5 tips voor drummen zonder geluidsoverlast

Practice may make perfect but when it comes to drumming, practice also makes a lot of noise. As such, not every neighbour, house mate or family member is going to be equally appreciative and understanding. To meet those that are slightly annoyed with your new hobby in the middle, we’ll give you 5 tips you can use to turn down the volume a little.
5 Tips To Keep Drum Noise To A Minimum

#1. Drum Mutes

A cheap and easy way to dampen the sound is by using drum mutes. Since these ‘discs’ can simply be placed on top of your existing drum kit, you won’t have to worry about changing up the configuration. The mats match the sizes of your drum heads, offer a perfect fit and there are even special damping mats for cymbals. Most models are made of rubber, and while this ensures considerably lower volume levels, it does you give a little less rebound. On the bright side, that does help you improve your technique.

#2. Practice Pads

Next, we’ve got the practice pads. These are more of an alternative to use to practice your technique and are not a part of your actual kit. Instead of a full drum kit, you might decide to use only a single pad. The advantage here is that these pads can be used anywhere, whether placed on a kitchen table or mounted on a purpose-built stand. If you do prefer more of a real kit feel, you can always use pedal pads or set up multiple practice pads.

#3. Mesh Heads

Mesh heads offer a playing feel that comes closest to real drum heads. Mesh heads are made of durable material and since they’re perforated, produce less volume. They’re installed and tuned the same way as regular heads and you can even adjust the rebound and playing feel. You can also find similarly designed cymbals that are up to 80% quieter than standard cymbals.

#4. Electronic Drum Kits

A more expensive option would be to get yourself an electronic drum kit. If you normally play your gigs with an acoustic kit, this does mean having to buy a second kit. Fortunately, in addition to fun and practical extras such as the ability to play along to your favourite music, plug in a pair of headphones and the option to use a metronome function, an electronic kit offers you the possibility to fully customize your set-up. You could choose to combine the aforementioned mesh heads with trigger pads, or even throw in some acoustic elements like a set of toms to create a hybrid kit.

#5. Drum Room

The most elaborate and expensive option includes building a special, acoustically treated drum room. While these are usually found in recording studios, you can also use sound isolation material to improve the acoustics of your bedroom without having to build a special room or booth. The floor is the most important thing to consider here, since it passes on most of the vibrations. Even something as a simple as a little ‘stage’ made out of a wooden plank sitting on top of a few car tyres can go a long way!