Any tips on how to be ok with bad drummer?

[albertus]

I haven't read all five pages of answers, so maybe someone has told this before. the history of music is full of bands with bad or really bad players, but in the end, what really matters to people are the songs. we musicians appreciate the good chops of every one of the members, but the public have a more global look. if you are a band of friends doing good music and you have fun with these people around you and the you like the music, you should stay. this drummer has gave birth to this band, and he deserves not to get fired.
there is something significant in your story, that is his bad drumming was not a problem on small stages, and it is now that you are starting to succeed that concerns you. that means to me that the problem is not his drumming (because it was not a big issue for you either), so that you have changed the way you see things, but the music is probably the same. so if his drumming is really so bad, you should talk to him, not as a musician, but as a friend. if you are getting bigger and bigger, spend time rehearsing and make "the band" sound better.
sadly, all type of realtionships go to the "replacement" attittude instead of working together, and music escapes not to this tendency.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

good luck. That's my tip.

 

[TerriblePeril]

Maybe find a drummer to learn some of the tunes on his own time and broach the topic with the current one to be the bandleader/manager?

It's his baby, as you said, and you've communicated as a band that his refusal to practice is a significant issue. Maybe he would actually welcome the change? Do the conceptualizing, the booking and promoting, still as a full band member, but perhaps the backseat he takes in practicing is leading to a backseat in playing on stage.

That may be a way to let him know that you all were serious about his "style" hindering performances but that you respect him as a band member who simply may fit better in a different role.

 

[Muttleybass]

I have the same problem... Sort of. Not one of my regular projects, but he's a buddy and he gets GIGS, so I just suck it up, try and have fun, don't take it seriously and DIG IN and do my best to keep him in line.

I don't think I could ever quit a project to actually JOIN him in anything permanent, but hey, a gig's a gig.

I'm such a band slut. (sigh)

 

[Juan Hiribarren]

I was thinking a "soft" solution.... maybe finding a drummer he admire or someone who he respects that can tell him that he needs to practice the songs or the timming. That could affect his ego a little, and start the fire again! Good luck pal!!

 

[Tampabass]

Haven't read all the responses, but ... boy, have I dealt with this issue in the past.
Only thing that I've concluded is that a bad drummer can absolutely keep a band from moving forward, and it's all but impossible to "fix" a bad drummer, particularly when it comes to issues like tempo and volume (you know, the guy who feels like the only way he can play with more "energy" is to simply bash harder).
So, either everyone decides to take the painful way out, and tell the drummer that you're moving on with a different drummer.
Or, you decide to keep the status quo and resign yourselves to never achieving what you'd like to achieve.
Sorry, not very good news.
And, yes, it makes things considerably more complex when the drummer a)is a founding member and/or b)has his hands on the purse strings of your regular gig and/or c)is considered a friend.

 

[swafran]

Hi you may want to read your own post back to yourself, out loud, to see how it sounds:

His tempos fluctuate greatly, he forces fills he can't play into spaces he can't fit them into, and he can't hold on to his sticks to save his life.

Wow! He sounds like he needs lessons before playing any serious gig!

He's not an awful drummer,

Really? but you just said...

he just NEVER PRACTICES.

Uh-huh... so just in case we can agree that not keeping time, not landing your fills where they should, and dropping your sticks makes you a bad drummer, on top of it there's no chance for improvement, ever.

Well, um... really? How does it sound to you? I guess if you are ok with it, then great. I wouldn't be. And, I won't help you be ok with it. And I don't think you're doing him a favor by ok with it either. He needs to fail, learn from it, and practice. Or quit.

If it helps you decide, I think you could sell CDs locally and open at festivals with a number of other bands, that's not a once in a lifetime opportunity.

If you're really, really, tight friends with this guy you can offer rhythm section practices to tighten him up.

 

[Love GK]

It's like trying to fit a round block into a square hole it won't work. So let him go or go crazy trying to fix a problem that can't be fixed!

 

[Murdoc_420]

Duck tape will keep the sticks in his hands. The rest, I don't know.

 

[Revolver]

I haven't read all five pages of answers, so maybe someone has told this before. the history of music is full of bands with bad or really bad players, but in the end, what really matters to people are the songs. we musicians appreciate the good chops of every one of the members, but the public have a more global look. if you are a band of friends doing good music and you have fun with these people around you and the you like the music, you should stay. this drummer has gave birth to this band, and he deserves not to get fired.
there is something significant in your story, that is his bad drumming was not a problem on small stages, and it is now that you are starting to succeed that concerns you. that means to me that the problem is not his drumming (because it was not a big issue for you either), so that you have changed the way you see things, but the music is probably the same. so if his drumming is really so bad, you should talk to him, not as a musician, but as a friend. if you are getting bigger and bigger, spend time rehearsing and make "the band" sound better.
sadly, all type of realtionships go to the "replacement" attittude instead of working together, and music escapes not to this tendency.

The drummer's chops are limited, he doesn't practice (unlike the other members) and it makes the OP want to walk off stage because he is not enjoying it, yet you think he should stay? With all due respect, I call this being a 'muscial masochist'. If the drummer was a young guy with potential, yet no discipline, that would be different. The fact is, this guy is no kid, and bad habits are hard to break. As for how the audience perceives the band, it is true that is way different than musicians, but you have to enjoy it too, otherwise it is pointless (unless they are paying you a lot.. and even then). When you are happy with how your band sounds, you perform better because you like what you hear and you trust others. When it's the opposite, things are very shaky and can become disastrous quickly, especially when it involves a sub-par drummer. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a smaller gig with a band that sounds killer and I am happy with, than a hig profile mediocre one...

 

[HamOnTheCob]

I've read every single response here, and there's a ton of good stuff to consider.

One thing I've been realizing today is that, while yes, we continue to get bigger and better gigs, part of my problem is this constant fear that eventually someone who knows what's what will hear us and expose us as a fraud based on these flubs from the drummer. That may be an irrational fear, but it gives me anxiety, nonetheless.

I've been playing music long enough to know that if it even slightly resembles music, 99% of the crowd will be totally oblivious to whether it's good or not. And any smart venue owner/promoter won't really care about the quality of the music - if people attend the shows, it makes business sense. After all, plenty of tremendous musicians play in bands that don't draw for whatever reason. I don't want to sell the band short; we're good. It's just that I sometimes feel like our drummer keeps me from buying in to the notion we deserve to be on some of the stages we get to play.

One thing's important to note - when we have a big show, the drummer takes things more seriously, and we've never fallen apart during a really big opportunity. But when we play a regular show and the stakes aren't as high, I still expect everyone to bring their A game, and that's when he gets lazy and doesn't prepare. The issue is that I always feel like it's a matter of time before we crap the bed on the wrong night.

We're all pretty good friends in the band. The drummer and I are probably tighter outside the band than any other two members are. When I told him I wanted him to start looking for another bass player, he didn't really say anything. Several days passed, and last night I met him for a couple hours and we had a good discussion about a number of things. I think he might finally "get it" about practicing now, but time will tell. Looking forward to seeing how tomorrow night's show goes. It's in our own hometown (most of our shows are out of town), and we always play best at home.

Jacob

 

[mambo4]

Everything is going well for us. We played a huge festival this summer in front of thousands of people, we've been on regional radio and tv, have shared the stage with countless big names in the past couple years, and everything just keeps getting bigger and better.

Most responses are ignoring the above

OP is worried that the drummer's skill level may sabotage success.
But has it? It doesn't sound like it.

does anyone know any tricks to letting go a bit? I get so much anxiety ...Maybe I'm being too critical, but I don't know how to calm down, relax, and let things slide. .

what the OP wants is tips to adjust his own negative reaction to the drummer's flubs.
My advice is: treat his mistakes like your own mistakes.
The best thing to do is recover quickly and then forget,
re establish your focus on the next bar.
The worst thing you can do is carry a mistake from the last moment into the next moment.
Recovering smoothly from mistakes is a skill you can build -even if it's others' mistakes.
It's an import and useful skill to have.

My theory is that pro level players are not mistake free,
just faster and smoother on the recovery.

Part of the problem is that I take his refusal to practice his drums as a personal affront, and as blatant disrespect. I don't know how to get over that and keep things on the rails.

Yeah, stop taking his laziness personally. It's not about you.
check your ego back stage. All that matters is the song, and maybe the audience.

 

[Raymond Kallas]

Do what I did. Start a band and play without a drummer.

Of course this may not work with every style of music, but it's an option.

Ray

I'm not asking how to make the drummer better, how to replace him, how to tell him he's not good enough, or any of that. I'm hoping someone has a new perspective I haven't thought of for ways to keep me from losing my mind or quitting the band I've spent almost 2 years working my butt off for.

Back story:

The drummer is older than all of us, has been playing longer than any of us, and is just not very good. The issue is, he doesn't practice, and while a good musician lets layman comments like "You guys are so awesome!" roll right off like a bead of water, every compliment my drummer hears is like a galvanization for why he doesn't need to try harder. It's maddening.

The problem is, this whole band was his idea. He named it, he put it in motion, he gathered the initial personnel, he managed every move of the band when it was in its infancy, and he has been instrumental in the business side of things - which, let's be honest, is no small contribution.

When I was approached about joining the band, the reasoning I was given for why they were replacing the guy they had before me was that he wasn't committed to the band, didn't want to rehearse, and didn't want to be an actual member of the group. He didn't want to help promote, write, or any other responsibility for a true band member. They said they wanted someone who could rehearse at least once a week, but more than likely twice a week, wanted someone who wasn't afraid to put in some work, and who could contribute ideas and move things forward. So I joined the band with a fair warning to the rest of the group that I don't do anything half-heartedly, and that I was only joining this band because the dedication they were expecting of me seemed like it must be something they all had themselves. Everyone was on the same page, I thought.

We released our first CD in June, and it has sold well locally. Everything is going well for us. We played a huge festival this summer in front of thousands of people, we've been on regional radio and tv, have shared the stage with countless big names in the past couple years, and everything just keeps getting bigger and better.

But as the opportunities get bigger and the stakes get higher, I constantly think about how much his drumming limits us. His tempos fluctuate greatly, he forces fills he can't play into spaces he can't fit them into, and he can't hold on to his sticks to save his life. He's not an awful drummer, he just NEVER PRACTICES. We've openly addressed the issues as a band, and I've been straight with him. I've told him I'd like him to find another bass player if he won't put the same time and effort into being the best he can be that the rest of us put into our own instruments.

It remains to be seen whether or not he will put in the effort, but everyone in the band is on the same page as I am. Like I said, though, this whole thing is his baby, which gives us few options. The other guys have even talked about starting a new band without the drummer, but starting over from scratch isn't attractive to any of us, as we've all poured ourselves into this. The ultimate win-win would be for the drummer to step up his game and make the band as good as it could be.

But if he won't, does anyone know any tricks to letting go a bit? I get so much anxiety on stage when he flubs a simple, routine song that I just want to walk off the stage. Maybe I'm being too critical, but I don't know how to calm down, relax, and let things slide. Part of the problem is that I take his refusal to practice his drums as a personal affront, and as blatant disrespect. I don't know how to get over that and keep things on the rails.

Sorry for ranting/whining. I don't want this chapter of my musical journey to be over, but I don't know how to keep going without driving myself crazy.

Thanks in advance,
Jacob

 

[pbass2]

He's not a good musician STOP FOOLING YOURSELF.

I agree. If he's even half as bad as what you describe he's horrible and completely un-pro. I dunno what kind of music you guys play, but there's very few genres I can think of where that's gonna work for very long. Maybe some really trashy garage rock or something that's intended to be sloppy and irreverent, but even then, you're limited to JUST THAT vibe if you have a guy with skills as weak as you describe.
Heck, even Meg White could keep time....
You might be getting gigs and that's all well and good but I think it's gonna bite you later. Some producer, label, etc who might have been interested won't give you guys the time of day because of it. At the very least, if they do, the first thing they'll insist is you ditch the drummer and get a pro. I mean, you're playing in front of 1,000s of people and the guy is making mistakes?!!!

 

[Revolver]

I still expect everyone to bring their A game, and that's when he gets lazy and doesn't prepare.

Exactly! If you are serious about being a musician, you bring your A game to every single gig (Ok, except if you do an impromptu jam at some friend's party where nobody is expecting it and they are already a bit buzzed). Your reputation as a musician is on the line and you never know what other opportuinities might arise from your last gig (big or small).

 

[Gringo Basso]

.....make him the lead singer!

 

[Drummerboy2]

I'm not asking how to make the drummer better, how to replace him, how to tell him he's not good enough, or any of that. I'm hoping someone has a new perspective I haven't thought of for ways to keep me from losing my mind or quitting the band I've spent almost 2 years working my butt off for.

Back story:

The drummer is older than all of us, has been playing longer than any of us, and is just not very good. The issue is, he doesn't practice, and while a good musician lets layman comments like "You guys are so awesome!" roll right off like a bead of water, every compliment my drummer hears is like a galvanization for why he doesn't need to try harder. It's maddening.

The problem is, this whole band was his idea. He named it, he put it in motion, he gathered the initial personnel, he managed every move of the band when it was in its infancy, and he has been instrumental in the business side of things - which, let's be honest, is no small contribution.

When I was approached about joining the band, the reasoning I was given for why they were replacing the guy they had before me was that he wasn't committed to the band, didn't want to rehearse, and didn't want to be an actual member of the group. He didn't want to help promote, write, or any other responsibility for a true band member. They said they wanted someone who could rehearse at least once a week, but more than likely twice a week, wanted someone who wasn't afraid to put in some work, and who could contribute ideas and move things forward. So I joined the band with a fair warning to the rest of the group that I don't do anything half-heartedly, and that I was only joining this band because the dedication they were expecting of me seemed like it must be something they all had themselves. Everyone was on the same page, I thought.

We released our first CD in June, and it has sold well locally. Everything is going well for us. We played a huge festival this summer in front of thousands of people, we've been on regional radio and tv, have shared the stage with countless big names in the past couple years, and everything just keeps getting bigger and better.

But as the opportunities get bigger and the stakes get higher, I constantly think about how much his drumming limits us. His tempos fluctuate greatly, he forces fills he can't play into spaces he can't fit them into, and he can't hold on to his sticks to save his life. He's not an awful drummer, he just NEVER PRACTICES. We've openly addressed the issues as a band, and I've been straight with him. I've told him I'd like him to find another bass player if he won't put the same time and effort into being the best he can be that the rest of us put into our own instruments.

It remains to be seen whether or not he will put in the effort, but everyone in the band is on the same page as I am. Like I said, though, this whole thing is his baby, which gives us few options. The other guys have even talked about starting a new band without the drummer, but starting over from scratch isn't attractive to any of us, as we've all poured ourselves into this. The ultimate win-win would be for the drummer to step up his game and make the band as good as it could be.

But if he won't, does anyone know any tricks to letting go a bit? I get so much anxiety on stage when he flubs a simple, routine song that I just want to walk off the stage. Maybe I'm being too critical, but I don't know how to calm down, relax, and let things slide. Part of the problem is that I take his refusal to practice his drums as a personal affront, and as blatant disrespect. I don't know how to get over that and keep things on the rails.

Sorry for ranting/whining. I don't want this chapter of my musical journey to be over, but I don't know how to keep going without driving myself crazy.

Thanks in advance,
Jacob

First off, I'm sorry to hear you're going through something like this. But in reality, you are going to run into players like this. The decision is up to you if you want to try and work it out (which is does sound like you do) or just walk away. I will give you some examples.

I stopped playing drums a few years out of high school due to problems with my wrists due to the way I was playing drums which I didn't figure out until later but that's another story. when I decided to come back, my chops didn't come back like how I though they would. It took me a year of heavy practicing to even get to be where I wanted to play with a band. My timing was all over the place but I worked on it. My Brother which is a great player and plays with great players had a great band and kept asking me to sit in. I wouldn't sit in until I felt I was ready and could hold my own. They play a lot of Funk (Tower of Power stuff) and R&B with some Funky Jazz.

It took me 2years before I was ready and abale to hang with them cause when they catch a heavy groove, they take it to another level or two and you have to be able to go with them or get ran right off the stage. I seen so many guys get up and sit in with them that had those bad practice habits/egos and ended up looking/soundingg so bad I really felt sorry for them. They could finish the sound fast enough. So I ended up sitting in with them and did good, not great like how I wanted to sound. Everyone said I sound good and my Brother even said I sound good. For me, I didn't like what I heard of myself on the video that was shot that night. So I went back and practiced even harder work on harder tunes and my chops/grooves/pocket playing. So every time I played with them, I was a little better and better. The last time I played with them I came ready to play and I played with them like never had. I was just locking in a serious groove/s and popping. they were all looking back at me and just smiling.

I had been off the cans for 30 years since I had to quit but my drive as a musician and player never faded away. Even my bro heard me practicing one day and said "you practice hard and long hours bro" I told him yes because I'm making up for lost time. I'm 52 now and when I went back to playing drums was back in 2010.

So this is an example of what I do and my expectations are of myself. I always wanted to be a great drummer but never achieved my goal/dream but it never stopped me from not wanting to learn more and more. As a good musician, you never are satisfied were you are at. You always want to learn harder material and will practice hard to try to achieve it. If you can't do it in practice, you ain't gonna do it on a gig. When a drummer doesn't put in the practice, it shows up immediately from the first tune.

A good drummer doesn't have to be like the guys on the records that are monster players but he should have good timing and KNOW when to do things that fit and don't fit. As a drummer you have to LISTEN what's going on with the bass player as well as holding the time of the band. If the bass player is busy, then you need to back off a bit or play something that wont get in the way. My style of playing is with a busy bass drum foot, I fill in a lot if the bass player is leaving wholes in his groove. But if the bass player is a busy bass player than I back off on my bass pedal while still keeping it funky or in the a serious groove. An experienced drummer should know this already. and sometimes a busy foot just don't work, so I have to play it simple. Simple sometimes is best but that where the experience comes in! A busy Drummer with a busy Bass player is an ingredient for disaster but there are some players like that that can pull it off like Rocco and David G or TOP or Mike Clark and Paul Jackson of Headhunters for example.

As a player it should be fun on top of all the other stuff. If a member comes unprepared or is not wanting to put in the time, I have a very short fuse. But if the guy is genuinely trying his best and is having a hard time, then I will support him all the way because I know what it's like to be the weakest link in the band.

Some players/drummers are just lazy and never had proper practicing habits to begin with and those are the people I avoid. You don't have to have the best players but players that want to learn, rehearse, have fun.

Since you have talked to him already and he is unwilling to change his habits, then you and the rest of the bad should move on. That's what I would do or one day there will be a blow up on or off the stage when he is making mistakes like you say he is doing.

Another thing I hate to hear is when drummers try to get too fancy and what he is doing is not fitting the music or groove. Whether it's doing to much little cute stuff on the toms and or trying to hit ever punch or break they think that needs to be hit. Just lay it in the pocket and feel it and the rest will take care of itself.

Sorry for rambling about myself but I was just trying to give a drummers perspective.

Good Luck on what ever you decide to do!

 

[HamOnTheCob]

I've been there. As Pat Metheny said "better to play with a good drum machine than a bad drummer". And to the bass player it's even more critical to have someone who can hit "one" after a fill and stop the band from turning the song into a horse race where everyone wins.

At the same time, I really glad you are acknowledging this guy is strong on the business end of things. You're right, what he does is no small feat. And as someone whose kind of in his position, the time it takes to organize, promote and book the band takes away from practice time. I find the musicians get better while my own playing stagnates. If I stop being a business guy, and focus on my instrument, then the band dies.

So, I have a couple suggestions I have actually tried that helped.

1. Record the band with a click track, and then everyone does an evaluation of their own playing and maybe some general comments. See if the guy will acknowledge where he is lacking. It's amazing how good you sound to yourself, and then when you hear a recording, it sucks. It's like we are on temporary drugs when we are playing that makes everything seem wonderful, and then, when you hear it on a recording, it's like the drug has worn off and you can hear and see clearly.

2. If the guy acknowledges his deficiencies, put the time into practicing with him -- just you and him. I did this with a drummer who had all the right personality and potential ingredients, but he couldn't play jazz and had bad time. He came over to my house once a week for about two months and we practiced with a click track. We got really tight, and even coordinated accents and kick drum patterns that fit my bass line -- something that I have to let happen spontaneously in other bands. If the guy can't make personal time to practice, maybe he'll be willing to put some time in with you. It's different when someone is coming over..it's more fun and it's like a firm commitment. Use your interpersonal skills to encourage more practice between visits. And be complementary about whatever progress he makes. Help the guy and show him the progress he is making through rough recordings.

3. I actually brought in someone who had a lot of credibility in the music community to critique us as a band. Our drummer would not listen to me either about his being out of time, fills that never ended on 1, etcetera. So I brought in a guy who was a music teacher, and had a good reputation around town. Everyone knew he was coming to critique us with a view to improving ourselves. I primed the guy about general concerns I had, to help him zero in on trouble spots, and my concerns definitely included the drummer.

This guy gave the feedback I wanted, and it seemed to help the drummer.
[The cool thing about this was two years later this music teacher guy joined the band as our saxophonist, which was cool].

Here are a few ideas I haven't tried.

4. Take a video of the band, or even a recording and see if you can post it somewhere, like a private link on Youtube. Ask us to critique it after giving our musical background for credibility reasons. Do it in private messages if you don't want it to be open forum. Or, post it on an equivalent for talk bass for drummers, here and a place for guitarists so you don't seem to singling the guy out. Give him all the written feedback (and the other band members). Surely, the drummer's problems will be mentioned in the feedback along with other suggestions.

5. I hate doing this, but talk to the other guys to see if they share your concern -- it sounds like they do if they want to start their thing. Have a dedicated meeting -- tell the BL you want to meet offsite and talk about the band. This will heighten his awareness if you make it a big thing like that -- a special meeting offsite. Talk to him about his great businessmanship and how much you appreciate it. But get to the poor drumming. Again, use your interpersonal skills to give him the feedback, but make it the main focus of the meeting. Everyone contributes. I don't see it as "ganging up on the guy" if you treat his work with appreciation. Pay for dinner to smooth it over a bit. Try to commit him to practice, perhaps coupling it with suggestions #4 immediately above this one.

One thing you should NOT do, is encourage him to move off the drum chair and be your promoter. This happened to me with a band I formed, and yes, fell behind with all the practice I was giving everyone with the regular gigs I booked. I fired the guy who suggested that in a heartbeat. (There were other problems but that was the last straw). You gotta acknowledge the guy's hard work, and be really, really appreciative, while trying to help him as much as you can.

6. Do what a drummer used to do with me. When I would speed up, he would REALLY emphasize where the beat was, after saying my name. He played simpler and looked at me. It was sort of jolting at first, but in a way, he had me in a "lesson". He was like a metronome and every gig was a practice session. Could you do the same thing using your bass as the time keeper?

7. Consider giving him, only a click track in rehearsal and live performance.

Hope that helps and it works. Sounds like you have a good thing going as a band, if you can get this drumming thing worked out.

What a great response. I really appreciate all that you said (and in your other post as well).

#1 - We've talked about trying this. I think he's intimidated by it. He has trouble in the studio as well, and tracking drums is always a lot more labor-intensive than the rest of our parts. It's like the click distracts him, as silly as it sounds. We're most likely going to try this though.

#2 is a great idea in theory, but he and I live a little over an hour apart, so it's more involved than just stopping by and jamming, unfortunately. He also doesn't have a drum set in his house! He keeps his show kit in the road trailer and his practice kit at the rehearsal space, which is about a 45 minute drive for me and about a 20 minute drive for him. That's not a legitimate barrier, just an extra hurdle that's hard to convince someone to overcome if they're not motivated in the first place.

#3 - We've discussed this before as well, but we're all friends with everyone in the area, so it's hard to ask someone we all know to come in and be objective. One of our reasons for success is because we're on friend terms with an incredible amount of people in the upper Ohio Valley. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I don't know of anyone right off the top of my head who the drummer would respect enough as a musician to have the desired effect who he also isn't good friends with.

#4 - Probably the most hit or miss one, because there's video of us playing from an event we spent time prepping for, so it's not as glaring as some of our other shows, and I think he sees those videos and assumes he always plays like that. Like I've said, he's not an awful drummer, he just doesn't practice. For reference of how he plays when he does practice, here's this video. (There's a missed stop around 3:00 and a missed stop at the end. Not egregious errors whatsoever, but this is a show that was taken seriously and prepped for. Imagine a show that's not viewed as "important"...) This video was part of an entire show they aired during an Easter Seals Telethon.


#5 - Everyone in the band is of the same mind as I am. In an extensive talk with the drummer last night, I made the case that a serious band meeting (that isn't during rehearsal) is absolutely necessary for us to all get on the same page and address some issues and re-focus on what we all want to achieve.

#6 - I already help him with the tempos, but right in the middle of him speeding up, or during the bad fills, there's not much I can do.

#7 - This goes along with #1.

Jacob

 

[Fabio_MIJ]

But the bad omelletes are selling like good hotcakes...

I'm going to +1 everyone suggesting to take time and jam with just the drummer every week.
Just tell him you enjoy jamming with him and you want to hone your chops with a human instead of a drum machine.
Plus it will be great for the band to have an even more well oiled rhythm section.

It will be good for you both.

He gets a few more hours of practice he needs and you get a better feel of his odd timing.
You might even learn to love playing with him.

Can be a good solution, it depends what are everybody's goals...

 

[eban3]

You can have a weak link in any band ,weak keys ,guitar ,vocals ,bass but if your drummers not cutting it, the band ,no matter how good everyone else is will sound mediocre ,everything is based on rhythm first drums then bass there is nothing you can do even if you can hold the groove and get him to follow if he cant do it on his own ,your gonna get really bored and its gonna feel like work , not fun ...been there done that......either put up with it or leave it ...probably why the last bassist left