Ask an Expert: Archive

Q: What kind of damage does playing in the rain do to marching percussion? How should wet battery equipment be cared for? Do I necessarily have to change the heads after a rain performance?

Answers:
The potential for water damage in marching percussion is really twofold: Shells/Hardware and Heads.

Rain can do damage to the shells (warping) especially if it is an unwrapped finish. The stained finishes, that are so popular now, are at greater shell risk than the wrapped finish drums were. The manufacturers take care to seal the shells, but the seal can break down over time. Thoroughly dry the shells with a towel (including the inside of the tenor shells) as soon as the drums are in a dry place. Hardware is another potential problem if the drums are not dried when they are stored. The longer the water sits on the metal hardware (especially the threads of the tuning rods) the greater the potential for rust and tension related failures (like tension rod or lug stripping). If you use metal washers on the tension rods against the rim, rust can occur between the rod and rim that makes the tension uneven and negatively affects tuning. Throughly dry the hardware with a towel or paper towel (because of grease) before storing the drums (especially in cases).

The drumheads are another matter entirely. Different materials respond to moisture differently. In my experience, Kevlar (batter and snare) and the smooth white bass drum heads stand up to water better to rain than most tenor heads. If there is a tremendous downpour, I might have to change the Kevlar heads if they sound like they are waterlogged. Although all are very weather resistant, in my experience the Remo Falams have a higher tolerance to water than the White Max or Cyber Max. The biggest damage to the smooth white bass heads tends to be the glue in the hoop. Sometimes we would experience bass drum heads pulling out of the channel in the upper (higher tension) bass heads after rainy weather. The tenor heads tend to be more vulnerable to retaining water and "deadening" the tone. I usually replaced all my tenor heads when they were out in the rain. We might practice with the "rained on" heads the next day, but we replaced all of the tenor heads before the next show.

Hope this helps...

Jeff Moore

When we are on the road, I try to keep the drums as dry as possible.
When the rain hits, we get out of it. I know that everyone does not
have that luxury. Rain should not hurt the drums that much. Drum
covers will definitely help. The heads on the other hand will need more
attention. The biggest problem will be the tenor and bass heads. The
snare heads, assuming they are kevlar, should be the least of your
problems. Heads will go dead after they are wet. Some worse than
others. If you have new heads to change...this is obviously the best
thing to do. If you do not have plenty of extra heads...dry them as
soon as possible. You do not want water to set there in the rims.
I am a stickler on the battery having the best sound quality as
possible by staying in tune. In a perfect world...change the heads.

Good Luck...

Scott Johnson

Unfortunately, there are times where performing in the rain is inevitable in the marching percussion medium. To me the most obvious damage occurs to the sticks and mallets. The beads on wooden sticks tend to swell, chip, and fray. This impacts the sound production and longevity of the sticks. They’ll need to be replaced much sooner than sticks that are not exposed to rain. One alternative is to use nylon beads if this is a persistent problem. The nylon tip sticks sound different and play differently, but the tradeoff may be worth it if you encounter a considerable amount of rain, or moisture, frequently.

Felt mallets and wrapped keyboard mallets also get damaged rather easily when exposed to rain. At UMass we try to save our older mallets and keep them for use as “rain mallets”. This might help you save on unnecessary wear and tear to your good mallets.

After any rehearsal or performance in the rain make certain all the drums are wiped clean and dried before storing them. This will minimize any warping of the shells and rusting of the metal parts on the drum. Also, make certain to remove all moisture from the snares and snare unit before storage. If you encounter a rehearsal or performance where you know rain is a possibility (or a certainty), you may consider wrapping the drums in trash bags. This may sound silly, but it does protect the equipment from excessive exposure to water.

The front ensemble equipment is also a concern. Get tarps to cover the instruments until it’s absolutely necessary to remove them for playing. If the equipment does get wet, make sure everything is wiped dry before storage. I’d also suggest that the vibraphones and bells not be exposed to rain if at all possible. You’ll need to make the call, but sometimes it’s better to do without in order to ensure the longevity of the instruments.

If you take the precautionary steps mentioned above, and act responsibly about caring for the instruments it should not be necessary to change heads after a rain performance. Of course, the condition of the drum head will also impact your decision about the need to change a head.

Hoping this helps. Good luck!

Thomas P. Hannum