Does anyone play the drums.

[bubinga5]

Im having drumming lessons, as I thought I needed to expand my rhythm section knowledge. Does anyone play the drums and bass and how did it help your bass playing.?

Edited December 22, 2018 by bubinga5

[fleabag]

I gigged for many years as a drummer,  and threw it in around 18 years ago for bass.  I'd been twiddling the bass even while i was drumming, and in the end, i got the bug.

I appreciate a good  drummer, and can obviously tell in a heartbeat whether they're one i can lock in with.  Our current drummer is superb,  and better than i ever was, but having been a drummer,  i have respect for the art, and how they can influence me to play better.

[Dad3353]

20 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

Im having drumming lessons, as I thought I needed to expand my rhythm section knowledge. Does anyone play the drums and bass and how did it help your bass playing.?

Yes, I'm a drummer. I'm not sure that anything would help my bass playing, though.  

[TheGreek]

@Andyjr1515 built a bass for a friend of mine who is a drummer dabbling with Bass.

Speaking to him a few months ago his perception of bass is different to mine - that "paradiddle" thing - Google: "one of the basic patterns (rudiments) of drumming, consisting of four even strokes played in the order ‘left right left left’ or ‘right left right right’ " - made me think about modifying the even bars of a 4 bar riff.

I think having an understanding of how/what other members of the band play can only help developing my own abilities. 

More power to you for expanding your instrument repertoire ...

[John T]

37 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

@Andyjr1515 built a bass for a friend of mine who is a drummer dabbling with Bass.

Speaking to him a few months ago his perception of bass is different to mine - that "paradiddle" thing - Google: "one of the basic patterns (rudiments) of drumming, consisting of four even strokes played in the order ‘left right left left’ or ‘right left right right’ " - made me think about modifying the even bars of a 4 bar riff.

I think having an understanding of how/what other members of the band play can only help developing my own abilities. 

More power to you for expanding your instrument repertoire ...

If you play with a pick you can do the same with up-down strokes or alternate fingerstyle in the same manner.....Can't see much benefit in it though

 

1 hour ago, bubinga5 said:

Im having drumming lessons, as I thought I needed to expand my rhythm section knowledge. Does anyone play the drums and bass and how did it help your bass playing.?

Yeah, i played for many years up until 2017 when i retired with arthritic fingers, and having had surgery on one shoulder and manipulation on the other, severe tendonitis in my right elbow, knee and foot/heel problems, in fact i don't think i've got a decent joint anywhere in my body!.....i'd do it all again though!

Iv'e not really thought about whether it has helped me as a bass player as i've kind of always known where things go and how the two relate to each-other.

Two of the best lessons as a drummer you'll ever learn about the rhythm section is listening....and playing for the song.

[bubinga5]

1 minute ago, John T said:

If you play with a pick you can do the same with up-down strokes or alternate fingerstyle in the same manner.....Can't see much benefit in it though

 

Yeah, i played for many years up until 2017 when i retired with arthritic fingers, and having had surgery on one shoulder and manipulation on the other, severe tendonitis in my right elbow, knee and foot/heel problems, in fact i don't think i've got a decent joint anywhere in my body!.....i'd do it all again though!

Iv'e not really thought about whether it has helped me as a bass player as i've kind of always known where things go and how the two relate to each-other.

Two of the best lessons as a drummer you'll ever learn about the rhythm section is listening....and playing for the song.

What im after is a better understanding of my relationship with the drummer. and playing for the song is my number 1 priority. 

[John T]

2 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

What im after is a better understanding of my relationship with the drummer. and playing for the song is my number 1 priority. 

Not wishing to sound patronising at all here but that is where 'listening' becomes your friend.....Listen to everything, not only to what you do with your band/s but to everything else, even music you wouldn't normally listen to and dissect and try to understand the mechanics of what is going on.

A good thing to do which always helped me is to jam with your drummer just the two of you and lock in to what you are both doing and go where he goes and visa versa. Playing off eachother is something that comes with time with some players and quicker with others depending on their experience. Some bassists have a real good drummers ear and as a drummer you lock in with them pretty quickly.....It's a learning curve though and you never stop learning.

I have only ever played/recorded bass to my own drumtracks so having never played bass with a band and if i ever go down that road at some point it will be an eye opener for me.....

[John T]

1 hour ago, fleabag said:

I gigged for many years as a drummer,  and threw it in around 18 years ago for bass.  I'd been twiddling the bass even while i was drumming, and in the end, i got the bug.

I appreciate a good  drummer, and can obviously tell in a heartbeat whether they're one i can lock in with.  Our current drummer is superb,  and better than i ever was, but having been a drummer,  i have respect for the art, and how they can influence me to play better.

Not intending to highjack the thread here though i guess it's all relative.

I was wondering how as a fellow ex drummer you got on the first time you played with a band in your new role as a bass player and looking over your shoulder seeing another guy sat where you did before switching? My retirement was a forced one so i may feel different to you as you seem to have been a willing participant?

[fleabag]

I didnt miss it, mostly because i  never seemed to get beyond a level...i just seemed to plateau. I also got fed up dragging so many bits and pieces to and from gigs, and the space they took up.

I actually found bass an easier instrument to play.  First time with a band playing bass was a revelation. I still mess around on a kit occasionally, but would never go back to it

[Crawford13]

I’m not a great drummer but I can play enough to busk it. I think it definitely helps with playing bass. Several bass players talk about being drummers helping their bass playing Duff McKegan comes to mind. Also I read the other day that Joe Dart thinks of himself as a drummer.

[John T]

Mark King was a drummer, still plays a bit too.........His percussive style lends a lot to this.

6 minutes ago, fleabag said:

I didnt miss it, mostly because i  never seemed to get beyond a level...i just seemed to plateau. I also got fed up dragging so many bits and pieces to and from gigs, and the space they took up.

I actually found bass an easier instrument to play.  First time with a band playing bass was a revelation. I still mess around on a kit occasionally, but would never go back to it

I'm with you there...Recent gigs with half a ton of drum kit in and out of venues took it's toll, didn't care when i was a lad, we don't do we!

Glad it worked out for you, not sure how i'll feel if/when the time comes....

[Dan Dare]

A gentleman is someone who can play the drums but doesn't ;-)

[Dad3353]

27 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

A gentleman is someone who can play the drums but doesn't 😉

Well that's me out, then..! 

...

 

[Dad3353]

When learning to play drums (properly...), it's almost essential to be able to read rhythmic patterns from scores and method books. I found this to be the most transferable of 'skills' when reading for bass, as the rhythmic aspect was now easy, I only had to work out the notes. 

[intime-nick]

I’ve spent the past 20 years designing them if that counts (and I’m also a crap drummer).

finding a good drummer is like finding a guitarist who appreciates that a 4x12 for pub gigs is a bit of an overkill but I digress...😀😀

I do need to improve my drumming but I need to finish the designs for my new e-kit first, build it and then get some practice in if I ever have the time. 

Edited December 23, 2018 by intime-nick

[estpany]

I started with the drums also, and I don't think I could be so percussive and solid with my bass playing  (but I speak only for me here)  if I hadn't this previous drumming  experience.

I tend to like the melodic parts of the bass playing and all those small improvisations during a song, but none of these is about keeping the rhythm.

Jaco P. started as a drummer (and his father was a jazz drummer) but after a nasty accident he couldn't play the drums anymore (miracles happen   ). 

 

As for the paradiddle thing TheGreek mentioned (parenthesis : I'm a Greek too. Well.. not THE Greek but A Greek  ) I could give a couple of ideas :
First, one can play an octave up where the R (right hand) strike is. I think this sounds exactly like a drum paradiddle should sound  (but very often it won't fit to the song).     

It goes like this (lets say playing "Do"): 
(1) L,    (2) L,   (3) R,   (4) L   / (1) R,    (2) R,   (3) L,   (4) R .....

(1) Do, (2) Do, (3) Do up an octave,  (4) Do /  (1) Do up an octave, (2) Do up an octave,  (3) Do,  (4) Do up an octave ...

Another way of playing the paradiddle (and can apply to the bass without affect the pitch) is to change the rhythmic subdivisions. 
Lets say we play quarter notes. When we alter hand in drums (R for a L) we'll play eight notes or triplets on bass.
Goes like this :
Drums (altered left /right hands) :   (1) L,    (2) L,  (3) R,                 (4) L /         (1) R,               (2) R,               (3) L,    (4) R .........

Bass  (quarter notes and eights) :   (1) Do, (2) Do, (3) Do Do,       (4) Do /      (1) Do Do,       (2) Do Do,       (3) Do,  (4) Do Do ..... or

Bass  (quarter notes and triplets) : (1) Do, (2) Do, (3) Do Do Do,  (4) Do /      (1) Do Do Do, (2) Do Do Do, (3) Do,  (4) Do Do Do...

 

P.S. : Merry Christmas to the bass community of Basschat !

Edited December 23, 2018 by estpany

[Baxlin]

I played drums in my youth (50+ years ago!), both kit and military style side drum, and a couple of years ago took drum lessons for about a year.

Our church band is on a rota basis, and we had a new, brilliant, drummer join.  First time we played together he asked if I played drums, as he detected an affinity in my bass playing.

So maybe for me, the answer to the OP's question is yes?

Edited December 23, 2018 by Baxlin

[tonyquipment]

I can make a racket on the drums but to play it properly no. Lmao 

[mikel]

I am a bass playing drummer. Playing bass improved my drumming no end, I now leave more space for the bassist and realise we are more of a unit than two distinct entities. It also helped my bass playing for the same reasons.

[lowdowner]

Bass playing drummer here too. 

playing both taught me to leave space for the bass when drumming, and space for the drums when bassing...

in summary, it’s all about mutual respect for each other’s space

[funkgod]

Yea i think it helps understanding rhythms, a knowledge of understanding where to land the emphesis, can only be a good thing.

im not a very good drummer but i can get the drums and congas down for my tracks i write enough to give to our drummer in the band to understand where the groove is with the bass line, he then rips it to bits makes it 10 times better but all the time keeping the all important bass line groove beats or as "lowdowner" says where to lay off.

So yes it did help my playing, i would say allot.

Its a funny thing, when you hear a drum beat, right away in your head you could write bass line that would fit perfectly to it. the clever  bit is then getting the chord structures to go with the line you have. 🙂

[Pea Turgh]

As a teenager I wanted a drum kit, but ended up with a bass!  Have done a couple of gigs on drums - I just like making noise, really.

[fleabag]

So do most drummers

 

[Guest oZZma]

I started learning drums, then I stopped, now I'm planning to start again as soon as I go back home from vacancies.

I liked it, it helped me to feel better in a lot of ways.

[Dad3353]

2 hours ago, oZZma said:

...as soon as I go back home from vacancies....

I presume that this is meant to be 'vacation' (holidays...)..?