Drum Traditions (especially snare drums)

[drumnman2004]

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?

We need kevlar bass heads

[The Oz]

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?

Well, you got me with that one. I had never heard of a “legato technique” for drums, in particular snare drums. So I looked it up. From Wikipedia:

“In musical notation the Italian word legato (literally meaning "tied together") indicates that musical notes are played smoothly. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence. Legato technique is required for slurred performance, but unlike slurring (as that term is interpreted for some instruments), legato does not forbid rearticulation. In standard notation legato is indicated either with the word legato itself, or by a curved line over or under the notes that are to be joined in one legato group. Legato, like staccato, is a kind of articulation.

“One example of legato in drumming would be in the rudiment called flam.”

Which brings us back to the discussion of the advent of Kevlar heads and the disappearance of the flam.

[Irish-Kiltie]

We need kevlar bass heads

Kevlar bass heads wouldn't be a problem.

Shells that would support them... Problem.

I'm just waiting for the day when the snare "head" as we know it doesn't even exist. Someone just figures out a way to insert a plastic or metal section that is completely rigid where the drum head used to be. Something akin to Blue Devils in '94 (I think) where they put the formica or whatever it was on top of their snare drums for a brief section of the show. Everyone just seems to want the drum as rigid as possible and at $30 a head it would be a big cost savings for most corps. The big question would be - with a rigid top surface how do you get the snares moving on the bottom head...?

Discuss...

Ryan J

[kusankusho]

Well, you got me with that one. I had never heard of a “legato technique” for drums, in particular snare drums. So I looked it up. From Wikipedia:

“In musical notation the Italian word legato (literally meaning "tied together") indicates that musical notes are played smoothly. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence. Legato technique is required for slurred performance, but unlike slurring (as that term is interpreted for some instruments), legato does not forbid rearticulation. In standard notation legato is indicated either with the word legato itself, or by a curved line over or under the notes that are to be joined in one legato group. Legato, like staccato, is a kind of articulation.

“One example of legato in drumming would be in the rudiment called flam.”

A simpler way to put it is that legatto is making use of a controlled bounce, as opposed to stacatto, where you squeeze and freeze everything. That would be hard on the wrists with a head as touch as kevlar. Again - my snare days were pre-kevlar era, so I don't have any first-hand experience on the technique thing...

[tempotantrum]

Can we leave the horse alone? It's already dead!

[Gary Matczak]

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.

Maybe,.................but I love the photo in your signiture,................

[retroguy]

Can we leave the horse alone? It's already dead!

NO

[JoeBas]

The S.J. Vagabonds Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps use the traditional style snare heads for that orininal snare sound, I'm quite sure we aren't the only ones. Check us out at www.sjvagabondsdrumandbuglecorps.com thanks, Joe

[cabalumnidrummer]

"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?"

Some random thoughts and observations:

Maybe what kusankusho means is more finesse and less force when playing on a Kevlar versus mylar head? I find you simply don't have to play as hard on Kevlar as you do on mylar to get a good sound.

In the Cabs Alumni we are using vintage chrome Luwdig snares, but with 15" black Remo Kevlar heads. What we DON'T do is crank them too much. We get the durability and brightness of Kevlar, but the full, gutsy sound of a 15" drum, and they are relatively lightweight. I love the response we get when the bottom heads are tuned properly.

The Sky Alumni has what I think are among the best 15" drums ever made, the Ludwig Challenger II 12 lug with a wooden shell. If they weren't so darn heavy, maybe we'd use them too. I own one myself, but it's a 'chrome-o-wood,' not white. It's every bit as good as the Slingerland TDR's were, but the hardware is stronger.

John Smith

Hawtrhorne Caballeros 1966-'73

Percussion Instructor/Coordinator

Caballeros Alumni

[AlbionNY Drum Line]

playing on kevlar hurts your wrists???????? hmmm. rarely, if ever, have i found that, but i do think that maybe if it was one's first camp on snare, after the camp that could seem possible.