Ya, I just need them to learn the dynamics, unless we get the bigger shows where that kind of volume is ok. We'll see how it goes.
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I'm not trolling you here. I get zero pleasure in saying your bandmates suck. I'm just restating what you already said about your own bandmates in different and simpler terms. Sorry if that offended you, but I'm trying to illustrate a point about the situation you are describing.
You appear to have the expectation that there must be something you can do to make your bandmates change and you are hoping that someone here can advise you of your options. You don't have any many options if any at all. Here's why.
You cannot bring about a change in other people. People have to WANT to change themselves in the first place. Unless you are a trained and licensed psychologist you have no chance of accomplishing that and even if you were, you have very little chance of accomplishing that. Especially considering the fact that the folks we are talking about are demonstrating that they aren't good listeners in the first place.
Sorry if you think that's not constructive, but you are trying to construct something on a faulty foundation. But you are right about one thing, time will tell. Good luck and I hope to be wrong. Please come back months from now and let us know how it worked out.
Dude, I LOVE a loud drummer for certain types of music. I'm sorry, but while Steve Gadd is one of the greatest drummers on earth, I would never want him in a hard rock band. But I totally get the need for having the vocals upfront and loud enough to hear yourself singing. This is a tough one. IEM's would help you. And while I get the aversion to shields, they do work. Might not be a bad idea, really, especially if you play places that get all antsy about volume.
As I said your genre and audience might WANT it stoopid loud so good earplugs and the most feedback resistant mics you can buy would be the way to go if true.
Not really- the best drummers and guitarist I played with had something called dynamics. That is talent.
I played with a guy who was so good, I couldn't turn my 100 watt bass combo above 3 or I would over power his drumming. But live he had the perfect amount of volume as well.
Drums are actually an instrument, some have only learned the basics of hitting them hard- OTHERS have learned to make something musical out of them.
One will kill your hearing and your audiences, the other won't.
(And yes I know "I have to play hard to play fast..." heard it a million times and it isn't true at all, not for bass, drums or any other instrument. Hard is actually the enemy of speed.)
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Michael Schreiber
Commercial User
This is a great advice.
However, I'm with @WardEarth - and I do think it is achievable to make others want to change; after all, a band is a group of people having the same goal. If delivering great sound and performance to the audience is part of that goal, others would as well want to achieve that by necessary and reasonable means.
Just saying; one doesn't exclude the other; there might be reasonable hope that the band can improve on that issue; if they do have the same goal in mind, IMHO.
Still, a very helpful point @Nev375 made in understanding other's behavior/motivation, not only in music but in whole life.
Change coming from one's own motivation is true and sustainable, and can strengthen the bond with others and give a positive motivation boost.
So, it is worth not giving up too early on your band mates, IMHO - it is a band, after all, meaning there should be a bond.
People spend 2 grand on instruments to play at the highest possible decibel and wear 50 cents earplugs...
I noticed the OP has good ear plugs but the guitarist and drummer are using foam. Spring for a set of good hearing plugs for those players? Anything that will bring down the din but keep the clarity. It might help them to join you on the volume wars crusade.
I dunno.... life is too short to play with people that don't understand dynamics, and making themselves fit into the band in a way that benefits everyone.
Still have yet to see any videos of ppl playing heavy fast rock in tight spaces, sounding good, without earplugs. I know its possible, just wondering how much harder it is to play fast fills at half volume. Thoughts? I don't want to be asking the impossible out of the guy.
Ric5
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I feel your pain ... I hate when the music gets too loud ...
I played in a band in Michigan about 17 years ago with a "too loud drummer" the ONLY time he sounded good was when he played with digital drums. My wife played in another band where the drummer was too loud and again the only solution was digital drums. I hate digital drums but I hate too loud drums more.
I have zero tolerance for too loud musicians ... There is a guitar player here in Colorado who hates me because I kept telling him he plays too loud. I will literally quit playing and plug my ears when people play too loud. There is no excuse for this crap ... playing too loud is unprofessional, it is rude, it is selfish, and it freaking ruins the music.
Playing too loud is one of the hallmarks of a bad band.
Some drummers play from the wrist and have a nice feel, other drummers play from the elbow and know how to rock, some drummers play from the shoulder and drown out a band.
So you have two solutions ... digital drums or the drummer has to change his style of playing ... there are drummers who will do neither ... then your only choice is to move on.
Ric5
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I already watched 2 of those 3. Did you? I'm looking for very fast fills, rock style. Not super simple quiet beats.
already
already
Ric5
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Not sure about those drum muffs cause all the guy did was talk about them, no actual drumming...
And I wish my man had the dough to drop on a set of those Gen16's but he doesn't, and would prob just end up smashing them to pieces....
our drummer bought a Gretsch 18" kick kit and taped the cymbals. That brought the volume way down. And he was really surprised when he heard the kit in recording - the kick sounded better than his 22".
The metal producer, Michael Wagener, used a Yamaha 18" kick set with small deep toms for recording. They sounded like thunder on the tracks. Maybe you should mention that to your drummer.
The metal producer, Michael Wagener, used a Yamaha 18" kick set with small deep toms for recording. They sounded like thunder on the tracks. Maybe you should mention that to your drummer.
Drummer should respect volume, balance, dynamics and especially vocals. If he can't see why or won't comply, you must find a professional. It will be very difficult to change your present drummer.
Ric5
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it is a matter of touch and not speed ...
we can play bass fast without beating the heck out of the strings ... so a good drummer must learn to play fast without high volume ... maybe your drummer needs lessons?