Heavy Metal is a musical genre derived from rock that appeared in the UK and the US in the late 1960s. However, the term “heavy metal” is confusing because it can take on many different meanings depending on the context it uses.
In its original context, it was used interchangeably as a synonym for hard rock. In a second sense, the term designates traditional Heavy Metal, a more radical aesthetic trend which, during the 1970s and 1980s, stood out from the hard rock, moving away from its blues roots.
Heavy Metal drumming has always fascinated drummers. In addition to the musical aggressiveness, the critical, explicit lyrics, and the corresponding band images have playful pressure. Heavy metal drumming has sovereign speed that makes drummers like Dave Lombardo, Ray Luzier, George Kollias, and Gene Hoglan stand out from the crowd. Choose your Best Blues Acoustic Guitars to get the tone and range you need.
Even if you add crazy complex song structures and groove constructions like Meshuggah drummer, Tomas Haake, many musicians still describe Metal as a one-dimensional style. Apart from the fact that there is hardly any other style of music as many different as in Metal, you have to be aware that no other genre requires such constant power without neglecting the necessary precision. With the Best Digital Pianos, you may play around with your tone and try out different effects.
It is no coincidence that some metal drummers refer to their practice sessions as workouts or training with the use of the best drum set for metal in the market. It is because there is hardly a style in which instrument mastery and physical fitness are so intertwined.
Metal lives from the precise interlocking of all instruments. To guarantee this, you should have a stable pulse. So, do not make the mistake of considering your double pedal as the center of your game. Instead, you should focus first on your “leading hands.” Check Gretsch Catalina Maple Review if you’re trying to learn the basics as a drummer.
If it “wobbles” there, your bass drum playing will inevitably sound unclean. Therefore, play a pulse with your hands for all bass drum exercises so that you can apply your results in the band.
As with all play-along, the same applies here. You should simplify your game if things don’t work out as desired. If the double bass section is still too difficult for you, play the track with a continuous 16th bass drum and practice the original part slowly and without music. Also, let’s have a look at the Best Small Hands Guitars for players.
If you feel safe in the process, you should aim to play as precisely as possible. In particular, the bass drum beats should “mask” the guitar barrel as much as possible, i.e., sit precisely on it.
You surely know that the majority of today’s metal productions are “straightened” afterward to achieve a machine-like sound aesthetic that is expected today by the audience. However, don’t take this as an opportunity to lean back and relax. If you have the parts under control, you can use your play-along with fillers.
I would say that you can play Metal with any set. However, you mostly see big drum kits with lots of toms, two bass drums, and lots of cymbals in heavy Metal.
It is to achieve speed and powerful playing style at the same time. It is because it shortens the distances and creates more sound variety. Last but not least, Billy Rymer from Dillinger Escape Plan proves that Metal can also be playable with small four-part sets.
Here is the list of equipment you need in heavy metal drumming:
The large drum consists of a large wooden boiler covered on both sides.
You operate a bass drum with a so-called foot machine. It is fixed on the bottom with a clamping device on the hoop of the drum.
The resonance head on the front is usually provided with a hole to avoid vibration. Also, pillows or blankets are often placed in the drum to dampen them.
The diameter can be between 16 and 26 inches. The size is selected depending on the type of music. In most cases, a 20-inch bass drum is popular.
The small drum is placed in front of the player and is the main instrument of the drums.
It comes from European military music and has developed from various forms of marching drums. It can consist of multi-ply wood or Metal.
In the past, people used real animal skins. Today, people use only durable plastics material.
The small drum gets its characteristic sound from a series of parallel tensioned wires. It is also called a snare carpet. The sound arises from the impact of the drumstick and the resulting setback of the snare carpet.
Toms are usually double-sided drums with diameters between 6 and 18 inches.
Depending on the type of suspension and installation, these drums called hanging toms. It requires a tripod or holder on the bass drum, or as standing toms, which stand on their legs mounted on the drum.
In the case of high-quality toms, you must equip this with the holder for better sound development. As a result, the kettle can swing freely after the hit.
The ratio of the bowl diameter to the bowl depth is very different. Stand toms are often more profound than hanging toms of the same width.
The number of toms is strongly dependent on the music genre. While only two or three toms used in pop music and jazz, drummers in rock and heavy Metal use up to eight toms.
The hi-hat consists of a cymbal set that is mounted horizontally on a stand with a pedal.
It allows the hi-hat to be close with the left foot through a spring balancer.
Closing the cymbals with the pedal produces a comparable quiet sound. The stroke with the stick produces a beautiful tone in the closed state, a rougher “rocking” sound in the semi-open state, and a loud sound in the open state.
Depending on how long the contact between the two cymbals, it produces different sounds.
A continuous pulse or fixed rhythmic figure (“pattern”) usually use the hi-hat. People often used it as a sonic alternative to the ride cymbal.
Crash cymbals are usually thinner and smaller than ride cymbals. About 13 to 20 inches.
Their sound is rather noisy. That is why they are suitable for giving accents. Depending on their size, different crash cymbals reverberate for various lengths of time.
The Ride Pool is usually 16 to 24 inches in diameter and can vary in thickness depending on the material. Depending on the use, it has a relatively defined stop, which is underpinned by background noise.
If you play the ball (eng. “Bell” or “cup”), you hear a bright and clear sound. On the other hand, if you play the edge, the top portion becomes correspondingly larger. As with the hi-hat, rhythmic figures are played continuously on the ride cymbal.
The splash is used almost exclusively for effects.