Brush playing is an art that doesn’t get all that much attention anymore. Drummers keep getting stronger and faster so most of the drummers and drumming highlighted these days tends to focus on blinding speed and complex patterns. Maybe it has always been that way. Not that speed and complexity isn’t cool, because it is. But I’m more thrilled by subtly and nuance, which probably comes as much from being older and slower as it comes from refined taste. That said, this is a way cool clip of two great drummers playing brushes.
I’ve been enjoying getting to know Steve Meyer, the founder of Head Drums. He’s a gifted inventor and lover of quality. One of the results is Head Drums, a well-kept secret that more drummers should know about. His very inspired idea is that professional quality wood shell drums, like other fine acoustic instruments, should be solid wood instead of the industry standard plywood, and his stave construction approach results in a truly elegant instrument. Steve’s drums are more sensitive than any I’ve ever played and are tunable across a broader range. He custom builds from a variety of woods and now offers wood hoops as well. Drummers looking for that special instrument that has always alluded them will want to check out Steve’s site. Craftsmen like this deserve our vote of confidence in a day and age of cheap, imported, assembly-lined big box product. I’m saving for my kit now.
Steve talks about his solid wood shell philosophy.
I’m enjoying watching my young ones bang on a set of rented drums today. There’s something about a drum set that brings out the experimentor in all of us. Our four-year-old is the funniest today, up on the stool with legs dangling, reaching out for a tom or cymbal, always the one furthest away from him. He’ll make contact with a few and then slip off the stool and drop out of sight. I had a similar experience a few times as an adult, at least the falling off the throne part. Falling off the back of a stage was the worst one. I was so worried about how stupid I looked that I found no time to worry about getting hurt, and didn’t. And it must have been a doozy from the audience. I went off the back of the drum riser and stage and half the drum set went off the front. You could not script better live music comedy.
