Does Anyone Play a Cocktail Kit Sitting Down?
Does Anyone Play a Cocktail Kit Sitting Down?
I'm putting together a cocktail/percussion kit. I'm using a standard snare and hi hat with it. I'm not sure what to go with as far as size on the bass/tom main drum. I'm thinking that having a shorter drum and a higher then normal seat would take care of the problem of trying to use the kick and hig hat without falling over if the tom was the right height. Any experiences with seated cocktail kits? What size drum do you use?
I use a standard size cocktail drum and just sit on a 30" stool. It works great for me. I have complete control of my hi-hat stand with my left foot and I don't have to struggle to do fancy beats with my right foot. Most people like to stand while playing cocktails, but, really, as you'll hear a lot on this forum, anything goes. So just have fun with it. Oh yeah, my drum size is 16 X 26 (if I remember right...I'm not near my drum right now or else I'd measure). So just experiment with it and see what works for you.
-Jeremy
-Jeremy
-
mangorockfish
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 pm
- Location: arkansas
Yeah, I do most of the time, but am trying to play more standing. J is right about being in controll of your highhat and being able to do more intricate work with the foot pedal when seated.
Remember that if you get the main drum too high, you will have trouble with the pedal striking the bottom head properly.
My drum is 14X24.
Mango'
Remember that if you get the main drum too high, you will have trouble with the pedal striking the bottom head properly.
My drum is 14X24.
Mango'
When I discovered Cocktail drums, I decided I had to have one. But, I knew I would not want to stand up and play. I began assembling components for a Cocktail kit over a year ago and am still not finished. The layout of the kit has evolved in the months since I started, but I planned to be sitting from the start. The Carlton Combination is noted on this site as the original Cocktail drum. My kit is similar in concept.
Standing looks cool, but it hiders the skills I have spent years siting down to learn! Besides, we all know the drummer in any band works twice as hard as the rest of the group. We should be allowed to sit during our workout!
Standing looks cool, but it hiders the skills I have spent years siting down to learn! Besides, we all know the drummer in any band works twice as hard as the rest of the group. We should be allowed to sit during our workout!
I kinda think that standing helps you develop other areas of playing. Sure it's tough to stand and play, let alone stand play and use a hat but take it from me, I have 2 left feet and terrible balance and playing standing up really give you a whole new perspective on playing. The great thing is when you do sit down to play, the new skills you've acquired from standing come into play. The band also digs when you stand up on a sit down kit for a song or two. People seem to be alittle hesitant about trying to stand up for the first time, just do the leap of faith and try it for a gig. Unless you have bad knees then make sure you have a chair near by.
Dinkus
Dinkus
Standing does a few things:
Standing limits playing in certain ways - (for me) no left foot, and requires a different kick pedal technique. These limits though can be positives, if you appreciate what limits can do for your musical expression (which I do.)
Standing give new opportunities for developing stage presence and therefore encourages performance and interaction that sitting kind of stifles....especially after many many years.
Standing is physically demanding. If you're over your prime, or have any back, knee, or hip injuries you'll need to be in and stay in good shape or else playing will be uncomfortable....and diminish the benefits of the first 2 points!
Standing limits playing in certain ways - (for me) no left foot, and requires a different kick pedal technique. These limits though can be positives, if you appreciate what limits can do for your musical expression (which I do.)
Standing give new opportunities for developing stage presence and therefore encourages performance and interaction that sitting kind of stifles....especially after many many years.
Standing is physically demanding. If you're over your prime, or have any back, knee, or hip injuries you'll need to be in and stay in good shape or else playing will be uncomfortable....and diminish the benefits of the first 2 points!
Sitting vs. Standing
Thought I'd revisit this topic - after playing my cocktail kit standing for nearly a year, at least week's gig I tried it sitting down. The band I'm primarily using the kit with is doing soul jazz and some jazzy blues, and they were really missing the left foot hi-hat, so I agreed to give this a shot.
I'd picked up a Roc-n-Soc tractor-seat style throne, the one with the screw drive. It does go high enough to comfortably sit & play the kit but the challenge I have is positioning - playing the bass drum, my knee is at more of an angle than when I normally play, so I'm having trouble developing a touch on that pedal.
I'm also getting used to playing the hi-hat in a 'heel up' position, which is kind of weird for me.
The drum is a 24", and I'm about 5'8".
Anyway, I'm curious how others who sit have tackled these challenges.
I'd picked up a Roc-n-Soc tractor-seat style throne, the one with the screw drive. It does go high enough to comfortably sit & play the kit but the challenge I have is positioning - playing the bass drum, my knee is at more of an angle than when I normally play, so I'm having trouble developing a touch on that pedal.
I'm also getting used to playing the hi-hat in a 'heel up' position, which is kind of weird for me.
The drum is a 24", and I'm about 5'8".
Anyway, I'm curious how others who sit have tackled these challenges.
I may be getting your thread off topic, but....
Last year I tried doing some playing with my14x24 bigdrum on its side - yes, horizontally. And I was sitting for this! It was kind of a cool way to use the cocktail kit, kind of in a jungle/bop approach, but I did have to use some additional stands, as the mounting hardware didn't make sense with the drum lying down.
It definitely sounded cool, the legs did marginal double duty as spurs and unlike playing the cocktail kit standing up, it took up quite a bit of room.
But I was sitting, and my left foot was back in business.
Last year I tried doing some playing with my14x24 bigdrum on its side - yes, horizontally. And I was sitting for this! It was kind of a cool way to use the cocktail kit, kind of in a jungle/bop approach, but I did have to use some additional stands, as the mounting hardware didn't make sense with the drum lying down.
It definitely sounded cool, the legs did marginal double duty as spurs and unlike playing the cocktail kit standing up, it took up quite a bit of room.
But I was sitting, and my left foot was back in business.
Hey mil
That's definitely the idea and in that we have cocktail drums, I see no reason to need to shell out more dough for a cool trick like this one.
Taking a cue from Keith Cronin and from ideas here on the forum (thanks to John for all his input) I pieced together a pedal plate so I could use my 16x16 expresso style kick horizontally, and it's so great for jungle and bop. Whenever I want to play a mini kit, I'm using it that way moreso than vertically.
It should be no problem to use the same or similar plate on the cocktail bigdrum and spurs can be used in the place of the legs. If you have some spare parts around, you may be in bizness. And as you have a Jordan (I think), the 15" diameter shell should sound kickin as a horizontal 'sub-bass'
Try it out and see if it's cool for you - should be!
That's definitely the idea and in that we have cocktail drums, I see no reason to need to shell out more dough for a cool trick like this one.
Taking a cue from Keith Cronin and from ideas here on the forum (thanks to John for all his input) I pieced together a pedal plate so I could use my 16x16 expresso style kick horizontally, and it's so great for jungle and bop. Whenever I want to play a mini kit, I'm using it that way moreso than vertically.
It should be no problem to use the same or similar plate on the cocktail bigdrum and spurs can be used in the place of the legs. If you have some spare parts around, you may be in bizness. And as you have a Jordan (I think), the 15" diameter shell should sound kickin as a horizontal 'sub-bass'
Try it out and see if it's cool for you - should be!
I'd have to do it just to see the looks on the faces of the old-timers in the blues band I'm playing with... 
Seriously, I'm thinking of going to a 2-pc setup with those guys for certain road trip gigs. I'll have to try the sub-bass with my 6.5" black beauty clone - the fattest sounding 2-pc kit I can imagine.
Seriously, I'm thinking of going to a 2-pc setup with those guys for certain road trip gigs. I'll have to try the sub-bass with my 6.5" black beauty clone - the fattest sounding 2-pc kit I can imagine.
Just a thought about your 2-pc kit idea....
I recently did a lo volume blues/swing jam and wanted to a) sit, b) use pedalled hats, and c) have the nuance of a traditional snare. I packed up my afore-mentioned 16x16 in a hard case (which I used for a throne), 5x13 snare and a small frame drum (which I mount as a tom) in a soft 9x13 bag, and minimal hardware (lightweight cymbal stand and arm, L-arm mount for tom, hat stand, pedal, kick plate and stick bag in a duffle. All cymbals packed witht he drums. 3 smallish pieces to carry, total. The bulkiest was the duffel but it was small and not bad.
That 2+-piece kit was perfect tone-wise and matched the gig volume - I was able to approach the music at a slightly different angle than with my coctail kit.
This in no way challenges the benefits of the unique sound and easy-schlepp of a cocktail kit, but if you're going to need the range of a full-sized traditional snare for these gigs AND need to travel light and tight, you might want to consider something like this. I think the old timers would dig it too.
I recently did a lo volume blues/swing jam and wanted to a) sit, b) use pedalled hats, and c) have the nuance of a traditional snare. I packed up my afore-mentioned 16x16 in a hard case (which I used for a throne), 5x13 snare and a small frame drum (which I mount as a tom) in a soft 9x13 bag, and minimal hardware (lightweight cymbal stand and arm, L-arm mount for tom, hat stand, pedal, kick plate and stick bag in a duffle. All cymbals packed witht he drums. 3 smallish pieces to carry, total. The bulkiest was the duffel but it was small and not bad.
That 2+-piece kit was perfect tone-wise and matched the gig volume - I was able to approach the music at a slightly different angle than with my coctail kit.
This in no way challenges the benefits of the unique sound and easy-schlepp of a cocktail kit, but if you're going to need the range of a full-sized traditional snare for these gigs AND need to travel light and tight, you might want to consider something like this. I think the old timers would dig it too.