There are so many factors that can alter a drum kit’s sound. Right from the cymbals down to the drums themselves, each and every drummer will have their own preferred pieces of kit. However, the bass drum is one of the staples needed in every drumkit to achieve the full depth of sound.
If you’re new to drumming or just want to know a little bit more about how everything works, you may have noticed that some drummers will add a pillow or blanket inside their bass drum. But why do they put a pillow in a bass drum?
This is because it works to dampen the sound of the drum. A bass drum with a pillow in it will give you a hefty thump sound instead of a reverberating boom. This difference in sound makes it easier for the microphones to pick it up each time you bash away at the bass drum.
Without this muffled sound, the bass drum will resonate more giving you more of an open sound. Bass drums without an added pillow tend to sound softer, instead of giving you the punchier thudding that you need for the mic to pick it up. Some drummers feel that a bass drum without a pillow sounds flatter than those which have pillows or blankets added to adjust the sound.
The more open sound can also mean that you lose distinct beats because the note is still resonating through the drum from your first beat.
Do I need a pillow in my bass drum?
This will entirely depend on what kind of sound you want from your drum. Some people prefer the more solid sound that adding a pillow or blanket gives their drum. Others prefer no muffling at all, as some drums will be adapted to produce a more audible thud.
What’s really great about the pillow method is that you can adjust it to get the sound that you’re after. You can add or remove feathers from the pillow to get just the right amount of boom. The more feathers you’ve got in your pillow, the more of a thud sound you’ll get from your drum.
When it comes to deciding whether you have to put a pillow in your bass drum or not, there’s no one size fits all answer. It will be entirely dependent on your preferences. Some people prefer not to add a pillow as they like the more open sound. Others like to get the more defined boom that comes from adding a pillow or blanket.
Why not try it both ways and see which sound you prefer?
Why cut a hole in a bass drum head?
So now you know what the pillows are for. But what are those seemingly random holes for? Why would you want to cut a hole in the bass drum head?
The answer is again because this alters the sound. The bass drum hole works to give you better overall projection, greater definition from the bass drum beater, less rebound, and it can also give you a brighter sound. If you use your kit for lots of live shows, then this also gives you a place to put your microphone to better pick up the sound.
A hole in your bass drum also gives you an easier way for adjusting the pillows or blankets as needed.
It’s important to note that you don’t have to add a hole to your bass drum. Just like with pillows or blankets, people add these to their bass drums because it alters the sound. If you’re looking for a particular sound from your bass drum, you may want to try adding a hole. We’d recommend playing a friend’s kit which has a hole in the bass drum already to see whether you want to add a hole to your own instrument.
These holes, also known as bass drum port holes, tend to be cut on the bottom half of the drumhead. This will be either to the left or right of the drum. This positioning makes it easier to place a microphone during live shows. The holes tend to be between 4 or 7 inches in diameter. The larger the hole, the more the sound of your drum will change.
Why do bass drums have blankets?
Bass drums will have blankets for exactly the same reason as they have pillows. This works to dampen the resonance, and give you a more defined booming sound. You can choose either pillows or blankets - it doesn’t particularly matter which. You may find that they give you a different sound quality.
If you want to experiment with the sound of your bass drum, we’d recommend giving both methods a try to see which sound you prefer. Some drummers tend to use fleece blankets. It’s important to remember that the size of your blanket will affect the overall sound quality of your drum. Some blankets will produce different sounds, too.
Why do drummers put tape on their drums?
Another method that some drummers use to reduce the resonance of their drums is to add tape to them. This helps to reduce the volume and ringing of some drums, including the bass drum. Some drummers will even use tape on their cymbals, too. Using tape to muffle the sound of your drum is a cheaper solution, however, it might not help you achieve the right sound that you’re after.
It will be easier to remove the tape from your drum than it will be to cut a hole in it or add a blanket or pillow. We would suggest trying a variety of these methods to help you find the sound that’s more appealing to you.
In summary
So there you have it! You now know that drummers will add something like pillows or blankets to their bass drum to help give it a more defined sound. This more pronounced sound makes it easier for the mics on stage to pick up all aspects of your drumset’s sound. Some drummers will even add tape or cut a hole in the drum to alter its sound.