I've noticed that many current cocktail drum performers seem to use a separate snare drum, a la the Yamaha Club Jordan. In the past it seems that many performers used jazz style brushes on the main drum. Does anyone use brushes as a main implement these days? For jazz type playing I would imagine brushes would be the way to go. Any thoughts?
Robert Moehle
Brushes on the cocktail drum
Robert, my kit is pretty versatile but I use brushes much of the time. Most of the gigs that get the Cocktail kit are fairly low-volume, and I have found that brushes sound awesome on the drum in that context. The style is swingy jazz and light blues with a guitar trio.
I have a 12" side snare for my setup that I usually use these days for sticks and brushes, but before I had that snare I cranked up the head of the main drum just about as tight is it would go, dropped the snares and I was good to go for brush playing. It sounds best if you play really traditionally (sweeping the brushes a lot and striking the drum with the brush at a very low angle to the batter head). With this technique you can even tune the top head down quite a bit lower than a typical snare batter and still get a very good, authentic sound with the brushes.
If your main drum is 15", that extra real estate is really luxurious for brush playing, too.
I use the side snare now so I can detune the top head of the big drum and have that deeper, fuller kick sound. But in situations where space is at a premium and volume will stay very low, I could ditch the side drums and go back to using the single drum in a heartbeat, playing brushes all day long on that top head.
I have a 12" side snare for my setup that I usually use these days for sticks and brushes, but before I had that snare I cranked up the head of the main drum just about as tight is it would go, dropped the snares and I was good to go for brush playing. It sounds best if you play really traditionally (sweeping the brushes a lot and striking the drum with the brush at a very low angle to the batter head). With this technique you can even tune the top head down quite a bit lower than a typical snare batter and still get a very good, authentic sound with the brushes.
If your main drum is 15", that extra real estate is really luxurious for brush playing, too.
I use the side snare now so I can detune the top head of the big drum and have that deeper, fuller kick sound. But in situations where space is at a premium and volume will stay very low, I could ditch the side drums and go back to using the single drum in a heartbeat, playing brushes all day long on that top head.
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palacki808
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I do a decent amount of brush playing on my cocktail drum, but not the side snare. A 10-12 inch drum is hard for me to keep sweeps consistent because there just isn't enough space on the head. I liked using a 14" snare for brush playing before I started using cocktail drums, so I am somewhat spoiled with the overall space on the head.
In the studio I use two different setups. For brush playing I use the 14" cocktail drum with an aquarian "modern-vintage" head on top. That head has a very, very rough coating that gets great response from wire brushes. Two sets of snares on the inside of the drum (thanks to Dennis Stauffer).
If I am playing with sticks I use an evans G2 clear on the top of the cocktail drum with the snares removed completely. The reason for taking the snares out entirely is simply to eliminate rattling which can be a real pain under the sensitive studio mics. At this point the drum is strictly a tom/kick combo drum. I have a 10" spacific side snare with an evans coated head.
When I play live with the cocktail drum and I know I'm doing brushwork, I setup just like I'm playing with sticks in the studio and I take a standard 14" steel snare drum (with the modern-vintage head) on a tall stand to play with brushes. That way I'm not turning the snares on and off all night. I'd like to just setup for brushes, but I unfortunately never get to play a gig that's low volume enough to play with brushes only.
When I'm not practicing, gigging or doing any type of actual work (just playing because I enjoy playing) I always use brushes on my cocktail drum. To keep this post from getting any longer: a larger diameter drum is always easier to play with brushes than a smaller diameter drum. If you are considering a snare just for brushes to accompany your cocktail set I have found that metal snare drums (especially brass) are the most responsive. I try to stay away from "vented snares" for brush work. The large holes in the shell of the drum tend to kill my sound.
I hope this info helps.
-Joe
In the studio I use two different setups. For brush playing I use the 14" cocktail drum with an aquarian "modern-vintage" head on top. That head has a very, very rough coating that gets great response from wire brushes. Two sets of snares on the inside of the drum (thanks to Dennis Stauffer).
If I am playing with sticks I use an evans G2 clear on the top of the cocktail drum with the snares removed completely. The reason for taking the snares out entirely is simply to eliminate rattling which can be a real pain under the sensitive studio mics. At this point the drum is strictly a tom/kick combo drum. I have a 10" spacific side snare with an evans coated head.
When I play live with the cocktail drum and I know I'm doing brushwork, I setup just like I'm playing with sticks in the studio and I take a standard 14" steel snare drum (with the modern-vintage head) on a tall stand to play with brushes. That way I'm not turning the snares on and off all night. I'd like to just setup for brushes, but I unfortunately never get to play a gig that's low volume enough to play with brushes only.
When I'm not practicing, gigging or doing any type of actual work (just playing because I enjoy playing) I always use brushes on my cocktail drum. To keep this post from getting any longer: a larger diameter drum is always easier to play with brushes than a smaller diameter drum. If you are considering a snare just for brushes to accompany your cocktail set I have found that metal snare drums (especially brass) are the most responsive. I try to stay away from "vented snares" for brush work. The large holes in the shell of the drum tend to kill my sound.
I hope this info helps.
-Joe
Many thanks for the replies.
Since I posted, a couple of things have happened. The percussion teacher at the college I work at loaned me a videotape called " Clayton Cameron-The Living Art of Brushes." By Sammy Davis Jr's drummer, the tape is nearly 20 years old and the style is quite traditional. I'm still no expert but it kicked up my skill level a couple of notches. You're right, Milwaukee-traditional brush playing works the best.
I tried really tightening the top head on the main drum - it a good snap to the clip on snare fan I use (it's in the gallery, page 10 or so). It also makes brushes sound great. I can take off the snare fan completely in a few seconds to use the brushes properly.
Joe, looking at your post had me digging out my inexpensive steel snare, a 4 by 13 in. drum that Musician's Friend sent me instead of the piccolo snare I ordered. With brushes it sounds really good, and I've tried it in combination with the cocktail drum at a couple of practices. It works and sounds great.
Another man who works at my college took up guitar recently when an operation
restored his hearing after nearly 50 years. His girlfriend turns out to be a fairly good songwriter and I've been playing cocktail drum with them both. A possible group coming up? I like to think so!
Thanks again guys.
Since I posted, a couple of things have happened. The percussion teacher at the college I work at loaned me a videotape called " Clayton Cameron-The Living Art of Brushes." By Sammy Davis Jr's drummer, the tape is nearly 20 years old and the style is quite traditional. I'm still no expert but it kicked up my skill level a couple of notches. You're right, Milwaukee-traditional brush playing works the best.
I tried really tightening the top head on the main drum - it a good snap to the clip on snare fan I use (it's in the gallery, page 10 or so). It also makes brushes sound great. I can take off the snare fan completely in a few seconds to use the brushes properly.
Joe, looking at your post had me digging out my inexpensive steel snare, a 4 by 13 in. drum that Musician's Friend sent me instead of the piccolo snare I ordered. With brushes it sounds really good, and I've tried it in combination with the cocktail drum at a couple of practices. It works and sounds great.
Another man who works at my college took up guitar recently when an operation
restored his hearing after nearly 50 years. His girlfriend turns out to be a fairly good songwriter and I've been playing cocktail drum with them both. A possible group coming up? I like to think so!
Thanks again guys.