Drummer Cafe Community Forum

In band at my school, the other percussionists tell me to take it easy. And the band director never says anything bad about me, and is happy about how good I am and how good I am progressing on percussion, but sometimes he says, shhhhhhhhhh, or quiet down. And that is the snare drum. When I play the bass drum, on "The stars and stripes forever", there are parts with straight rolls, so I am not muting the other side of the drum, as I am using two hands. And even though I am barely playing soft, it is still so blasting, that the flute players and others at the bottom of the room look up at me.

So, how do I play fast on the bass without playing too loud, and same on the snare drum? I have tried, but I am just used to playing louder than everyone else in my whole freakin' high school, probably the whole school district. Please, help me!

http://community.drummercafe.com/index.php?board=8;action=display;threadid=10845 (http://community.drummercafe.com/index.php?board=8;action=display;threadid=10845)

Check the message above from Dead Trooper, there are alot of good Ideas. I have posted my feelings concerning this problem with in that thread. Practice and a lite touch. Size or weight of the sticks won't mean anything if you develope a lite touch.

Make a concious effort to practice your parts, exercises, etc at different dynamic levels.  Speed should not be effected by volume, and vice versa.

+1,000,000

drums like ANY other instrument has a dynamic range that should be explored and controlled.  its like your voice.  you're not always shouting at people, but you talk in whispers, conversation, etc.