Mickeyboro Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 (edited) 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 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezz55 Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 1. Sober 2. Reliable 3. Owns a drum kit sized car Ability to play drums would be a bonus 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 A lot of truth in this - finding a decent human being who will listen trump's perfect time keeping in my book. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 58 minutes ago, SteveXFR said: 3. Owns a drum kit sized car 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 1. Timing 2. Dynamics 3. Personality 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 1. Is a sound person 2. Knows how to play 3. Knows how to not over play 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky L Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Knows his plaice Has good herring Good drum tuna 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 1- Gets drunker than me. 2- Is lazier than me. 3- More argumentative than me. That way I never get sacked. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Timing. Feel. Dynamics. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr4stringz Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Arms. Legs. Own transport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 (edited) 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhysyjob Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Swing, Swing, Swing -lol! Timing Dynamics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Reliable tempo. Plays WITH the bassist. Good groove, listens to the music, and good sense of humor. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 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... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunion Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 1. Must have Long hair 2. Can twirl his sticks 3. Let’s me stand on his bass drum mid song Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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