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How to Fill a Bass Drum

Filling a bass drum with different materials is called dampening. When a large bass drum is completely hollow, the sound can be displeasing to many modern drummers. To get a more customized sound from the bass drum, sound dampening techniques are used to change the resonance levels inside the drum. Experimenting with different materials is the best way to get a truly unique sound from a bass drum, but here are some ideas to start with.

Things You'll Need

  • Pillows
  • Blankets
  • Towels
  • Foam
  • Carpet squares
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a standard bed pillow in the drum head. Kick the pedal to test the sound. Try moving the pillow around inside the drum head, such as closer to the back head or closer to the front head.

    • 2

      Add a couple bath towels to offset any overdampening effects produced by the pillow. Kick the pedal and play with the arrangement of the towels. Listen for which placement the best sound comes from. If the drum still sounds too light, try adding a rug or carpet square to the bass drum.

    • 3

      Fold up one or more bed sheets or other thin linen material. This can be the icing on the cake of a really great-sounding bass drum.

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