How I Muffle My Kick Drum

by DistantOverture in Living > Music

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How I Muffle My Kick Drum

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Hello, this Instructable will show you how I get a deep muffled punch sound from my kick drum. I say how "I" get my sound because everyone likes a different sound.

Batter Head

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First off, too get a "thud sound from your kick drum. We need to roughly tune the heads.

Your batter head should be looser than your resonant head. Finger tighten your batter head, and then give it a Quarter Turn.

Muffling

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To muffle your kick drum you will need towels, blankets, pillows etc.

Take 2 towels and fold them into squares

Fold the end of 1 of the towels and place it against the batter head.

Place the second towel over the first.

Take a heavy bathroom mat (blankets will also work), fold it so that it's touching the batter head and not the resonant head.

Tuning Resonant Heads

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Tune your resonant head higher than your batter head. This is what gives it a "punch". Give your head a 3/4 turn past finger tight.

Patches

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Many companies have released kick drum patches. I prefer the large Remo Falam Slam, so it makes my kick drum sound dry.

Your Finished Product

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I hope I have given you and idea of how to tune your kick drum. Thank you for your time.