Monday Drum Day: Jamming

I have now been drumming for a couple of years. I started with a basic floppy mat thing with no dynamics, then got a Yamaha all in one box that is nice and portable. Next came my Roland TD-07 kit about a year ago. That is really great, but I had been feeling I needed some proper acoustic drums. These could have applications when playing with my band.

I had been looking on Facebook market for a while as there are loads of drums on there. I just did not want anything too big as I do not have space for it at home and it needs to be portable. A lot of the drum companies do compact kits with a small bass drum and I was looking for one of those. I spotted a Tama Club Jam kit that was not far from me. I held off for a while and assumed it would sell, but when I contacted the guy last week he said it was still available and so I went over there on Saturday. The seller is actually off at university and so I dealt with his parents, who seemed nice. They have a lovely thatched house. The drums were spread across the rug and I just checked them over to ensure nothing was broken before paying up and bringing them home.

This is a simple kit, but plenty of players have used something similar. Ringo got by with just a few drums and cymbals. The guy had added to the basic shell pack to make something playable. There is a budget Sabian ride cymbal (made in Canada) and some Paiste high hats (made in Germany). I assume he got those second hand as they are well worn and seem to be old models. The rest is made in China. It seems he only bought it in August, but it has obviously been played. It has the original heads, but I may upgrade those.

As you may expect these things are loud and I may not be able to play at home too often. We do not have close neighbours, but within the house it may drown out the TV. I am looking for options to reduce that noise. You can get special heads and cymbals that are quiet, but I have seen some special sticks that are supposed to reduce the volume a lot and I may get some. Those may also be useful for band practice as most of the other instruments are acoustic, although we have a small PA system.

I also need to learn to set these things up. I had to look up how to assemble a high hat and I have not really played one before. I did try tuning the drums a bit, but then one was very loose and so I had to do something. The snare has a real sizzle to it, but there are various ways to damp that. I used a cloth for now.

Then there is the 'opportunity' to buy more accessories. I think I need a crash cymbal for those big moments. The sky is the limit when it comes to these things, but I may get a cheap one for now. Then I could do with some bags if I am going to take them anywhere and perhaps a mat to set up on as some parts have spikes to stop them slipping. I feel the need for a cow bell.

This looks like is the start of a new journey in music.

Rock on!