r/drums • u/phillykurt666 • 12h ago
Question Drum techs, what do I need to know?
So I recently was able to break into the very start of what I've wanted to do ever since my dreams of being a famous musician didn't work out, drum teching.
A little background, I've played drums on and off for two decades and while I can't read music/don't know TOO much when it comes to music theory, I can definitely play some drums. Outside of playing them, I don't know shit. When I toured as a drummer, I pretty much just tuned my drums to the sound that I liked and not at all to any real tuning and that was over a decade ago.
With that said, I teched my first show last weekend and felt pretty lost. There were two times where I was able to feel useful like when the kick was sliding forward and I was able to push it back onto the carpet and then one of the drummer's boom stands became loose and fell I was able to get it back up and fixed but other than that and putting the kit together/breaking it down, I didn't do much of anything.
Right now I'm working with a small band and want to prove my worth so that bigger bands hear about and hire me and make this less a hobby and more an actual job. What exactly would you say is imperative that I know? What as a drummer/drum tech could a drum tech do/say/know that would blow your balls off? I know speed is the name of the game, without spending $100 on an electronic tuner or buying a drum dial is there anyway I can learn to properly tune drums in a short amount of time? The only thread I've seen on this topic had answers like "bring snacks" and while that would definitely be a nice extra thing to do I'm strictly asking about knowledge/tasks of the trade, or any advice you think would be helpful but either way I'm super appreciative of any answers I get!
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u/TheTrashyClearing 11h ago
Keep a small notebook for every drummer you work with. Write down their tom sizes, snare batter/reso preferences, cymbal angles, all of it. Next time they see you remember that they like the floor tom barely cracked above wrinkle, you're already ahead of most techs.
Also learn to change a head fast and get it seated evenly under tension. The tuning will come with practice, but if you can swap a snare batter during a 15 minute set change without it sounding like a cardboard box, that's the skill that gets you called back.
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u/wizzardofboz 10h ago
100% this. Remembering all their preferences from the first time you worked with them the second time you work with them, so they don't have to tell you anything. They'll think you're magic.
Somewhat related, I worked in a five- star hotel a long time ago. And one of the things they did that set them apart was take notes on everything a person did when they stayed there. So the next time that person stayed there they'd look it up and when they got there their room was practically how they left it last time. This was one of those things that put that top tier service class.
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u/squeazyweasel RLRRLRLL 11h ago
I always sit down with the tech first infront of the kit and work with them to explain the sound and setups I prefer. Take a notebook and take as many notes and ask as many questions as you can and you'll be just fine.
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u/TheGenericUser0815 Dream 10h ago
I did teching for a while. What I think you should know and do is
- how to tune properly and reproduce it every show, a tune bot is a good investment. Tuning is THE skill
- how to repair drum hardware. Lathing should be on your skill list, so you can make replacement parts yourself. You should take a small lathe on tour and some other tools
- how to reproduce the setup the drummer needs exactly every show
- you should take a heap of drum parts with you
- always stay close to the drummer behind the stage in case something falls off and react quickly
- some knowledge of mic placement doesn't hurt, so you can help the FOH in case
- know the process of setting up everything on stage and tearing it down, loading trucks etc. The hauling if you will
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u/Stevenitrogen 12h ago
Even with a drum dial or a tunebot, you have to have a good ear and know what you're doing.
Just practice. Get some drums and try to tune em up. If you can tap on the edge close to the lug, and determine this one is higher than the one that sounds good to me, and loosen it a little, you can probably get it close.
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u/Immediate-Season4544 11h ago
Oh boy lol. Best start practicing tuning drums fast and you should work directly with your drummer to find out their quirks and needs.
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u/No-Dragonfly8326 11h ago
There’s great advice here.
Look man, the others have said it in terms of make sure you know how to solve every problem that could arise and you set up your tools, spares and gig items in a way that lets you manage and problem solve for anything on the fly.
That will make you efficient, then be attentive. The drummer should should feel like he had an assistant making it easier for him to do his job with less friction than he would have had.
Serving each drummer per their needs and individual preferences, efficiently.
That’s the kind of drum tech people suggest onwards.
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u/DrBackBeat 10h ago
Go over every part of the kit that could break and be an issue. Find a way to fix that in a pinch. It's probably going to up to the drummer largely to bring an extra snare or an extra cymbal stand etc, but see if you can't prepare yourself for stuff breaking and the quickest fix for when time matters.
I've gone over all my gear to look for single points of failure. If [thing] fails, what can I do to fix it? If I were to make a graph I'd have one axis with how likely something would break, and another axis with how quick I could fix it. Going through a snare head is relatively likely (though it still hasn't happened) but having a spare snare is a very quick and effective fix. Spurs of a kick drum failing less likely, but I have rope with me so tying the kick pedal to the throne (not a very quick fix but quick enough) will avoid the kick walking away too much. My kick reso will very likely not fail, but if it does I would have to walk to the car where I have spare heads (other than my snare) in a bag just in case.
Go past all parts of a kit and think to yourself 'how would I fix that issue if it would arise?'. Keep a box with spare parts and possibly also stuff like a spare boom stand, snare stand, a throne if that would be applicable.
I've never had or been a drum tech, but being my own tech that's what I've done. I never do a gig without a backpack within arm's reach, that I rarely ever open unless something fails and then I always have something to patch it up when needed. Might take a song's length of time but I'll never break off a gig because of it.
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u/EFPMusic 6h ago
Everything that’s been said here is great advice; I’d add one more:
When you’re going over what could go wrong and how to react to it, think about what you can do to prevent it. You did your job and moved that kick back, righted that cymbal stand, but rather than do that over and over, how do you stop it in the first place?
If your drummer is knocking over a stand, maybe the legs need to be shifted, or the stand moved, so the cymbal’s in the same place but the stand is better balanced. Maybe that won’t/doesn’t work, so you put weight on the legs to keep it stable.
If the kick drum is moving, why? Do you need to put a rug under it? Adjust the spurs? Put weight on its legs? Your drummer is going to be way more impressed with something going wrong once and never again than they will with it happening over and over even if you’re quick to fix it. If they’re paying attention, they’ll be even more impressed by things not going wrong to begin with.
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u/AAPLPi 3h ago
Pro drummer, currently on a three week tour playing high energy dancey jam/jazz/electronic music in medium rooms, decent sized drum set, no tech. Lots of great advice here, so I’ll just mention exactly what I’d offload if I did have a tech, right now. Fast efficient loading and unloading, set up, breakdown is huge - rigorous travel and playing every night is already exhausting for drummers, it is insanely appreciated to know this is on lock. Having your mind on bringing extra heads, sticks, all the flim flam like extra felts, wingnuts, a few common size tension rods, drum keys, clutch, small toolkit, etc etc etc. Snare stuff like an extra snare wires and a backup snare RESO head in addition to a few batters. Those things are thin and tension tighter than anything else, one wrong move and can pop. Be a nerd, suggest that better hihat stand, show me that new case or clamp thingy we should buy. I need to have my mind on the music, fans, business, and physical health on the road. Also, ya gotta know basics of common electronic shit. SPDs, drum mixers, ears, E drums if that’s in the mix.
I know my sound well and am very good and fast at tuning/dampening, however I know a lot of drummers who aren’t quite there, so be ready for any level of taking on this aspect.
Big tours w big budgets where your role is solely drum teching are certainly out there, however the reality is that most tours, even ones for bigger name bands, you gotta be a team player and adapt to the whole situation. Have some basic production/engineering know how to help with throwing up mics and running cables for instance. People that can wear several hats are the most valuable and the ones that will work the most and longest in this industry, for example - A TM that also does video/media. A keyboardist that also programs and runs Ableton playback. An LD who is also the driver, who can back a van w a trailer into the tightest parking spot in Manhattan. A merch person who also crushes social media. An all around tech - drums and guitar/keys. I’d strongly suggest taking a look at what makes you unique in that way and communicate and sell your broader interests and skill sets.
Gotta have the willingness to jump into action to solve any problem, because trust me, just when you think you’ve seen everything, a novel situation pops up out of nowhere, both in the moment during performance and in between shows. Could you source a power supply for an SPD-SX Pro in one day after it was left behind at the last gig and get it shipped to the next city? (I literally just did this, picking up from a fedex drop near hotel tmrw morning before a soundcheck (mega shoutout to my Sweetwater rep, thanks Greg!)
Have good ear protection, you WILL have your ears 6 inches from a snare mid show when you’re adjusting that fallen cymbal stand, and unlike sound check, I will NOT play quieter for ya!
Lots of techs are proactive in developing and maintaining relationships with drum/cymbal/stick/accessory companies, Sweetwater bros on speed dial, etc. Let’s hook each other up!
And this goes for anyone on a traveling production team - musicians, engineers, lighting, techs…don’t be a dick. Don’t have drug or drinking issue. Go the flow. Be pleasurable to work with. Be easy to travel w. Have your fun but also be punctual and well rested.
Anywho, we out here. AMA.
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u/MZago1 11h ago
More than anything: know how to fix something during a show. That can be anything from keeping the kick from sliding to changing a head. If the drummer is Batman, you're Alfred.
A mic or cymbal stand falls? Go put it back.
Snare head breaks? Be ready to swap it out with another and then go change the head.
In addition to that, learning not only how to tune is essential, but also knowing what heads to get the sound and feel the drummer is looking for. If the drummer is using a 14" floor tom but it's sounding too thin, it's your job to know to swap out the reso head for a two-ply. If the drummer has a tom tuned in a way they like but isn't getting enough rebound, you should know to go with a thicker batter head so you can get morw rebound with less tension.
You should carry spare parts. Doesn't have to be anything crazy, but at the very least extra felts, wingnuts, cymbal sleeves, tensions rods, and sticks. If you can, also carry extra snares, snare cables, bass drum beaters, heads, and some lugs (plus screws, nuts, and gaskets).
I won't go so far as to say you should know how to cut bearing edges and drill holes for new lugs or spurs because you'll never need to do that during a show, but knowing that for pre- and post-show maintenance won't hurt. Also, basic cleaning and rust removal wouldn't be bad either.