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Why is it always the drummer??

J

JBass82

Nov 13, 2009
21
0
www.myspace.com
#1
I'm posting this because I found myself asking this question. Why is it that drummers always ________ (you fill in the blank). Be it bad timing, mess up the songs, play riffs that have no business being in the song, never listen to suggestion, never listen to the music, never listen, play as complex as they can, have no concept of playing with a band, believe that the music should play to them etc, etc.

As you can see I'm a frustrated bass player playing with a drummer who has all these qualities. Obviously, this guy isn't a pro but after playing with pros myself I understand what it takes to develop a great rhythm section. Any suggestions, comments or complaints of your drummer would be greatly appreciated.
 
#5
EagleMoon said:
My guess is that a lot of drummers haven't had exposure to music theory. They know how to hit the drums, but they're not familiar with the nuances of how music works. Same could be said about a lot of guitar players too. :D
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My drummer's actually got the best music theory background (at least of rhythm counting) in the band. He's the only one who can count a paradiddle.

But yeah, he's the one who always overplays, and he's also the one who's gotta take five after a short set because he's winded, although legitimately he's also doing a lot more work than us finger movers that make up the stringed instruments.
 
#6
Unrepresented said:
My drummer's actually got the best music theory background (at least of rhythm counting) in the band. He's the only one who can count a paradiddle.
Click to expand...

That's nothing. He's just using his knowledge to impress you, make him seem awesome. It's called a "paradiddle" because that word has the proper number of syllables. Percussionists drive me crazy, because they don't have to think about half of the things we do simultaneously, and they sit there and try to tell me it's harder. I can drum, too. And it's not harder.
 
#7
When a drummer has bad timing it's bad. And even worse when he can't or don't want to play with a click because "...it narrows his possibilities to perform" or other types of ********. As I've heard that too often, I am refusing to play with those kind of "drummers". It's just a waste of time and I either move on to the next band or fire the drummer.
 
#8
In my case it's not the drummer. The drummers in the bands I work with are rock-solid musicians and good people. My bandleader on the other hand seems to be totally losing it. If the guy could hear himself he wouldn't hire himself, yet the public loves the pr**k and his talentless girlfriend and he scores some great gigs. Blows my mind.
 
#9
JBass82 said:
Be it bad timing, mess up the songs, play riffs that have no business being in the song, never listen to suggestion, never listen to the music, never listen, play as complex as they can, have no concept of playing with a band, believe that the music should play to them etc, etc.
.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a few guitarists I know... and bass players... and a sax player... and a keyboard player...

Actually, that sounds like how I was when I first started playing bass, along with every other inexperienced musician I knew. It's immaturity; too much focus on self-gratifying displays of technique when the real goal should be creating music.
 
#15
speaking as someone who does more gigs as a drummer than a bass player - sounds like your drummer hasn't figured out how to play in a band yet.

by the way, musicians of all disciplines are equally capable of not holding it together :D
 

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