Have you ever wished your drum kit was just a little quieter—whether for your own ears, your neighbors, or the rest of your household? Of course, drums are naturally loud, but there are ways to bring the volume down without sacrificing your ability to practice effectively. Which in the end, is the important part of drumming.
In this post, I’ll walk you through several practical solutions to control your drum volume on a budget so you can keep your technique sharp.
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If you’re struggling with loud drums, you’re not alone. Whether it’s about soundproofing a room, dampening your drumheads, or even building a dedicated practice setup, I’ve got you covered. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear action plan to make your drums quieter without compromising your drumming experience.
Let’s start with the simplest solution: If the drums are too loud for yourself, as you play, a pair of earplugs or noise-reducing headphones will help protect your hearing and make your playing more comfortable. But if the problem is noise traveling through walls, floors, or ceilings, then soundproofing is the next step.
Drum vibrations travel, so start by placing your kit on the thickest carpet possible, without causing unstable stands, with too much wobble, or movement with the stands and other hardware. If your practice space has hard walls, adding rugs, curtains, or acoustic foam to the walls will help absorb some of the sound and prevent it from spreading as far.
And if you have wooden floors, then add as much dampening as possible. You could also double up and get yourself a five to ten-millimeter sheet of rubber to lay on the floor. And then add some carpet over that to help cushion the sound.
Next, let’s talk about dampening your drums. If a simple strip of gaffer tape on your drumheads doesn’t cut it, try drum mute pads. These rubber pads sit on top of your heads and cymbals, significantly reducing volume while allowing you to practice with the same setup. Another option is to fit a set of mesh drumheads, which provide a realistic playing feel, (or so they say), at a fraction of the volume.
The most drastic I went with reducing the drums themselves was to place a towel over each drum and gaffer tape it so it wouldn’t move. I also taped towels to the cymbals to reduce the volume.
If noise is still an issue, consider building a dedicated practice kit. I once built one using wood with rubber pads glued to the tops. It didn’t sound like a real drum set, but it allowed me to practice rhythms, develop control, and play along with a metronome without disturbing anyone. Mostly!
And of course, this is where vibration becomes the annoyance and not just the sheer volume of a drum kit.
The key is to treat drumming as a mathematical process—focusing on precision and control rather than volume. Or even sound quality. Drumming is a rhythmic game when it comes to practicing new beats, going through exercise books, and the like. So do whatever it takes to enable you to keep practicing the rhythmic coordination side of drumming.
And of course, if you’re looking for a low-noise alternative, electronic drum kits are a great option. With adjustable volume and headphone capability, they allow you to practice quietly at any time of day. Either with the electronics on or off. I personally used to practice for many hours on an electronic kit with the module unplugged altogether.
But again, remember when the kit is sufficiently dampened, that vibrations can become the problem. Especially the bass drum pedal, which may vibrate through the floor.
So, whether you go with soundproofing, dampening, or a practice kit, there are plenty of ways to keep the noise down while keeping your skills sharp.
Lastly, take note that the sound of drums is affected by the surrounding furniture in the room. Curtains, pillows, carpets, etc. So try to use those kinds of environments to practice. Unless of course, you need to take more drastic actions as we have suggested above. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the kit sounds like when you are practicing. For the most part at least.
Speaking of electronic drum kits—are they really a good way to learn the drums? In the next post, we’ll expand on this topic and explore whether you can truly develop solid drumming skills using an electronic kit. Make sure to check it out, and let’s keep developing!
Bye for now.
