mingsta Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Just got involved with starting up a six piece band in SouthWest london (function band doing soul/motown/rnb/pop covers) - great line up, great set list...super excited!!! But we're missing a drummer and so far its proving really difficult to fill the seat. Are drummers a dying breed? I guess its one of the hardest instruments to pick up given the amount of kit needed and practice. Anyone got any ideas for where to look? Is there an equivalent to Basschat out there for drummers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottswarwick Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Yes. I end up depping for our own drummer when he can't make it as we know a few decent dep bassists, and far fewer drummers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Good drummers are rare indeed. and guitarists and singers and even bass players. I think the dificulties associated with learning to become a drummer are cancelled out by the number of folk who think the drums will be easy to learn and you don't need know anything about music. I expect the guys and gals who quickly realise how wrong they were about that are the ones who go on to be good at it !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbass4k Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I've found that drummers aren't that rare, good drummers however seem to be like bloody unicorns. I had a jam with a band last month, they were pretty good, simple but effective. We got on to some of my ideas, and I taught them a riff I had, which is in 5/4. The 2 guitarists got it straight away, it's a pretty simple riff, but the drummer just couldn't handle the 5/4, he couldn't do his own drum part for it, so I tried teaching him the one I had in my head, and he still couldn't get it. I think the problem is drums are quite an instant gratification sort of instrument, you can spend a few months nailing down the stock beats and then go and play in a band, so a lot of drummers never develop beyond that and really learn the music side of it and find their own style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I have found good drummers and reliable drummers but never found one that is both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mingsta Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 The worse thing is that I know two great drummers from back in the days, but one's moved to San Fran, and the other doesn't play any more and it'd be hard to talk him out of retirement as he's now got two sprogs. I find good funk/rnb drummers even harder to find - as many rock drummers can overdo it if they haven't got the feel for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I am so lucky to have played with (so) far 4 very good drummers. Last night we were having some 7/4 fun with Unsquare Dance. Took Chris a couple of goes but he wrapped his head around it and off we went About to meet my fifth drummer, can the run of good luck continue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 We're currently auditioning for a replacement drummer, as our present one is having to bow out in a couple of months time due to increased family commitments. The problem we've been having hasn't been so much in the technical ability (most of the people we've tried have the "chops") but in creativity - finding someone who can come up with a rhythm part for a new song that isn't the drumming equivalent of pumping out 1/8 notes on the E string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Right, here's the rub with drummers in London. 1) you need a place big enough to store a kit, or at least a practice kit - not easy in London unless you're minted or live with parents 2) You sort of need transport - very expensive in London. 3) They need to have practised a fair bit to be half decent - see point 1 4) Lesson are very expensive for someone hoping to take up the drums in London - at least £20 an hour. 5) with the shortage of drummers in London, there'll always be a band asking them to join, so hence the non-reliable / I wanna leave the band attitude. So you see, the odds ain't really stacked in your favour there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigthumb Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I think we must be pretty lucky in our band. Our drummer is good. Reliable, really reliable. Keen to learn new stuff, easy going and runs his own studio and practice rooms. Must say though that over the years before our Steve we've had a right headache with 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 The very good drummers I know in London are twofold: either they have their calendars filled with big dates, or they're struggling to make ends meet and just aren't getting the gigs. Some in the latter category are IMO much better players than the ones from the former. It's tough but persevere, once you find a drummer you really click with then it's really worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I must be lucky then, had issues in bands with weak links, but always been chuffed with the drummers I've come accross, at least in recent years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Coincidence strikes! Just started a thread in 'other instruments' about how easy, or otherwise, it is to play drums as i've just taken them up. In all the recent startup bands I've talked to about playing bass they've all said "sure, we're ready to rock, but we can't find a bl**dy drummer!". The lesson is, if I want to guarantee a gig, don't learn bass, learn to play drums and i'll be chased from mercury to pluto with invites to play! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I know several drummers. They can all play well enough to hold down a gig. One or two of them I wouldn't want to play with very often though, speeding up, random 5 beat fills, double bass drum pedal, failure to listen to the rest of the band. You can live with that for a few gigs but you can't build a solid band on it. The big problem is the bass player/drummer relationship has to be good, it's a two way street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1359151157' post='1950976'] The big problem is the bass player/drummer relationship has to be good, it's a two way street. [/quote] Yeah - what he said - if they work well it's magic, otherwise it's game over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrismanbass Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 i have a few numbers of west london drummers looking for work gimme a pm if you want some Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='mingsta' timestamp='1359136521' post='1950602'] Just got involved with starting up a six piece band in SouthWest london (function band doing soul/motown/rnb/pop covers) - great line up, great set list...super excited!!! But we're missing a drummer and so far its proving really difficult to fill the seat. Are drummers a dying breed? I guess its one of the hardest instruments to pick up given the amount of kit needed and practice. Anyone got any ideas for where to look? Is there an equivalent to Basschat out there for drummers? [/quote] I am in 4 bands, two covers and two originals. There is one drummer for three of the bands... so yeah, I think good ones are hard to find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1359156588' post='1951068'] I am in 4 bands, two covers and two originals. There is one drummer for three of the bands... so yeah, I think good ones are hard to find! [/quote] Yes, but one bass player for 4 of them. Bass trumps drums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 [quote name='WHUFC BASS' timestamp='1359139562' post='1950699'] [size=4]4) Lesson are very expensive for someone hoping to take up the drums in London - at least £20 an hour.[/size] [size=4][/quote][/size] [size=4]In my experience £20/hour is cheap for decent music lessons, even out here in the relative countryside.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1359156749' post='1951073'] Yes, but one bass player for 4 of them. Bass trumps drums. [/quote] how do you know I don't play the didgeridoo in two of them? nah, ok, yeah just bass. and the fourth band's drummer? He plays guitar in two of the bands. There's a degree of overlap among the bands: once you find a group of people who are good musicians, reliable, with good personalities that are fun to be around... I stick with them. It also makes band scheduling easier. ON the other hand, sometimes if one person is unavailable it means it takes down a couple of bands with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 You see, what you have there is not a drummer, he's a musician. I think we've had this discussion many times. Somewhere there is a thread "Am I a musician or just a bass player?" In the same way there are bass players who can play a functional bass line and there are bass players who can play a bass line and make it sound like music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 I`m probably - no certainly - lucky in that the majority of the drummers I`ve played with are very good. Of course there have been the ones who although tight as a gnats proverbial simply cannot play at anything other than full volume, so although timing wise they were good, I don`t count them to be particularly good drummers, as for most venues they are simply unlistenable. The drummer I`m working with at the moment in The Tuesday Club is probably the best drummer I`ve worked with, he can literally do anything we throw at him, including leading on a gig where we did all of our songs in a jazz/swing mode, with only one rehearsal. Additionally we did a days session work together without either of us working together on the material beforehand, and it came out great - 16 songs in one day. Very versatile, knows when to play quietly, and we have an almost telepathic communication, I just know where he is going, as he does with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhay77 Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Having played drums in bands,for me what makes a good drummer is the ability to really lock in with the bass and be able to read whats coming too.In a jam situation during rehearsals it always gives you an insight into ability and where the drummer is coming from.Most songs that bands play( not all ) just require a good 4/4.Solid and on the button.Stick on the radio and listen for half an hour,not even a frickin drum roll!! What makes any good musician in general are these qualities.The flashy stuff is icing! Anyone who has played drums knows its the easiest instrument to play in say a standard ish covers band as a dep,there are no notes to learn if in standard 4. Just stops and a good ear! I have played with really good drummers then thats when you really appreciate their abilities,gigging becomes just easier,tighter,more comfortable and not having to worry! Still one of the big ones,personality. You gotta spend time with these weirdo's. So make sure he doesnt piss in your lager! lol. Ps I now just play my first instrument.Bass! I was never a really good drummer!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 We're rehearsing with a new drummer this avo. First time I've actually looked forward to a rehearsal in ages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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