How To Make Drums Quieter: 7 Top Tips

As a drummer, you may find yourself in situations where you need to play quietly without disturbing your neighbours or others nearby. However, drumming can be a loud activity, making it challenging to practice or perform without creating a disturbance.

In this guide, we will provide you with several tips and techniques to help you make your drums quieter.

Use an Electronic Drum Set

One of the very best ways to be able to play drums or learn how to drums quietly is to purchase an electronic drum kit. Electronic drum kits utilise rubber drum heads and cymbals and output the sound of each drum digitally.

Using an electronic drum kit allows you full control over how loud or quiet your drumming is. You can connect a full audio system to your electronic drum kit if you want to play loudly. This will allow the sound of each beat to be played over a set of speakers. But you will have the ability to turn the speakers down to the required level.

You can also connect a pair of headphones to most electronic drum sets. This will allow all of the audio to be played through the headphones, reducing the noise for anybody in an adjoining room to almost zero.

If you are playing an electronic drum kit using headphones, all anybody else would hear is the sound of your drumsticks on the rubber drum heads. Typically this sound is very muffled in comparison to a full acoustic drum set and isn’t much louder than somebody tapping on a table or a loud mechanical keyboard.

Read our ultimate guide to the best electronic drum kits in 2023.

Muffle Your Drums

One of the simplest ways to make your drums quieter is by muffling them. Muffling refers to the process of placing a material inside the drum to absorb some of the sound waves produced by the head. There are several different types of muffling materials available, including foam, felt, and even pillows.

When muffling your drums, it’s important to ensure that the material is positioned evenly around the circumference of the drum head. This will help ensure that the drum produces a consistent and even tone. Additionally, avoid over-muffling your drums, as this can result in a dull and muffled sound.

Use Rubber or Silicone Drumheads

Another way to make your drums quieter is by using rubber or silicone drumheads. Unlike traditional drumheads, which are made of animal skin, these alternative materials are much more effective at reducing the volume of your drums. They are also much more durable, making them ideal for drummers who need to play quietly for extended periods of time.

When choosing rubber or silicone drumheads, it’s important to select a high-quality product that is designed for your specific type of drum. This will help ensure that the drumhead is easy to install and produces a consistent and even tone. Additionally, you may need to adjust your playing style to accommodate the different feel of these alternative drumheads.

Experiment with Different Stick Types

The type of drumstick you use can also have a significant impact on the volume of your drums. Experimenting with different types of sticks can help you find the perfect balance between volume and feel. For example, lighter sticks tend to produce a quieter sound, while heavier sticks are more likely to produce a louder sound.

In addition to experimenting with different stick weights, you can also try using drumsticks with larger or smaller diameters. This will help you find the perfect balance between volume, feel, and control.

Use brushes instead of wooden drumsticks

Instead of trying to reduce the noise slightly by using drumsticks constructed from different materials, you could make the switch to brushes. Brushes do play very differently from traditional drumsticks but will produce a much quieter and softer noise.

Making the switch to brushes may not compliment your playstyle, especially if you are a hard rock or metal drummer. But they will allow you to learn a new technique and improve your overall drumming ability, as well as having the added bonus of being quieter than traditional sticks.

Use Practice Pads

Practice pads are specially designed to provide a quiet and portable drumming surface. They are made of a variety of materials, including rubber, foam, and felt, and are designed to mimic the feel and response of a real drumhead.

Using a practice pad is an excellent way to practice your drumming skills quietly and without disturbing others. They are also ideal for warm-up exercises, as they allow you to practice your rudiments, rolls, and other drumming techniques without having to set up your entire drum kit.

Use Soundproofing Materials

If you need to play your drums loudly and need to reduce the volume of your drum kit, consider using soundproofing materials. There are a variety of soundproofing products available, including foam panels, soundproof curtains, and even soundproof blankets.

When using soundproofing materials, it’s important to cover all surfaces of your drum kit, including the walls, floor, and ceiling. This will help reduce the amount of sound that escapes from your drumming area and reduce the amount of noise that reaches others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several methods for reducing drum noise, including using acoustic foam, drum mutes and silencers, soundproofing your room, and installing soundproof windows and doors. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the best approach will depend on your specific situation. Regardless of the method you choose, soundproofing your drum kit will allow you to practice in peace and without disturbing your neighbours.

FAQs

• Written by Felix
• Updated on February 10, 2023
• Tags: Acoustic Drum Sets, Learning,
  • How To Guides