Why is it always the drummers? Seriously, I've been through three drummers and none of them have been motivated. Why would you not want to be in a band? Why would you learn drums if you didn't want to play them?
I don't know, I've thought about it and came to a few conclusions on my own which may be right or wrong.
Well, for me playing drums is very, very hard, so I respect anyone who does it well.
Honestly, you can be an average bassist and a lot of people think you're just fine. But in the bands I've been in, and with the groups I've played with, there's a lot of pressure on the drummer to be exceptional. I think playing drums is a very high profile, high pressure job in a lot of bands. Drummers are judged a lot. I guess all musicians are.
Drummers also have a lot of stuff to move and their setup takes a lot longer than most of us.
Like any instrument, good drums are expensive. Our drummer has one cymbal alone that was over $350. Good kits are a whole bunch of money. I'm willing to bet that quite a few drummers have more money tied up in their equipment than a lot of us do.
With all of these things being considered, I have found that good drummers are motivated mostly by the payback (paying gigs). With all of the effort and expense, most are not overly motivated to play with a band unless they see the potential payback and reward for everything they have to do, which can be a lot. I can't say I blame them one bit.
I don't know, just some observations I've made with the drummers I've known.
As much as we rag on drummers, when you get a good one.....you know it and they make everything a lot better.
