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What do you look for in a drummer?

#41
Feel is a BIG deal to me. You have to have that musical sense and understanding of what a groove is - and be able to apply it.

My current drummer is solid as it gets, and not untalented in the least... However, he has no feel. Sure, the notes are there, in the right places, in time... But it's like he might as well be doing paperwork, or some other mundane task behind the kit. He's like a drum machine with a big ol' head. No soul!

Sometimes you forget how much you miss it until you play with a cat who really knows the business. I'm having a drummer (whom I'm working with on a different project) fill in for my regular guy at a gig tomorrow. We had a rehearsal last night, and the amount of life and motion he injected into the songs made me really enjoy them again. The singer/songwriter/pianist was absolutely thrilled to hear her songs with an actual rhythm section for once, and is ready to bring him on.

Okay, so that was a bit of a derail.. What else.... What else...? Oh yeah. If your timing sucks and your drums sound like @ss, I hate you. :smug:
 
#43
JimmyM said:
Another thing I look for is someone who isn't going to do constant annoying cymbal work. It's so obnoxious.
Click to expand...

Staying off them pie pans is important to me. I am partial to foot and snare work myself.

CapnSev said:
I only ask three things:

1) Start and stop where you're supposed to
2) Get the right tempo and stay there
3) Control your volume/dynamics!
Click to expand...

Head in the game is what I call this. I am fortunate to have a rhythm partner in my current band and he is all the above and more.

-richard
 
#45
AZslim said:
I'm getting embarrassed as a drummer. You people are listing things
like:

Transportation
Show up to practice on time and sober
Keep time
Listen to the band

I've never considered myself a great drummer and these things to me are as basic as:

Bring a bass with at least 4 strings on it.
Tune your bass.
Click to expand...
And yet there are musicians out there who violate every one of those rules on a daily basis and then get surprised when their phone isn't ringing off the hook. It needs to be pointed out because not everyone thinks as logically as you.
 
#46
I tell all prospective drummers to play a groove straight for 4 minutes. No fills, no rolls, no cymbals, nothing but a straight groove without waver. If they can accomplish this while I lay a bass groove on top......he/she is in! Since I play mostly Soul, R&B and Funk music, I look for drum machine like qualities in drummer. I do not need any flash at all!
 
#49
The most important thing I look for in a drummer is an attention span.

If you're looking for a drummer in a semi-pro situation (or above); it's a given IMO that they will have some technique, style, timing, personality, etc...preferences depend on the person looking.

But paying attention? The ability to look up from the kit and be aware that you are playing with other musicians? Priceless. All the technique, groove, skill in the world is useless if the drummer isn't aware that there's a world outside of his kit when he's playing. I'll take an "average" drummer who pays attention to what the rest of the band is doing and interacts.
 
#50
AZslim,

It's great that you're asking questions and trying to understand how your part fits in with everyone else.

Aside from the comments about personalities and what should be obvious (coming prepared) what I look for is this:

Feel (or groove) - playing in time is good, but there has to be a "feel" to the song. I do sometimes practice with a drum machine but, when playing live, there has to be feel, give and take, knowing when to speed up, slow down, etc. Also, it's important to know the difference between rock, jazz, country, funk, reggae, etc. Every song has it's own feel and you have to know how to play each style.

I used to play with a drummer that was outstanding at picking up on the feel of different songs and I loved locking in with him. He paid attention to what was going on around him and we had a good deal of eye contact, head nods, etc. to make sure we were on the same page. It made me feel like I was a better bass player than I am and it made the whole band sound great. I have also played with a drummer that overplayed constantly - he didn't think a fill was good enough unless he hit everything in his kit at least 14 times. I'm exaggerating, of course (only a little), but I definitely prefer someone who keeps it simple rather than overplaying. Adding some tasty licks is great IF it can be done IN TIME and not lose the groove.

Also, you say you're not that good yet - I would much rather play with someone who is trying to learn as you are and is on time, ready to play, has a good attitude, etc. than with some great drummer who is not any of those.

Again, I commend you for your willingness to learn and understand how everything fits together. I also play other instruments and I took a semester of drums in college because I wanted to understand more about the groove.

Keep it up! You sound like you're already in demand and I'm sure you will be even more so as you continue to learn and grow in your musical abilities.
 
#52
gus1894 said:
But paying attention? The ability to look up from the kit and be aware that you are playing with other musicians? Priceless. All the technique, groove, skill in the world is useless if the drummer isn't aware that there's a world outside of his kit when he's playing. I'll take an "average" drummer who pays attention to what the rest of the band is doing and interacts.
Click to expand...


YES!!!
 
#57
I look for someone who can destroy with a kick-snare-hat groove. It's awesome when they can incorporate the whole set into a great beat, but I always ask them to lay down a groove using only kick, snare and hi-hat and see how creative and tight they can get. If a drummer can groove nice and deep with just those three tools, I know they can play.

I also like drummers who can take control and drive a song, whether it's signaling to go into half-time or double-time, motioning for stops and syncopation, etc. If a drummer is paying attention, making eye contact and being vocal about changes or dynamics, it goes a long way in making a tight rhythm section.
 
#58
HogieWan said:
Bassist should control the tempo of the group, drummer controls the dynamics
Click to expand...

I think it all depends on who starts the song. Once it starts it's the drummers job to maintain the tempo, and of course the tempo has to be consistent from start to finish.

I think the bassist is more of a liaison between the drummer and the rest of the band, in regards of time signature and key signature. Where as the drummer is time signature only.
 

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