How To Look After Your

How To Look After Your

Drum Kit
Drum Kit
By Stephanie Howells
Why Is looking After Your Drum kit
Why Is looking After Your Drum kit
Important?
Important?
Looking after your drum kit is extremely important
o Any dirt !ould affe!t the sound and pro"e!tion of the drum kit
o If you negle!t your drum kit then it will get dirty# grimy and rusty
o Improper !are of the drum kit may lead to $arious things happening
to it# whi!h will most likely !ost money to repair
Don%t forget# your drum kit refle!ts who you are as a person If it is all
dirty# rusty# worn out and generally does not look good then it isn%t
going to refle!t you in a good way
Anatomy &f The Drum Kit
Anatomy &f The Drum Kit
'leaning The Drums
'leaning The Drums
Here# I am going to talk a(out !leaning the drums )o the Toms#
)nare and *ass drums
You !an gi$e the drums a +ui!k and simple dust o$er with a !loth on!e
a day or so# howe$er,
o &ne of the most important things a(out !leaning your drums is to
ne$er use an a(rasi$e !leaner They will permanently s!rat!h the finish
on your drums# with (oth painted shells and !o$ered shells
o You should also try to a$oid using !leaners with ammonia in as they
will fade the !olouring on your drums# making them look flat and dull
o You !ould e$en make your own !leaners to !lean the drums whi!h
are simple# !heap and are as e+ually effe!ti$e as other !leaners
-or example# $inegar and water
'leaning The )tands And Hardware
'leaning The )tands And Hardware
Here# I will talk a(out !leaning the stands and hardware
o -or the stands and !hrome pie!es on your drum shell# you should use
an ammonia free !leaner
o If you ha$e tarnished metal or dirt that will not !ome off then a
typi!al !hrome polish will work well Howe$er# they !ontain harsh
!hemi!als so (e !areful when using and do not get any on the drum
shell as it may stain
A rusty stand...
'leaning the 'ym(als
'leaning the 'ym(als
'leaning the !ym(als is $ery important (e!ause if you don.t then their
lifespan will de!rease# their sound may (e!ome warped# the !olour
!ould !hange# they will get dirty and rusty and they !ould e$en !ra!k
Howe$er# some people like the sound of a !ym(al with a few years
worth of dirt and grime /tarnish0 on Dirty !ym(als tend to ha$e a
deeper /or darker0 sound whereas the !lean !ym(als will ha$e a higher
/(righter0 sound
Whether to !lean your !ym(als or not depends on what type
of musi! you play /ro!k musi! would need a deeper sounding
!ym(al (ut pop musi! would need higher sounding !ym(als0
and on what your own preferen!e is
A !ym(al that has started to get
rusty after many years of negle!t
'ra!ked !ym(als 'ra!ked !ym(als
Take !are
Take !are
o
When using the !leaners (e !areful not to get any in your eyes or
mouth If you do then rinse immediately and seek medi!al help "ust
in !ase
o
1ake sure to use the !leaners in a well $entilated area
o
*e !areful if you take the drum kit apart for !leaning# you !ould
easily lose the pie!es or drop something You !ould put the small
pie!es in a !up for safe keeping
o
)ome !leaners !ontain harsh or harmful !hemi!als# if you happen to
use one of these !leaners then make sure you wear glo$es /washing
up glo$es would do0 and a$oid getting any on your skin
o
If any part of the drum kit is (roken then (e !areful not to in"ure
yourself on it /-or example# !utting yourself on a !ra!ked !ym(al0
'hanging The )kins
'hanging The )kins
o
The skins on a drum do# o($iously# (e!ome worn after a while so you
need to keep an eye out for the signs so you know when to !hange them
The signs (e!ome more noti!ea(le to longer you lea$e the skins
o
As you !an see in the images (elow the skins !an (e!ome extremely
dented# worn and dirty and gradually the sound will (e!ome e$er so
slightly altered
o
&n!e you noti!e any of these signs on the skins then it would (e (est to
!hange them Howe$er this !an (e +uite diffi!ult so you may want to
take them into a professional store to ha$e them !hanged and retuned
for you
o
It is up to you when you !hange the skins# some people do e$ery 2
months and others wait longer or "ust ne$er do it
o
The !onditions of the skins !an depend on how you play If you thrash
around on them then they won%t last as long (ut
if you play lightly then they will last mu!h longer
as the skins are $ery dura(le
Dented skin
Thank you for taking the time to view this
PowerPoint on taking care of your drum kit.
Dont forget take great care of your drums!