How do I tell if a drummer is good?

[BrandonBass]

Like for example, i know that a good singer has a good timbre and good range. big plus if he/shes a good dancer

for guitarists, i usually judge by their solos and improvisation and the ability to play fast when needed to.

bassist i judge by their sense of groove and rhythm, choice of notes etc.

i more or less can give a rating to a guitarist, singer or bassist cause ive fooled around with those before... but im kinda like a drum illiterate

how do i know if a drummer has 'got chops' and stuff? ive played with 3 drummers, and all of them seem to hav chops when they hit those sets hard and fast.

[Tony G]

Only your gained experience will allow you to properly assess a drummers skills.

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Timing. That's the most valuable asset in a drummer.

[jenderfazz]

Tightness first and foremost. Timing and ability to lock in with the bassist. Choice of notes is also important, but that goes for any instrument. I think all that is secondary to holding the groove.

[lefty007]

Originally Posted by xgabriel

Only your gained experience will allow you to properly assess a drummers skills.

+1

With time, you'll see that you will be 100% aware of how a drummer plays and whether you can get along.

Solid timing, tasty dynamics, economy, and a good listener, are the main characteristics a look in a drummer.

I often get to play with different drummers, and some of them a world-touring drummesr and recognized professional, and many times these cat will overplay so much and completely miss the point of the song/jam/band, that you get to wonder why they are considered such good drummers.

And I'm always fighting with my main drummer, because as good as he is (great timing and sharp chops) he tends to overplay, and somtimes it seems like he is doing a feel every 4 or 8 bars.

Maturity and economy of playing!

But this applies to all musicians, I guess, not only drummers.

[dhadleyray]

When you have a drummer that "Shapes time," and isn't a "victim of time." If you say "lean on it" and he shifts MICROSCOPICALLY in front of the band 'til it's perfect, then you know "he" knows whats up. If he has chops and you never see them, but he commands everything else, you'll know... When you play music together and it's like a walk in the park with sunshine, and you look at your watch and you've played the easiest set of your life, and wonder where the time went, THEN you've got somebody.

[dhadleyray]

TECHNIQUE AND CHOPS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.... PERIOD.

[Philbiker]

The more they drool, the better they are. There's not room for much more than rhythm in their tiny brains, and you don't want those little things clogeed up with non-rhythm thoughts.


just kidding.....

[Marcus]

It's one of those things that you just "know," to be honest.

I've played with many drummers, ranging from beginner to astounding, and I did not base that on chops alone. All of the "good" drummers I've had the opportunity of playing with all shared something in common, that being a really, really good ear.

If you can pick up your bass and come up with a groove and find a drummer that compliments it with no warning, all signs are golden.

[Phalex]

If songs tend to end at the same tempo that they start in, you have a good drummer.

If he can count to four in his head accurately and repetitively, you have a good drummer.

If he plays conservatively and with authority, not showing off and over playing, you have a great drummer.

I have noticed that young caucasians tend to equate skill with speed. It's not how fast you can play a tune, it's how you make the tune feel that is important. Check out some great funk music. A lot of times the drummer will use the kickdrum, and the hi hat almost exclusively all the way through. That is tasty!!

[lefty007]

Oh, and lets not forget that somebody's best drummer is somebody else's worst.

Timing and "feel" are a very personal thing. I spent a few years playing with what I consider a great drummer, but we felt the beat in a very different way, and it was always a struggle to get a "happening" groove going unless with both did some serious listening to each other.

With other drummers, it fall right in place with not even visual communication.

Much like other personal relationships, you either connect seamlessly, or you need to do some work.

[sedan_dad]

Dude,If you can't tell if a drummer is good or not ,you may want to question your abilities as a bass player.

[Matthew Bryson]

I agree with those that say "you just know". It's hard to describe. Just like a good bass player, a good drummer has good time and good feel. Just like a good bass player, a good drummer can play fills that are interesting and add to the song and he knows when to play them and when not to.

A bad drummer is much easier to describe. If you can't lock with the kick drum because the kick drum is hitting randomly and spastically - that's not good drumming. When the drummer gets lost and misses changes and song endings - that's bad drumming. When the tempo speeds up or slows down - that's bad drumming.

When the drummer keeps a rock solid tempo, nails the changes, supports the song, plays tasty fills without over playing, can change up his drum beats by playing different drums or introducing rhythmic variations like accentuating the back beat, and helping to create rhythmic interplay between the drums and bass and does it all without taking away from the groove - you have a good drummer. Like all good musicians, good drummers listen.

[lefty007]

Originally Posted by sedan_dad

Dude,If you can't tell if a drummer is good or not ,you may want to question your abilities as a bass player.

I thought of posting the same answer, but, when you are starting, it can be difficult to understand tempo and groove, so that doesn't apply to everybody automatically.

But if you have been playing for, say, more than 5 years and you are still asking this question, then, yes, the problem might be you...

[Sundogue]

How do you tell if a drummer is good?

When you forget he's there.

If you play with some good/great drummers, you just feel the music and if he's good, you'll lock in and not even consciously think about him.

If he's not good, you'll be thinking constantly about how everything feels off, or you feel rushed, or pulled back when you shouldn't be, how he puts fills in and comes out of them out of sync with the music and you, etc.

The best drummers (heck, all musicians) I've played with made me forget about them and me, and I just got lost in the music...like we were all one.

If it isn't about the music, someone's messin' up badly.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Matthew Bryson

I agree with those that say "you just know". It's hard to describe. Just like a good bass player, a good drummer has good time and good feel. Just like a good bass player, a good drummer can play fills that are interesting and add to the song and he knows when to play them and when not to.

A bad drummer is much easier to describe. If you can't lock with the kick drum because the kick drum is hitting randomly and spastically - that's not good drumming. When the drummer gets lost and misses changes and song endings - that's bad drumming. When the tempo speeds up or slows down - that's bad drumming.

When the drummer keeps a rock solid tempo, nails the changes, supports the song, plays tasty fills without over playing, can change up his drum beats by playing different drums or introducing rhythmic variations like accentuating the back beat, and helping to create rhythmic interplay between the drums and bass and does it all without taking away from the groove - you have a good drummer. Like all good musicians, good drummers listen.

I agree quite a bit with that. Also if he can count to 4, BUT...

I played with a drummer in my guitards other band. Good drummer for the most part. Some weird stuff came up.

I counted off a song for him. He didn't get it. I counted again.
He couldn't do it.

They had built baffles that they use on stage with him as he
has only one dynamic. LOUD. So rather than moderate his
tone, they muffle him. Sheesh!

The songs he does are all in 4/4. The guitard told me later
he cannot play any other time signature, just 4/4. Not 6/8 or
3/4 or 7/4.

My regular drummer uses a towel sometimes to modulate
his tom tom. He is very picky about his heads and how his
set is tuned. He is always trying out new gear. He is
concerned about his tone. He can play in any time. He can
speed up and bring you back. He can stop on time.

You know which one I like better.

[Sundogue]

Originally Posted by Thor

You know which one I like better.

The LOUD one?

[Philbiker]

Originally Posted by Marcus Alan

If you can pick up your bass and come up with a groove and find a drummer that compliments it with no warning, all signs are golden.

I once was in a band with a drummer like this. I could come up with groovy bass lines left and right, and if I played them once he would instantly start grooving with me not only in time, but specifically along with my bass licks. Often when this happened the singer or guitar player would jerk their head around and say "what was that? That was cool!" We'd just shrug "hey we just made that up just now".

We wrote the foundation for at least three originals this way.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Sundogue

The LOUD one?

Only if I brought the SWR SM900 and TWO 4x10.
That has 4/4 written all over it.

[sedan_dad]

Originally Posted by Sundogue

How do you tell if a drummer is good?

When you forget he's there.

Amen.