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Finding a drummer

bassgrackle

bassgrackle

Aug 17, 2010
983
2,211
#1
I am always the guy getting picked up to play with existing bands. Now I am building a band, and I don’t know how to find a really solid drummer.

Where have you guys had the best luck finding a good drummer?

And I know a good drummer needs to be able to drool out of both sides of his or her mouth at the same time and live on someone’s couch. But I also want one that just says in time for once.
 
#3
What's worked best for me in finding the best drummers is to work without one getting everything I needed together first, hiring one after that, and then finding one once things are off the ground.

The Nerve was just me and a guitarist/singer. We wrote and recorded a bunch of songs, rehearsed them to the drum tracks we had made for the recordings. then got someone to volunteer (was a friend being a sort of free for hire guy), and finally found our guy.

I've done sort of the same with cover bands - get the whole thing as close to off the ground as possible... get a paying gig, and then get a drummer to jump in for it.

The sad truth is this: Unless you're incredibly lucky and find a friend who is great on drums and wants to team up - chances are you're not going to get a great drummer for a startup band. At least not doing what YOU want to do. Decent drummers are already out there doing gigs, and unless you have something that's worthwhile there really isn't any reason for them to team up with a "potential" band. It's not impossible as there are exceptions to every rule, but I've found this to pretty much be the case.

Either have a friend who's willing, have something happening to invite a stranger into, or hire someone until you do. My $.02.
 
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#4
Drummers are a sore spot for my lately. My new band has a good one but he has commitment issues. We tried out another who came in unprepared. We are now back to drummer one and hopefully will be able to work him in and get a fill in. As for where to find them? Word of mouth...craigslist and luck?
 
#8
I find my biggest issues with drummers is they don’t put in the work outside of rehearsal. It burns my ass when they call rehearsal time practice time. Because I’m not in the studio with you to practice your part. Your part should be 90% locked down before you come in to the studio. The last drummer would change his beats weekly in an original blues rock band. I could never lock in with him. The album is already written just listen to it and learn it.
 
#9
As a drummer myself (and a pretty good one, I have been told), I am very hard on the drummers I work with when I play bass or guitar. I have been looking for a new project lately and have been on a few auditions and there is nothing more heartbreaking than walking into a promising on paper project, to find that the drummer can't keep time or has no feel whatsoever. I went on an audition last night and it was awful. I am always torn as to what proper etiquette is in those situations. After 10 minutes, I know it's a no go. What do you guys do? Stick out the hour or (gulp...) 2 hours? Last night I excused myself after an hour and said that I had another engagement. We had not talked about a set length of time to get together however.
 
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#10
I can count the number of good drummers i have played with on one hand. They are a rare breed indeed, but when they are good they are super in demand. As said earlier, getting those guys to join your startup can be difficult when they are basking in green pastures.
 
#12
Joe Nerve said:
Decent drummers are already out there doing gigs
Click to expand...
!

RoadRanger said:
Leave a pizza out on your back porch at night ;)
Click to expand...
that's just finding a drummer...but it works! to find a good drummer you have to wait until you hear the knocking/scratching (for more pizza)...hire the cat who does that in time! :laugh:


i've been lucky to have played with/for some wonderful drummers in the past 50+ years, but i've played with only one, truly great drummer. of course, he had chops (deluxe), but also:
- he lived to play music
- he knew his business (jazz)
- he was a perfect gentleman
- he was an optimist

OP: so, don't forget to look for the person behind the tubs!
 
#13
I'm just learning drums now, so I'm trying to get a feel for the "drummers mind" for if and when I play with others in the future. I do wonder if there is more of a "if I can get the gist of a song, it's all good" with percussion than with other accompaniment instruments. The problem being, of course, that they don't learn the particulars of the songs. I had this problem with the last drummer I worked with. I also wonder if lack of knowledge of theory has anything to do with it, particularly among self-taught drummers. Folks that, say, learned percussion in HS bands had to learn and understand some theory to play with the band. OTOH, dudes who just pick up the drums on their own can learn to keep rhythm without any knowledge of musical theory whatsoever. The latter I think would be more prone to thinking they can "wing it" without working out parts or trying to fit with the ensemble. I don't think a drummer has to be good at reading music. But they sure as heck should know what an intro, verse, chorus, or bridge is, how to transition between them, and how to separate them. The last issue is instrument space and storage. Drums need plenty of space with tolerance for high volume - both of which are expensive to come by. I bet there are plenty of "working" drummers who don't play at all between rehearsals and shows, because they can't.
 
#14
Sounds like I've been pretty lucky in my musical life regarding good drummers. When I was involved in music, I always seemed to hang with them.

In my short career(?) as a bassist, been very fortunate to work with a few very good drummers. I didn't really appreciate them all until I got stuck with a bad one. Luckily that's behind me now and am currently working with two excellent drummers who have touch, time and like locking with the bass.

They make me so much better than I really am....
 
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