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Getting into Drum 'n' Bass: The Ultimate Drumkit Guide

Important things to look for when putting together a drumkit to play drum 'n' bass.

By Magesh MageshContributing Author

Drum 'n' bass music started in London in the 1990’s.  DJs would take classic funk beats like the ‘Amen’ break and increase the tempo to around 170 BPMS.  This was exciting for drummers as it was a style that was incredibly challenging to play.  It was also a style that was created by technology as opposed to musicians.

I want to talk about how to make drum 'n' bass beats on an acoustic drumkit sound legitimate.

Here are some important things to look for when putting together a drumkit to play drum 'n' bass.

The Bass Drum

Jazz music sounds great with a small bass drum, around 18 inches. Rock music sounds great with a larger bass drum around 24 inches. What’s interesting is drum ''n' bass can work with a small or large bass drum.  This is because there may be multiple drum kits used in a single song in drum 'n' bass music.

A tight punchy 18-inch bass drum may be perfect for quicky funky sounding drum 'n' bass beats, whereas a 24-inch kick might work for beats with a lot of bass compression.

Check out these bass drums:

Sonor 14'x13 AQ2 Bass Drum TSB see price

DrumCraft Series 6 18'x14' Bass Drum SN see price

Yamaha Stage Custom 24'x15' BD RB '14 see price

The Snare Drum

The snare drum in drum 'n' bass music is almost always high pitched. This is because it has been sped up.  Picollo snare drums are great for getting a really high-pitched crack. Having a smaller shell depth is what adds to the snare sounding higher than usual.

Metal snares are also great for added attack. Check out these snare drums:

Ludwig LW0414CP Carl Palmer Snare see price

Gretsch Drums Gergo Borlai Signature Snare see price

Pearl B1330 13'x03' Piccolo Snare see price

Tom Sizes

Drum companies in the 90’s and early 2000’s started making kits especially for drum 'n' bass. Smaller bass drums and lighter hardware made these kits ideal for drummers who played small club gigs. Toms are featured much in drum 'n' bass music.

That being said it is good to have smaller toms to make sense with a higher-sounding snare drum.

Check out these kits:

Gretsch Drums Catalina Club Jazz - SWG see price

Sonor AQX Jungle Set BOS see price

Sonor AQ2 Safari Set WHP see price

Cymbals

Drum 'n' bass loves trashy-sounding cymbals! The Ozone, China cymbals, and piggyback cymbals all help recreate the drum 'n' bass feel on the drums.

An important note to add is both Hand Hammered and bright cymbals will work for this style of music.

Check out these cymbals:

Istanbul Agop 20" Traditional Trash Hit see price

Zildjian ZXT 08' Trashformer see price

Meinl 8' Crasher Hats - Benny Greb see price

Skins

I recommend using single-ply heads for drum 'n' bass. This is simply because they have more tone than double-ply heads. Drum 'n' bass drumming isn’t played at an overly loud volume so you don’t have to worry about breaking the skins.

I would also say to use a coated head for the snare drum because it will give you more options in terms of tone.

Check out these snare drum skins:

Evans 14' Genera HDD Coated Snare see price

Evans 14' Genera HDD Coated Snare see price

Evans S14H30 14' Snare Resonant Head see price

Sticks

You have to remember that drum 'n' bass music is played at an incredibly fast tempo. That is why I recommend thinner sticks like 7’As or 5a’s. 2B’s are too thick and will kill the drum 'n' bass feel due to volume.

Check out these sticks:

Vater 7A Manhattan Pack see price

Vic Firth 7A American Hickory Value Pack see price

Vic Firth 5A American Classic Hickory see price

In conclusion, remember that drum 'n' bass music is all about playing beats that were created by a machine! The most important thing is keeping your ghost notes and accents accurate. Also, don’t feel you need to play a lot of fills as it will interrupt the flow of the music. Get used to seeing how many sounds you can create with the snare drum, bass drum and hi-hats.

Check out these drummers playing drum 'n' bass music: 

Keep practicing!
Magesh
mageshdrumteacher.co.uk

About Magesh Magesh

Magesh is a musician and producer who has worked with Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour. He released an instructional drumming DVD called "Unique Beats" where he mixed the drum kit with electronics and Indian hand percussion. He recently moved from Australia to the UK to explore new musical opportunities.
Website: mageshdrumteacher.co.uk

Contact Magesh Magesh at magesh.magesh7@gmail.com

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