X8 Drums Blog

A small nine year old is keeping the beat for his church’s band. While his father is a music teacher and show choir director, he plays piano instead of the drums. The nine year old, Blake Berkley, taught himself to play the drums by watching drummers in person and on video. Blake doesn’t even own a drum kit at home; he practices at the church and bangs out beats on various surfaces at home and school. In an interview for Midlothian Exchange, Blake said he likes drumming because it provides a bea …

Stacy Kovacs is almost famous. A recent interview with the self-proclaimed marching band dork was recently published on Auto Straddle. Stacy is the musical director of BatalaNYC, the all-women, New York City chapter of the global arts project called Batala. The band is an AfroBrazilian Drum Band that plays Samba Reggae. There are Batala bands all over the world and they wear the same clothing styles, play the same drums, use the same hand gestures, and play the same arrangements. Their drums are …

The brilliance of effects cymbals may begin with their shiny, metallic exteriors, but it certainly doesn’t end there. Effects cymbals are used to add a bit more panache to a song. They add sounds typically not producible with regular cymbals. What kind of music a drummer plays helps determine what kind of effects cymbals the drummer will want to use. Manufacturers of effects cymbals may add holes, bells, and other trinkets to their cymbals to give them even more variety in sound. How the cymbals …

A recent percussion performance at Al Bustan Palace Hotel in the Sultanate of Oman left everyone amazed. As reported by Muscat Daily, a musical troupe from India elicited a long standing ovation due to the transcendental quality of their harmonies. The troupe played the tabla, ghatam, mridangam, and khol drums and was accompanied by a flutist and singer. The tabla consists of two drums and is traditionally played in Hindustani music. The ghatam is an ancient Indian drum made of clay and the mrid …

Artists who take up drumming might find that they are in for a treat. Drum circles have become an international phenomenon for many reasons, one of which is their ability to tap into the creative spirit residing within all of us. Drum circles often bring together a wide variety of people, helping them feel connected in ways they may have overlooked outside of the circle. For this reason, drum circles have a reputation for expanding the consciousness of participants and bringing forth personality …

Musician and mechanic, Jordan Hill, has manufactured a drum kit from old car parts. Hot Rod magazine reports that it all began when Jordan was working on a car and his wrench accidentally hit a water pump pulley. Noting the beauty of the sound, Jordan began to check all broken car parts for their melodic qualities. When he found parts that sounded good, but weren’t defective, he scrounged junkyards with a wrench and chromatic tuner for an equivalent. The drum kit consists of manual transmission …

by Kalani Das, MT-BCPlaying an open tone on the conga drum may seem like a fairly simple task, but during my 30 years of playing and teaching, I've noticed such a wide variety of approaches, techniques, and sound quality that I thought I would share some recommendations with you to help you get the most out of your congas.If there was one piece of advice that I would give to any student, that would be a summary of what I hear the most experienced players and teachers telling their students. That …

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When thinking about bongos and the beginner, the situation may seem like a no-brainer. Many people may pick up a cheap set of bongos and call it a day. However, to develop a love for the instrument that is sure to stand the test of time, it is better to test a variety of drums. Bongos, like most drums these days, can be made from a variety of materials, all of which affect playing comfort and sound quality. The beginner who wants a fair shot at getting to know the bongos likely needs a set desig …

In Honduras, drumming has opened the way for HIV education. According to Time magazine, drums recently called out to the members of the Garifuna community in Central America and a crowd gathered to listen to the message. The musicians became street actors as more people stopped to listen to the drums and they were entertained and educated by a mock trial for HIV. This group of people has the highest percentage of HIV positive people in the western hemisphere and some members of the community put …