The Qualities Of A Great Drummer

I asked several  Band Leaders, Musicians, and Music Lovers for their feedback on what makes a drummer good? Below are the responses. This advice will help you become a better drummer and helps you get more gigs.

 

• A drummer who pays attention to all while playing. A great example of this would be your head should always be up, and you are constantly looking at the other musicians.

 

• They are showing up prepared for rehearsals/gigs (& knowing the difference).

 

• Head up & paying attention.

 

• The drummer can’t be trying to follow the band. The drummer is the heartbeat – they need to be subtly driving the bus. They need to have the flexibility to go with any changes that arise & add tasty fills during the song while not sliding all over the place, changing the tempo.

 

• They are striving for the best overall sound for the audience and situation/venue, as far as volume. Finally, less is more. For Blues, don’t beat the snot out of the cymbals & make the rest of the band deaf. Of course, delightful personality & all the standard stuff.

 

 

• A good drummer never forsakes the groove, and look at the rest of the band and have a head’s up approach.

 

 

• Good time, good dynamics, good technical chops, and most importantly, is a sense of musicality! A great drummer should hear and understand the music beyond just their own instrument. That is very important for any musician, no matter what you play.

 

 

• Play DRUMS…Not CYMBALS… And beat them as they owe you money.

 

 

• The drummer is in the music business, not the fill business. He is the engine in the band – you don’t have to look under the hood to know the drummer is there.

 

                 What Makes A Drummer Good?

• Loving the art of music, perseverance, consistency, having the knowledge of music, and being able to work well with his counterparts

 

 

• Stay in the pocket, mainly when your bandmates might drop the tempo of the song.

 

 

• Staying in the pocket and being ready to do whatever it takes to remain in time for the song’s sake.

 

• The technique doesn’t mean nothing if you can’t play a backbeat and lock it in.” Always remember drum fills provide thrills, but grooves pay the bills. Quote from Steve Gadd

 

 

• One that accommodates the band and doesn’t become a sideshow.

 

• Listen to the song.

 

                  Keeping The Rhythm 

• A good drummer can keep solid time. They can also make or break the band performance with accents and turn arounds. They play behind the singer and not all over them. These are the qualities the make a drummer great!

 

 

• Have big ears, listen to the music, and remember that less is more.

 

 

• Sensing the vibe and driving the band with the beat

 

 

• If you want to be a successful drummer, you must have a good car, be on time for your gig and never overplay the music.

 

• As a Drummer, I like to make the singer sound good. Support, compliment, and accompany. Playing the proper dynamics for the room is a big deal too. And being on time always starts the evening off right.

 

 

• If the drummer doesn’t have the beat, the band cannot perform correctly.

 

 

• A great drummer can listen to the bandleader for input.

 

 

• Don’t overplay; it’s our job as the drummer is to keep time and the groove. Especially when playing blues drums, the rhythm section must be tight.

 

 

• From my vocalist’s standpoint (and this is probably going to sound crazy), I know a great drummer when I can forget they’re back there, and I can believe the thump I hear is my heart, whether fast or slow and no matter how complicated.

 

        Hearing To The Band When Performing 

• I will lay the disclaimer that I’m just a harmonica player. And I’ve learned that keeping the beat is critical for drummers, but more importantly, listening to the rest of the group and breathing within the minor fluctuations that happen, similar to heart rate variability. As a soloist, I love when I can hear the drummer listening to what I play and change things us going to the next verse, and it inspires new ideas for me.

 

• They lock into the groove, holds it, maintains the swing by holding things back just a little when other musicians out front are trying to race ahead. Doing so helps gently ease those musicians back into formation. It makes it seem effortless, that little tempo/groove dance. Great sense of dynamics; doesn’t for one moment confuse volume with swing & drive & power BUT: listens well and when it’s time to hit it hard, does that in a way that fuses everybody into the same thundering herd. The first time I met a drummer like that, I was sitting in on a harmonica with a friend’s blues band at Manny’s Car Wash in NYC. I’ve never forgotten it. I was that guy out front, trying to speed up. The drummer refused to. The moment that I realized I could count on him to maintain the groove and not race ahead with me, I settled in and played some of the best stuff I’ve ever played.

 

• What makes a good drummer timing (the most important, obviously) but making that time swing and sound good. Play for the song, not to show what you can do. There are times for that but play for the music. A simple fill can spice up a song and make it stand out.
  Play with the band. Listen to other ideas. Too many times you come across (not just drummers but other musicians) I’m the drummer!! I Play like this!! Listen to everyone’s ideas.
  This is one of the most important things, be cool!! Be nice, be polite. You can be a great musician and have a crappy attitude, and ppl will not want to play with you. Be cool. Ppl will want to be around you more expose you to other musicians. Turn you on to other opportunities.
  That’s what makes a good musician!! Drummer guitar
  Bass but overall a good person. Respect everyone and their beliefs and opinions. You may disagree with them but Respect them.