How to setup and tune your drums
ARE YOU READY TO KICK-START YOUR DRUMMING?
# Simple and easy to follow
# One stop shop to get you up and running
# Learn from an expert musician who not only teaches but tours and performs with some of the finest musician’s on the scene today.
How you set up and tune your drums is just as important as the music you will play on them. You need to be sitting at the correct height and be able to comfortably play every drum and cymbal with the desired part of the stick, hand, elbow etc to create the sounds you want with fluidity and ease. The idea is that your musical ideas should flow through you and not be inhibited by any short falls with your instrument.
Tuning your drums is a large part of how you sound overall to both the musicians you are playing with and the audience. Your tuning will change depending on the style of music you are playing also, your set-up may vary depending on the musical style. You don't want to form bad habits with posture by having your back bent when playing as this can lead to much bigger problems further along the way. Remember your drums and cymbals will sound different when sitting behind them as opposed to sitting in the audience. All the best drummers out there today have really paid a lot of attention to the way their drums and cymbals sound and thus making them sound so great.
Your Instructor
From an early age Mark Lockett has been sharing his love of music as teacher, performer or composer.
Teacher
Mark graduated from Massey University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in Jazz performance. He has studied with known international performers and educators such as Henry Cole, Graham Morgan, Joe Morello, Ari Hoenig, John Riley, Jim Black, Andrew Gander, Felix Bloxman, Ben Vanderwal, Changuito to name a few.
Mark is the author of the The Drum Recipe and has taught 2000+ students in over 30 schools in New Zealand, Australia and USA.
Performer
As a musician Mark formed the “Mark Lockett Trio” and “Mark Lockett and friends”. He has played with some of the finest American, New Zealand, and Australian musicians such as George Garzone, Roy Hargrove, Joe Cohn, Joel Frahm, Orlando le Fleming, Danny Walsh, Ratzo Harris, Roger Manins, Michelle Nicole, Emma Gilmartin, Alison Wedding, Geoff Hughes, Mark Fitzgibbon and Jamie Oehlers (winner of the 2003 Montreux Jazz festival saxophone competition).
Composer
In 2004 Mark released his debut CD About Time featuring special arrangements by Jordan Murray and Eugene Ball. The following year saw the release of a joint project with saxophonist Paul Van Ross, titled Mark Lockett + Paul Van Ross live at Spleen. Mark has since released Now and Then, Sneaking Out After Midnight and Redaction which feature original tunes.