoid 24" drums like the plague. But you are correct corps use many different combos.

To me, that is just as weird as having a 4" gap in the top 2 and a 2" in the bottom. Realistically, they should have marched 18, 20, 22, 26, 30 if they didn't want a 24". My favorite combo would probably be 18, 20, 24, 28, 32. Having a 28 and a 32 makes a big difference in the overall sound and it gives the writer an opportunity to put some cool unison parts in there for the bottom 2.

Now the weirdest set I have seen probably goes to the HS I am currently teaching. Before I got there, they ordered a new set of drums. 14, 16, 18, 20, 24... Yes... a 14" on top and a 24" on bottom. Besides the fact you can't hear the top 2 from the field, it's almost impossible to play in the center of the head. The kids has to crank his elbows so far that it makes it nearly impossible to play with good technique and play in the center. I'm hoping we can get a 28" so I can make it 16, 18, 20, 24, 28. That would be a great set for a high school.

The only real issue I have with a drum corps not using a 30" or 32" on bottom is that it takes away from the battery ensemble sound in the lot. Sure you can tune a 28" low enough to fit the mold you want, but there just isn't as much air traveling through the drum to give you that chest thump when you are listening. That's one of my favorite things is hearing a clean unison with a full bass sound. I don't want JUST that sound (ie: no splits, etc...) but it is nice to have them for big impacts. It doesn't make as big of a difference on the field since the sound expands as it travels farther away but up close it is very noticeable.

[JBlade00]

Ive always found bass drum to be more of an upper back thing. Which is WAY worse than lower back eg. tenors.

??? I would say the only drums that hurt your upper back would be the top 2. 3 and 4 have more of a mid-back pain and 5 just hurts all over. There is a lot of lower back strain in 5 especially if your core muscles (abs) aren't able to compensate. It gets even worse when people bend backwards when they are holding it.

Same thing with snares, they hurt your shoulders / upper back but there's barely any weight pulling you forward so it doesn't hurt your mid-lower back. I would say that the pain associated with tenors (whole back) is much worse than the upper back pain from snares / top basses.