4/09/2011

What Do Drummers Do?

By James Carter


Is it possible to be sure that you wish to be a drummer if you are not really certain of what drummers do? Sure, drummers drum, but simply what does that actually indicate?

Here are a number of the things that the best drummers do - which you are going to be performing if you are severe about playing drums:-

Maintain the beat. The drummer will be the heartbeat in the band. You place the pace, and you be sure that the band keeps the tempo. You need to be rock solid all of the time and not speed up when you get delighted or delay once you get bored (or when the music gets complex!).

Operate the band. Beyond keeping the beat, you have no make that beat exciting. You need to drive the band forward, developing a groove which makes the audience need to get up and dance. (This is often tougher than it sounds, given that you must drive forward without speeding up!).

Set issues up. The drummer is the timekeeper and, in many cases, the conductor. When there is something huge coming up - the chorus of the song, the climax of a huge solo, or a alter in dynamics or instrumentation - it is the drummer's job to set things up and lead into the next section. These setups and fills aid propel the band from 1 part to an additional and give just a little punch to the parts that require it.

Complement and communicate with other players. A good drummer makes every person else sound far better. It is not enough to sound great your self and maintain a solid beat; you have to play little licks and flourishes that pull the best out of your fellow musicians - without having drawing undue attention to yourself. When the guitarist is soloing, you must listen to what is going on down and anticipate what's coming next - and then add the best fills and accents and crashes to push the soloist to greater heights. If you are laying down a groove, you must work with the bass player to create one of the most solid beat. I've usually thought of drummers kind of like point guards in basketball: Both drive their teams, feed other players, and make everybody else look good - which occasionally means you make far more assists than points!

Add color and variety to the music. If all you wanted was a solid beat, you could program a drum machine and skip the gig your self. The very best drummers, nonetheless, go beyond straightforward time-keeping to make the song sound that considerably greater. Listen to any hit record from the 1960s that featured Hal Blaine on drums, or listen to any of Dino Danelli's old Rascals tunes, or listen to any big-band charts from Buddy Wealthy or Gene Krupa. These cats laid down a solid beat as well as a small bit a lot more, producing the music come to life in a fashion that less competent drummers couldn't even dream of. (For kicks, pay attention to The Rascals' "Girl Like You," and attempt to envision it with just the beat, no other licks or fills. Out of the blue that hit song sounds just a little much less unique, doesn't it?)

Play an occasional solo. Oh, yeah, and each and every now and then you will get to the forefront (figuratively) and play somewhat on your own. Just a little flash, somewhat crash, and you might be a star!

Naturally, these are merely the musical things that a drummer does. A drummer also drives a whole lot (to and from gigs), carries a lot of heavy equipment, sets up and tears down that heavy equipment, sits around waiting for the next set to begin, and worries about creating enough money to buy that next new piece of gear.

There is 1 more thing that drummers do: practice. We can't forget practice. Great drummers practice a whole lot. Even whenever you are famous, you still practice - an hour or far more a day, every single day. (That is due to the fact there is usually something new to understand!)

So, in the event you do not like practicing, don't like carrying around heavy equipment, and don't like playing with and interacting with other musicians, do not be a drummer. (Possibly you should play harmonica - not much to carry there!)




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment