peted Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Having the longest scale instrument, and not putting myself at risk of clubbing a singer over the head with my headstock (as much as I'd like to sometimes!), I prefer to be on the hi-hat side of a right-handed drummer. Also encourages me to take my eyes off of my fretboard and engage the audience and the rest of the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Stage left. I'm right handed, so if I need to punch him in his pissed-up little face, it hurts more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I usually stand to the right of the drummer because that's how the guitarist and I prefer it. Yes, I'm on the wrong side of the hi-hat and snare but I can still hear them well enough and the kit doesn't deafen me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumbloke Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 (edited) [quote name='obbm' post='388283' date='Jan 22 2009, 10:27 AM']Most drummers I play with have the Hi hat on their left. Are you a left-handed drummer or are you looking at this from the audience viewpoint? Anyway facing the audience I prefer to stand to the drummer left, next to the snare/hi hat so I can see the Kick pedal easily.[/quote] My P.O.V.. ..View the kick pedal, interesting.... Edited January 22, 2009 by drumbloke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I know you guys are responding from a BG point of view but when I'm playing my DB I always try to stand stage right (ride cymbal side). That way I am looking across my bass and into the band. Stage left would have me looking out of the band. I have my cabs between me and the drummer and he seems to like it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumbloke Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='388346' date='Jan 22 2009, 11:29 AM']"Drumbloke?" when you are drumming which side do you prefer the bass player to be?[/quote] I don't actually think it makes any difference to me, sound wise and musically. In a dep situation I suppose as far as watching for changes etc it is better to be able to see the bass player. Hand gestures from the singer usually don't mean a great deal. Hand gestures from guitarists are often rude. Whilst were on it are there any universal 'musical hand gestures' detailed anywhere ? I find these usual ones seem to be used quite often : Drawing a circle with your finger in the air : continue playing / everyone follow / everyone play. Calm down type motion : 'quieter' opposite motion 'louder' (don't get that often) Couting with the fingers held up : Bars left / number of 'stab' stops.. 'Throat cut' : end / dead stop / your sacked Vigorous / splurious hand motions : speed up - slow down / don't do that / that was sh*t you w***er / youv'e 'had it' later... Hands across the chest or spread out in crucificial manner : I'm a lead singer and my ego is clearly larger than I can imagine / anti perspirant is still wet.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 [quote name='bassace' post='388615' date='Jan 22 2009, 03:16 PM']I know you guys are responding from a BG point of view but when I'm playing my DB I always try to stand stage right (ride cymbal side). That way I am looking across my bass and into the band. Stage left would have me looking out of the band. I have my cabs between me and the drummer and he seems to ike it that way.[/quote] I was going to say something about this - if I were playing jazz, even on bass guitar, I think it makes sense to stand on stage right because the ride is the main time keeping component of the kit and the drummer is likely to be playing orthodox grip and thus not spending his time looking over towards the hihats. Combine that with where you stand vs your upright bass and it makes even more sense. NB: For fusion/doubling gigs I would not advocate swapping sides mid-set! Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumbloke Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='388652' date='Jan 22 2009, 03:55 PM']I was going to say something about this - if I were playing jazz, even on bass guitar, I think it makes sense to stand on stage right because the ride is the main time keeping component of the kit and the drummer is likely to be playing orthodox grip and thus not spending his time looking over towards the hihats. Combine that with where you stand vs your upright bass and it makes even more sense. NB: For fusion/doubling gigs I would not advocate swapping sides mid-set! Alex[/quote] More apparent now it is a preference based on 'view' of the drummist and there's me thinking it was random. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William James Easton Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 right is right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 [quote name='drumbloke' post='388640' date='Jan 22 2009, 03:45 PM']I don't actually think it makes any difference to me, sound wise and musically. In a dep situation I suppose as far as watching for changes etc it is better to be able to see the bass player. Hand gestures from the singer usually don't mean a great deal. Hand gestures from guitarists are often rude. Whilst were on it are there any universal 'musical hand gestures' detailed anywhere ? I find these usual ones seem to be used quite often : Drawing a circle with your finger in the air : continue playing / everyone follow / everyone play. Calm down type motion : 'quieter' opposite motion 'louder' (don't get that often) Couting with the fingers held up : Bars left / number of 'stab' stops.. 'Throat cut' : end / dead stop / your sacked Vigorous / splurious hand motions : speed up - slow down / don't do that / that was sh*t you w***er / youv'e 'had it' later... Hands across the chest or spread out in crucificial manner : I'm a lead singer and my ego is clearly larger than I can imagine / anti perspirant is still wet.. [/quote] Gutarand's "Death Stare" when you play a C under an Amin chord and they think you have played a wrong note and want the entire audience to know too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s_u_y_* Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I prefer to be stage left, hi-hat side. Easier to maintain eye contact from that angle IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Guven the choice - stage left for a right handed drummer so I can see the bass drum pedal and hi hat. That way I can still lock in even if the monitoring is so bad that I can't hear the drums ( sounds unlikely but happens). Generally though I do quite a bit of dep work and stand where I'm told Cheers Alun PS I agree with bassace for upright though, stage right is better for actually being able to see the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I always used to play to the right of the drummer in my old band because at the venue we played a lot, that's where all the power sockets/mixing desk were and i only had a short DI lead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigonbass Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I stand to the right of the drummer in both bands, but only to see the guitar players hands (providing he's right handed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 HH side whether drummer left or right handed for all the above 'contact / timekeeping' reasons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rOB Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I tend to stick to the drummers right (ride side). partly to be further away from the snare to avoid deafening and partly because one of our guitarists wants to play from the drummers left. seems to work OK. Played on the other side recently for practical reasons and couldn't hear vocals or guitars over our drummers massive sound despite monitoring. When I start playing with a quieter drummer I might switch. Until then, I'm protecting my ears and trying to hear the whole mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='388652' date='Jan 22 2009, 03:55 PM']if I were playing jazz, even on bass guitar, I think it makes sense to stand on stage right because the ride is the main time keeping component of the kit[/quote] Despite what I said earlier about almost always on drummer's left, I think there might be something in what Alex says. In a new band I've been playing not exactly jazz but definitely jazzier stuff with a lot of timekeeping on the ride. The rehearsal studio is set up with the bass rig on the drummer's right and so that's where I am and it does seem to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 wherever my amp is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redzombie Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Hi-hat side here and if there's more than just me on that side, I like to be the closest to the side of the stage. Helps to avoid accidentally digging my headstock into any of the other members of the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Always on the right hand side of the drummer, ever since I joined my first band. It could be that I am usually looking across the fretboard so that it makes it easier to look up and see any visual cues or that it gives me a bit of room as no one wants to be speared by the head of a bass so they keep their distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ Phillips Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Hi Hat side without a doubt on smaller gigs. Just to keep an eye on the kick drum and hear the hi-hats if the sound is sh*t. Doesn't matter on bigger gigs as they tend to like being up in the air surrounded by mics and extra drummery for some reason. But at least I can get a good drum mix through the fold-back. Playing with a drummer behind a big perspex sheet is the worst! Unless you have a full kit mix in your fold-back/in-ears. ie NEVER Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJTee Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Hi-hat side. Every time. No exceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarhead Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Usually wherever I can fit in, doesn't matter about where my amp is, just where I have standing room. And I tend to move around alot on stage so It doesn't matter a whole lot lol. Zach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I have to be on the hi-hat side. Great for communication with the drummer, great to keep an eye on his kick and I've put too many dings in headstocks in the past if I'm on the other side. (Bloody cymbals, except when they're drowning out ego driven lead solos with the same frequency crashes, Ha ha, I love a bit of stage tension) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Always on the hi-hat side.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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