Easy ways to add a Cowbell to your Drum set
by Raymond Massey
Welcome to Pearl's Tech Speak column and thank you for visiting.
In this edition, we'll examine cowbells and focus in on their various sounds, how they can be incorporated into your set-up, and how they can be utilized in your playing.
Of course the purpose of this is to sell more cowbells…Pearl cowbells. We recently changed the name of our cowbells from Afro to Pearl and improved them considerably using argon welding for super clean welds, making them drier for drum set use, while keeping prices very affordable. If you aren't already using a cowbell read on, you may find a reason or two to incorporate one in your playing. If you're already using cowbells, check the new Pearl cowbells, we're confident that you'll like them!
Cowbell Sizes
Cowbells typically range in size from approximately 4" to 9" inches in length and are usually identified by names such as "Chico," "Cha-Cha," "Mambo," "Timbale," and "Rock" indicating the application and size (from smallest to largest respectively).
Sound
Size influences the pitch of the bell: smaller = higher; larger = lower. Bells of the same length can differ in pitch by the size and shape of the "mouth" or opening of the bell. All things being equal, cowbells made from thinner material will have a lower pitch than an identical bell made from thicker material. All Pearl cowbells come equipped from the factory with a muffle strip built-in for the proper amount of ring control.
Construction
Typical cowbells are welded using welding rods that add foreign material to the bells. Pearl bells, on the other hand, are argon welded, a process that fuses the metal to itself with intense heat to produce the cleanest possible weld. Argon welding assures the finest sound quality and consistency of pitch from bell to bell.
Adding Cowbells to Your Kit
Pearl offers a variety of cowbell holders for virtually infinite cowbell/accessory mounting options.
1) 75H Hoop Clamp
The hoop clamp is the most traditional way to add a bell to your kit. The Pearl 75H hoop mounted cowbell holder features rubber-coated jaws for secure grip and hoop protection. The Pearl ECB-6 Mambo (pictured) is a great general-purpose bell.
2) 75X Tilting Post
The Pearl 75X tilting cowbell holder features a 7/8" diameter post for use in racks such as the Pearl DR-500 ICON rack. It can also be mounted to stands using adapters such as the Pearl AX-20, AX-25/25L, AX-28, and AX-35.
3) PPS-15 Foot Pedal Bracket
The Pearl PPS-15 allows cowbells and tone blocks to be played with your foot. The PPS-15 features heavy-duty construction and slip-proof spikes for dependable performance. Can't think of how to use one of these? Just check Horacio Hernandez. His mastery of the left foot clave is simply amazing!
4) PPS-37 Multi-angle "L" Arm w/Quick Release Bracket
The Pearl PPS-37 is one of the most versatile clamps of all time. It fits virtually anywhere on the kit and adjusts to practically any angle for precise positioning. The quick release jaws allow fast and easy set-up and removal.
Advantages of Using Cowbells
1) Adding a cowbell to you kit is an easy way to spice up your drumming without having to learn new rhythms or techniques. For instance, instead of hitting only toms during a fill, hit the cowbell once or twice using the same sticking. This breaks up the pattern and adds a sense of unpredictability to the fill. Likewise, you can take take a familiar rhythm and make it sound new by simply moving the ride or hi-hat pattern to the cowbell.
2) A single cowbell can produce a variety of sounds depending on where and how it's played (like cymbals). Thus, for example, you can break the monotony of even simple eight note patterns by merely playing different areas of a cowbell.
3) Cowbells are inexpensive and small in size thus making them easy to incorporate into your set-up and take from gig to gig.
This is fully guaranteed to spice up your playing and add lots of fun to your drumming experience!
Need More Inspiration?
Many of the today's top drummers such as Robbie Ameen*, Dennis Chambers, Horacio Hernandez, Chad Smith, and Mike Mangini have made the cowbell a staple in their respective set-ups and have tremendously raised the bar on how to use a cowbell on the drum kit.
*Check out Robbie's book (or video) called "Funkifying the Clave." It contains, without a doubt, the best information on how to apply the cowbell to the drum-set, plus it's fun to work out of.
Thanks for Visiting!
On behalf of all of us at the Pearl Corporation, thank you for visiting our site and most of all, thank you for choosing Pearl!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at:
raymondmassey@pearldrums.com
Best regards,
Raymond Massey
Pearl Corporation
Product Specialist
