To Mute or Not to Mute? This is an area of personal preference; some drummers refuse to use any muffling at all and others swear by it. Myself, I have always used slight muffling due to the fact that I was doing studio work (under scrutiny of microphones) when my career first started in the early 80's. In this environment any funky overtones were always addressed. Rings: I personally don't like the plastic zero-rings as I feel they take too much out of the tone and I like as wide-open a sound as possible. They also got in the way when handled and often got bent and kinked beyond repair. Noise Gate: I discovered a cheap method that is much like a mechanical noise gate; a small square of terry cloth-like material gaff taped to the edge of the metal hoop (not the head) so when the drum is struck the flap of cloth rises off the head allowing full tone, then drops down onto the head to cut off any discordant overtones. Very effective and very low cost. Gels: Gels are...
Dave's drum students often ask for music they can practice the percussion lessons to - this is one that allows for creativity, and practice. However it is very nice to listen to and zen out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shX1ZFi7sTY ~~~ Find our Books: on Amazon Subscribe: Brummet Media YouTube Channel ~~~