This article will discuss why drummers use rugs and how you can use them on your drumset for some serious competition and endless fun.
Rugs have always been around as far back as man can remember, and today, they are available at any number of places in your local music shop. Most drummers that play electronic percussion instruments now use them in some way or other.
On the one hand, it’s all good. With all the practice you can have, the frequent motivation to play or listen to drumming, you’re bound to be playing better than ever before.
With the convenience that they provide, they are a really nice addition to the kit.
On the other hand, however, they can be a liability if you don’t know what you’re doing. The first thing you need to understand is that drums are very slippery, not to mention that most of your drumset is made out of wood.
If you don’t have your foot pointed in the right direction at all times, you’re going to hit your head, or worse! A lot of drummers hurt their hands from this type of scenario.
Some drummers glue rubber lids to their heads to prevent this from happening, keeping them from spinning. This can be just as dangerous, and it’s not going to look very professional.
Sometimes these drums will have rubber rims to prevent you from damaging your floors and drum surfaces. Unfortunately, though, in some cases, the little rubber rims on the sides of the head actually won’t stand up to a hard hit.
So what’s the solution here? Well, there are actually quite a few that you can use, such as:
- Peep-toe rugs
- Kevlar lids
Keep it out of the way
Don’t stick your toe in there – I promise you it won’t work.
It’s much easier and more reliable to keep the rugs out of the way, not only for your head but your feet, as well.
All you need is a riser that can hold up to 6 kg and the perfect fit that you have for your hand pads.
Shove it under your foot
If you have a riser with grooves that go all the way around your foot, use your hands to pull it out. Place your foot on it, and then hold onto it with your fingers.
When you place your hand on the floor, that’s when the rubber rims will not stick to your hands and feet. Place the riser further away from the floor and increase the angle as much as possible.
The angle should be as far away from your drum as you can without having to lay down. This allows you to use your riser as a seat to sit on and put your heel down on.
Use the riser in this way, and you should be able to free your heel up to use as a pedal to make your work in time more fluid.
Place a rug next to the drum rack
Once you have secured a carpet around your feet and legs, place the rug next to the drum rack, between your drums and the end table.
Place the groove all the way down the middle of the rug and then continue to work in this fashion for the best results.
However, it’s not a permanent solution as you will eventually have to move the rug at some point or another.
Make a rug sleeve
By cutting off the edge of the rug and sliding it over the edge of the board on which you will place it, you can secure it in place. This is the best way to ensure that you won’t hurt yourself.
This also serves as a great winter guard riser.
If you’re still having trouble using a riser, consider getting the rug sleeve; it will very well serve your drumming. Just keep in mind that the carpet sleeve is a permanent solution, and a rug sleeve will not work with a rubber band.
You can still use a rug, but only if you are careful not to have it too tight to the drum. I’ve found that you don’t need to be able to wrap your fingers around the riser.
You can do this with a loose rug sleeve. You don’t want to tie up your drum by having a rope around it.
I’ve had two drummers (father and son) that had their feet stuck in the rug sleeve and were stuck. The son could unbear the rope when the rug sleeve loosened, but the father had to get his leg out through the riser.
If this is you, don’t be discouraged. Just be careful not to have it too tight, and think about using a rug sleeve that’s not as tight around the drum.
One solution is to put your riser between the drum and the floor, then place a rug in front of it. If you have to keep your riser at the same height as the drum, you can do this.
Another option would be to try a rug sleeve. If you decide on using a rug sleeve, you’ll want to get one that’s not too tight.
If it’s too tight, it will interfere with your drum (clogging into the drum pad, it’s not good). You may also want to consider not having the riser at a particular height and get one that can be adjusted by bending down and grabbing a rod.
For instance, if your riser is supposed to be over your feet, but you need to make it lower, you can bend over to grab a rod, and the riser will adjust accordingly.
Raffle progression
There are several strategies you can use to get a good deal on raffle props. The most common is going to a friend or family member with a dolly or moving van.
Ask for a large bag or box. The first few times, this might be a challenge, but eventually, you’ll figure out that you can get it all in the vehicle without bumping anything if you bring a handful at a time.
Another strategy is to go to a thrift store. A few good thrift stores in my city will gladly sell you a few supplies for reasonable prices.
Stick riser rug sleeves
As I mentioned above, you can also buy yourself a rug sleeve from Amazon. I personally do not like to have to pay shipping costs, but I have bought them in the past, and I am sure that the quality is excellent.
I would suggest choosing a powerful and sturdy one. The raffle rug sleeve at Amazon is one of the strongest, and if you have bad neighbors, I am sure they won’t complain.
You can also buy them individually.
Condenser microphones
Condenser mics are easy to use, and you can often get them at a low cost. Condenser mics are noisier than dynamic mics.
Dynamic mics will drown out some of the noise of the sticks and drum pad. If you use a dynamic mic, you’ll want to be careful about listening to the drum.
Dynamic mics will not allow you to hear the sticks unless you are super close to the drum. Because of the racket dynamic mics produce, I don’t recommend using them for the grandstand or any loud environment, but for your classroom or living room, a dynamic mic will be fine.
