7 Ways To Make Drums Quieter

What will I learn?

• A few simple drum hacks to make your acoustic drum kit quieter.
• The best way to practice drums without disturbing the neighbours.
• The myths of soundproofing for drum practice.

There’s a lot of popular myths about soundproofing and acoustic treatment, and most of them just don’t cut the mustard. So, in the interest of not upsetting your housemates, family or neighbours, here’s our run down of the 7 best ways to make your drums quieter.

1. Use an Electronic Drum Kit.
2. Invest in some Low Volume Cymbals.
3. Fit mesh drum heads on to your acoustic kit.
4. Replace your sticks with brushes or hotrods.
5. Dampen or Muffle your bass drum using everyday household objects.
6. Use a set of practice pads on your acoustic kit.
7. Avoid the myths of soundproofing.

Electronic drum kits

Electronic kits have come a long way from their humble beginnings. The days of low quality samples and hard, noisy rubber pads are numbered thanks to mesh heads. They feel just like your acoustic kit without all the noise so you can practice all day long without having an ASBO slapped on your back!

Some of the best electronic kits of the market are the Roland TD Series and the long anticipated Alesis Strike kits.

Watch our video on the Roland TD50 Electronic drum kit:

Low volume cymbals

For those who aren’t a fan of rubber cymbals, Zildjian have you covered with their series of low volume cymbals. They’re covered in tiny little holes which reduce the cymbal’s overall mass, so these beauties give the tone and feel of an acoustic cymbal, with up to 80% less volume. Incredible.

Zildjian have also created the Gen16 Electric-Acoustic System. A series of custom pickups which can be fitted to your low volume cymbals so not only can you manipulate or record the cymbals but listen on headphones as you practice.

Watch our video on the Zildjian L80’s and the Gen16 Electric-Acoustic System.

Mesh drum heads

The technology behind the mesh heads on electronic drums can also be used on acoustic kits. Rig your existing acoustic kit with a set of Roland’s Mesh Heads and prepare to be amazed at the reduction in volume. They cost around the same as any other set of batter heads. So this is certainly a cheaper option than replacing your kit! Simply replace the batter head on each drum (that’s the one you hit) and leave the resonant head as it is.

Sticks

If you’re just looking for a way to take the edge off, changing your sticks for brushes or hotrods is a great place to start. Cymbals in particular will be greatly reduced, although it will do little to tame your kick drum.

Dampen or muffle your Bass Drum

To reduce the volume of your bass drum, first remove the resonant head (the one facing away from you when you play). Next stuff the cavity with something to soak up the sound. Old household favourites include towels, pillows, duvets and rugs. The bigger the object, the more you’ll dampen the sound and the more your neighbours will thank me.

Practice pads

Another way to make your drums quieter is with a set of Silencer Pads – check out the Vic Firth and QT packs. Simply attach these rubber pads to your existing acoustic kit and it will truly dampen the sound. This really is ideal if you’re looking for a temporary solution. And won’t need to re-skin your kit every time you have to practice.

Soundproofing

Finally, you could look at soundproofing, or playing with a drum shield. But to be honest to effectively soundproof your room is not going to be cheap. To reign in the sound a little, you could start by blocking off your windows and doors – a mattress is an easy win. But ultimately this will only get you so far.

There’s a popular myth that lining the inside of your room with egg cartons with sound proof it. Unfortunately, this won’t provide any sound proofing. And you’ll be sick of eggs long before you get yourself enough to cover even the smallest room.

Professional studios invest a lot of money in fancy triple glazing and foot thick walls to sound proof their live rooms. So it just isn’t practical for your bedroom or garage.

Conclusion

It’s not easy to make drums quieter but there are a few steps that you can follow to make practice a little bit easier. It’s important to still practice on a full, loud kit when possible, but hopefully our solutions to making your practice regime quieter, will help you on your quest to becoming a better drummer without annoying the neighbours!

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