The Incredible Shrinking Drum Kit: Simplifying Your Drum Set for Gigging

The idea of simplifying your drum set for gigs may initially seem counter-intuitive. After all, having a wide array of tools at your disposal allows you to respond to any musical situation, right?

However, there's a growing movement among drummers towards embracing a more minimalist setup, and for good reason.

In the last couple of years, I focussed on minimising my kit in order to speed up unloading/loading at both sides of the gig as well as set up and tear down, but found that there were more positives to be discovered.

This article will delve into the advantages of reducing your gigging kit, offer practical tips on how to streamline your gear without compromising your sound, and discuss my experience in doing just that.

Why Go Minimal?

I initially wanted to reduce my gear “footprint” because I was sick of lugging a load of heavy gear to and from gigs, and spending ages setting up and tearing down.

Having less gear can be a godsend for drummers who regularly play live shows, especially those without roadies or techs (most of us, I’d imagine). Less gear means less that can go wrong or get lost, and less time spent tuning and maintaining your drums.

However, the benefits of a minimalist setup extend beyond just making your life easier at gigs.

For one, it forces you to think more creatively about your playing. With fewer pieces to hit, you'll have to find new ways to create different sounds and textures. This can lead to a more refined and thoughtful approach to your drumming.

“Demonic Sweaters” (great name!) talks about getting creative with a minimalist setup on his YouTube channel.

How to Simplify Your Setup

Right…first of all, if you’re going to buy into this then you need to put your ego to one side. When I was a kid, I wanted the kits my favourite drummers had, and given I started life playing thrash metal, they were the polar opposite of what I’m advocating here…

The key to simplifying your drum setup effectively is to identify the essential components of your sound. Most drummers can get by with a kick, snare, hi-hats, and one or two cymbals. If you often use toms in your playing, consider a single, versatile rack tom and a floor tom (a “one up, one down” setup, which refers to the tom configuration).

Cymbal selection is crucial. A ride with a strong bell can cover a lot of bases, and a crash that's dark and thin enough to be crashed on but thick and heavy enough to ride on can serve double duty. Some drummers opt for a single, hybrid cymbal like a crash/ride.

Hardware is another area where you can trim the fat. Lighter, flat base stands are increasingly popular and are more than sturdy enough for most applications. If you're using fewer drums and cymbals, you'll need fewer stands, which can significantly lighten your hardware bag.

What did I do?

Bought a Tama Club Jam Mini!

I wanted a light, portable kit with a decent sound and that was cheap enough that I wouldn’t care too much about knocks and scrapes.

I did some research and was really inspired by a video I stumbled across by Brendrum Jones. Thanks Brendrum!

He’d also posted a follow-up video that you can find on his YouTube channel, testifying that the kit can take a bit of a beating and highlighting some of the minor gripes after long-term use.

I went ahead bought the exact same kit, stuck some Evans coated heads on it and added a bit of muffling in the bass drum. It’s a little beauty! (However, I have since moved on, which I’ll get to later).

I was then after some lightweight hardware. There are a number of great options in this area these days (kudos Yamaha and Ludwig), but in the end, and again, based on Brendrum’s videos, I bought a Tama Classic Hardware pack.

This came with a case which is actually pretty decent and has held up well so far. The hardware itself is much lighter than I expected and surprisingly durable and sturdy when played. It’s also got a lovely retro styling that works well with a minimalist setup. Result!

In order to speed up setup and teardown, I also added a fast hi-hat clutch by Pearl, and used Tama CQ8 Quick Set Cymbal Attachments. These things are both brilliant.

Finally, I also bought the matching Tama Classic pedal. It’s a lovely thing, works very well and satisfies my need to have matching hardware - I know, I know…but the fact that the pedal got good reviews swayed it for me.

Saving My Legs

Next - how can I minimise my trips to the car and back?

Taking a step back, I decided that I could “group” items in cases.

• I already had some old protection racket soft cases lying about. One of these was large enough to fit both my snare (an existing Tama) and the high tom from the kit. So they went in together with a bit of padding. Spare heads went in here too.

• The floor tom had it’s own Protection Racket soft bag.

• For the bass drum, I bought an 18” hardcase with a couple of extra inches depth so that I could also put the bass drum pedal in with it. Again, a bit of padding in there for protection (a blanket).

• The hardware was all covered by the Tama bag that came with the pack.

• I already had a cymbal bag - protection racket deluxe with shoulder straps. My stick bag also fits in here.

• I had a Meinl drum rug that would need to be carried on it’s own.

• Drum throne - carried on it’s own.

In the end, I was able to do the trip to and from the car in two runs!

1. Cymbal bag on back. Bass drum (and pedal) carried on my right in the hardcase (my right is my “strong side” - and yes, this is perfectly do-able and not too heavy) and hardware bag in left.

2. Both soft cases containing toms and snare on “strong side” (again, this is surprisingly do-able as both cases have handles) drum throne in left hand and drum rug wedged under left arm.

At the time I had a medium-sized estate car (“station wagon” if you’re in the US) and was able to get the full kit in without lowering any seats or making any adjustments.

And finally…at the venue. Setting up is an absolute breeze with the lightweight hardware, fast clutch and cymbal attachments.

Take Two

Whilst I loved this setup, I play in a band with a bunch of older guys and they are not keen on mic’ing up the kit. For some of the venues we played, I found the club jam’s 18” bass drum not quite punchy enough, but I was living with it.

I then had the opportunity to grab a Gretsch Catalina Club for a price I was happy with, so I took that. It’s a 20” bass drum (it’s more common to see these kits with 18”) but is still small enough to fit into my “minimalist” categorisation.

And that bass drums really packs a wallop! 😃 

Other than the shell pack, everything else remained the same and I can still do the car run in two trips.

It’s also cheap enough that I can live with dings etc. and although the finish is a wrap, I do love the colour.

The Minimalist Mindset

Ultimately, minimizing your drum setup for gigs is about adopting a different mindset.

It's about figuring out the logistics that work for you and also challenging yourself to do more with less, to find musical solutions within a restricted setup. It's about focusing on the essentials and eliminating distractions.

So, whether you're a drummer looking to simplify your gigging life, or simply wanting to adopt a more thoughtful approach to your playing, going minimal could be the way forward. Remember, the goal is not to limit your playing but to streamline it. It's about making every piece of gear count, and above all, letting your creativity shine.

Echoes of Less is More

In conclusion, the move towards a minimalist drum set is not about scarcity, but about honing in on what is truly necessary.

It's about the drummer, not the drums. It's about creating more by using less. By embracing this concept, you may find that a minimalist drum setup not only makes your gigging life easier, but improves you as a drummer.