Transforming a 7-piece rock drum set into a 4-piece jazz drum set

Both in school and personally, I have spent a lot of time studying jazz and jazz drumming. I don’t play much anymore due to my responsibilities as drummer for @supertuesdayband, but when I do, I always enjoy it. Improvisation is a beautiful exploration of creativity and communication between fellow musicians. Magic happens on the spot and those moments will never be recreated again.

Because I play primarily rock (and write my own music in that general direction), my drum set is tuned up and configured complete with rack system, lower tuning, and generally a “big” sound.

For a jazz gig, however, and particularly one where you are in a “live” room with no mics, some tuning is advantageous for a more authentic jazz sound (perhaps better said “old school” jazz sound).

In this video, I’m showing the adjustments I made to my rock kit to turn it into a very capable jazz instrument for a brief wedding reception gig I recently played. Great fun with fantastic musicians and a beautiful wedding overall.

Oh, and speaking of weddings, if you are still reading, I have a new single coming out on June 20, 2024. A love song I wrote for my wife on our first anniversary. Send me a DM with your email and I’ll add you to my list and send a pre-release listen. It’s my best work yet, even if the song itself is 32-years old.

#jazz #drums #drumtuning #workingdrummer #indiemusician #improvisation #newmusic