Top three attributes of a drummer - your opinion?

[Mickeyboro]

My band are about to rehearse with a new drummer for the first time. 
 

Given the close relationship between bass and drums, I wondered what your three top attributes would be…

 

 

[ezbass]

Great timing (no unintentional drifting).

Good ears (listens to the rest of band).

Affable (you don’t want the next Vinnie Collaiuta, who is then a complete butthole).

 

If allowed a 4th: the ability to play softly as well as hard, although this should go hand in hand with #2.

Edited October 23, 2022 by ezbass

[bassbiscuits]

The ability to actually play it straight without endlessly adding unnecessary stops/starts, fills or frills.

 

Owning a car and having the ability to drive it. 
 

Taking the time to learn what’s actually going on in the song.

 

[Len_derby]

I think @ezbass and @bassbiscuits have nailed the attributes I’d list.

 

My covers band is on its third drummer in a year. All three of them have lives that are, shall we say, complicated. Meaning they’re the band members who have the most difficulty committing to gig dates or rehearsal schedules. I don’t know if that’s an unlucky coincidence on our part or it’s a drummer trait others have noticed. So, I might add the ability to commit as a desirable characteristic.

[Chezz55]

1 Taking time to tune their drums and adjust the hardware before starting a rehearsal/gig.

 

2 Having pride in and respect for their instrument.

 

3 Actively contributing to the choice of songs and arrangements.

[scalpy]

Time, musicality- understanding what energy level they need to be putting in for the relevant part of the song (especially they can create that intensity without face melting volume) and drumming vocabulary, if we’re playing for two hours in an evening we’re going to have a variety of feels and tempos in the set, they’ll need to be able to shuffle, swing, disco, rock as we’re a function band.

 

Our current drummer has none of the above, our dep drummer does but he’s simply not available enough. It hurts! 

[SteveXFR]

1. Sober

2. Reliable 

3. Owns a drum kit sized car

 

Ability to play drums would be a bonus

[Mykesbass]

A lot of truth in this - finding a decent human being who will listen trump's perfect time keeping in my book.

[Jonesy]

58 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

3. Owns a drum kit sized car

 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

1. Timing

2. Dynamics

3. Personality

[Jonesy]

1. Is a sound person

2. Knows how to play

3. Knows how to not over play

 

 

[Marky L]

1. Doesn't speed up.

2. Doesn't slow down.

3. Is able to react accordingly if either of the above have been brought to their attention.

[Dad3353]

Knows his plaice
Has good herring
Good drum tuna

[AndyTravis]

Timekeeping.

Dynamics.

Sense of Humour.

 

Tick tick metronome who can do quiet and loud at the right time and laughs at knob and fart gags.

 

write it up - I’ll have hundreds queuing around the block.

 

In fact, I already have him…he’s called max…

 

 

[ezbass]

11 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

Knows his plaice
Has good herring
Good drum tuna

Fish puns, Dad? This is neither the time nor the dace.

[chris_b]

Groove, swing and rock.

 

Timing isn't on my list, because if he doesn't have he's not in the band in the first place.

[casapete]

Can't really add anything else that's not already been said.

 

From my experience, it's amazing how many drummers cannot just play a straight 4 (or whatever the song 

demands) , without over embellishing everything. It's down to listening to what's going on / necessary.

Players of other instruments obviously do this too, but for some reason it's most noticeable when it's

the drummer. 

[oldslapper]

1- Gets drunker than me.

2- Is lazier than me.

3- More argumentative than me.

 

That way I never get sacked. 
 

 

[wateroftyne]

Timing. Feel. Dynamics.

[mr4stringz]

Arms.

Legs.

Own transport.

[Clarky]

1. Not spontaneously combusting

2. Not stage diving on to a concrete floor

3. Not preemptively attacking two people in  Woolworths on the assumption they are on the rob

 

(2 and 3 actually happened in one of my bands)

Edited October 23, 2022 by Clarky

[rhysyjob]

Swing, Swing, Swing -lol! 
 

Timing

 

Dynamics

[mikel]

Reliable tempo. Plays WITH the bassist. Good groove, listens to the music, and good sense of humor. 

[Grimalkin]

The ability to swing.

 

"You can be as clever as you like but if it don't swing, forget it."

 

Danny Thompson.

 

I've played with technicians and I've played with musicians... 

[Bunion]

 

1. Must have Long hair

2. Can twirl his sticks 

3. Let’s me stand on his bass drum mid song