How much does my marching bass drum weigh? ...and other advice...

Question

I'm 5'2'' and 115 pounds, and I play bass 1 for my high school drumline. My friend on bass 2 and I were wondering how much our drums weigh, since it was said that bass 2 weighed less than bass 1. I think my school uses Pearl Championship bass drums, but I've looked all over and couldn't find a weight on them. Also, I'm the only girl on the bass line, and I don't want to look like a sissy complaining of my back and hip pain. The harness is hard on my back and shoulders and has caused blisters on my hip bones...my band director said he was going to buy more foam, but it could be a while and 8-hour-a-day band camp starts tomorrow. I've tried towels, foam, all sorts of stuff, but have yet to find an answer...advice on any of these topics would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I just started band camp and it's my first year on drum line. I also play bass 1 and the harness is so uncomfortable. Bass 1 does weigh less than bass 2, but not by much.... maybe 1 lb- 3 lbs. What I do to relieve some of the pain on my hips is take a sousaphone cushion that they use for their shoulders and put it across my hips. I also tried it on my shoulders and it helps too but I couldn't find 3. So I'm looking into more remedies for the harness pain. Just tell your director when you've had too much and they'll most likely let you take off your drum. Also, don't put your drum on unless you're marching or the director tells you to. Good luck!