What’s the best way to deal with a drummer who plays too slow?

[Revolver]

i've played with drummers who's tempo was naturally fast - gimme that every time. i can deal with too fast. but too slow drives my bass-playin' ass insane.

Agreed. I'd rather deal with drummers that go somewhat faster than those who drag. When you drag the tempo of a song, you suck the life out of it (especially uptempo ones).

 

[Shalto]

I've noticed in the past that some of the drummers that had a good sense of tempo I've played with also sang quite a bit of backing. They would sing a couple of bars to themselves on the sticks before they counted in. The vocal phrasing was key, it seemed a good indicator that if phrases felt clipped or stretched or properly formed. It seemed to work well enough.

You have some back up on this view:

 

[whero]

I haven't read the whole thread, so I'm sure these comments have been made by 20 people already, but...

If you have a designated band leader, they need to talk to the drummer. If you're more of an autonomous collective, anyone (or everyone) can do it. The conversation needs to be calm and constructive and explain the importance of tempo to the song, and that he needs to be able to set it properly. The real purpose of this to determine whether the problem is (1) that your drummer is incapable of setting and maintaining a tempo, or (2) he doesn't give a $#!&. If the answer to either of these questions is "yes" you should probably fire the drummer.

If the drummer can carry the beat, and wants to, the next step is a click track. There are plenty of free metronome apps for iOS and Android, so get one downloaded, set the tempo you want for each track, and feed that into one of the drummer's ears. If he still can't get it after that, you should probably fire the drummer.

 

[FunkHead]

It's extremely hard for me to believe a drummer is off by 15 BPM. 2 or 3 is enough to completely change the feel of the song.

If OP is not exaggerating, then there's absolutely zero hope for this drummer ever being able to cut it. But I am guessing it's a lot less than 15.

Like I said 2 or 3 feels like a ton.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Approach it in a positive manner - "I love how your time is so consistent. I've with a lot of drummers who couldn't keep a steady tempo. But as a band, we have to start songs at the right speed. How do you think we can improve this?"

Also, maybe have someone else count in the songs, so at least you start at the right tempo.

 

[Shalto]

Drummer here, not claiming to know all, just my two cents.

Sounds like a dragon, which is less common than the Russian. The Russian is near universal in bands (most instruments) the dragon more exotic. There's a few caveats here, that I suspect don't apply to you as your posts on page 1 suggest you've used the objective tool of a recording to check. But just in case I will add -

1) almost everyone over estimates their ability to feel time. When someone says they know the tempo of a song....eh it's pretty rare that's true outside of full timers and even they are just better, almost never perfect (or at least, imperceptible timing flaws) We are all human. We are not doing it perfectly. Some of us are just less wrong than the others.

2) being in time is everyone's responsibility. Yes the drummer more so than most, but also he/she is not the babysitter. Many musicians don't realise this. Everyone has a job to do on time. From the drummers perspective, We are kinda experienced with players who don't care about time believing they can just let the drummer take the blame. often because the drummer can hear what a train wreck the rushing player is causing we speed up to compensate. At the end of the song everyone looks at the drummer...."ummm that was kinda of fast". The brave response is, "Yes it was. I sped up to cover for your incompetence." The diplomatuc reaponse is "we should play to a click to get it right". This may explain your drummers defensive response. It may not be you, it may be the trauma of bands past.

Anywhoo, possible solutions.

1) Show recordings to the privately to preserve their dignity.

2) insist that you want to be more professional and that the whole band should be on a click. I can play in a band that choses not to use a click. I don't think I'd tolerate one that has tempo blame games and won't use the solution (the click)

3) if you aren't the BL leave it in the BL's court.

4) if you can't change it endure or get a better band.

 

[HardNHeavy]

if the song calls for a specific tempo and he cant or wont adhere.......then buh-bye

 

[devnulljp]

Amphetamine sulphate

 

[LBS-bass]

It's extremely hard for me to believe a drummer is off by 15 BPM. 2 or 3 is enough to completely change the feel of the song.

If OP is not exaggerating, then there's absolutely zero hope for this drummer ever being able to cut it. But I am guessing it's a lot less than 15.

Like I said 2 or 3 feels like a ton.

I agree. I had a conversation with my drummer about this tonight. His first inclination (which I told him wasn't true) was that this couldn't be a serious post; that 15 to 20 BPM is too big a discrepancy to be real in an actual band-with-drummer context.

I let him know this was a legitimate question and concern, and he basically said what you just said. I know he is very much a stickler about tempo and when things are off by a hair, he notices. Maybe he's the only one who notices and can also put his finger on what the problem is, but if it's noticeable to him, it's noticeable to others.

However, he did point out that these differences are less noticeable at fast tempos and said that if this band is playing fast metal, 5 BPM difference might not be as stark. But 15 is still pretty dramatic, even fast.

 

[JW56789]

Get as much of this in him . . . .

. . . . as you can. Ain't gonna drag-ass after a few cups of this !

 

[Strung_Low]

I only read the first 2 pages, but if this is an old guy, or hes been playing a long time, forget it.. you cant teach/tell him jack. Ive played with like kind and its a losing battle.. ive also been blessed to play with talented, smart, intuitive drummers who listen, and who arent threatened by suggestions or input towards the greater good of the song.. sounds like your boys gotta figure it out, or hes gotta go

 

[MDBass]

We’re a cover band and our drummer plays some songs way too slow, like 15-20 bpm slow. And a few too fast by the same margin. The guitar player or myself will say something like that was too slow or you need to pick it up a little. We’ll play it again and it’s still at least 10 bpm slow. Then I’ll say that was better but it’s still slow and he gets offended, and says it doesn’t really matter that much as long a we’re all on the same page or he’ll hand me the sticks as if to say, don’t tell me how to play drums. One time I suggested we play the songs in question with a metronome playing through the PA and he gets all offended and says I’m not playing with a metronome. As the bass player I practice all of our songs with a bass backing track of the original song, so I’m intimately familiar with the pace of particular songs and it’s absolutely torturous playing these song 15-20 bpm slower than I usually play them. It’s just hard having to play at this slower pace and it feels like it just sucks the energy of whatever song we’re doing. He’s a good drummer and he plays the songs accurately except for the pace. What can we do to get him to play at the right speed?

Fire.

Him.

He is not actually a good drummer, or playing the songs accurately, if he’s playing them that far off tempo.

 

[cnltb]

What’s the best way to deal with a drummer who plays too slow?
Make him a strong coffee before rehearsal or gig?

 

[murph7489]

if he's not irish he should pick it up quickly!

Uggh...Irish isn't the problem unless there is a lack of it...Seriously though, this is the problem with self taught players and everyone that is self taught on here put your pitchforks and torches down for a minute I'm not talking about ALL of them. The thing is; in a formal music education you find out the importance of tempo, dynamics, accents and things like this early on so its something that already drilled into your head before you are even proficient at all on an instrument. When the times comes that you are good at playing this other stuff is second nature..

self taught players learn how to play first by whatever means they may use, be it books, bands music books, youtube, your friend down the street teaching you a few things, or whatever but the details of actual music comes after and by music I mean those things like tempo etc..Some may have a thirst for this knowledge and get after it, while a good many others just go off and join a band and boom they're playing music and never get into the nuts n bolts of music...no biggy..it happens.

this guy, your drummer, doesn't understand how important tempo is in a song..most every single piece of sheet music I have ever read or seen has tempo at the very top of the first bar..if not in numbers, then wording like Presto, etc...they wouldn't waste time writing that on there if it wasn't important..his attitude seems to be that its not important..Now I understand like in @LBS-bass song take me to the river ( which I heard and like) the tempo may be different but then the song is original in the sense that is a different arrangement which includes a different tempo. However even in that scenario the tempo is important because it distinguishes the song from the Original done on purpose and not just because the drummer is not a true musician and doesn't give a crap...(sorry I'm getting pissed as I write this)...

Fire him..or leave it as it is...your choice..but I wouldn't be down with that poopie. He doesn't understand tempo matters fine, but for the love of Leo Fender, learn it...

 

[MojoPenguin]

What about those devices you wear like a watch and give you the beat physically ?

 

[basted]

We had a similar problem with our drummer and he would get passive aggressive when we had to stop songs and get the tempo up at practice.
Our next drummer came from a jazz background and was the best drummer I have played with. He would dial up the bpm of every song and it was GREAT. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Lagado]

Use the James Brown method and issue fines. And prepare for a tempo tantrum. Though if you've got the goods, you shouldn't be concerned about standing by them. Go large or go home.

 

[Lagado]

I've found through the years that there are two defined types of drummer I have worked with. One who concentrates on his own part completely to the exclusion of how it is actually fitting, and the musical drummers who listen to what their part is doing in the whole context of the band and the music, and they adjust with that, whether dynamics or time. I'd rather be known as a musician who plays bass than just a bassist.

 

[mellowinman]

Fire the drummer.

I'm serious.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

We’re a cover band and our drummer plays some songs way too slow, like 15-20 bpm slow. And a few too fast by the same margin. The guitar player or myself will say something like that was too slow or you need to pick it up a little. We’ll play it again and it’s still at least 10 bpm slow. Then I’ll say that was better but it’s still slow and he gets offended, and says it doesn’t really matter that much as long a we’re all on the same page or he’ll hand me the sticks as if to say, don’t tell me how to play drums. One time I suggested we play the songs in question with a metronome playing through the PA and he gets all offended and says I’m not playing with a metronome. As the bass player I practice all of our songs with a bass backing track of the original song, so I’m intimately familiar with the pace of particular songs and it’s absolutely torturous playing these song 15-20 bpm slower than I usually play them. It’s just hard having to play at this slower pace and it feels like it just sucks the energy of whatever song we’re doing. He’s a good drummer and he plays the songs accurately except for the pace. What can we do to get him to play at the right speed?

Click track