Top three attributes of a drummer - your opinion?

[Grimalkin]

37 minutes ago, gjones said:

Doesn't forget his flipping cymbals, and gets us sacked from a really cool venue, like the last guy did!

 

You should have given him a mic and told him to mimic them... The splashes and crashes, and some sound effects.

[gjones]

36 minutes ago, Grimalkin said:

Having the right presence for what they are playing, I've depped with a couple of drummers in the past that were too light. Very uninspiring. Not driving when they should have been.

I asked a previous, lazy drummer with my band, who was tickling his drums, to play with reeds instead of sticks (I persuaded him that it would encourage our guitarist to play quieter).

 

Although the volume was more or less the same, the intensity was much greater, as he had to put a lot more effort into playing his kit to keep up with the level of the band.

 

We ended the gig with him drenched in sweat and the audience shouting for more.

 

It was very rock n roll.

[Grimalkin]

8 minutes ago, gjones said:

I asked a previous, lazy drummer with my band, who was tickling his drums, to play with reeds instead of sticks (I persuaded him that it would encourage our guitarist to play quieter).

 

Although the volume was more or less the same, the intensity was much greater, as he had to put a lot more effort into playing his kit to keep up with the level of the band.

 

We ended the gig with him drenched in sweat and the audience shouting for more.

 

It was very rock n roll.

 

Intensity is the right word, whatever volume you are playing at the reference has to be defined. Especially if you're looking to make people move. I'm not a fan of drummers that are too light, too rinky-dink bingo interval sort of feeling.

[musicbassman]

Worked with quite a few different drummers at dep gigs over the past months, and I've experienced -

- a drummer who doesn't seem to know that using a ride cymbal has a time and a place, and that it should be used sparingly, not almost continuously in every b****y number.

- a drummer who refuses to play a straight four on the floor when that's clearly what's needed.

- a drummer who doesn't seem to understand that shouting a 1,2,3,4 count in for the band is supposed to be setting the tempo for the number, and is not just some random timing.

Rant over !!! 🥺

 

 

[Grimalkin]

If it's a choice between a drummer who plays forward of the beat, or a drummer that drags, I'd take the forward every time. Dragging is a groove killer.

[bartelby]

On 23/10/2022 at 11:49, wateroftyne said:

Timing. Feel. Dynamics.

 

This.

The last drummer I played with had none of these. Only availability.

 

[bassace]

Ears. Ears. Ears.

[Rich]

On 23/10/2022 at 10:52, Cosmo Valdemar said:

1. Timing

2. Dynamics

3. Personality

Those would be my top three. I'd have to add taste, punctuality and knowing when to stfu.

[Nail Soup]

On 23/10/2022 at 11:20, casapete 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. 

On the other hand, I've had the opposite problem with a couple of drummers.

Good enough drummers, but too worried about 'not showing off' and 'serving the song' that they end up not adding some interesting elements and sticking to straight four etc. Made the song sound boring and ploddy.

When they actually did express themselves it sounded great.

[Nail Soup]

I'll miss out the stuff that applies to all band members such as transport and not being a tw*t.

1) being able to play quietly when we have a small PA and loud when we have a big PA/room (taking about no drum mikes of course).. but still maintain the dynamics.

2) Remembering and being able to 'lead' the song... i.e. set the tempo, know when all the sections are so they can play the cue-ing fills and so on.

3) This one goes partly against what some people say, so I've broken it down a bit

3a) Don't have a 'show off' mindset.

3b) Don't have a 'serve the song' mindset either please.

3c) Have an 'enhance the song' mindset.

Edited October 24, 2022 by Nail Soup
Typos

[Marvin]

Good timing.

Groove 

Dynamics...or more specifically doesn't play like they're using lump hammers all the time.

[Lozz196]

1 Doesn’t speed up

2 Doesn’t slow down

3 Doesn’t do rolls/hit cymbals during the parts of the songs that are the “singalong” parts, as these get in the way of the vocal melodies 

[Boodang]

As a drummer as well as a bassist;

1. Play a solid groove.

2. Fills and flourishes that are appropriate and well executed. 

3. Dynamics (this can't be underestimated).

 

As a band we operate the 'no *rsehole' rule, so all the above means sh*t all unless this criteria is met!

[steantval]

On 23/10/2022 at 14:21, Cat Burrito said:

Agree with a lot of the points made so far. The smaller the kit, the bigger the talent, from my experience. 

That rules our drummer out then.

 

 

 

Martin actually uses one of his smaller kits with our band.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by steantval

[tauzero]

I feel that drummers (and other band members) at my time in life (50+, let's say) should have become competent, so I should only have to consider their temperament, reliability, and equipment.

 

I frequently find out that I was wrong about the competence.

[tauzero]

On 23/10/2022 at 13:57, dclaassen said:

Good comments here…

 

I’ll add…

ability to do a tight turnaround with the bassist

can create a tight, exciting soft after a huge  buildup

Great right hand

 

Given the other two, are you sure the first one shouldn't be "reacharound"?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

• Beard
• Long Hair
• Beergut

[leschirons]

Has to,

Listen to the number before actually getting in the car to go to rehearsal.

 

Keep time.

 

Not be a knob.

 

I guess things are bad if I'm prepared to settle just for that!

Edited October 24, 2022 by leschirons

[Boodang]

On 23/10/2022 at 18:21, Cat Burrito said:

Agree with a lot of the points made so far. The smaller the kit, the bigger the talent, from my experience. 

 

Geddy and Alex must be gutted to know how bad their drummer was.

[Boodang]

One thing I forgot to add... must exclusively play an electronic kit. That way you have a volume control.

[Rich]

14 hours ago, steantval said:

Martin actually uses one of his smaller kits with our band.

 

 

Our drummer uses a similarly tiny kit. 18" kick, snare, two toms, hats, ride, one crash. 

[Cat Burrito]

2 hours ago, Boodang said:

 

Geddy and Alex must be gutted to know how bad their drummer was.

 

I said from my experience. I was never in Rush! 

[JapanAxe]

8 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

 

I said from my experience. I was never in Rush! 

Given the number of bands you play in or have played in, I'd have bet money that you'd been in Rush at some point!

[Ralf1e]

On 23/10/2022 at 09:07, ezbass said:

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.

Agreed to all If allowed a fifth. An inclination to sleep with the bass player as my wife is a drummer🤣

[Franticsmurf]

3 hours ago, Boodang said:

 

 

"Finally found the Dog and Duck. Any chance you can help me in with the kit? Most of it is in the first van..."😃