Ok.. this option is sort of out in left field, I know. but, have you thought of maybe a few conga drums, or bongos, or other shakers, rattlers, tamborines, etc. for the acoustic portion of the jam? I know that sometimes when players intend to play solely acoustic, they would rather a drummer sit out from the kit, or play accessory percussion instruments.

I have done small coffee shop gigs before, using a late 40's kit and brushes and/or Promark lightning rods (I think they call them that).. worked just fine. Key is, will the drummer playing with those fellas have the discipline to know to play very soft.

Mike, you're absolutely correct and no one can argue differently, but this thread was started to discuss specifically the techniques, equipment, and methods of playing softly and not overpowering acoustic guitars or other instruments. We all know that different types of music call for various volume dynamics, but I think the previous remarks about professionalism and true musicianship are refering to the skill of knowing when to play loudly and when to play more softly. Even Bonham knew when to dial it down and when to make the walls shake.

Mike

To me,

- Good Technique, Soft Hands

- Stick Choice (thinner or lighter Sticks = less Mass), maybe Brushes

- Tuning and Dampening of your Drums (deeply tuned and muffled Drums deliver a full sound if desired, even at low Volume)

- Cymbal Choice (lighter Cymbals, especially Crashes= less Mass)

matter when it comes to playing soft.

I made good experiences regarding these aspects, even playing fast Beats in a big Church at very difficult acoustic circumstances.

Best Regards,

Lars

Well, here's something not mentioned yet...

Best to find a cheap ekit...

Plug in and control the tone..

Also easy to let others play as well, because if there terrible .,,,just turn them dwn.!

Problem solved. And very easy to setup 5mins.!

I use a roland td4 at my open mic every Wednesday...it eliminates a lot of problems...

These can be bought for $300...

I too have had the same issues playing at church, I have tried different ideas. I guess if I was a professional drummer I could play lighter but I am far from that. A few cotton balls inside the toms, smaller sticks (regal tip combo stick by Caloto, could be a timbale stick) bamboo rods, blasticks, carbo rods and muslin towels. Currently I play behind a drum screen (really loud, have to wear headphones). You just have to try different combinations. I also use old cracked cymbals or cymbals with a few pieces of gaffers tape.

When your playing be sure that you can hear the other instruments in the band. If you can"t your too loud. When I'm required to play soft gigs I very seldom use the crash cymbal. Limit any fills to just one or two strokes. I only play with my fingers and hands. I try not to lift the stick more than 1" of the head. I use fat sticks (usually 2B's) they give me a fatter sound even at softer volumes. I ask the band leader to let me know right away if I need to back off. It's impossible to tell from the drum seat if your volume is appropriate.

I find with the drums closer to you and tight together, your elbow is not used as much and you use mostly wrist. If you have to reach for the drum chances are you`ll snap the wrist toward the head and fingers towards the stick butt....this will be loud. When Moon would play soft he looked like he pressed the stick to the head instead of swinging or snapping. I tried that and it looks hideous but works.

There's a lot of good information in this thread, backed up with experience. Really good.

I`ve posted this once before on this thread and i will repeat it once more.You have to learn the technique of playing from the fingers-not from the wrist or the arm or the shoulder.Not trying to ram this down any one`s throat here as if it`s the only way, but it is a key element to playing softly.And as someome already posted...you have to develope soft hands which is what i`m suggesting here.Soft hands(playing from the fingers)takes practice but will pay huge dividends in a quiet venue.Sticks such as hot rods,blasticks and brushes are alternatives but being able to play with regular sticks in a quiet venue gives you attack at soft volumes.Sorry for the rant...

Wayne

Yes absolutely Wayne. I also think practice on the pad helps a lot. Stick Control gives you - well - stick control (!) It's hard work doing that stuff but I still practice rudiments and stick control and then for my kit practice, I play along to the repertoire, at a very moderate volume too.

I have seen bands play MOR sets with the drummer playing rods and the drums sound terrible - just painful for some songs. My first wake up call to appropriate level was when I enrolled in a music course and had to play real book standards on a strange drum kit at 9am in an auditorium which was designed for choir and strings. The very first thing the course coordinator said to me was "nice feel - too loud" I sweated on that stage every Monday with sticks (he forbade brushes unless the chart asked for them) but I did learn a heck of a lot about dynamics. It's something I still work on a lot. If I am playing a song which drops dynamically at the end (groove til cue) I often take it all the way down and I have noticed the audience really likes it too - they stand and really watch and listen. $00.02