OI !!! You mind explaining that comment, pal?
sorry, man, i did not forget how unique and special you are. i thought it was funny. i missed it by a mile, apparently. 
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What’s the best way to deal with a drummer who plays too slow?
- Thread starter Pete Berger
- Start date
sorry, man, i did not forget how unique and special you are. i thought it was funny. i missed it by a mile, apparently. 
Obviously, FTD!
In my band the bl and lead guitar almost always start at the wrong tempo.
Our drummer uses a silent (visual) metronome and clicks off the intro to almost every song. It works well
In my band the bl and lead guitar almost always start at the wrong tempo.
Our drummer uses a silent (visual) metronome and clicks off the intro to almost every song. It works well
I used to play with a drummer that would pound a Red Bull before the third set. Man, the tempos would fly after that.
This is how every pro drummer I've played with for the last couple decades has done it. These guys work ALOT - nobody can be expected to just remember/get the exact tempo right every time for a bunch of different bands and material, no matter how good you are. It's just a visual click, a little blinking light, to set the tempo and then go--they count it in. Nothing audible. You don't even know they're doing it, it's just part of the job, they make it seamless, and they adjust their tempo list if something changes at rehearsal, or the BL decides a tempo needs changing. On some of these metronomes you can program in your "set", a succession of BPMs, so in between songs the drummer just hits "next" or "forward" and it's blinking away with the next song's tempo for him to count in. Easy Peasy.
This way you all know each song is being counted in at the tempos you've rehearsed to.
If your drummer is consistent tempo-wise once he gets going as you say, then this is a no-brainer. And personally, I think it's way slicker, and more pro if the drummer counts off all the songs. Looks kinda amateur if a guitarist or bassist is verbally counting off up front, IMHO.
EDIT: here ya go, $90, problem solved: Tama RW200 Rhythm Watch - Drummer's Metronome
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I'm surprised the singer hasn't throttled him already; man that screws you up and throws your vocals way off. Singing is very much a cadence thing; words take a finite time to say; both rushing them and having to pause between them for longer times sucks. I only sing 7-9 songs a night and I'm always waving my palm up or down to get the guys to come up or back off. It's just inconsiderate towards the rest of you and the audience. Despite what you said, that makes him not a good drummer.
We've got the opposite problem, going too fast at times, and I tend to go along with it. So I send the guys .wav files of our latest gig, and for songs that are too fast I note in the email the tempo values we kept, and the ones for the original song we're covering. I do that now about every third or fourth gig because it's needed. And it takes the personalities aspect out of it, it becomes merely stating facts.
We've got the opposite problem, going too fast at times, and I tend to go along with it. So I send the guys .wav files of our latest gig, and for songs that are too fast I note in the email the tempo values we kept, and the ones for the original song we're covering. I do that now about every third or fourth gig because it's needed. And it takes the personalities aspect out of it, it becomes merely stating facts.
He should get together with our drummer. She routinely plays 15-20 BPM too fast!
Since I've seen people dead with a needle in their arm on the road, I'm going to spoil the party by just saying that meth is poison and there is nothing good about it unless your in armed combat.
I just wanted to inject some reality into the subject, since its been mentioned a few times.
I deleted the rest of what would have been this message, because nobody wants to get preached to.
I just wanted to inject some reality into the subject, since its been mentioned a few times.
I deleted the rest of what would have been this message, because nobody wants to get preached to.
i'm sorry if my airplane/meth reference hurt anyone; that was not my intention. i love airplane the movie, which pokes fun with great irreverence at just about everything and everyone.
i have lost friends to meth and a variety of drugs and alcohol, and for me the way to cope with hard things is to laugh, not AT the issues that caused those deaths or at the deaths themselves, but to laugh.
the way i see it, life's rough and if you can't laugh, you'll be angry or sad most of the time.
[QUOTE=" What can we do to get him to play at the right speed?[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure it can be cured I've played with a dozen of them and 25% of them are good drummers and most of the others don't know how to end a song with a bass player, some drummers start the tempo too slow yes it's common, a faster tempo sucks to. lol
I'm not sure it can be cured I've played with a dozen of them and 25% of them are good drummers and most of the others don't know how to end a song with a bass player, some drummers start the tempo too slow yes it's common, a faster tempo sucks to. lol
In one of my bands our drummer... (Bless his soul) checks tempos at practices, and writes the Beats per minute down... I load it into a database we have that makes our setlist and his setlist shows what BPM the songs should be at. At least he's conscious of them.
The most important thing... practice the songs (as a group) at the tempo you're going to perform them. If your band chooses not to practice... you get what you get.
The most important thing... practice the songs (as a group) at the tempo you're going to perform them. If your band chooses not to practice... you get what you get.
You say he gets some songs too fast. Does he get any spot on?
You could try statting some songs with four bars on another instrument. Then he's got no viable excuse to slow it down. That would be totally unprofessional. It's something that would take a while to do on a song by song basis. But it stops it being about him and makez it about the song. Hopefully, after a couple of songs he gets the hint. At least it might open up a new way to talk about the problem.
Plan B? Plenty of drummers out there.
You could try statting some songs with four bars on another instrument. Then he's got no viable excuse to slow it down. That would be totally unprofessional. It's something that would take a while to do on a song by song basis. But it stops it being about him and makez it about the song. Hopefully, after a couple of songs he gets the hint. At least it might open up a new way to talk about the problem.
Plan B? Plenty of drummers out there.
In my experience, it doesn't matter how or when you tell a drummer they're not playing it right. They are playing it the way they hear it and you can't change that because you can't live inside of their head. Especially one who is resistant to criticism or suggestion, which many are. You have to work with it and hope it improves over time, which it might, or find another drummer.
Can you have the BL talk to him one on one?
That can totally suck the life from a band if you aren't connected and ALL of you aren't feeling the energy from playing together. Is it time to move on (either you or the drummer?) Since you can't control the drummer, I think you have to make a decision if his playing is bothering you enough to find yourself a new gig.
That can totally suck the life from a band if you aren't connected and ALL of you aren't feeling the energy from playing together. Is it time to move on (either you or the drummer?) Since you can't control the drummer, I think you have to make a decision if his playing is bothering you enough to find yourself a new gig.
Your guy needs to listen, CLOSELY, and to the WHOLE SONG, of the originals of your songs, and train himself to get and stay within a few bpm of those.
No amount of nuanced talking, this and that, suggesting, blah blah blah will work. Sorry. (I'm mainly a bassist but also a drummer.)
No amount of nuanced talking, this and that, suggesting, blah blah blah will work. Sorry. (I'm mainly a bassist but also a drummer.)
We had a Bolshevik drummer for a few years. (You know Russian) Finally bought a drummer Speedometer and made him use it. And every set list for him had BPM on each song.
I think we used Tempo Ref.
Tempo REF
Another is Backbeater
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
There are likely others.
I think we used Tempo Ref.
Tempo REF
Another is Backbeater
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
There are likely others.
- Jul 7, 2010
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simple, you play with click and have him follow you and count off each song during practices and then maybe he will play the right tempo. If not then you really just need to audition drummers.
BUT make sure ALL of the members are on board first.
just my 1-1/2 cents
BUT make sure ALL of the members are on board first.
just my 1-1/2 cents
drumvsbass
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If a drummer gets offended by the suggestion that they should play to a metronome, they aren't a drummer, nor are they a musician. They have an ego problem.
There is a standard for musicians that should be upheld. And guess what, It requires practice.
There is a standard for musicians that should be upheld. And guess what, It requires practice.
