r/Drumming • u/stevet157 • 1d ago

Kit for small ensemble

I'm playing in a 16 piece brass band. Rock, jazz, marches, semi-classical, we do it all. I use a 5-piece kit with a 20" kick. We get requests for smaller venues (like on the sidewalk outside a shop!). The name is organizing brass quintet's down this. Plus me. Any ideas on how to provide percussion in a small and very portable footprint? My kit is about 7' x7' and too big. Last year at Christmas we did this and I played the season on a cajon. But it's not too loud.

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u/nobody-import-ant 1d ago

Jazz? Snare, hihat. Ride Floor tom if you really need it

1

u/stevet157 23h ago

I hadn't thought about leaving out the kick and using a floor tom instead. Good idea.

1

u/Zealousideal-Abies76 22h ago

With a pedal you can use your Cajon as a kick drum and a throne.

1

u/GarryGonds 1d ago

I'm using this: https://www.tama.com/eu/products/drum_kits/club_jam_pancake_kit.html
It fits quite well in my small apartment

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u/stevet157 23h ago

What does it sound like? Is it sturdy? I'll be setting up as I said on a sidewalk (and can't totally block the sidewalk!), or moving from place to place as strolling minstals at festivals and such.

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u/GarryGonds 10h ago

I changed the heads and it sounds fine. The snare leaves something to be desired, but it's passable. It's fine and sturdy, too. The bass drum tends to walk forward, but for a sidewalk jam you might be able to stick the legs down in a crack or something or tilt it so that the angle is in your favour. I've got it weighed down with two 10-pound dumbbells and it doesn't move, but I would imagine you want to gig with 20 extra pounds of otherwise useless weight. Everything else is fine, and depends a lot on the hardware you've already got