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What’s the best way to deal with a drummer who plays too slow?
- Thread starter Pete Berger
- Start date
Every Band Member Shares in this Responsibility. But the fact that this thread exists demonstrates that most don't understand that.
This is correct.
Not a dig at the OP or anyone else specifically, but it's a huge mistake to think the drums are the sole instrument responsible for time. You can't just delegate ensemble duties to individuals.
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Played in a band where the guitarist threw her amp head at the drummer before storming out. Missed him completely, but took his brand new, stand-mounted toms out. So so funny. Although he didn't think so. And I got to make jokes about he's lucky she's a girl and throws like one.
Sorry bro I gotta disagree. The drummer is the timekeeper. There is no way around that.
Didn't even break a tube. Pretty much ended said drummers career in sarcasm as well. Rest of us would've owed her a new amp for that alone if she needed it.
Seriously? What brand of amp is that? You said tubes? I need a couple of those. And that's gotta be one bad ass chick.
There’s a reason why many “live versions” of songs are faster than the studio versions. Chicken wings are usually served hot/spicy....Legs, breastisses and thighs often aren’t. In a band situation you have to figure out who’s doing the math.
Id be surprised if anyone wanted to put their name on it. Can't remember now if it was 50W or $50. Probably find those over engineered amps from the 60s and 70s would routinely survive that treatment. Just not many people try and find out.
And she was as bad ass as they come. Saw her knock a bloke out from front on, once. Lovely girl. Just grew up having to fight for everything she got. Drummer knew who she was and still took it up a notch. Should've picked his moment better.
Indeed. Most people out there playing don't really keep time very well, be they drummer, guitarist, bassist or whatever. But most are also in musical situations where they're not really outgunned by talent, so things are what they are. When you get to the level where your band mates are noticeably worse than you are, you move on and find players who are better.
As for who counts, keeps time, etc., different genres and different groups do this different ways. In rock it's traditional for a drummer to count off and set tempo, but it doesn't have to be that way. It should really depend on who has the best feel for the music.
I appreciate your politeness. I'm going to try to persuade you though .
Here's an example. Imagine a band where the drummer is considered the time keeper, both by the drummer and their bandmates. To aid themselves in this duty, the drummer plays to a click via IEM and the band follows.
During a performance of their best song, there is a four measure break where the guitar plays unaccompanied. The drummer stops as per the structure of the song. During this four measure break the guitarist, subtley rushing, steals a quaver.
Does the drummer come back in at the rushing pace of the guitarist? probably not a disaster but at the end if the song the BL is annoyed and glares at the drummer "I told you not to rush this, time is your reaponsability"
Or does the drummer insist of playing to the click (technically having kept time but it sure wont sound like it) and the coming back in his anywhere from awkward to full blown train wreck. The band leader glares "This is your responsibility..."
Hopefully this illustrates why *everyone* has duty to keep time.
If the drummer comes in on his next click on the one there's going to be a glaring hole while he waits for it to come round. Best if he comes in on the guitarists one then heads for the closest click on his 'nome. IE takes responsibility.
Yes, but not all drummers can find a correct tempo in their head and count a song in at the proper tempo. It is something we think they should automatically be able to do, but why do we think that? Can you do that? Can you do it consistently and accurately? It's a skill.
Yes but even if they hit the new one together, the guitarist is still going at rushing pace and will have to be dragged back to the click (not something that sounds good) or the drummer will have to ignore the click/comeback in at the guitars pace and the song will be rushed. Either of these issues wouldn't be a problem if the guitar recognised their responsibility to keep time (which is suggest in this context would mean the guitar also wearing IEM/being on the click)
In the real world, if the guitarist is incapable of keeping time through a solo passage, often the drummer will assist with a quiet tap of the hat or something similar to keep things in line. But it should not be the drummer's responsibility. The guitarist should be able to keep time, and it speaks to his level of competence if he isn't. And during a long rest, everyone should be counting so that everyone comes back in together. Again, in some bands a drummer will do something through a rest to keep everyone in line, but that's again a sign that the band isn't competent.
So much easier for a drummer to drag a guitarist round than vice versa. Whole lot less obvious to an audience as well. Other options: Guitar breaks almost always end on a big sustained bendy something that ain't all that rhythmically dogmatic. Drummer does a roll in to warn the guitarist to watch where the tempo is about to go.
Even if the guitarist is clicked up (ain't gonna happen. almost never a need for it.) there is still the issue of synchronizing his click with the one the drummer is using.
Even if the guitarist is clicked up (ain't gonna happen. almost never a need for it.) there is still the issue of synchronizing his click with the one the drummer is using.
