Jayhell
I'm thinking of starting a new project, something a bit more acoustic. I think there is a lot of opportunity out there for this sort of thing especially at smaller quieter venues. My current band only goes to eleven (We are best loud as hell), but I feel like doing something a bit more laid back, anyway....
I want to eliminate the acoustic drum kit as percussion, plainly for the reason of mobility and practicality. So three guys show up with nothing but acoustic guitars and the poor drummer rocks up with a bakkie full of stuff. I want a sit down and start playing kind of setup. I don't want drum tracks as I would like to be able to do this completely acoustic if it needs to be.
What would you recommend in trying, without spending to much cash and probably using what is available with the most range in sounds. Obviously your range in sounds become limited the less you have (or does it?).
Things I am Considering trying:
Snare only with brushes. I have seen this live before but I sure miss the kick!
Snare and Kick but then you are carrying all that stuff around again then you can just as well add a hi-hat etc.
Stomp box, I can probably build one, but then it needs to be plugged in again.
Buy a Cajun or other alternative percussion, spend money on it!
What are other options or how would you approach this. Any ideas would be great.
The last option is of course to skip the drums all together, but that is a last resort.
Chocklit_Thunda
Piezo element on your acoustic into a looper. Sounds too cool. Especially if you go for a more percussive style of playing. Cajon would also be awesome.
Janie and the Beard use a little barrel with a kick pedal attached and they're awesome ?
Also a solo kick drum sounds lekker
PeteM
I saw some groups in Durban using this thing or something similar... the cajon. You just need to mic it.
EDIT
Here it is in use
V8
My first thought was a Roland HPD-10 or similar (hardly acoustic though) - but super portable.
A Cajon would work nicely too - but how about a junior kit? I was chatting to a gigging drummer the other day and he was putting together a kit from kiddie sized kits, a 16' kick instead of a 20'+, etc...
This is a looks real good,
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums-percussion/ludwig-junior-outfit-drum-set.
Sure there are cheaper options that are similar quality. What I like, is total weight of the kiddie kits seems to be around 12-15kg, and could fit in the boot of most cars. Which is pretty much the same as my electric kit sans amplification.
Bob-Dubery
If you go with no percussion (which can work) then you run the risk of alienating the drummer - unless he can play some other instrument that fits in with your acoustic set.
Tambourines, maracas, castanets... there's all sorts of things. The triangle is not to be sneered at (though those of limited imagination will) A Cajon is pretty versatile and effective in the right hands.
Improvised percussion. The band Bellowhead have a guy who is more a percussionist than a drummer sitting behind a conventional kit. He uses all sorts of odd ratchets, what look like old kitchen implements and even cutlery (partly a gimmick - but it's a quite a good gimmick and not just a gimmick).
Bellowhead are an outspringing from the folk duo Spiers and Boden. When I saw them a couple of years ago they played as a duo, but Jon Boden had a stomp box but about a meter square which he stood on throughout the show and used for the sort of parts the kick drum would usually play (the percussionist in Bellowhead stands on the same box and strikes it in different places with different parts of his shoe).
That might be hard to get here, but you can get the smaller stomp boxes that solo guitarists sometimes use. One of those and a Cajon and you might have something pretty nifty and that would keep the drummer feeling involved.
Bob-Dubery
Or a dumbek. A good player can do a lot with that.
Look around Youtube for videos of Tinariwen. When they play their full show with three electric guitars, with bass and the whole tooty they have just a dumbek in place of a drum kit. And it works fine.
AlanRatcliffe
As I just wrote in another thread, snare is the most flexible drum by itself - especially if you have a drummer who knows his rudiments. Tune it lower than you would normally and slack off the snares a bit and the drummer will be able to fill a lot more space with just one drum.
Otherwise use his floor tom as a 16" kick (you do get special mounts to use them as a kick, but I don't think they are entirely necessary), and use it with snare and hats only. As my first drum teacher told me, "if you can't do it on snare, kick and hats, you can't do it".
Brushes are a whole new way of playing, so if your drummer is not used to them, he's gonna have to learn a whole new skillset. Also try him with blasticks/bundlesticks, which bring the volume down quite a bit and have a particular sound of their own, but feel pretty much like sticks.
Cajons are an option, as is any hand percussion setup: Djembe, congas, or my personal favourite - tabla. Only problem with all these is hand percussion is a completely different animal to a kit. Fine if he already plays hand percussion, but otherwise it would be like throwing any guitarist into a gig with a banjo or uke (well, its got strings and frets hasn't it?). ?
Electronic, look at the Roland SPDs - compact, played with sticks or hands and he can add in a kick trigger and hat pedal controller. Only problem is visuals - especially in more acoustic or folk settings.
BTW - all the kiddie kits I've seen locally have been exactly that... badly made toys that self destruct in the home, let alone in gig conditions.
peterleroux
A
cocktail drum combines a snare and kick, but is much more compact than a normal kit.
I agree that shakers, cow bells, frame drums and a snare will go a long way though.
Shibbibilybob
I'd go with a cajon to start. It can reproduce most sounds made on a kit, and doubles as a stool.
You could even get fancy and have a stick holder near by, and maybe even give the guys some brushes and a cymbal or two.
giggsy
Been thinking of something similar, just for a bit of backing - want to rig up my electric kit so that its just the kick, snare and tom, and our singer will play these - hopefully get it sorted in the next week or so and see how it goes.
Jayhell
Wow, I'll be looking into all of these options.
Thanks guys. More ideas are welcome!
I once rather successfully played a clipboard with a tambourine mounted to it with my foot while playing guitar, but it get's confusing and tiring after a while. I cant imagine my drummer playing it alone. I might just work on the patent and come up with something else. Luckily he is also a pretty good guitarist so maybe he can do rhythm and stomp with the occasional tapping on the guitar itself.
?
Squonk
There is always the guitar! ? I know it wont help much, but it's good to watch Gabriela give a guitar lesson....
Gabby shows how
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