Tutorial on Electronic Drums
Electronic drum kits are a relatively recent innovation in the history of music. They first featured prominently in popular music during the disco era. They offer a wider range of sounds when compared to acoustic drums, but acoustic drums have a more natural sound. Recent innovations are getting close to approximating the sound of acoustic drums. Electronic drum kits are useful for recording as the electronic signal can be directly connecting to a recording mixer. Because the volume can be set low, electronic drums are convenient for private rehearsals too.
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Instructions
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Familiarize yourself with the drum "brain," the processor on electronic drum kits. When you hit an electronic drum, the drum head sends a voltage charge to a processor. The processor assigns a sound to that signal, which it then sends to the amplifier. Without the processor, the drums would make very little noise. Scroll through the preset sounds assigned to each drum and make a note of the ones that sound most like an acoustic kit. It's smart to start off with traditional drums sounds. Customized sounds are for advanced users.
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Adjust your seating position. Lower the drum throne so that your thighs sit comfortably at right angles to your shin. You should be able to easily operate the kick drum pedal by moving your foot only. If you need to lift your whole leg, the seat is too low. Position your seat so that the snare pad is located between your legs.
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Practice basic hand rudiments. Hold the drum sticks with the "matched grip" Your knuckles should be pointing toward the ceiling. All of the movement should come from your wrist, not your arm. Perform a para-diddle pattern on the snare drum. The pattern goes as follows: Left, right, left, left, right, left, right, right. By practicing traditional drum rudiments on your electronic kit, you'll get a feel for the sensitivity of the drum heads. Adjust your playing style to suit the more rigid feel of the electronic drum heads.
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Play to a click. Your drum processor has a metronome setting. Adjust this so that it is at 120 beats per minute (bpm). This is a moderate pop tempo. Practice your para-diddle rudiment against the click. Let the click count you in and then begin playing. If you are perfectly in time, you won't hear the click. Only when you slip out of time does the click become audible.
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Adjust the volume of each drum to approximate that of an acoustic kit. The presets can be quite unnatural feeling. Go into the "velocity" or "sensitivity" menu on the processor. Adjust the global volume of each pad so that the snare is slightly louder than the toms. The kick should be loud, but not over-powering. Adjust the cymbals to your personal preference.
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Tips & Warnings
Warm up your hands before you begin practicing. Squeezing a squash ball is a great hand exercise.
Always set the volume low and adjust it upwards, especially if you are using headphones.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit drum image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com
