Where To Put The Cowbell?

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Casper

Casper

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I know this will probably draw out some jokes, but where do you guys mount your cowbell? I'm in a cover band and we're going to be playing some tunes with cowbell soon (e.g., We're An American Band, Honky Tonk Woman, among others). So, if it makes a difference, this is for classic rock and pop covers as opposed to latin tinged jazz (although I'm trying to get my band mates to do some Santana and War).

BTW, I noticed in a YouTube video that Don Brewer used to put his cowbell to his left; although it wasn't clear, it looked like it was maybe mounted off a cymbal stand, just to the right of his hats. Mounting it off the floor tom may be too far right. And I keep my two mounted toms pretty close together, so I don't know if it will fit in between them or not.
 
Most people mount theirs on the top hoop of their bass drum. That would never work for me, though. Firstly, I don't want anything clamping onto my bass hoops, and secondly, I could never easily reach there without hitting other things. Maybe I'd find a way to mount it just overhanging in between two of the toms somehow.
 
I've done my own a couple of ways. When I used to use more toms, I would mount mine just right of right mounted tom, clamped to a crash cymbal stand, sticking out above my ride, which was below right, just over the floor tom. These days, I still clamp it on a crash cymbal stand, but right of my floor tom (see my kooky graphic below). It's a stretch for me, that far right, but it's usable...
 
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I attach it to a cymbal stand that also suspends a 14" tom (floor tom position). I used to mount it on the kick, but it just seemed to get in the way.
 
Depends on your set up...
Most put it on the bass hoop. It wont hurt anything unless you are anal about a few nicks on the paint. Bonham put it on a cymbal stand to his right. (see Moby Dick) from the H.T.W.W.W. DVD.

I'd say put it anywhere with in reach and out of the way as to where you wont hit anything else while trying to strike it.

experiment and see whats comfortable for you.
 
Play 1/8 notes on it for every song during the first set. Then the band leader will tell you where to put it! :)
 
I mount mine above my hi-hat so I can use it while playing the hats. I use a DW dogbone that connects to my crash on my left.
 
I've had to give this thought...some of the best latin players do cowbell patterns hitting the 'bell with both sticks, not just the right one, often alternating these patterns with snare hits, so for me, there's no way I could mount it to the right of my floor tom. That would be fine if you're just doing rock quarter- or eighth-note patterns with the right hand, though. At least if one wants to play latin rhythms effectively, you'd probably want the 'bell mounted between/above 2 toms, as this is kind of how it's mounted when playing 2 timbales.

EDIT: Dan's way would work as well. :)
 
With a four piece I use it on the bass drum hoop. My Clubdates came with a mount that allowed a bakelite block and a cowbell. I've also used an LP mount that allows for a tambourine and a cowbell that I mounted in the space between the snare and rack tom and HH and under the left side crash.

I've also used a gajate bracket with success.


Robb
 
Thanks for the input, everyone. Are there any types/brands of mount to avoid? I read some reviews on the bad person website, and some reviewers complained about a particular bass-mounted bracket losing its grip after just a few hits, even though it looked like it would be pretty solid to me. Are the cymbal stand brackets less likely to slip?
 
Making use of center post mount that a previous owner had added to this 1956 Krupa set.
 
I have two mounted one above the other on a Pearl cymbal stand accessory clamp between my kick mounted 10' and 12" toms (on the tom mount hardware, not the kick) -- a 6" pearl timbale bell and a little 4" afro. With two I have more tonal choices and can get interesting patterns goin' on. Larger cowbells work in this setup too.
 
I put it on a LP Claw that is screwed to a 7/8" Peary type tom arm mounted to a
3 way bracket on cymbal stand. A crazy idea that works for me.

Drum on,
Z
 
I've tried it in all sorts of places, over the kick, off a hat stand, even above a rack tom. Never really liked any of them until I got the LP Claw - the one designed specifically for cowbells. Now it's simply attached to the outer edge of a floor tom, in easy reach when I need it, and out of the way when I don't.
 
Referring to troymiller's diagram earlier, on my 1 up/2 down setup the cowbell is mounted between the 13 and 16 on an arm attached to the rack. On my six piece setups (10/12/14/15 or 12/13/15/16) the cowbell is mounted near level with the snare drum as if on the bass drum, but again on a long arm coming off the front rack tube. I also sometimes mount a smaller cowbell between the smallest tom and hihat and just higher than the snare drum.

Having it near the snare makes it very accessible, and also facilitates hitting with both hands if desired, but I can also do one handed patterns on the toms without the cowbell getting in the way.

I've tried mounting on the left, on the right, above the toms, and everywhere else I could think of, but this works best for me. I like using the cowbell, and don't want to have to stretch to get to it.
 
hutdoug said:
Not here... Please!
Click to expand...
Boy, I'll say! I have a '64 Rogers Holiday kit that I bought from the original owner a number of years ago. He hadn't mentioned it, but when I received it, I found a big ol' diamond plate Gretsch mount bolted to the side of the floor tom for (you guessed it) the cowbell. (it appears to have been professionally put there, but sheesh!)
 
i've used a clamp on the kick drum , or had it on a multi clamp on the ride cymbal side at times.

my favorite location was on a boom arm off the left cymbal stand so it was between the hihat and first rack tom.
it allowed me to ride on it right handed , or work it in mixed sticking left handed ....

all a matter of what works for you

remember..explore the space ....
 
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