The new drummer in the band makes ME sound so much better.

[gjones]

My old drummer was a great guy who had some special skills on the skins but was on the flashy side and liked to showboat a bit which meant that too many times he would take his eye off the ball and forget that his primary role in the band was to keep the beat! Now he's gone and the band have a new drummer we sound so much better.
Not only that but he makes [size=5]me[/size] sound a whole lot better! I no longer have to concentrate on holding down the rhythm so much, while my old drummer hits every cymbal on his drum kit. Now we sound like a seriously syncopated rhythm machine and when the guitarist solos there's a real solid foundation and a great groove to solo over (which is important in a 3 piece band). It also means I can occasionally get a little funky and go off on a tangent or experiment without worrying that the rhythm will disappear if I do. I've played with some good drummers but this guy is the business.

Has any body else had this experience with a new drummer making them sound and play better than they ever have before.

[stingrayPete1977]

I have had both ends of the scale in the last few days, Thursday night jam night we had a young lad on drums dont get me wrong he is good for his age but doesnt know (as in never heard them) the standard songs that age brings and was a little off here and there so we sounded crap. Then last night I did an easy going gig with various people bought in that have played here and there on someones solo album, The drummer was very good and had popped up to the midlands for the night from London to practice for a european tour! I was awesome

I love playing with a good drummer it makes all the difference and as much as we rib drummers I always give them plenty of space too for their fills, Dont tell them though

[Lozz196]

Yes, in an old band I was in, our original drummer left, and we got a stand in, and immediately I felt more comfortable with his style. We were a heavy rock band, like Motley Crue, and the original drummer was more of an indie type drummer, so I had to concentrate on keeping that pounding rhythm going. Once the stand-in started, I felt much more at home, as he was a hard-rock drummer, and I could add in a few fills etc, without the band losing the bottom-end-thunder, as the drums were now keeping it all steady. Not that the original drummer was overly flamboyant, it was just that to me, I locked in better with the stand-in guy.

[Owen]

Life is too short to play with bad drummers

I used to ask how
much will I get paid for this
now it's who's drumming

[ezbass]

When I first started playing bass I eventually joined a classic rock band where the drummer seemed pretty good (he was new to the band also). However, I failed to be able to lock in with him, we made a good noise and held it altogether but I felt something was missing and blamed it on my lack of ability. Anyway we have 2 gigs come along that he can't do and we need a dep. I have a friend who I consider to be top notch and who I played in a band with when I was playing guitar, so I asked if he could dep for us which he did. Revelation! From the first few seconds there was something happening and we locked really well, not by arrangement but just by feeling the song. I thought this might be down to my prior experience with him, but the band's orginal drummer came along to the gig (he only quit to attend a BIMM course) and asked to get up for a number. Result, the same locking all over again. What I have seen over the intervening years is that a lot of drummers just play the way they always have without much consideration to the song's groove. You can lock with these guys but it feels just plain wrong and often upsets the song. In this situations I have found it best to play what I normally would for each song and hope against hope that the drummer eventually gets it.

This is not an anti drummer rant as I'm sure (and I know) that the reverse is true where the drummer grooves and the bass player just does his normal thing. But oh that magical moment when both the low end and the tub thumper get together! It's almost worth playing with drummers who don't really groove for that magical moment when you play with one that does.

My favourite bass moment is when I was actually in a band full time with the dep drummer mentioned above. We were playing that old chestnut "Walking The Dog" and I was laying down a line which was a rip off of Rocco Prestia's line from "Squib Cakes", this made it nice and funky and the drummer was completely in synch, as I knew he would be as a Tower Of Power fan. We were nearing the end and we hadn't rehearsed the song so there was no agreed out, we'd just wing it. Without any hesitation we both played the ending from TOP's "Down At The Nightclub" as tight as a gnat's chuff, without a word being exchanged beforehand. If both of us had grinned anymore the tops of our head's would've fallen off. Much high fiving was had. Best moment on bass ever.

[ThomBassmonkey]

I don't think I could play with a drummer I wasn't locking in with.

I've been lucky in that the drummers I've been in bands with have all been good and on the groove. I went over to Germany once and the singer in my band had to pull out due to an operation that went wrong (he's ok now, thankfully). The drummer pulled out too since he had work and if the band wasn't going over, he couldn't pass it up. End result was me playing guitar, the other guitarist in our band and a drummer and bassist friends. We were all completely on the same wavelength. We just jammed every gig but it was great fun. One of the gigs we did a stop that we couldn't have got tighter if we tried, came completely out of the blue, I wasn't even expecting it haha.

[StevieC]

Totally agree - A good drummer really improves my playing. I think there are a couple reasons for this;

I want to do justice to his (they've all been male) talent.
I feel more musical (if that makes sense), and therefore put more into my playing.

The originals indie/prog trio I play in is blessed with a fantastic drummer, so I always enjoy playing in that band, whether it's a rehearsal or a gig. The guitarist/singer is also very talented, so playing with them has improved my playing dramatically.

The covers band is a different matter altogether. That drummer played very simply with no emotion whatsoever, so it was difficult at times. As it happens, he left last week citing a need for a break, so we're looking for a replacement at the moment.

Here's hoping we find a great drummer soon, who knows a shedload of 60's/70's/eighties tunes...

Steve

[Cat Burrito]

And just to reiterate again there have been stand in drummers that I've played with who have made EVERYBODY sound bad!

[Pete Academy]

I just can't stand busy drummers. A few years' ago I went to see my mate's Bryan Adams tribute band. Good musicians performing the songs faithfully, but the drummer thought he was great by playing fills every 8 bars. Ruined the gig.

Give me a good solid drummer and I'm happy.

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='gjones' post='1108248' date='Jan 30 2011, 04:03 PM']Has any body else had this experience with a new drummer making them sound and play better than they ever have before.[/quote]

Yes, in a previous band, we were always having trouble finding and keeping drummers. Then I asked a guy I know if he'd come along and help out at rehearsals for a while til we found ourselves a permanent drummer.

He's an ex-pro who has played for the likes of Cliff, Cilla and Barbara Streisand, so I was surprised when he said yes. Jeez, what a difference it made to our playing when he got going behind the kit! Everything instantly got tighter, and he just seemed to know what to play and what NOT to play! Sadly though, he couldn't join us permanently and the band split up not long after he'd done a couple of rehearsals.

[chuck_stones]

Same experiences, it the other way round for me. My first ever band had an amazing young drummer (goes by the name of Matt Wilson from Tunbridge Wells). He'd been gigging with a hard rock / funk band for years before we started our band and I think I struck gold playing with him. We always clicked immediately, read each others playing and new instinctively when to play up or down. In the years I've known him I don't think he ever dropped a beat or lost his rock solid timing - literally as reliable as a metronome but with great feel. I always sounded amazing on bass when I played with Matt, and in truth I think it was all him.

More recently I started playing with a band who have a great drummer, he's very passionate about playing and really pounds the drums but he's got serious issues with keeping it steady and not losing beats. I find I'm always having to hold the rhythm and to be honest, It's a bit of a pain, but I love the music and we have a lot of fun so It's all good. Still, I'd love to get myself into another band with a drummer like Matt. It would be excellent to sound that good again

[Bilbo]

It is only when you get to work with a great drummer that you realise how bad some are (great echnique but no musicality etc). BUt sometimes it is on another level and you don't gel with a great drummer. Idid a gig with Nic France last year and, great as he is, it was only ok. Not his fault or minel just in a different space. WHen you find a drummer who hears time the way you do, its the best feeling in the world as you can relax, trust that the time will take care of itself and just play your best. As good as it gets.

[Fat Rich]

I hate to admit it but I've come to the conclusion that the drummer can make or break a band. Most of the best bands have had drummers with exceptional feel and groove, not always the flashiest or with the most technique (although that might start the old Ringo Starr arguments going again!)

And I agree with Bilbo about not gelling with some drummers, I worked with one for ages who was very tight, kept great time although he sometimes overdid the fills but should otherwise have been great to work with. We sounded pretty good as a band but his time felt slightly wrong to me, he was always telling me to listen to various artists who were the funkiest thing he's ever heard but to me they sounded rigid and monotonous. I'd put on some Stanton Moore or Stevie Wonder and he said it's too sloppy and he couldn't listen to it.

Other drummers have had poor technique and a limited repertoire but are still a joy to work with, I can forget about timing and phrasing and just make music.

[dave_bass5]

Ive also experience both ends of this. Ashamed as i am to admit it my main band's drummer makes me play pretty poorly and it gets me down quite a bit sometimes (i know, i should leave but im not going to for various reasons).

Sloppy playing, never sets a kit up at home to rehearse so no stamina. The beats can change at any time, even mid verse and he doesn't really take control of the songs, nor really listen to them IMO.
The drummer in another band i dep with is fantastic and we lock in and it a pleasure to play. We muck around but always seem to keep ti going and seem to know where its going. Same songs and band line up but totally different experience.
One offsets the other so its not all bad.

[bumnote]

I was fortunate enough to play with a great drummer on and off since 1970, we were able to lock in together beautifully.

He has retired to spain and we now have a different drummer, who has a different syle, which has enabled me to play in a different way. The new drummer does tend to put in more fills, and sometimes I have to hold back the tempo a bit.

I also work with a third drummer, who again allows me to play the same song in different ways.

A great drummer is sadly underated, and there are loads of drummers, but not so many good onesi

[benh]

For the last 4 years I've been playing with a guy who seriously makes my job easy - his timing is impeccable. We actually had to drag and drop a verse from the first half of a song into the second half on a recording once (because the guitarist got it wrong the second time!) and bugger me if the tempo was bang on throughout the entire song - it slotted in perfectly. We also seem to gel together really well - even when we're messing around we always seem to be going in the same direction, it makes playing a lot more fun.
Saying that, he's just let us know that he's knackered his sciatic nerve and can't drum for an indefinite amount of time (possibly never again), so we're rehearsing with another drummer tomorrow. I just hope I get on with him in the same way! I'm gutted to say the least.

[JTUK]

[quote name='owen' post='1108278' date='Jan 30 2011, 04:30 PM']Life is too short to play with bad drummers

I used to ask how
much will I get paid for this
now it's who's drumming[/quote]


Always..

If I have to work too hard to make him sound good then I'm not interested.
But then that applies to all so you need to find your level in all this.

Edited January 31, 2011 by JTUK