X8 Drums Blog

Drumming is more than just keeping a steady beat and rhythm for the benefit of the other instruments and musicians in a band, drumming is able to elicit an emotional response to the music, much in the same manner as a guitar, bass, piano or any other instrument. It is this subtle ability of drumming to both motivate and draw attention to important phrases in the music, lyrics or punctuate the end of a song that is often overlooked. Without the use of drums within a song, the overall ton …

The effortless splendor of a cymbal produces a complex range of tones and resonance that adds to the emotion and spirit of a song.  Whether a crash, splash, hi-hat or ride, the cymbal has a dynamic ability to change the tone of a song to fit a specific genre or style of music.  For musicians and percussionists looking to add a little more action to the cymbal sound, the Sizzle cymbal brings a unique flavor and tone to a studio, stage or garage performance. Sizzle cymbals …

STEM education is everywhere right now, creating what is hoped to be a path toward better living and excellence for all students. STEM is “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” all concepts that are important for everyone to learn. Unfortunately, there are plenty of times when STEM education goals take away from music programs, literature studies and the arts in general. As adults, plenty of us made it through school learning STEM principles, and once we were done with school, we sta …

Like snowflakes, there are no two drum sticks that are exactly alike, and odd concept when you consider that they generally come in pairs. They’re pretty close to being exactly the same, unless we’re talking about plastic or sticks that aren’t made from some type of solid wood … which we aren’t… we’re talking about those prized wooden drum sticks that are the go-to objects for all great drummers. Suffice it to say that there are no two wooden drum sticks that are alike, just like snowf …

At some point in your life, you may have overheard or told by someone that you didn’t have any rhythm. Maybe you were dancing or air drumming, or just tapping your foot along to your favorite song. Those words probably threw you off, and you realized how your heart hurt at hearing them; your heart, the center of your emotions and the center of your body. Suddenly, that rhythm you had, even if not perfect, became scattered… floating around in your awareness, with the memory of those words p …

Too often, the “look” of a drummer is that of a sweaty, shirtless rocker behind a ginormous drum set with double bass pedals and octopus arms hammering away. Or, there’s the laid back jazz drummer with a hi-hat, drum brushes, cool hat and sunglasses. But, when you think about a country music drummer, that image might be a little bit blurry, unless you’re playing in a country band or a fan of country music. Even then, there’s not a lot of country music drummer hype, or so it can seem, when …

There’s a certain vibe that can only come from jazz drumming: laid back, cool, maybe a little crazy, but in a different way than those other “crazy” styles of drumming. When most people picture jazz drumming, images of a sunglasses-clad drummer nodding away to a backbeat are pretty common. That backbeat itself is laid-back, cool… and a little different, too… especially when you realize that crazy cat drummer is using a brush instead of a drum stick on their hi-hat or swishing it around on …

Drumming is full of triumphs and tribulations, from the moment you pick up your first pair of drum sticks until that final day when you hand your sticks off to the next generation to become a legend. Just when you think you’ve mastered that slick solo you’ve been working on for months and are ready to show off your moves to friends, you hear the heart-crushing sound of a cymbal gone wrong. Somehow, that “indestructible” metal instrument has been cracked, chipped, split or just plain bro …

Social anxiety is a problem we all face from time to time. It can rear its head in a “stage fright” manner, or in the total avoidance of any public situation. If you’ve ever had butterflies before a first date, an interview or before heading off to college, you’ve had a taste of social anxiety. Others may experience a more panicked state than just a fluttery stomach when faced with social situations, and the thought of even a friendly drum circle is enough to send them back to bed.We know, …

Drummers all have one thing in common: we love exploring the sound of percussion. That’s why we always want more drums, cymbals and why we love accent percussion. We covet our case full of drum sticks, mallets and brushes, and we cannot wait each year for the latest bass pedal release. We are always evolving our skills, our “sound” and the next iteration our ultimate drum set.Drum sets, for some, can be limiting. Sure, there are thousands of different snare drums, bass drums and all of the …