Back after a long break... New cymbal and some new stuff to work on

[gaffro]

Hi guys.

Been a while since I last posted... I got quite active on a coffee forum and realised I only have the capacity to do one forum! But I'm back and keen to talk some more drums. I've been lurking a bit the last couple of days and good to see a few of the old familiar names!

First time posting in years so apologies if none of my photos work 😬

Over the last couple of years I converted my home kit to be silent, with mesh heads and quiet cymbals, but it's not doing it for me.



I found a studio half an hour drive away that has a drum practice room I can hire for £5 an hour, so I got a double pedal to try (tama IC) and a new crash (18" byzance dual) for my birthday/Christmas present from my family. Really been enjoying it!

The kit at the studio is a bit crap, but I take my snare, cymbals and bass pedal which solves 90% of the problems! Here's the practice kit all set up...



Cymbals are 13" Zildjian K/Z hi hats, 18" Meinl Byzance Dual crash, 20" Meinl Byzance Sand ride, 20" Meinl Byzance Extra Thin Hammered crash, 18" Sabian HHX China.

Next will be some new hi hats, China and splash(es). Thinking 15" extra dry hi hats, 20" equilibrium China and maybe 6" and 8" Byzance traditional/brilliant splashes or something trashy like a 10" Dual.

I've been working through some new stuff to give a bit of inspiration. I've just about nailed The Dance of Eternity by Dream Theater and I'm working back through some Gavin Harrison stuff I learned at university. Testing out that double pedal, which I've never tried before, so big old learning curve once again!

I also recently got some of Matt Garstka's stuff with Animals as Leaders to try, which is super tough but interesting to learn. Currently working through Physical Education. I'm debating getting his double pedal lesson, has anyone tried it?

[insane65]

Wow, a coffee forum! I’m sure there’s always something brewing over there. Welcome back

[keaton_86]

Love the kit, even in practise mode haha. It looks really nice. I haven't done any of Matt's lessons. To be honest he is one of those drummers that is so advanced, to me he just sounds like he is playing sloppy and out of time, even though he's probably playing some triple and a half paradiddle over a 7/8 left foot clave with 32nd double kicks using his neck muscles.

[Drummer1956]

Love the kit, even in practise mode haha. It looks really nice. I haven't done any of Matt's lessons. To be honest he is one of those drummers that is so advanced, to me he just sounds like he is playing sloppy and out of time, even though he's probably playing some triple and a half paradiddle over a 7/8 left foot clave with 32nd double kicks using his neck muscles.

Heck, I'm still working on stuff from Ringo and Charlie Watts!

[gaffro]

Thanks guys, super happy to be back playing and good to have a new challenge! Matt's stuff is pretty nuts to be fair... He does a reasonable job at explaining the thinking behind the music in the videos in his pack, but it's taking a lot of work to get my head (and hands!) around some of his ideas. And that's on one of the easier ones! I'll get there ��

On the subject of Matt Garstka, I'm a massive fan of his Fat Stack, which I'm thinking I might get sometime if I can find one in stock somewhere to try it out. However, his new small "temporal" stacks are really interesting - anyone seen them yet? I was wondering about small stacks because of Mike Portnoy's sounds on some of the older Dream Theater stuff. I have a funny feeling he was using Sabian max stacks, which are small and high pitched staccato sounds. Wondering if the temporal stacks might be a nice addition with that vibe... Although they are looking pricey for such small cymbals!

[j kuhl]

Good to see you back! And good for you for sinking your teeth into that material!. I'm seriously trying to figure out how to squeeze some new instruction into my 2022 schedule.

[gaffro]

Good to see you back! And good for you for sinking your teeth into that material!. I'm seriously trying to figure out how to squeeze some new instruction into my 2022 schedule.

Thanks mate. I've been having a nosey around on the forum seeing what's changed and saw you're getting a MW. That finish is unbelievable.

Yeah tough fitting practice in around life these days! Busy year already then?

Don't know about you guys but I'm massively out of the routine of sitting down and practicing/learning something new. If I sit down for a couple of hours to play it's so tempting to sit down and hammer out the old stuff that I know and enjoy! But having only just got I to double pedal I'm in need of a proper practice routing... That left foot is feeling rather lazy ��