Drummers: I get it now.

[EXCAV8]

I finally understand.

She's a good drummer, and for the most part a competent drummer, but she drums TOO MUCH. Often times she's so busy with fills that she misses the change and throws off the timing. I'm not sure if she's familiar with how to expand and contract as the song goes along.

I have to keep my mouth shut for now though. I'm the "new guy."

 

[AboutSweetSue]

A LOT of people over-play. Knowing how to tone it down is musicianship 101.

 

[Krakmann]

Salud!

Maybe she is young? I think we all have been there. There comes a time when you finally REALLY understand the song comes first. It may seem obvious, but it's not. She still has to learn that lesson.

The real problem for me is that her overplaying affects her precision. You could approach the issue that way.

 

[PaulCISSA]

"Less is more" takes patience. It's un-natural. Many of the younger players I've been next to approach playing as quantitative rather than qualitative. It takes realization to make it sink in.

Take the cheerleader approach.

 

[hrodbert696]

I think I spent my first five years of playing bass learning to play more and the next five years learning to play less.

 

[buldog5151bass]

There is nothing as good music-wise for a bassist than to play with a really good drummer.

There is nothing worse than playing with a Bad one.

 

[The Bass Clef]

A LOT of people over-play. Knowing how to tone it down is musicianship 101.

Sadly, for a lot people it seems like learning to cut out all the crap is the last “class” they take.

 

[EXCAV8]

Had another practice tonight. Same routine. If she's drumming this much and this LOUD in the basement of a house, I don't know how the hell I'd even hear myself think if I were on stage with her.

 

[PaulCISSA]

Had another practice tonight. Same routine. If she's drumming this much and this LOUD in the basement of a house, I don't know how the hell I'd even hear myself think if I were on stage with her.

Yikes. I can empathize. I'm having this same meeting tonight with one of the two bands I play in. I won't hi-jack your thread but can agree that it just plain sucks.

 

[AGCurry]

She's a good drummer, and for the most part a competent drummer, but she drums TOO MUCH. Often times she's so busy with fills that she misses the change and throws off the timing.

That's not a good drummer.

Good drummers are musicians. They listen and play what it takes to make everybody sound good.

 

[Lobster11]

Salud!

Maybe she is young? I think we all have been there. There comes a time when you finally REALLY understand the song comes first. It may seem obvious, but it's not. She still has to learn that lesson.

The real problem for me is that her overplaying affects her precision. You could approach the issue that way.

Agreed: "too busy" and "imprecise" are two different issues -- although in many cases (like this one) the former is one of the causes of the latter. I play with a drummer whose style is too busy much of the time, but he (almost) never misses changes and is (almost) always right there on the one. I can deal with the busyness as long as he's there when I need him.

 

[Lobster11]

Had another practice tonight. Same routine. If she's drumming this much and this LOUD in the basement of a house, I don't know how the hell I'd even hear myself think if I were on stage with her.

Actually, it will probably be better on stage. Basements are notorious for being echo chambers where "loud" easily becomes "too loud."

 

[kevindahl]

How is she as a person? Does she listen? Always talking? I find sometimes bad personalty traits unfortunately transfer over to the persons musicianship. This can be very difficult to change. Have you taped rehearsals? If someone cant hear bad parts/dynamics from listening to a recording then they are lost causes.

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

My condolences -- I deal with this. Try to encourage the good in her playing.
Help her see that no fill, anytime, anywhere, is ever worth the groove. Find examples
of minimalist drummers in the style of music you play and share them. Record
and listen back to practices. Try (together with her) playing with an app like
liveBPM. Try the same with a flashing metronome app. And be patient -- it can
take a while. Good luck!

 

[EXCAV8]

How is she as a person? Does she listen? Always talking? I find sometimes bad personalty traits unfortunately transfer over to the persons musicianship. This can be very difficult to change. Have you taped rehearsals? If someone cant hear bad parts/dynamics from listening to a recording then they are lost causes.

Unsure. I'm still very new to the group. The previous bassist for this group was the BL. He passed away last year and so far the co-creator of the group seems to have become the defacto leader, although he seems very shy about making any criticisms. The other members of the group are very pleased with how the songs sound when we get through them with little to no mistakes, and I'm there thinking, "Really? It doesn't bother you at all that we're having to wear earplugs for a rehearsal, and our drummer is bashing the crappola out of these songs without any regard for presence, or how the song is supposed to feel?"

I really believe we could make some good music and play out, but at this point in time, I'd be embarrassed to play in front of an audience.

 

[Lobster11]

Unsure. I'm still very new to the group. The previous bassist for this group was the BL. He passed awtiay last year and so far the co-creator of the group seems to have become the defacto leader, although he seems very shy about making any criticisms. The other members of the group are very pleased with how the songs sound when we get through them with little to no mistakes, and I'm there thinking, "Really? It doesn't bother you at all that we're having to wear earplugs for a rehearsal, and our drummer is bashing the crappola out of these songs without any regard for presence, or how the song is supposed to feel?"

I really believe we could make some good music and play out, but at this point in time, I'd be embarrassed to play in front of an audience.

It sounds to me like everyone is just listening to themselves and trying to get their own part right, and you're the only one who's listening to the whole. My suggestion would be to record a rehearsal and make sure everyone listens to it -- ideally, together.

I also think you could suggest that you think the band is much too loud and recommend that everyone turn down. Maybe if everyone else turns down, the drummer will realize that she has to lighten up in order to be able to hear anything else. I'm not optimistic this will work, but it might be a safe way of addressing the issue without pointing fingers.

 

[lfmn16]

You actually have three issues:

1. Over plays
2. Too loud
3. Sloppy

even the new guy can point out two and three. I’d start there IF you want to stay. I can tell you that in almost 50 of playing in bands I can count on one hand the number of people that have fixed their issues. Even worse we’re talking about a drummer!!!

 

[two fingers]

I think I spent my first five years of playing bass learning to play more and the next five years learning to play less.

Right there with you.... except I spent a decade on each. (I'm a slow learner.)

 

[awakefie]

I was in a band that had a drummer that would fill at the appropriate time in the song, but would slow down his tempo on the fills, then return to normal tempo after the fill. Very difficult and threw the rest of the band off.

"Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"

 

[pacojas]

Had another practice tonight. Same routine. If she's drumming this much and this LOUD in the basement of a house, I don't know how the hell I'd even hear myself think if I were on stage with her.

that's a swing and a miss,... strike 2! are you the only one seeing/hearing this? if so, walk