How to fail a drum audition within seconds

[Jerry Catanescu]

I was auditioning for bass while the band was also auditioning a new drummer. She missed her entrance to Gangstas Paradise. By one beat. Repeatedly. How on Earth can you even do that? Instant fail. But it was her practice room, so we went on with the practice, as we were trapped. Total drumming poopie show. Afterwards, I told the band that whether they liked my bass playing or not, I can't work with this drummer, so it's a moot point.

 

[40Hz]

He sounds like what I imagine Kieth Moon would sound like with a bottle of vodka and four lines of coke in him.

 

[2112]

I remember one drum audition I did 20 years ago... nice enough guy, but he just couldn't play the lead-in to the verse for Pink Floyd's "Time". Not the cool 2+ minute intro... I'm just talking about the 6 hits that go "bada bop... bop-bop-bop" before David starts singing "Ticking away...". I even showed him a couple times. Yeah... he didn't quite make the cut.

 

[P. Aaron]

For me personally, it's hard to find a good way to practice drums to a recording with acoustic drums. That's not a great excuse because it can definitely be done (and I have). But you are correct that it's easier to wing it (or can be anyway.)

Also this guy sounds like...way too much trouble.

When I practiced drums, I used an old piece of furniture foam strapped to the top of my Mesa F-100 (about the height of a snare drum). Worked fine for me. Had to crank the volume way too much to play along with an iPad or such with full-on kit.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

My first warning was being told before he got there that he likened himself to Keith Moon. I've never known anyone else say that about themselves.

He was maybe 15 minutes late, this drummer. Things happen to make us late. Some are fair. Not 'My clock was an hour slow; it must have stopped, when the time changed'. This was today, 2nd July. Our time changed at the end of March. 'Have you listened to the CDs?' He'd listened to them in the car, he said. Listened in the car. Not practised them, let alone learnt any.

He played the first song well, with good fills. On the downside, we'd said 130bpm. He went off at 180+. The next song starts with the guitar at 130bpm. The drummer came in at 180+. I told him he was too fast. I like playing fast. My other band's slowest is 172, but I wasn't liking playing this with him. I played a busy, walking bassline to it, for the first time. It didn't help. I almost walked out. Drummers and bassplayers can have something between them that others in the band don't have. There was none of it here.

Next song has a middle 8 with heavy kick drum only from the kit and leads into a bar of rests. He didn't get it after being told three times. He tapped softly on the kick and played heavily in the rests.

We did the first song again; I don't why. He said 'You want it a bit slower?' We said we did. He started at 180+ bpm.

His timekeeping on the four songs was bad, speeding up and slowing down.

Afterwards he told us about his own kit: 'I've got a cowbell and a thing that goes on the hi hat'.
'What's this "thing"?' I asked, reckoning it would be a hi hat tambourine. I was right, but why didn't he know what it was called?

This guy is a big no. I had him cut at ‘my watch must have stopped at the time change”. Assuming he has a cell phone, which most have date and time features, not to mention a calendar app with alerts, zero excuse for being late.

 

[robassable]

Ugg...wish I wouldn't have read your post this morning. Having encountered numerous similar highly annoying, incompetent, braggart "musicians" I got a splitting headache just reading about it.

 

[micguy]

There are few things more frustrating than playing with other musicians, especially drummers, who do not have good time.

The first requirement for any good musician is a good sense of timing. Someone who has poor timing is a poor musician - regardless of what instrument they play. Next!

 

[vvvmmm]

I remember one drum audition I did 20 years ago... nice enough guy, but he just couldn't play the lead-in to the verse for Pink Floyd's "Time". Not the cool 2+ minute intro... I'm just talking about the 6 hits that go "bada bop... bop-bop-bop" before David starts singing "Ticking away...". I even showed him a couple times. Yeah... he didn't quite make the cut.

When I was younger (now the drummers my age pretty much can do it because if yer still drumming at 60, you pretty much can do it) we'd use Zep's "Rock and Roll" as an initial litmus test. Worked for every potential band member, actually.

 

[Bassplyr74]

I think I've had worse luck with singers than drummers. I've found that occasionally you can coach/direct a drummer if he's not fully prepared for the rehearsal/tryout, but singers who don't do their homework are....yikes.

 

[RGerhart]

I feel for ya. These kind of situations just puzzle me. Do people really not value other people's time, or do they genuinely think their behavior is appropriate?

There have been a few times where something outrageous like what you described happened at an audition, and the best thing that I've learned to do is just bite your lip, get through the audition, and thank them for their time. Move on.

 

[jutty17]

There's nothing better than playing with a good drummer. My drummer and I have been playing together in various projects for over 30 years. We both feel music the same way. I think my style was most influenced by his playing, and I'd bet my last dollar he'd say that his style was most influence by me. I can't even imagine having to audition another drummer, but if I did I sure hope he wouldn't describe himself as Keith Moon.

 

[No Malarky]

From Drummer to Bummer within Seconds.

 

[Snibborwocky]

After ALL that, I'm surprised he didn't actually bring fireworks to blow up his kit "like Keith Moon".

 

[fishdude101101]

I’ve found drummers dont want to do as much homework as everyone else. Not always, but maybe it’s because they dont have to remember chords, notes so it’s easier for them to wing it. Not willing to do the work and personality disorders are the biggies that irritate me.

Yes this this my experience too. They don't really have to account for pitch in "learning" their parts so it lets them wing it a bit more. People will tell us we're wrong, but decades of experiencing this tells me otherwise.

 

[MrLenny1]

Next.....

 

[micguy]

I auditioned for a band once. The guitarist, when I go there, was jittery. Everyone was, for some reason, sitting around, not getting ready to play. Then a friend of the guitarist came, they went somewhere else for a couple minutes, and he came back, very calm, and the "friend" left. Now, everyone got up and set up to play. It was really hot, everyone was sweating, and I noticed ....the guitarist had a long sleeve shirt on. There were a few other details (like they played sets at a local club from 3 to 5 AM), but after we played a bit, I said thanks, and made sure I got all my gear out of there.

 

[Five or Six]

I dislike auditions. No matter the position they are given 4 songs and 2 weeks to get it done before a try out. Not prepared, late, seems to pretty much explain it all. Then there are the no shows. Not to mention all the excuses why they aren't prepared or late. Be either and thanks but no thanks. You already blew it!

 

[DaveDeVille]

Having auditioned a few drummers,
I’ve learned that many people own drum sets.

 

[Thebiggestjerk]

There are few things more frustrating than playing with other musicians, especially drummers, who do not have good time. Absolutely no sense of when they're speeding up/slowing down. I liken playing with them to waterskiing and trying to hang onto the rope and maintain balance while the person behind the wheel of the boat continually fiddles with the throttle.

And cannot find the one.

 

[jmlee]

Q: What’s the difference between a drummer and a drum machine?

A: You only have to punch the rhythm into the drum machine once.