How do you tell a Drummer....

[NZBassman]

That you don't really like the sound of their kit or the way they play?

I've been in my current band about 2.5 years - we're a bunch of older guys (I'm the youngest) and we do it purely for fun and enjoyment.
I really enjoy the laid back / stress free attitude we all have
We're not the greatest covers band nor do we want to be

Our drummer is 'ok' plays the basics, nothing flashy.... but often struggles with a 'more complicated' drum beat.

He has an older Yamaha electric kit with rubber pads and sometimes it sounds pretty good - depending on what kit he chooses, but more often than not it just sounds average.
if he doesn't hit the snare pad bang in the middle it just doesn't cut through enough

at our last gig we had a back up drummer (who we had rehearsed with before when regular drummer was unavailable) and he played an 8-10 song 'mini set' and used his own drums - New Roland Electric kit with 4-5 cymbals..... his drums sounded amazing and he picks things up very quickly. He also hits the drums harder when playing

everyone else in the band commented about how good his drumming is and how good his drums sound....even regular drummer commented that his drums sounded good....
I was hoping it might give regular drummer some inspiration to 'upgrade' his kit, but I don't think it has

last night we were running through a potential new song and the drummer just couldn't get the right beat / feel.... it got to the point where I nearly asked him if I could show him how it's played I was that frustrated....

I think most of the others in the band wouldn't be upset if regular drummer 'left' the band... but no-one wants to say anything to him
plus the back up drummer has expressed an interest in wanting to play with us again if the opportunity arises.

I don't want to leave the band because I really enjoy playing with them, but at the same time I don't know how much longer I can tolerate the drummer

 

[micguy]

All I can say is it's easy to fire the drummer when you've already played with his replacement.

 

[theduke1]

It’s pretty hard to make demands of what is basically a group of volunteers who get together for fun
You can
1 leave if you are unhappy
2 enjoy it as it is
3 or just accept it for what it is
IMVHO
DUKE

 

[Jazzdogg]

My condolences. I used to play in a band with a conga player who played everything by ear, didn't understand rhythms or musical notation, and had a great deal of difficulty learning new songs. The saving grace was that most of the time I couldn't hear him well enough to be bothered.

 

[JRA]

I don't want to leave the band because I really enjoy playing with them, but at the same time I don't know how much longer I can tolerate the drummer

given the circumstances you describe: why would you leave? get a different drummer and carry on!

"earl, it's been a gas! i've/we've found a cat that i/we think fits us better. thanks for all that you've done...you're a good man! good luck!"

 

[mongo2]

One band I was in disbanded and I soon got a call to play with the same guys except with a different drummer.

 

[gln1955]

What bothers you more, his gear or his playing?

You can suggest he upgrade his kit without it being personal. Maybe he can't afford to spend a few grand on a nice set just for a "fun" band.

If his playing is the bigger issue, addressing that will kill the "laid back stress free attitude" y'all have. An older guy who's been plating for a while is not likely to get better. You'll end up having him quit or have to fire him or decide to carry on with him and a black cloud over the band. Is it worth going down that road?

 

[NZBassman]

given the circumstances you describe: why would you leave? get a different drummer and carry on!

"earl, it's been a gas! i've/we've found a cat that i/we think fits us better. thanks for all that you've done...you're a good man! good luck!"

thanks for the advice.... I think the band has been around for a few years and drummer has been with them 10? years and it sounds like he's had the same kit since he started....
I'm the 'newbie' in the band and don't really want to rock the boat... I'm happy to stay in the band and have no intentions of leaving...
would I be happier with a better drummer with a better sounding kit - yes probably.

TBH I'm kind of hoping one of the more 'senior' members of the band might say something to drummer

 

[Rune Bivrin]

You need to find a Brian Epstein to fire the drummer...

 

[NZBassman]

What bothers you more, his gear or his playing??

Well if I'm being honest probably his playing....
when we set up for our last gig, backup drummer jumped on his kit and it sounded pretty good when he hit the drums.
I doubt he's likely up upgrade his kit in the near future, but maybe we can tweak it a bit to get it sounding better

I shouldn't complain because I don't have flashy gear myself, but it does the job

 

[SiSoldier]

I do not think you can say anything in this case w/out upsetting someone. The drummer has earned seniority with over 10 years of jamming with the group : (

 

[rashrader]

I owned a Yamaha Electric Kit for a while and I really liked it. Without going into the settings, the volumes can sound a bit uneven. I’d suggest simply inquiring about his knowledge of the “Brain” for the kit… Encourage him to mix the drums a bit better. “Hey, Dude. Can you turn the Snare Drim up in the Mix?” Changing full drum kit tones doesn’t help mix them better. Make sense?

 

[40Hz]

I’d suggest doing it very diplomatically since you’re the new guy. Keep in mind long working relationships can be very painful to break off if you’re one of the senior members in a band. So unless there’s consensus that drummer A needs to go, I wouldn’t push it. Especially if I were the newest member of the band - and even more especially if I wanted to remain a member.

If there’s no way to get the old drummer up to speed, and the rest of the band is either unwilling or unable to get him to improve (assuming they even care in the first place) then maybe it’s you who has to go. If you do leave, maybe you could try to get together with that other drummer you like so much and form the nucleus of a new group?

I’ve done that a few times over the years. But if you do, be sure to do it in an upfront manner that doesn’t result in hurt feelings, or your old band experiencing a sense of betrayal. It’s never wise to burn bridges. And word gets around fast if you’re a backstabber or a sneak.

Good luck.

 

[bolophonic]

I can’t hang with bad drummers. The drummer has to be at least as good as me, or I’m out of there. YMMV.

 

[NZBassman]

I owned a Yamaha Electric Kit for a while and I really liked it. Without going into the settings, the volumes can sound a bit uneven. I’d suggest simply inquiring about his knowledge of the “Brain” for the kit… Encourage him to mix the drums a bit better. “Hey, Dude. Can you turn the Snare Drim up in the Mix?” Changing full drum kit tones doesn’t help mix them better. Make sense?

Thanks - he's got different kits set up in the 'brain' and knows how to use the settings... he has previously said his snare was on 'full' volume... he has a 'power' and a 'hard rock' kit and they sound a bit better, but I don't know what one is his main kit

 

[Phaidrus]

given the circumstances you describe: why would you leave? get a different drummer and carry on!

"earl, it's been a gas! i've/we've found a cat that i/we think fits us better. thanks for all that you've done...you're a good man! good luck!"

so cruel

 

[rashrader]

Thanks - he's got different kits set up in the 'brain' and knows how to use the settings... he has previously said his snare was on 'full' volume... he has a 'power' and a 'hard rock' kit and they sound a bit better, but I don't know what one is his main kit

If that’s the case, then turn everything else down to increase the apparent volume of the snare.

 

[pcake]

i have never let a band mate tell me what amp or bass to play, and i wouldn't tell a drummer i don't like his/her kit, either.

for frame of reference, my low end pintech/frankenkit cost over a grand, only because the mesh pads were a screaming deal on CL ($90 for all 3). the really cheap kits you can don't sound good or have very few sound options, if they're the name brands, they have less pads, and often don't have enough polyphony. and some of the cheaper stuff just doesn't sound good and may break a lot.

that new roland kit may have cost around $2700 or more, and the module will take a lot of tweaking to get the right sound, and even though the high end roland modules have lots of external controls, there's a steep learning curve. or you can buy VEX kits for it, but then you need computer knowledge and the ear to know what sounds good.

as far as how the drummer plays, he's having fun and this is basically a fun project. if he had more time/effort to invest in his playing, he'd probably already be doing it.

are the songs covers or originals?

 

[JRA]

so cruel

i thought several sentences were better than a couple of words.

 

[NZBassman]

If that’s the case, then turn everything else down to increase the apparent volume of the snare.

I think we've tried that.... with no success.... I think it comes down to how he's paying / hitting the drums
maybe he doesn't hit them properly or hard enough? because when back up drummer played on his kit it sounded better...