Why Are Good Drummers So Rare?

sigod wrote: oliverstoned wrote: I don't know why, but in popular music today, the prevalent drum sound is what i call "a big sound" in a pejorative way. For example, i've been to a Soft Machine concert two years ago. I found all the musicians to be good, except the drummer who had a big sound. Nothing to do with the coltranian delicate touch of wyatt!! It is a large sound but not as large as that huge Phil Collins sound that was everywhere in the 80's . I tend to prefer the Stewart Copeland sound. Very tight but with lots of bass to the kick drum.

Yes the 80's were typical and the worst for drum sound,in popular music.
But today, that's not much better

Um, I play drums, and I think it's much harder to find a bassist.  I can think of at least five or six drummers that go to my school and are decent.  I also think the reason we're so hard to find is because there are people who play the drums, and people who are REALLY into playing them.  Anyone can hit a drum, but it takes skill and talent to play the drums well.

 

 

and cause some of us play too loud (Myself included, but I'm working on it!)

I'm lucky to have found a good drummer recently. He jammed with my friend and I for about 3 hours today. It was our first session, and we've already created an instrumental based off our improv jams.

Good drummers are hard to to find because most drummers can't play anything not in 4/4 time. And when the song is in 4/4 time, the little ankle-biters just wanna hit the hi-hat and bass drum on every eighth note and the snare on the second and fourth beat of each measure. C'MON. You guys know what I'm talking about: bass-bass-SNARE-bass-bass-bass-SNARE. As Neil Peart put it, "Most drummers don't play drums--they play BEATS." Especially these Christian bands. Talk about a lack of musicianship. Their songs are all corny, but their image is wannabe-punk. Bands like Relient K or Jar's of Clay think they are real cute. I'm all for Christian music, but if these posers tried half as hard to master their respective instruments as they try to please Jesus and the Lord, maybe they would be more popular and earn the respect of the media. GOSH!!!

I've gotten a little off topic havent I?

Well, they don't call this a FORUM for nothin' do they?

I liek Phiol COllins sound better then steve cokeland sound, but I know thats my own opiniopn and everybody has there own opinion. I have my own u have ur own opinion. so we cant disagree because we each have ourr own one. BUt I like Collins better (my opinion).

THis post would make a good essay.

I don't know why, but in popular music today, the prevalent drum sound is what i call "a big sound" in a pejorative way.

For example, i've been to a Soft Machine concert two years ago.
I found all the musicians to be good, except the drummer who had a big sound.
Nothing to do with the coltranian delicate touch of wyatt!!

us drummers are rare because were so damn cool

Prog bassists are extremely easy to find. Prog guitarists are a bit harder, but not really that hard. Prog has a sort of converse to normal rock. While most rock bands have trouble finding a good bassist (meaning one who plays along and never embellishes) and they have one guy switch from guitar to bass, prog has too many bassists who end up switching to guitar! (that's probably what I'll be doing).

On the drummer thing, yeah they're real hard to find. Drum kits are LOUD. You have to find someone whose parents will put up with it, plus they have to be good and prog-oriented, and usually drummers are not proggers, but metalheads. That's really the reason.

Jim Garten wrote: Had that offer come from someone used to drinking good old British real-ale, it would have been tempting. However, what you fail to grasp, Peter, is that the beer has to be good quality pre-regurgitation, not the fermented moose milk you routinely imbibe. The standard practice for disposal of - how can I put this - collonial beer vomit is to strain it, allow it to clarify, fizz it up again, then sell it to Australia, labelled as 'Fosters'.

Absolutely classic. I'm currently on holiday in Houston trying to come to terms with beer that actually tastes worse than Tennents. 

 

To be completely honest, a good drummer isn't as rare as a good singer. Usually the trouble and expense of a drumkit weeds out the pretenders, but there's no such barrier for vocalists...any fool with a throat can start to think they're can sing.

In my experience, drummers tend to cause less trouble, too.