A drummer who is actually a musician. It's kinda nice.

[TC2112]

I was recommended to sit in with a group several weeks ago by a keyboard player friend of mine. I asked for a set list, and was told they really didn't have one, they just call out a song and a key and everybody plays. I'm thinking it's gonna be a mess, but I've played a long time and know a ton of classic rock stuff, so I can get through it.

I show up, set up and off we go. They do all kinds of stuff I don't know and a ton of stuff I've never even heard, but, the one really nice thing is that the drummer leans over and says stuff like, "this is in Am, it's a boogie (or a shuffle) with a V I IV turnaround, watch me for changes. I find out after the first set, the guy is also a horn player.

I got the full time gig and I have to say playing without a set list has been a blast. It keeps you on your toes and it's NEVER boring. We take a ton of requests and as long as someone in the band knows the changes and we can figure out some lyrics, we'll give it a go.

[jaywa]

I love situations like that. The way I see it, if all the players in the band are veteran musicians and they all know a song reasonably well, why shouldn't you give it a go and see what happens? Sometimes those attempts to "wing it" come off better than the stuff you've rehearsed.

I play in a pickup band like that... sadly, only once or twice a year because of other commitments we all have... but it's always such a rush because when we're putting together a show there is very little material that's off limits.

[bassteban]

Man, that sounds like a dream gig. I have it pretty good, though- I'm generally the guy doing what your drummer does, mostly to my drummer, who actually listens.

[pacojas]

i thought all drummers were musicians, but then again, i know nothing!

[modulusman]

Originally Posted by pacojas

i thought all drummers were musicians, but then again, i know nothing!

I'm not even sure that all drummers are human.

[jaywa]

Drummers are musicians. Singers... ehhh...

Reminds me of my former worship leader. She was a tremendous pianist (who sang pretty well too but loved piano more), and her husband was a great drummer. A lot of times without even meaning to, in rehearsal she'd say something like, "OK the singers can go to the other room and the musicians will stay here." Used to p*ss off our singers to no end...

[Kael]

I am happy when the drummer is sober.

[joinercape]

You would be surprised how many drummers are fine, educated musicians. Most I know and work with have degrees in music, many of them play other instruments, all of them read well. It's a sad generality to assume most drummers are not capable musicians. That has not been my experience at all.

[randall p]

The very gifted drummer of my old metal band was also a pretty good guitarist. Even subbed in a friend's band for a few gigs.
Sadly, he sucked at all other facets of human existence.

[Deluge Of Sound]

Interview | Tyshawn Sorey | Ars Nova Workshop

I can name many drummer-composers who are not only under-represented as composers, but who are also under-represented as complete musicians. This bias, for a long time, has existed not only in the so-called jazz tradition – but also within that, this argument is applicable to bassists. However, very briefly, to answer the second part of your question, one drummer-composer who for decades has consistently dismantled this structure is Jack DeJohnette. He is a prime example of a complete musician in the highest order. This great man has quite an extensive compositional output – a huge catalogue of works, and I find it a bit disturbing that there are hardly any opportunities to see him performing his own music. Here is a contemporary musician whose catalogue of works extends all the way to the mid-1960s, and we still do not get to hear enough of his own music. I have no idea as to the reason for this, but I think that the fact that we as drummer-composers still face such predispositions in 2011 is incredible.

However, the good news is that we are now in a period where there is a fast-evolving lineage of contemporary drummer-composers who write just as well as anybody, if not better than those who are not drummers! People like Marcus Gilmore, Ches Smith, Tomas Fujiwara, Joey Baron, Kevin Norton, Mike Reed, Susie Ibarra – they, among many others, are producing some fresh and vital music that is relevant for our time (not to mention how brilliant they are as human beings and as musicians). We can also see that there is a growing community of drummers who play more than one instrument, which I especially value. Multi-instrumentalism informs their playing and their compositions on a musical level, which contributes to their brilliance.

I look forward to seeing more drummers’ music released and documented as correctly as possible. I hope to see the day when a lot of these drummer-composers get to take their groups on the road and/or are able to perform their work as often as they can, so that they can continue to evolve their body of works – even if it is for a single context, that’s fine. I am not saying that all drummers must write a symphony or an opera or anything, but if that is what they want to do, that is great! What I am saying is that drummer-composers should perform more of their work (or have their music performed by other groups) as often as possible. Speaking for myself, I have no intention on leaving this planet with nothing to show, as far as my work goes. I have been composing for well over ten years now, and I cannot afford to continue being limited by the “drummer-as-sideman” trap. It is a tough fight, but someone has to go through with it. How else can people become familiar with the totality of the drummer-composer’s output?

[bassteban]

Yeah, I love to talk out my behind here, but in reality the vast majority of drummers I've dealt with over the past several years have been very professional, capable & cooperative.

[TC2112]

I have worked before with some very good drummers who were talented musicians as well, and was probably making a bad generalization with my thread title, but - this guy is the first drummer I have ever played with in my 25+ years of playing that could speak in Nashville chord chart terms and really knew how to very quickly express an idea on the fly and could also understand when it was my turn to call something out.

[skidrawk]

My drummer has a music degree from North Texas which probably makes him the most qualified musician of the band.

[StevenB]

Originally Posted by Kael

I am happy when the drummer is sober.

+1 on that Brother.

[eSmith]

one drummer-composer who for decades has consistently dismantled this structure is Jack DeJohnette.

Yup, he's great. He is also a very accomplished piano player. I would also add Dave Weckl and Peter Erskine to the list.

I'm a drummer first and picked up the bass to get a better understanding of what goes on from that perspective. Besides getting 100% addicted to the bass it has resulted in a better band sound when I am playing drums.

-eSmith.

[bills2north]

Jamming with a good drummer is an amazing feeling. A Drum, bass etc solo is like tag team wrestling.. talk about FUN, right?!

[parsons]

an old music teacher once scolded my friend (who was our drummer in our high school punk band) in class that a drummer bangs on things and that a percussionist is a musician. This was because he was dozing off during Music Theory and his response was "why the hell do I need to learn this stuff? I'm just the drummer!"

I do miss my last drummer. He holds a degree from Berklee and really had his fundamentals in place.

[BryanM]

Most of the drummers that I've worked with could read not only percussion music but also read bass and treble clef music. Also I've found that drummers are remarkably quick at picking up other instruments. Case in point: my old band's first drummer took up guitar 4 years ago and is now miles ahead of the band's guitarist, their second drummer doesn't count because while he knows his music, he spent the last 3 years getting a law degree, and their auxiliary percussionist/my current band's drummer has, in the past 3 months, taken up accordion and guitar and is very capable at reading music or improvising/calling changes on either at this point.