A band is only as good as its drummer

[Lorenzini]

Many great musicians have said this. John Scofield is one - and he was quoting another legend, whom I forget the name of. It's in the liner notes of his Works For Me, where he was complimenting Billy Higgins.

I wholeheartedly agree and have experienced this time and time again. After countless gigs, this becomes more and more prevalent to me. Especially when playing bass, when you have to get along with the drummer as much as you do the singer. A good drummer will make the band sound like a unit on the same page, while allowing it to perfectly communicate the message of the song. A bad one, or a drummer with bad time, no matter the technique, will make the music suffer.

These are my opinions. I want yours!





Discuss!!!

[fenderhutz]

I can't play with a bad drummer and have personally fired at three I can think of in the last year and a half and we play rock.

[Vandelay]

I agree. We replaced our drummer several months ago, and it made a huge difference for us. We're a large band (10 pieces), so having a solid drummer with a strong backbeat and consistent tempo was critical. Now the entire rhythm section sounds much better.

[BellBottomBlues]

I'd rather have a very basic drummer who keeps time than one who does a lot of fills and fails. If anything there is always a chance that the basic drummer will improve.

[fenderhutz]

I don't care if the drummer likes to play boom pat boom boom pat all of time if he/she is at least solid.

[Lorenzini]

Yeah. If they can keep a good pocket they are invaluable drummer. For the last 8 months I've been playing with a 23 yr old drummer who is super tight, has a deep pocket and awesome time. He can make a simple beat like on Billie Jean sound very special. Oh yeah, and he plays bass nearly as well.

[88persuader]

Actually ... as a musician I think a drummer is very important ... but I have to say for the audiance, the people watching the band and "paying the bills" the most important member is the frontperson/lead singer. People who aren't musicians don't give a rats butt how good the musicians are and can't tell the difference. But they know if they like the lead singer. And most would rather listen to a bad band who plays songs they like then an awesome band playing stuff they don't know. ............. Very sad but also very true!

[Amokoma]

If this be true, can someone explain The White Stripes? And if it be true, it sure explains Battles.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

Many great musicians have said this. John Scofield is one - and he was quoting another legend, whom I forget the name of. It's in the liner notes of his Works For Me, where he was complimenting Billy Higgins.

I wholeheartedly agree and have experienced this time and time again. After countless gigs, this becomes more and more prevalent to me. Especially when playing bass, when you have to get along with the drummer as much as you do the singer. A good drummer will make the band sound like a unit on the same page, while allowing it to perfectly communicate the message of the song. A bad one, or a drummer with bad time, no matter the technique, will make the music suffer.

These are my opinions. I want yours!





Discuss!!!

I concur. I've only ever played with one drummer that I'd call bad, but two gigs was too many! I've been blessed with exceptional drummers my whole life, but I guess I never really appreciated that fact until I got a bad one!

[lefty007]

I agree 75%. A bad drummer will certainly wreck a band, but a good drummer can't entirely make up for the lack of musicianship in the rest of the band. For example, get Dennis Chambers to play with a bunch of horrible musicians. . . at one point it will sound like crap. . .

[Bard2dbone]

Originally Posted by 88persuader

Actually ... as a musician I think a drummer is very important ... but I have to say for the audiance, the people watching the band and "paying the bills" the most important member is the frontperson/lead singer. People who aren't musicians don't give a rats butt how good the musicians are and can't tell the difference. But they know if they like the lead singer. And most would rather listen to a bad band who plays songs they like then an awesome band playing stuff they don't know. ............. Very sad but also very true!

Crap dude. Now I want to lay down in the floor and slash my wrists.

Dammit! Where's the Prozac? There. That's better, sort of.

I had an originals band back in the late '80's and early '90's that did well for a while. We were pulling pretty good audiences and hearing a lot of rumors and speculation about getting a record deal...and then all of a sudden we weren't.

In the space of six months we went from playing in front of a crowd of three thousand people to playing in front of a crowd named Ted, or Burt. I forget which. One of those was the bartender. The other one was the audience. But the point is that we went to a club we had filled to the rafters about eight months prior and one guy showed up.

That was when I had to face the horrible realization that people didn't come to our shows for us. They came to our shows to hang out with people they knew who were at our shows. And then they didn't anymore.

It's been several years and now I rarely meet anyone who even remembers my old band. And for a while there we thought we were going to be rock stars.

Crap.

Oh yeah. The drummer. Yeah, he's pretty hugely important. But then again, so is everybody in the band...to people who care what the band actually sounds like. The audience won't care. And in a few years they won't remember you anyway.

*sighs*

[Yvon]

a band is only as good as it's weakest member.

[Bard2dbone]

Actually that was what I was trying to say, but I was overcome with depression.

[alfredpunkjazz]

Originally Posted by 88persuader

Actually ... as a musician I think a drummer is very important ... but I have to say for the audiance, the people watching the band and "paying the bills" the most important member is the frontperson/lead singer. People who aren't musicians don't give a rats butt how good the musicians are and can't tell the difference. But they know if they like the lead singer. And most would rather listen to a bad band who plays songs they like then an awesome band playing stuff they don't know. ............. Very sad but also very true!

I have always think that people do recognize good music played by good muscicians, it is just that they can't always say they like it, I mean, they are not supposed to say and think about this particular issue.

But yeah, like it's been said before "A band is only as good as it's weakest member"... big +1 to that.

[Lorenzini]

Originally Posted by lefty007

I agree 75%. A bad drummer will certainly wreck a band, but a good drummer can't entirely make up for the lack of musicianship in the rest of the band. For example, get Dennis Chambers to play with a bunch of horrible musicians. . . at one point it will sound like crap. . .

I didn't say the drummer makes the band, I said the band is only as good as its drummer.

In other words, the band's potential will be limited by how good the drummer is (ok for you hair splitters, by "good" I mean in regards to time and solidity, not by Weckl/Peart technique).

COUNTLESS times have I played with a drummer who drags or speeds up during a top 40 gig and people just "mysteriously" disappear from the dancefloor.

And for the other poster, I didn't say the most important member! I said, the band is only as good as its drummer....

[ras1983]

I just can't groove if a drummer can't keep a solid groove. IMO when the rythm section is tight, the rest of the band sounds much better.

But then, if you have a lead singer, the whole band is usually the rythm section.

I think every musician in the band has to be able to be in the pocket collectively for the band to sound really good and tight.

[ras1983]

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

I didn't say the drummer makes the band, I said the band is only as good as its drummer.

In other words, the band's potential will be limited by how good the drummer is (ok for you hair splitters, by "good" I mean in regards to time and solidity, not by Weckl/Peart technique).

COUNTLESS times have I played with a drummer who drags or speeds up during a top 40 gig and people just "mysteriously" disappear from the dancefloor.

And for the other poster, I didn't say the most important member! I said, the band is only as good as its drummer....

Hey dude, GK 1001RB-II + HT322 = incredible rig.

Ht322 is the best cab on the market IMO, its a shame it weighs an absolute tonne!

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

I don't care if the drummer likes to play boom pat boom boom pat all of time if he/she is at least solid.

I don't feel that way. There's a world of difference between a drummer who can merely keep steady time - and one who can play with real flair and style; one who really understands the concept of dynamics; one who anticipates changes in key, tempo and/or mood with tasteful and appropriate intros; one who can transform the entire feel of the music by the way he grooves, etc.

Originally Posted by Phalex

I've only ever played with one drummer that I'd call bad, but two gigs was too many! I've been blessed with exceptional drummers my whole life, but I guess I never really appreciated that fact until I got a bad one!

I wish I could say the same. I've occasionally played with bad drummers (albeit as briefly as possible), and frequently played with mediocre drummers. Only occasionally have I had the joyful experience of playing with a truly fine drummer. IME, there are loads & loads of drummers floating around out there - but relatively few who actually think and play like musicians...

MM

[Zappstorius]

I think that a drummer not in synch with the rest of the band is horrendous, will not sound good no matter the talent of rest of the group. With that being said, it doesn't sound as bad as someone trying to sing a high note that is well out of reach.

[Vic Winters]

Originally Posted by Yvon

a band is only as good as it's weakest member.

+1

I've seen bands where all the instrumentation was great, but the vocalist pulled down the whole band.