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What do you look for in a drummer?
- Thread starter Standalone
- Start date
Nice big pocket.
No more than 3 Tom-toms
Bit of theatricality
Hot wife with lots of hot friends
No more than 3 Tom-toms
Bit of theatricality
Hot wife with lots of hot friends
Meeting up with my first drummer prospect Tuesday night. I’ll keep most of the preceding in mind.
They must understand what I mean when I say "No, no. It's boom chacka wam badda badda bing bam" and all the the other sounds I make for them to know how I want the drums to sound for that part. 
Other than that time and groove.
Other than that time and groove.
I prefer a guy that I can get on with - we have to lock in and that is much easier to do if we get on on a personal level. That and the obvious things - groove, dynamics. Timing is a given.
TimingDynamics
Groove
Listening to what’s going on…
I must precise/document a couple of things here:
I do some « jamming » « composing » with young kids at my school (I’m an elementary music teacher).
Most of my young drummers (7-8-9-20-11 years old) have the same habits:
- playing as if they are alone;
- bashing the skins at one dynamic, loud! I replace the sticks often as they look to have been eaten by beavers…
As a good point, my « drummers » all have lovely personality…
I must teach them to listen and refrain from destroying the drums
Yes, it’s only kids but I guess some of them will keep those bad habits when they’ll grow up unfortunately!
I realized that I had to increase my volume to almost painful level at last kid jam. Not fun! Using a tube head Traynor YGL-3A MKIII and gain was at 10-11 o’clock with master at half. My tone was clean but way too loud for our ears…
Here at home, as I am my own drummer (laying down drums over my bass playing or the reverse), it’s much easier as the drummer has a good timing and don’t play crazy loud
. It’s a cool guy too… 
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Energy, like the energizer bunny
Friendliness and interest in texture and willingness alternate ways of looking at things
Precision within their style. A medium relaxed feel can be great but it needs to be organized somewhat.
==usually the best drummers absorb/memorize section changes Before everyone else (except the composer)
Friendliness and interest in texture and willingness alternate ways of looking at things
Precision within their style. A medium relaxed feel can be great but it needs to be organized somewhat.
==usually the best drummers absorb/memorize section changes Before everyone else (except the composer)
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
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- I suck, but nobody really notices
Someone who can keep time, someone who can show up on time.
Difficult to put it into words but I know within seconds of them striking a drum, whether Im going to like them.
How much takes longer and I want good feel and time. I prefer a backbeat style.
Sound and ears are a given..
I dont think anyone else in the band has final say on the drummer because it is bass players that have to make sense of them.
How much takes longer and I want good feel and time. I prefer a backbeat style.
Sound and ears are a given..
I dont think anyone else in the band has final say on the drummer because it is bass players that have to make sense of them.
drumvsbass
Commercial User
- Aug 20, 2011
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- I work for Long and McQuade Musical Instruments Canada in Sales.
No issues with Neil himself, just his followers who play too many fills without pocket. So yes.
I wasn't looking for anything beyond general competence when I joined my current band. What I got was a stone pro with a truly goofy sense of humor.
My BL scolded him for being too silly. He apologized:
My BL scolded him for being too silly. He apologized:
Just to throw something out there... from my personal experience: If I had to pigeonhole my professional background, I spent my full-time years in "Hot-Rodded Western Swing", but my personal-time and hobby-playing has been mostly in jazz/jazzfunk. I occurs to me that my four very favorite drummers that I've ever had the pleasure of extended relationships with ALL came into the project saying something very close to: "I'm glad to be here and I'll do my best, but I'm really not a jazz/swing (or whatever else) drummer, I'm a rock-and-roll drummer". They each turned out to be the most fun to play with on every level: skill, adaptability, innovativeness, and also clever humor and agreeable personality. Anyone else here, as a bassist, experience similar? Maybe I've solved one of the mysteries of the bass universe even.
Solid pocket, clean out of fills, good sense of musical logic, and a steady meter at all tempos. Those are the musical qualifications. Then there are other qualities, punctuality, team player, upbeat attitude, prepared, good gear, availability, and own transportation.
And when you get to our age, no health challenges…
I call it "the wrist"...
Less is definitely more...drums, fills and drinks!
Is not inordenitly combustible.
Knows that you can tune drums, too?
Is a Driver and not one of the passengers or crew.
Not left-handed, as it makes for awkward eye contact.
A White drum set, because it just works best on stage!
A van.
Meter, timing and dynamics...that goes without saying.
Less is definitely more...drums, fills and drinks!
Is not inordenitly combustible.
Knows that you can tune drums, too?
Is a Driver and not one of the passengers or crew.
Not left-handed, as it makes for awkward eye contact.
A White drum set, because it just works best on stage!
A van.
Meter, timing and dynamics...that goes without saying.
