# How to Sound Like Abe Cunningham — Deftones Alt-Metal Drumming Guide

**Drummer:** Abe Cunningham  
**Band:** Deftones  
**Genre:** Alternative Metal  
**Guide URL:** https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-abe-cunningham

## Overview

Abe Cunningham co-founded Deftones in Sacramento in 1988 as a teenager and has remained the band's sole drummer across more than three decades and nine studio albums, from 1995's "Adrenaline" through the Grammy-winning "White Pony" (2000) to 2020's "Ohms." In a genre that often rewards speed and technical showmanship, Cunningham built his reputation on the opposite: taste, space, and dynamic intelligence.

What separates Cunningham from most metal drummers is his willingness to underplay. His parts breathe with the emotional arc of a song rather than existing as a technical showcase — a whisper-quiet verse can explode into a crushing chorus without ever feeling like two different drummers playing. That ambient-heavy, texture-over-technique approach is a distinct niche from pure blast-beat metal, and it's exactly what makes Deftones' alt-metal/post-metal crossover sound so distinctive.

## Kit Setup

Cunningham plays a **Tama Starclassic Maple/Bubinga** kit:

- **Kick Drum:** 22" x 18" Bass Drum
- **Snare:** 14" x 8" Tama S.L.P. Big Black Steel
- **Rack Toms:** 10", 12"
- **Floor Toms:** 14", 16"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom / K Custom Hybrid — 14" A New Beat hi-hats, 16"/18" A Custom crashes, 21" K Custom ride, 18" A Custom China
- **Pedal:** Tama Iron Cobra 900 Rolling Glide
- **Sticks:** Zildjian Abe Cunningham Artist Series
- **Heads:** Evans EMAD (kick), Evans G2 Coated (snare/toms)

## Tuning & Setup

Cunningham tunes for warmth, sensitivity, and low-end punch that sits with the bass guitar — every drum needs to register a quiet ghost note as clearly as a full-weight backbeat:

- **Kick:** Medium tension with moderate muffling. Keeps the kick punchy without overwhelming sustain, letting it sit in the mix alongside the bass guitar.
- **Snare:** Medium tension, minimal muffling. Lets the deep steel shell deliver a satisfying fundamental note while still responding sensitively to ghost notes.
- **Toms:** Medium, resonant tension with light muffling. Supports melodic, song-serving fills without sounding thin or choked.

## Technique Tips

Cunningham's technique centers on unconventional snare and accent placement combined with expert dynamic control. His hands find the pocket in unexpected places rather than defaulting to standard backbeat patterns, while his overall approach treats volume and intensity as compositional tools that build and release across a song.

**Signature patterns:**

- **Whisper-to-Explosion Dynamic Build (70–100 BPM, Intermediate):** Builds from an almost inaudible, texture-focused verse into a full-weight, crushing chorus using gradual dynamic and density increases. Play a groove at near-silent volume for 8 bars, then add one dynamic increment every 4 bars.
- **Unconventional Snare Placement (85–120 BPM, Intermediate):** Places snare accents in unexpected spots that create tension and release instead of a standard backbeat-on-2-and-4. Shift the snare hit on beat 4 forward or backward by an eighth note and build a groove around it.
- **Ambient Texture Playing (60–90 BPM, Intermediate):** Treats the kit as texture rather than rhythm on atmospheric passages — cymbal washes, muted toms, and sparse kick hits that support mood without asserting a strong pulse.

**Key songs to study:** *My Own Summer (Shove It)* (Around the Fur, 1997) · *Digital Bath* (White Pony, 2000) · *Passenger* (White Pony, 2000) · *Diamond Eyes* (Diamond Eyes, 2010)

## Gear Shopping List

| Item | Cunningham's Spec | Budget Alternative |
|------|-------------------|---------------------|
| Drum Kit | Tama Starclassic Maple/Bubinga | Pearl Export (~$650) |
| Snare | Tama S.L.P. Big Black Steel 14" x 8" | Any deep steel-shell snare, medium-tuned |
| Cymbals | Zildjian A Custom / K Custom Hybrid | Zildjian Planet Z hi-hats + crash (~$150) |
| Pedal | Tama Iron Cobra 900 Rolling Glide | Tama Speed Cobra HP310LW (~$100) |
| Sticks | Zildjian Abe Cunningham Artist Series | Vic Firth American Classic 5A |
| Heads | Evans EMAD / G2 Coated | Same specs |

**Starter budget path (~$900):** Pearl Export + Zildjian Planet Z + Tama Speed Cobra pedal. See [/brands/tama](https://metalforge.io/brands/tama) and [/brands/zildjian](https://metalforge.io/brands/zildjian).

## Practice Routine

1. **Whisper-to-Explosion Drill (15 min daily):** Play a simple groove at near-silent volume for 8 bars, then increase intensity gradually over the following bars until you reach full volume, mirroring a verse-to-chorus build.
2. **Displaced Snare Accent Builder (10 min daily):** Shift the snare accent on beat 4 forward or backward by an eighth note and build a full groove around the displaced accent.
3. **Ambient Texture Practice (10 min daily):** Play a groove using only cymbal swells and occasional soft kick hits, resisting the urge to fill space with extra snare or tom hits.

**Common mistakes:** Playing at a consistently loud, even volume and losing dynamic contrast; defaulting to a standard backbeat instead of exploring unconventional accent placement; filling every available space with fills instead of trusting silence and texture; overpowering the bass guitar's low end instead of locking the kick in alongside it.

## FAQ

**Q: Who is Abe Cunningham and why is his drumming influential?**  
A: Abe Cunningham co-founded Deftones in Sacramento in 1988 as a teenager and has remained the band's sole drummer across nine studio albums, from "Adrenaline" (1995) through "Ohms" (2020). His dynamic, restraint-focused approach — prioritizing taste and emotional arc over technical showmanship — helped define alternative metal's atmospheric identity. "Elite" from White Pony won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2001.

**Q: What gear should I use to sound like Abe Cunningham?**  
A: Cunningham plays a Tama Starclassic Maple/Bubinga kit with a Tama S.L.P. Big Black Steel 14" x 8" snare, a Zildjian A Custom/K Custom hybrid cymbal setup, a Tama Iron Cobra 900 Rolling Glide pedal, and Zildjian Abe Cunningham Artist Series signature sticks.

**Q: What tempo should I practice at to sound like Abe Cunningham?**  
A: Practice in the 60–120 BPM range that covers most of Deftones' catalog, from ambient, texture-focused passages around 60–90 BPM up to driving grooves near 120 BPM — the key isn't raw speed, it's building dynamic control between whisper-quiet and full-weight intensity within a single song.

**Q: What are the key techniques behind Abe Cunningham's drumming?**  
A: Gradual whisper-to-explosion dynamic builds across a song; unconventional snare placement that creates tension and release instead of a standard backbeat; and ambient, texture-focused playing that treats the kit as mood rather than pure rhythm.

**Q: What Deftones albums showcase Abe Cunningham's playing best?**  
A: "White Pony" (2000) is the definitive showcase, featuring the Grammy-winning "Elite" and the dynamic-build masterclass "Digital Bath." "Around the Fur" (1997) shows his early unconventional snare placement, while "Diamond Eyes" (2010) and "Ohms" (2020) demonstrate how his restraint-focused approach matured across three decades.

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**Full interactive guide:** [https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-abe-cunningham](https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-abe-cunningham)  
**Drummer profile:** [https://metalforge.io/drummer/abe-cunningham](https://metalforge.io/drummer/abe-cunningham)  
**Related album article:** [What's In Abe Cunningham's Deftones Arsenal](https://metalforge.io/articles/whats-in-abe-cunninghams-kit)  
**Related guides:** [John Otto](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-john-otto.md) · [Dirk Verbeuren](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-dirk-verbeuren.md)

*Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io) · Last updated: 2026-07-02*