In my many years of drumming, I’ve seen and played on many drum kits that have had either a pillow or blanket inside of the bass drum. If you’ve ever wondered why drummers do that, I’m gonna talk about that in this article.
Drummers put pillows or blankets in their bass drums because it removes the sustained sound certain bass drums have. In genres like rock or metal, the preferred bass drum sound is one that is staccato, or “punchy,” and putting a pillow in the bass drum is a cheap method of achieving such a sound.
Though this is an inexpensive solution, it isn’t a very elegant one, and sometimes, putting a pillow in your bass drum only solves half of the problem of trying to get a great bass drum sound. Here are some different ways of getting a punchy bass drum sound or, later in the article, a nice resonant bass drum sound.
Using a pillow or a blanket
Using a pillow or a blanket is a common and relatively effective way of muffling your bass drum. It’s common for bass drums to have a long sustained sound, especially if it’s a cheaper bass drum—although some bass drums are made to have a sustained sound.
If you’re playing jazz, then perhaps you should keep that sustained sound. But if you’re playing rock or metal, then you definitely want to muffle it. I can’t imagine how terrible it might sound to play double bass or even just bass drum licks with a very resonant bass drum.
If you have an extra pillow or blanket that you don’t think you’ll ever use again, then stick it in your bass drum. It’s important that the pillow or blanket it big enough such that it touches both heads of the bass drum, but not too large where it pushes, or even stretches, the drum heads out.
If the pillow is too small, then the muffling will be noticeable, but not as significant compared to a perfect sized pillow. If it’s too large, then it’ll ruin the sound of the bass drum, and maybe even decrease the life of the batter head.
Now doing this will improve the sound of the bass drum if all you’re looking for is a muffled sound. It’ll only improve the sound insofar as it’ll remove the sustain. That might sound obvious, but what might not be obvious is that the tone will stay pretty much exactly the same.
Putting a pillow in a bass drum to apologize for cheap bass drum heads isn’t really going to give you the sound you want. It will probably deliver on 75% of the sound you’re looking for. But in order to get a truly punchy bass drum, you’re going to have to buy the right bass drum head.
Using foam strips.
You can also use foam strips to mute the bass drum. You just attach them on the inside of the drum but still up against the head. You can put two strips, one for each side of the bass drum, up against both heads. This can be cheaper than buying a new drum head, as you can buy a pair of strips for around $20.
When I drummed in college, the kit I would play on actually had a foam strip on the outside of the drum on the batter head. It was the most frustrating thing because the foam strip would always detach and I would have to readjust it. The drum set was in a rehearsal room, so I wasn’t the only drummer who would use it and therefore couldn’t fix it.
I say this as a warning to you. Don’t just attach it to the outside. I know it’s easier and faster because you don’t have to open up your bass drum, but just do the extra work. You’ll never worry about it again, assuming you attach it right. Plus it’s actually easier to attach it on the inside because you have more surface area to work with rather than just the hoops of the bass drum.
Again, this is just another method of muffling a bass drum. But my preferred method of getting a muffled, and better, bass drum sound is picking out a good drum head.
Good drum heads for a punchy bass drum sound.
If you want a really good bass drum sound, then the two most important things are tuning and the batter head. Tuning is a topic of another article. As for the batter head, I’ll give you some recommendations that will give you the punchy sound you’re looking for.
| Brand | Drum Head | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Evans | EMAD2 Clear Bass Drum Head | $47 |
| Aquarian | Aquarian Drumheads Super-Kick II | $38 |
| Remo | Powerstroke P3 Clear | $27 |
| Remo | Pinstripe Clear Bass Drum Head | $38 |
These heads will you give you a staccato sound while also giving you a good tone. If you go the drum head route, as opposed to the pillow/blanket route, then don’t combine the two. It’s not necessary.
I would definitely recommend that you buy a drum head that gives you the sound that you want as opposed to just throwing a pillow in your bass drum. However, it’s undeniable that using a spare pillow is much cheaper than dropping $40 on a new drum head; it might even be free! So it’s important to weigh your options.
What if you want a resonant sounding bass drum?
If you’re a jazz drummer (or just not a metal drummer) then I’m sure you can appreciate a resonant sounding bass drum. Now it might be tempting to just leave your bass drum hollow (I.e., no pillow) if you already have bass drum with a sustained sound. But again, you’ll only have a nice resonant sounding bass drum to the extent that your bass drum is sustained. If your drum heads have a horrible tone to them, then you’re basically left with a poorly sustained sound.
If the tone is okay, then leave your bass drum as it is. But if you have cheap heads, a cheap sound, and if you’re looking for something better, then definitely go with a bass drum head that’ll give you the sound you’re looking for.
Excellent bass drum head for a resonant sound.
My pick for this would be the Remo Ambassador Coated bass drum head. It’s around $30, and it’ll give you a great overall sound. It’s not going to very punchy, and admittedly, it’s not going to have too long of a sustain. But it’ll give you a very controlled warm sound that is wildly versatile.
This is an overall excellent drum head that’ll work for many music genres. I personally am not rocking this head; I am using the Evans EMAD bass drum head instead. But this is a drum head that I wouldn’t mind putting on my bass drum, and also on my toms as well! The ambassador coated line of drum heads really delivers on a great sound all around the kit.
A side note on drum heads
You might notice that the drum heads I’m recommending fall into two categories: clear or coated. Clear heads generally have more attack on the higher end and are brighter, whereas coated heads tend to be more warm.
Clear heads tend to be more niche in the genres of music you can play, whereas coated heads tend to be more versatile. However, every head is different. So do you your research and pick according to the tone and sustain you’re looking for.
The heads I’m recommending are not necessarily the best heads, but rather I’m recommending heads that would be good if you’re looking for a punchy sound or a head that would be great if you’re looking for a more resonant sound, relatively speaking of course.
Conclusion
Placing a pillow in your a bass drum is actually a pretty effective way of muffling your drum. However, having a muffled sound is only one part of having a great sounding bass drum. If you already have decent sounding drum heads, then perhaps you can get away with just throwing a pillow in it, and calling it a day.
Whether or not you should put a pillow in your bass drum really comes down to the sound you’re looking for, and the current state of your drum heads. If you’re tight on a budget or already have heads that deliver a good tone but have too much sustain, then throw the pillow or blanket in it. If have cash to spend, then I would highly recommend buying a really good drum head if you don’t already have one.
Related Question
How can you muffle a bass drum? The two most common ways of muffling a bass drum are to put a pillow inside of it, or to buy a bass drum head that is made to sound punchy. Buying a head is usually the better choice as the head affects tone and sustain, whereas a pillow only affects the sustain.