Drum Rings

Drum rings are just one way to control unwanted overtones and ringing from your drums. There are a few different kinds of rings you can use as well as many other methods of eliminating ringing. I’ll cover a few below and then be sure to watch the video to hear the differences for yourself. Remember though, that drums are supposed to ring somewhat. It’s called resonance and it’s your friend. You don’t want to completely kill the ringing.

Types of Rings

These rings, known as Remo’s Muff’L rings, fit underneath the drum head. A piece of plastic lays on the bearing edge and holds a piece of foam which eliminates a lot of ringing. Personally, I think these rings work too well. I’ve used the rings on my toms for years and they work good for recording, but it leaves the drum head dead. There is practically no resonance and the sensitivity is lacking.

Remo makes a plastic o ring that just lays on top of the drum head. They’re most commonly used on snare drums to eliminate unwanted buzzing. When you hit the snare, the drum rings bounce up slightly and falls back down on the head quickly killing any unwanted overtones.

Moon gel is another commonly used product. The sticky gel lays on top of your head and dampens the sound. It won’t leave sticky residue and it can be moved and reused many times.

You can also use a drum muffler to control the sound of your drums. The one above sits inside the snare drum shell and pushes up against the head. You can find many more at the link above.

You can shop here for drum rings or learn how to make your own below.



This video lets you hear how the muffles work on a tom drum. It will also show you how to make your own with an old piece of cloth. I’ve also seen people roll up a piece of tissue between masking tape and then tape it on the head towards the edge of the shell.

What Not To Do!!!

Whatever you do, do not use duct tape to muffle your drums. I’ve seen it done many times and it’s just a horrible idea. You sticks will break through the tape and get sticky residue all over them and be completely useless. If you feel that you absolutely must use duct tape, at least put it on the outside edges where you will not hit it, or even better, put it on the under side of your batter head. I know it’s cheaper than drum rings and it can work to some extent, but it’s not worth ruining your heads and sticks.



Return To Drum Shells.

New! Comments

Leave your comments below.