Ask a pro will be an ongoing Q and A with Mr. Yowell himself. We recently sat down with Doug over a bowl of Lucky Charms and asked him a few questions to get the ball rolling:

1. How do you approach drum tuning?

I use Evans G2 clear heads on the top of the toms and G1 clear on the bottom. I tune each head to each drum. That is to say that each head and each drum have slight variation. If you had two 10" Mapex walnut toms in front of you and you put a G2 clear on the top of each I really feel that the way that each head sits and vibrates on each of the drums is going resonate slightly different. I like to get the head to sit even and hand tighten down the tension rods opposite each other first.

Then I use the drum key still going opposite on each side of the rim. This is standard today to make sure that the tension is being applied evenly. When the head starts getting tighter I am constantly tapping with the drum key to see what pitch is starting to appear. I like the drum to resonate the longest it can. For my ears I tend to let the drum find it's own pitch with each size drum and then maintain that each night on the road by checking the head's pitch as I am setting up. The drums are transported under the tour bus which can get hot, and that in turn, affects the pitch.

As far as the kick drum I use an Evans E-mad bass drum head on the batter side and an Evans black front head that has a small port hole in the head for miking. I also use 2 EQ pads inside the drum. One leans on the batter head and the second leans against the front head. The snare drums have hazy 300 bottoms and a 14" G1 coated on the batter and a J1 etched jazz head on the 10" snare. Those heads are tuned according to the music that I am playing. With Suzanne I have the main snare tuned to a medium/ high pitch and the 10" snare high.

For Duncan's [Sheik] gig I have the main snare cranked for more of a cracking rock attack. Of course these pitches can vary according to the concert hall, for instance, the snare might have to be dampened (which I don't like) in order to keep from taking over a lot of frequency range that may interfere with the vocal or the overall volume of the stage. Sometimes the frequency of a low floor tom can do the same thing and needs to be trimmed by either dampening or changing the pitch. I generally get to leave what I have with out any changes. Recording is a completely different environment which really has a lot more parameters for wanting to go after a certain sonic vibe which would make you change quite a lot of things in the way of pitch, size, type of heads etc.

2. What sticks are you using?

Vic Firth SD4 combo. This stick has been with me since Peter Erskine turned me onto it when I was 16 and I have been using them ever since. I order the stick in a light weight which means that they are actually weighed and shipped. I also use Vic Firth Rutes which are like blastixs and T2 cartwheel mallets. I like the Regal wire brushes and the Vater rods.

3. How do I get red wine stains out of my white couch?
With a scissor .

4. What heads are you using?
I got a little excited and answered that in the first question.

5. My girlfriend says I don't listen well. Any advice?
What was the question?

6. What do you do to get ready for the studio?

I shut the shades for a couple of days and walk around the house with the headphones on. Then I train myself to eat once every 10 hours so it feels like I am in the studio. OK, ok, I like to get a chance to work with the material ahead of time to become as familiar and comfortable as possible.I like to have very clear charts of the music and an understanding of what direction the artist would like to go in sonically. This gives me an idea of what to bring. The Leslie Mills session came up quick and I didn't have a chance to hear the track until it was time to record it so in this case I will bring just enough of a sonic variation with both cymbals and drums to be able to go in a few different directions by utilizing a variety of combinations. Tempos are important to establish which in my experience becomes something may change up until the time you actually cut the track, but at least you have a general guide to start with. I want to make sure that the gear is in good working order and I like to bring my own headphones. I use the GK Ultra Phones which have these great Sony drivers built in. The phones themselves are meant to isolate everything outside.


7. Chewbacca or the Ewoks?
Is that some kind of beef jerky?

8. Who are your drumming heroes?
Are you ready...... There are so many! I think the very first drumming "hero" I had still holds true today and that person is Steve Gadd. To me, Steve has been able to play brilliantly in every musical environment, with the greatest feel and he never overplays. I have been listening to Gadd for 25 years and I still get a thrill out of hearing him or watching him. I studied with the legendary Peter Erskine from the time that I was 16 until I was 18 or 19. Peter really left the biggest impression on me in terms of allowing ones self to let the music be expressed through the musician without getting in the way.

Steve Jordan, Peter Erskine, Matt Chamberlin, Simon Phillips, Adam Deich, Carlos Vega, Sterling Campbell, Charlie Drayton, Jay Bellrose, Zigaboo, Ringo, Bonham, Vinnie, Manu Katche, Omar Hakim, Levon Helm, Jim Keltner, Andy Newmark, Stewart Copeland, Michael Bland, Gene Lake, Charlie Watts, Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefied, Stevie Wonder, Jerry Brown, Brian Blade, Jeff Procaro, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Nigel Olsen, Art Blakey, Rick Marotta, Jerry Marotta, Keith Carlock, Shawn Pelton, Earl Harvin. These are the ones on the top of my head but there are so many more.


9. If you had to do another job what would it be?
I have so many other interests. I love carpentry, Astrology, archeology. Many things come to mind. I could test the wear and tear of children's cloths.

10. I am looking at a no-load mutual fund. Any tips?
This sounds like a sexual problem.


11. Our lawn is being taken over by crabgrass. Any suggestions?
Move to the beach

Send your questions here.