MJH Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 As long as we're all talking about traditional sounds, I'd like to bring up snare drum tone. Sometimes I think I must be the only one who thinks modern snares sound like the upside-down coffee cans I made my first drum set out of. I understand the modern, kevlar headded, 14" and even 13" snares give more definition to the notes rammed at high speed by today's drummers, and maybe they even are louder so not as many drummers are needed to fill a line, but... Who can forget the power of a dozen or more big, fat 15" snares with mylar heads coming down the fifty? If you don't know what I'm talking about, catch the Skyliners Alumni Corps. (Or find a recording of North Star's Chrome Wall!) With every competitive corps trying to find some edge, I'm surprised no one has brought back the 15"s to give a different color to their over-all tone. CorpsVets is the only corps I've seen do anything different with their snares in 20 years. The tone of the short shell drums fits their jazzy style much better than the coffee-can sound in other lines. IMHO, it gives them more of a drumset sound while allowing them to play charts that are on par with other, more traditional, lines Unfortunately, I don't believe some judges agree with my opinion. What year was it Cabs marched timbales instead of snares? Maybe somebody can fill me in on what went into that decision and what reactions were to it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbionNY Drum Line Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 CV snares are different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroguy Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 As long as we're all talking about traditional sounds, I'd like to bring up snare drum tone. Sometimes I think I must be the only one who thinks modern snares sound like the upside-down coffee cans I made my first drum set out of. I understand the modern, kevlar headded, 14" and even 13" snares give more definition to the notes rammed at high speed by today's drummers, and maybe they even are louder so not as many drummers are needed to fill a line, but... Who can forget the power of a dozen or more big, fat 15" snares with mylar heads coming down the fifty? If you don't know what I'm talking about, catch the Skyliners Alumni Corps. (Or find a recording of North Star's Chrome Wall!) With every competitive corps trying to find some edge, I'm surprised no one has brought back the 15"s to give a different color to their over-all tone. CorpsVets is the only corps I've seen do anything different with their snares in 20 years. The tone of the short shell drums fits their jazzy style much better than the coffee-can sound in other lines. IMHO, it gives them more of a drumset sound while allowing them to play charts that are on par with other, more traditional, lines Unfortunately, I don't believe some judges agree with my opinion. What year was it Cabs marched timbales instead of snares? Maybe somebody can fill me in on what went into that decision and what reactions were to it... Ditto on the coffee cans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Ditto on the coffee cans. I liken the sound to playing on a plastic laminate countertop myself IMO nothing can beat the sound of a good old set of Slingerland TDRs,...................except the fact that the lug casings could not stand up to the test of time, and torque,.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 The newer snares do seem to "POP" on the hits and it actually hurts your ears if you're close. Our drum line that uses them also wear ear plugs when they play them. Ear plugs? Is it still music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydrummer9 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I like mylar heads better. Althought the kevlar heads are more tight and bring out the clarity of todays modern drumlines, the mylar heads have that traditional deep sounding 'war drum' sound to it. Like you would hear going into battle. Another thing I like more about mylar than kevlar heads is the feel. I find that playing 10 minutes on a kevlar head kills the wrists, but you can go for hours on a mylar head and still feel strength in your wrists to continue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I like the response and clarity of kevlar heads. Maybe I'm the only over-50 old geezer that thinks like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydrummer9 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I like the sound. But it is the feel that I don't like. Maybe perhaps they will develop a kevlar head which delivers the same sound but is easier on the wrists. That would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 (edited) I think that's an issue of playing with more of a legatto technique, but I haven't played or tech'ed snare in a while so I could be way off. Bass is where it's really happening! Can anyone confirm? About the technique, that is? Edited January 15, 2007 by kusankusho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Oz Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 It’s interesting to me that today’s writers and instructors want the horns to sound like a concert band while the drums have evolved away from any concert drum I’ve ever heard. By the way, the Sunrisers (I may be wrong) used to perform their street time on the hood, doors, fenders, and trunk of an old car (a Buick?). That Buick had better tone quality than today’s instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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