[snizzle]

Hey,

I'm looking for a good practice pad to use on my snare for silent practice. Any advice on bass drum and hihat pads to muffle the sound are welcome.
-shane

[Rainer.]

So mutes, not necessarily practice pads.

I really love the HQ practice stuff. The rubber on the practice pads are excellent, and I'd go to say that the mutes have a good feel, too. Mutes don't give truly silent practice, though, so it really depends on what you need.

[snizzle]

I'm in a townhome and my music room is pretty much the only room in the house that is adjacent to our neighbor. I need them to not know that there is a drumset next door.

I read an article about using mouse pads and those foam craft sheets to make practice pad/mufflers. I think i'm going to get a good practice pad to put on the snare drum that I can use elsewhere as needed, but I need the bass drum and hihat to be practically silent.
-shane

[Rainer.]

When you stick a mute on a drum, there is still a good bit of resonance from the drum. It keeps the real crack of the drum under control, but there is still a good thud that will happen if you're a heavy handed drummer. If you keep a light touch, you shouldn't have a problem.

For the snare drum, I'd say that you might as well just get a real good practice pad (I like RealFeels) to replace the drum for practice, not just something to put on top. Practice pads are good for working on your chops and rudiments as well, and the snare is your main drum, so you'll want a really accurate feel that a mute can't really give.

[snizzle]

I'm definitely heavy handed. I also read that taking off the bottom head (well, in this case the front of the bass drum) would help. It would make it less resonant, right?
-shane

[Rainer.]

Originally Posted by snizzle

I'm definitely heavy handed.

Great, so you're a difficult one.

Yes, it would make it less resonant. The sound you'll get then is sticks knocking against rubber. That sound can get pretty loud if you still play hard.