what drum heads did john bonham use

There is something holy, or unholy about Bonham's playing, whatever it was, it transcended time, and was completely immortal. His collaboration with Promuco resulted in the creation of the John Bonham Signature Drumstick, which remains one of the most popular drumsticks on the market today. 1. The drum was made from a single piece of wood, with the head and tail glued to the body. 7b, was also an exercise in self control. I'll post pix when it's done. Watch Five Of John Bonhams Epic Drum Moments, Intro To Bonzo: Highlights From Led Zeppelins Debut, Ambient Microphones And Tea Towels: Sound Library Secrets. The two different muscle groups I had developed altered my footing position entirely, and what I now play is Bonham's heel-toe technique. What about Kashmir. I also know because I can play it. Another good way too practice is too play his hand movements on one drum, or practice pad even. ), but I have essentially picked upthe banner he oncecarried, and seek to carry tountil my death. Best drum heads for recording - DRUM! Magazine It was his dexterity, his touch that seemed to intuitively know how to find the power points on each drum.. The oldest publis, This fall, historian Timothy Snyder is teaching a course at Yale University called The Making of Mod, The twenty-first century encourages us to regard ourselves as having evolved beyond heroes,to say, When considering whether to buy yet another book, you might well ask yourself when youll get, Were hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. Is there anything in particular you would like to know? Here is a great example of his speed and nimbleness around the kit at 5:16, and his incredible foot speed at 5:26. Instead, he achieved his powerful stroke with the use of his wrists. coles ribbons I think. Just need a few more tweaks here and there. Its important to note that throughout the evolution of Bonhams various kits, he always remained unwaveringly faithful to his Supraphonic 402 snare drums in all performance settings. Bonham particularly relied on sixtuplets at the sixteenth note level six notes in the place of four to provide a basis for most fill material. Use This means having the keenest sense of awareness for things such as the slight difference of inflection between any two strokes, the timeliness of a note in the context of the phrase it belongs to, and the natural ebb and flow of tempo throughout the course of a song (this is before the days of the almighty click). How hands on was he? Bonham had light in his wrists and feet. all paiste 2002 series. From the very beginning, Bonhams powerful and explosive drumming style was a defining characteristic of the bands sound. One of the questions that many drummers and Led Zeppelin fans have is: what drumsticks did John Bonham use? Most of the pics I have seen indicate Big R, but who's to say he did not use the earlier Supreme model as well as this was the one he used through his Vistalite era. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. What Drums Did The result was a stick that was designed to generate a loud and powerful sound, just like the sound that Bonham had become famous for. This could also explain Bonhams preference for an unported front bass drumhead. Once mastered, it has the potential to add considerable texture to a phrase, not to mention the unusual effect of making it sound like there are more drums playing than there really are. Anyway, WELCOME to the board, this is a great place to be! I think you've Dropboxd Chad Smith's version which he performed at Bonzo Bash a while back and was the standout cover for me. . Seriously, listen to footage of Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Max Roach, and the likes of those types. In addition to this he played many different types of guitar, including a Gibson Les Paul, a Fender Stratocaster, an Epiphone ES-335 and an Ampeg SVT-1. Custom Speed King Pedal In Red/Silver Finish Bonzoleum on Youtube is a very interesting guy and I think very knowledgable about Bonham in both playing and equipment. For example, you can search all of our electronic drum set reviews, or you can search by an individual brand such as Roland. He first rose to fame in the nineteen-seventies, a proc, Early cookbooks were fit for kings, writes Henry Notaker at The Atlantic. . Same goes with the sound he got live. The reason for this is that the popularity of the hat was due to the fact that it was comfortable and looked good on the wearer. Rather than kicking down the toes, you are pivoting your toes down from the ankle, which doesn't give you as much speed or power but provides a nice warm tone as it allows the beater of the kick drum pedal to essentially bounce off the skin of the bass drum, allowing for resonance and tone. But the other two options will get you close. "It wasn't a hugekit, but it was phenomenally loud. If you look closely at these shots you can see his hi-hats bopping up and down which is what he did during Moby Dick. There was the new Memriloc stand, with the new arrangement on the center tube along with the wide footboard. According to Rolling Stone, he was on a medication for anxiety and depression at this time. The best example of Johns speed is the end of Dazed and Confused (from The Song Remains The Same). 2a). The stick was made from hickory, a dense and durable wood that is widely used in drumstick manufacture, and featured a larger than average diameter and a longer than average length. The subliminal effect of every drummers influences can be enormous, and Bonham learned much of his initial technique by observing the styles of two early giants of swing, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. Hi I'm new here, was wondering Rover if u could explain the drum solo at the end of rock and roll( the song remains the same) just when I thought I was getting better and had learned the studio version along comes bonzo and rips it up, it's the bit after the herta that has me confused its just insanely powerful. The lower tuned you have the drums, the more resistance you get when striking them. Anyway, the galloping rhythm is what really makes this song, equalled with the strong, and consistent back beat - two things I eventually got down, and couple that with my newfound wrist and kick strength, I am now fully able to appreciate and play this song as it should be done. John Bonham consumed 40 shots of vodka Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images The rock 'n' roll life started to get to Bonham and he turned to alcohol to cope (via Louder Sound ). John Bonhams drumming journey began at the age of five, when he first started playing on pots and pans in his familys kitchen. What drum set did Nirvana use? It all begins with the triplet, the thump-pe-da, thump-pe-da, thump-pe-da rhythm the Led Zeppelin drummer plays on every piece of the kit. His shuffling, behind-the-beat style and heavy-hitting, high-speed fills inspired many would-be drummers to get behind their own The next one is in my opinion, one of the hardest John Bonham fills to execute of all time, and it is the same as the former drum fill, but is repeated 4 times in succession, and that comes in at 5:27, even I struggle to play that correctly at that tempo. My Studio. JOHN BONHAM'S BASS DRUM SOUND ** THE RITCHIE RING In Ex. Bonham used felt strips to round out the sound of his bass drum and used a Speed King pedal. Bonham used Rogers hardware for his cymbal stands, and even custom mounted his rack tom with a Rogers mount and snare stand on his maple kit. I'd find Primus' Tim Alexander to be a good example of someone who uses the drier kick drum sound with imagination and variation. Bonham used Primoco sticks, custom made for him. You've highlighted some of the simple aspects that truly were the secrets to his sound. That was his word and I knew exactly what he meant by 'frudge'." Awesome picture! And words are hard to describeI would rather demonstrate on my drums!!! It is only in recent times that I have found the confidence and the ability to play this mighty beast, and attempt to do it justice. 5c, making appearances in Black Dog, Kashmir, Since Ive Been Loving You, The Ocean, Good Times Bad Times, For Your Life, and too many more to count. I admire your dedication. If you dont have a 15, a 12 will work just as well, though you may have to tune them down a notch or two in order to achieve the same sound. Hello. John Bonhams Isolated Drum Track For Led Zeppelins Fool in the Rain, Isolated Drum Tracks From Six of Rocks Greatest: Bonham, Moon, Peart, Copeland, Grohl & Starr, Jimmy Page Tells the Story of Kashmir, Josh Jonesis a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. 5a is a delight to playthe kind of phrase that feels like it was meant to be. advises only the most creative and frugal application, so as not to be known as the drummer that always plays all those Bonham licks. The build is proper to what Bonham used in the 1970s. Although there were some interesting recording techniques used, the sound still came from the drummer. We can also witness the sheer speed of his wrists with his machine gun drum rolls at 6:48. What drum heads did John Bonham use? What it does is make the whole drum shell explode with sound as you hit the snare skin as well. If youre looking for something a little more aggressive, you can go for a set of 12- and 15-pounders. In the context of anyone elses music these phrases might even be thought of almost along the lines of a literal quote. Good posture can help you , As a drummer, you may find yourself in situations where you need to play quietly without disturbing your neighbours or , Website designed and built by Hello Storm Creative. 5d). An often overlooked aspect of Bonhams considerable talents was his frequent use of ghost notes to accentuate his feel and add subtle texture to a groove. A natural tendency among drummers is to emphasize the right hand with the addition of the right foot. Pasted as rich text. These drums were always outfitted with Remo coated Emperor heads on the batter side and coated Ambassadors on the resonant side. There is some debate about the exact type of drumsticks that Bonham used during his time with Led Zeppelin, but most sources agree that he was using sticks that were significantly larger than the standard 7A drumsticks that were commonly used by drummers at the time. Because after all, to become a master one must study a master. Either way, this song is hands down one of Bonham's greatest compositions as a drummer, and is completely peerless in it's execution. At the 4:36 mark we get a glimpse of Johns concentration, he is definitely in the zone, and as you can see, sweating and working very hard. did I know John Henry used a Rogers hihat stand, but which one? John Bonham. Bonhams drum kit One about 3-4 feet above the snare drum pointed at the snare. Its true that a conscious effort to play behind the beat will almost certainly lack the subtlety of Bonhams groove. I think I'm going to get one of these too. Don't let the beater lay on the head when you are playing. This had been the standard rock drum kit in Britian, for those who could afford one, since Ringo Starr had swapped to Ludwig from the British brand Premier in 1963. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Ah, that about clinches it -- thanks again, everyone. Wed recommend a Ludwig LM402 Supraphonic 6.5-inch x 14-inch aluminum snare or an equivalent drum of the same size. There are a couple of moves that Bonham never quite seemed to tire of. What Type of Snare Wires Did Bonham Use? - [DFO] Drum Forum For that solo at the end of Rock and Roll try practicing your one handed buzz rolls. The main concept behind Bonhams tuning strategy was that he tensioned the resonant heads tighter than the batter heads. Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks once recalled visiting Bonham at his home and seeing him sit down at a miniature drum kit he kept around the house. The other band members repeatedly comment on how loud Bonzo was. Hed been playing drums for so long, it had become second nature to him. An autopsy found no other recreational drugs in Bonhams body. The plastic used for timpani heads is the same plastic used for other non-coated drum heads, so it would be like playing a 26 or 28 bass drum with drumsticks. The sound projected farther. John bonham often wore a bowler hat. John Bonham and his Timpani's WebBonham sets out the scaffolding for Pages complex phrasing, sometimes creating a push-pull effect that heightens a songs tension at its core. (snares, toms, etc. So he decided to take a step back and look at what he needed to do to become a better drummer. Bonhams input on Kashmir went beyond the drums; it was apparently he that conceived of the main riff, a three-over-two polyrhythm (also called a hemiola) between himself and the other instruments. I find that I prefer John Bonham's live playing much more than the studio stuff. Did he use any moon gel or stuff a duvet into the bass drum? Check out our ultimate beginners guide to drumming in 2023. Haha. Note the fast single-stroke roll that goes from fast to slow. Bonham used Rogers hardware for his cymbal stands, and even custom mounted his rack tom with a Rogers mount and snare stand on his maple kit. He only used them for the rest of his career after that. As much as Bonham enjoyed the funky syncopation of Good Times Bad Times and Over The Hills And Far Away, he would sometimes take the complete opposite approach, and the results were always stunning. Bonzo used these a lot obviously. It is a "circle" of movement , or motion. Bonhams massive performance on When The Levee Breaks hits a pinnacle when he unleashes this fill at 5:25 in all its majestic glory (Ex. It wasn't until I noticed this that then began trying to learn by playing heal down, and it sounded a lot closer to the sound Bonham would get from his bass drum, but I realised that I was struggling to play with as much speed and attack this way. Ive always been a big fan of the 60s and 70s, Dave . This is at odds with the dry thuddy kick drum sound which tends to be more popular for rock and metal drummers. Youll need a pair of 15s to get the most out of them. At one time I thought this was tape noise, but Im convinced its John making the sound of water bursting through a small hole. For the skins, put on a double-ply coated batter head and a standard snare-side head. Bonham used 42 strand snares on his snare drums. 6b). We had actually gone in to try on a fresh occasion and he just picked up the four sticks and that was it. It is easy to see his jazz/swing influences such as Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and Joe Morello. Bonham provides similar subtleties in the stately grooves on Ten Years Gone, one album later (Ex. Bonham sets out the scaffolding for Pages complex phrasing, sometimes creating a push-pull effect that heightens a songs tension at its core. In the 1990 MTV documentary, John Paul Jones sums it up, saying that Bonzo had all these subtle colours going on, and that this is why so many other drummers trying to copy Bonzo never got it right. In fact, they werent very popular at all until the 1950s. While there seems to be no general consensus on exactly how much tighter, the fact that the batter heads were tensioned rather tight themselves indicates that the resonant heads probably werent much higher than the batters. The first thing that Page did was to stop playing the drums altogether. Heres Everything You Should Know, How To Play Staccato Piano? Hard hitting, hard living and hard to imitate, John Bonhams mark on modern drumming cannot be overstated. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of players began to experiment with different types of drums. Hell, I'm 38 years oldyou've been playing my whole life. Simple yet genius. In other words, the right hand is moving, the left hand is moving, the left foot is moving, the right foot is moving. Bang It Like Bonzo: How to Get John Bonhams Sound Anybody got an appropriate clutch? John Bonham once explained his own drumming style Tyler Golsen Sat 29th Jan 2022 16.30 GMT When it comes to the most influential drummers in the history of rock and roll, no one can hold a candle to John Bonham. Bonham's Rogers Hihat stand -- which one i played a show Friday and i used the other drummers kit, i was only a bloody Ludwig vistalite! Bonham mostly used remo drumheads. What Drum The elegantly crafted fill in the second bar is unique to even view on paper, mixing crisp singles with gently executed doubles, telling a story with its accents and ghost notes. So he copied those fast beats on only *one* kick drum. The set was eventually bought by British drummer Robin Melville, who lives in Cumbria. These asynchronous passages can prove daunting for accomplished drummers. 1e, also taken from How The West Was Won, Bonham playfully takes an idea, plays it in triplet mode (x), waits a phrase, and then reinterprets it by straightening it out (y). In his early bands, A Way of Life and Band of Joy, he played a four piece Ludwig kit in Sparkle Green (Ludwig finish number 2004). Page knew that he had a lot of work ahead of him before he could be considered a top drummer in the world. However the main reason, in my humble opinion is to "complete the circle" as I like to call it. In fact, DRUM! Furthermore, engineer Eddie Kramer once recalled a mere tap of his finger eliciting a timpani-like resonance from Bonhams front bass drumhead during a session for Houses Of The Holy. He used the Emperor and Ambassador drumheads for batter toms and bass drums. But the heart of Bonhams distinctive drumming has to do with the unusual dynamic he had with Jimmy Page. Heads: Remo Coated Emperor on the batter head; Coated Ambassador on the resonant (he may have also used a Diplomat on the snare at some point) On his vistalites, he used a clear CS Though us lesser mortal men are able to learn and de-construct his tracks so thatwe may play them accurately, and with his spirit, we still can not even hope to come close to what that demi-god of a man achieved in his short time here on Earth. 2. He was a drummer where feel came first, time second. For my DW Brass snare, I've wrestled with various batter heads. Bonhams setup is one of the most widely documented (and employed) configurations in the history of rock. His foot I imagine sat the same as mine on the pedal; neither heel up, nor heel down, rather resting at the centre of the pedal board sort of floating. From a physics standpoint your wrists, hands, etc. Display as a link instead, That Slingerland Kit was super cool, it was a green sparkle 22x14, 9x13, 16x16. I have everything I need at this point, including a Vintage 14x26 SS marching shell, that has been refitted to take classic lugs (it had Mach lugs). John was introduced to Ludwig drums by Carmine Appice, who was a friend of his in Led Zeppelin. So began my lifelong devotion to a newfound master, who's playing was not only raw power and creativity, but subtlety as well, and he really could push and pull the feel of each song like he was truly in control, and a leader in his own right, but I digress. But of course, being Bonzo, you can never foretell when he'd do this, because as the other bandmembers often said, it's what he did and what he didn't do which made him so unique. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between. Ive always liked drums to be bright and powerful, Bonham said in a 1973 interview. Ive never used cymbals much. I use them to crash into a solo and out of it, but basically I prefer the actual drum sound. Although well known for his unmatched power, Bonham also took pride in his ability to lay down a solid groove. The John Bonham Signature Edition drumstick is a tribute to the legendary drummers legacy. As you study these very specific elements of style, it is of supreme importance that you remain fully aware that these technicalities are capable of taking you only half way. As he began to play more seriously, he started using proper drumsticks, although the specifics of the sticks he used in his early years are not well documented. Hope this adds to the discussion. "Four Sticks", I remember, we tried that on numerous occasions and it didn't come off until the day Bonzo who was just playing with two sticks on it and we tried all different things, then one day he picked up two sets of sticks, so he had four sticks, and we did it. The subdued sophistication of the groove at 1:02 could not be more understated, with its ghosted singles and doubles complements of the left hand. Were hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. Drum We hear this in Kashmir, where Bonham plays a standard 4/4 beat while Page and the string section play in 3/4 time. I even did a drum cover of this recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0jru1P9BW8, I will post some other songs shortly, but I'm high right now and don't have the mental capacity tothink too critically. But yeah, you're right on the money with that. Generally, this was Bonham's complete set up (even though it can be found on the internet widely): 6.5"x14" Ludwig LM402 Supraphonic Snare Drum, 10x14" (or 12"x14" [on his Maple drums] or 12"x15" [on his Stainless Steel drums] Rack Tom, 14"x26" Bass Drum (he used two of these for a few shows), Paiste Giant Beat Multipurpose 18" Cymbal, Paiste Giant Beat Multipurpose 20" Cymbal, Paiste Giant Beat Multipurpose 24" Cymbal, [He used another 18" {I think} for when he occasionally used 2 bass drums], Paiste 2002 18" Medium Crash (He used a second one from 1979-1980), Cowbell (made by Paiste according to Bonham's drum tech). Amusingly, he introduces this massive statement with its own shorter, introductory fill. Cymbals are available in a wide variety of sizes and colors, and are a great addition to any drummers collection. Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. Beginning looked promissing. If you dont have a lot of toms in your setup, youll want to have at least two. We thank you! Normally, a drummer will lock in with the bass player, providing a solid foundation for the guitars and vocals to stand on. Thanks guys! That photo is great! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEKkJHSO8A0. Its important to find easy songs to play on drums for beginners who are just starting out. One of the key aspects of his playing was his use of larger drumsticks, which he used to generate a louder and more thunderous sound. However I have been playing the drums for roughly 38 years, and I started out wanting to be like him at the age of 5. There have been fierce debates as to whether it is has been sped up, but I can assure it has not. Remo drums were also used on many of his songs, such as Aint No Mountain High Enough and Dont Stop Believin'. Finally, as mentioned above, Bonzo didn't just hit the snare on the 3rd beat (in 4/4 time). Thank you for your comment, I enjoy playing and learning more every day. (Check This First), How To Play A China Cymbal? Not often we get in-depth discussion about technique and drum tuning (the latter is a dark art which took me years to learn). I tune it to the same key, but I'm not sure what that key is yet, I just know it by ear haha. COOL!!! Bonham himself learned the technique from some of the most furious drummers in jazz, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, as the narrator explains in the video above, What Makes John Bonham Such a Good Drummer?. You can't get these, but I believe the sticks matched a 5B hickory pair. 3d at the end of this fill. The finale of In The Light is another example of inventive fills and flourishes. These will give you a bit more bite, but theyre not as forgiving as the 12s. He creates a similar effect in the live version of Since Ive Been Loving You (Ex. Clear editor. When using the transparent Vistalite drum kit, Bonham used Remo Controlled Sound drum heads (AKA 'CS' or 'black dot') which are single-ply but have a reinforced circle in the middle. He would also use the Ludwig equivalent 'silver dot' heads. These were used because like the rest of the kit, they were see-through. The Big R stand didn't come out until the early 70s, and maybe he switched to the newer model. We never spam. Forget Ginger Baker..a great drummer, but if Bonzo wanted to go that route, eventually, he could do it. The most famous of these players was the legendary John Bonham, who was a member of the band The Who. Most of us can recite it in our sleep by now: Ludwig drums 14 x 10 rack tom, 16 x 16 and 18 x 16 floor toms, 26 x 14 kick, and the legendary LM402 14 x 6.5 Supraphonic snare drum; Paiste cymbals, Giant Beat and 2002 combined 15 Sound Edge hi-hats, 16, 18, 20 crashes and crash/rides, 24 ride, and a 38 symphonic gong; all topped off with a squeaky Speed King pedal and a ching-ring tambourine mounted on his hi-hat stand. Despite Bonhams occasionally Viking-like appearance, he was capable of phenomenal sensitivity on his instrument. What Makes John Bonham Such a Good Drummer? A New Video