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Bad drummers


NikkiSixxfan

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11 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

He is using headphones to hide in his own little world

 

Our new drummer (if 7 months is new!) wears industrial ear defenders due to tinnitus; however, he's right on time and listens to the rest of the band enough to produce fills and grooves that are actually musical, as opposed to neanderthal!

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When I ran a music venue a bad drummer would bring down the whole band.

The audience probably couldn't tell you why they didn't like the band, but on the occasions the drummer wasn't up to scratch, they always reacted negatively.

Being a bassist I seemed to be the only person who noticed this.

A good drummer makes our lives easier but more importantly makes the band better.

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14 minutes ago, stewblack said:

When I ran a music venue a bad drummer would bring down the whole band.

The audience probably couldn't tell you why they didn't like the band, but on the occasions the drummer wasn't up to scratch, they always reacted negatively.

 

I think that is one of those commonalities with rythmn sections - people don't really 'hear' the bass or drums, they just hear the vocals / guitars but if the drums or bass are bad they don't really like it for reasons they don't really notice.

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On 07/11/2021 at 09:33, NikkiSixxfan said:

So I ask once more, are bassists in a unique position to assess drummers?

 

Far be it from me to tell someone how to play an instrument I myself are not proficient in, but I know shonky timing when I hear it - especially when it's that timing that I am attempting to lock in with.  In your situation it may be a more subtle clash than outright incompetence - a clash of style, temprament or method?

 

I solved this issue by playing with the same drummer for the last 13 years - in 4 different bands.  We're a package deal now.

 

Communication is key.  The second gig we ever played together (it was my second proper gig to be fair so nerves might have played a part) he missed a snare hit and I turned around and gave him the mother of all death stares (about which we still chuckle about to this day) so it's fair to say there has been communication since the start :D

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The usual adage is that everyone in the band is responsible for time, and if you watch good bands in any genre then this is obvious. But sometimes guitarists, singers, horn players etc can get away with having timing that's a bit suspect, whereas bass players and drummers definitely can't. If you're in a band and you're the only person who seems bothered by a bad drummer then, apart from the drummer, it also might be a sign that the rest of the band aren't necessarily that good either. 

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Drummer in my band frustrates the B'Jesus out of me. He's a great band member and is always reliable, organizes stuff, sets up the PA etc. etc, but when it comes to keeping time he drives me nuts. Unlike most 'dodgy' drummers, his favorite way of aggravating me is slowing stuff down. We've talked about it over and over and still it goes on. I've tried to deal with it in real time but I end up pushing the beat at the places where he habitually slows down but to no avail. It ends up sounding a complete mess and like I can't keep time either, so I invariably end up slowing down as well. I've suggested practicing to a metronome but he'd rather spend his time working on fancy fills and stuff which rarely come off in real time. Some songs he'll actually count in at the right tempo but then immediately start off about 20% slower. Sorry for the rant but it was an opportunity to vent something I've had years of.

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5 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

At the risk of sounding like one of those old Stevie Wonder jokes, visually impaired musicians seem to manage it.

But agree it's helpful in general.

 

I suspect they have other arrangements in place to compensate. I think Stevie Wonder is the band leader and everyone will be taking virtual clues off him. Plus I suspect everyone is listening extra hard to what everyone else is playing.

 

Not making eye contact indicates to me that they aren't aware of anyone else in the band. 

Edited by TimR
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9 minutes ago, TimR said:

 

That shouldn't matter to anyone. The band should carry on regardless and the audience certainly shouldn't see any facial expressions indicating something is amiss. 

 

Well it did back then, as you "forgot" to quote me - it was my second ever gig, so I think I can be excused a little naivety 13 years ago.  At least I looked at the drummer when I found something objectionable - I thought you were a big supporter of eye contact and communication between musicians.

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9 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Well it did back then, as you "forgot" to quote me - it was my second ever gig, so I think I can be excused a little naivety 13 years ago.  At least I looked at the drummer when I found something objectionable - I thought you were a big supporter of eye contact and communication between musicians.

Why are you always so touchy? 

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3 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

Well it did back then, as you "forgot" to quote me - it was my second ever gig, so I think I can be excused a little naivety 13 years ago.  At least I looked at the drummer when I found something objectionable - I thought you were a big supporter of eye contact and communication between musicians.

 

One gig earlier in my career (therefore my first ever gig), I forgot my bass - realised when I thought it was time to tune up. Luckily a 15 minute drive away.

 

By its very definition, experience brings, well ... experience! 

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6 hours ago, Len_derby said:

help them get better.

A few years ago I got fed up with a particular 1 bar drum fill always being rushed and causing a giant hiccup. I decided to play only 1 and 3 over the fill and resume the walk on tempo.

 

I only had to do that a couple or three times before the showoff fill got simplified to something he could keep his own time on.

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6 hours ago, Japhet said:

Drummer in my band frustrates the B'Jesus out of me. He's a great band member and is always reliable, organizes stuff, sets up the PA etc. etc, but when it comes to keeping time he drives me nuts. Unlike most 'dodgy' drummers, his favorite way of aggravating me is slowing stuff down. We've talked about it over and over and still it goes on. I've tried to deal with it in real time but I end up pushing the beat at the places where he habitually slows down but to no avail. It ends up sounding a complete mess and like I can't keep time either, so I invariably end up slowing down as well. I've suggested practicing to a metronome but he'd rather spend his time working on fancy fills and stuff which rarely come off in real time. Some songs he'll actually count in at the right tempo but then immediately start off about 20% slower. Sorry for the rant but it was an opportunity to vent something I've had years of.

Might be the same drummer!

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I went for an audition years back and we were doing A town called malice. 

 

Well most of the band was, I don`t know what the "drummer" was playing but it wasn`t right and it threw me completely. I had to stop the song and tried to explain that it wasn`t right. The rest of the band couldn`t see what the problem was so I un plugged the bass, said I wasn`t wasting my time and walked out to the sound of my own footsteps. 

 

So yeah, we can spot a twonker of a drummer a mile away.

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