Country Drummers

joshvibert

Senior Member
I'm proud to be a Southern Country kinda guy. I like to hunt, fish, and listen to country music. I've never really played country, though. I've played punk, rock, blues, jazz, praise/CCM, and even hard rock/rapcore, but never country. I can't help but be impressed by some of the country drummers, though. Especially, say, Ben Sesar who plays for Brad Paisley. Since Country fits my personality I think it would be fun to play in a country group. Not so much older country, but more of the Zac Brown, Brad Paisley, Band Perry, etc kinda stuff.

What currently has me all messed up is that I heard on the radio this morning that Zac Brown is playing Phillips Arena on New Years Eve with Levi Lowery. Maybe none of you have heard of Levi Lowery (yet), but I grew up with the guy. We were in scouts together, went to the same church for awhile, and I did some session work for him when he was running a studio. I also played live for him at his first CD release party as an artist. I took issue with him singing some of the lyrics he was (the CD release was held in a church and I didn't feel that some of those lyrics belonged in a church) and told him to change them or I was leaving. He changed them that night, but I think that really upset him and we kinda lost touch over the last few years.

Hearing that on the radio this morning, it made me think, "If I hadn't opened my big mouth, that might be me playing behind him." Oh well, morals are worth more than money.

Anyway, do any of you play behind a county/folk/bluegrass band?
 
I don't play in a country band, we are more rock and blues oriented. However, a couple of the guys in the band recently have been talking about doing Dewight Yokum's "Guitars & Cadillacs" as a cover tune. In playing around with it, I have found that country drumming has posed some challenge for me as I have never played much of it. It is a genre that I want to get more comfortable with. I kinda feel it's my duty as a Texan! :)
At church we play "God is Good" every once in a while. I always dread that one for it's country feel but I always seem to pull it off o.k.
I commend you for standing by your morals!
 
I had my stint with country bands, I was in 2 of them spanning 3 years in the early 80's. (right after the movie "Urban Cowboy" came out). It was a good experience that serves me well today.

There was a really great Southern Rock band near me in the early 80's. I had been in a band with the bass player of the Southern band previously, and I knew through him that their drummer was departing. I used to thumb it to their gigs to learn their stuff, so when their drummer left, I could just slide in with no rehearsal. Which I did. Practically the day I joined the band, our agent told us that we need to change our repetoire to all Country, because Country was hot then and it was easy to get gigs. So with zero background in Country music, I reluctantly tried my best to learn Country. It's pretty easy as long as you don't have a need to show off and overplay. Just keep time and make the others look good, minimal chops for sure. Any chops need to be super tasty.
 
Folk, classic country, cash... that stuff I can get into. What is being called, and radio-played as "country" music today is kinda utter crap. It's basically really bad pop-rock with a "country" accent to the singing voice and "cowboy" hats on stage.
 
Folk, classic country, cash... that stuff I can get into. What is being called, and radio-played as "country" music today is kinda utter crap. It's basically really bad pop-rock with a "country" accent to the singing voice and "cowboy" hats on stage.
At least some of the newer stuff has some fun drumming in it. I would play for Garth Brooks any day. :)
 
At least some of the newer stuff has some fun drumming in it. I would play for Garth Brooks any day. :)

I'm honestly interested in examples. He'd be on the top of my list in the "really bad pop-rock" category given my last statement. My little sisters used to listen to that guys garbage right along side their backstreet boys albums. Have things changed since the 90's?
 
I'm honestly interested in examples. He'd be on the top of my list in the "really bad pop-rock" category given my last statement. My little sisters used to listen to that guys garbage right along side their backstreet boys albums. Have things changed since the 90's?
OK. Now you have me defending a genre that I hate. I was just saying that the new stuff is more fun to play than the old stuff. That's all. End of story. I won't be in a country band any time soon. Garth's drummer does have a double bass though. :)
 
Yes, I play in 2 country bands although the one in my signature is more older style country bluesy. I'm working on a set list for band #2 that is more of the modern country with a mix of some older stuff thrown in. Some of the modern stuff is closer to rock music than country music of old. Some examples of that would be Jason Aldean's "She's Country", another one by Aldean is "Hicktown". We do "Guitars, Cadillacs and Hillbilly Music" and "Fast as You" by Dwight Yoakam, I like both of those tunes. One of my favorites is by The Zak Brown Band called "Chicken Fried" and another with an insanely fast rock/train beat break called "Sic 'Em on a Chicken" lol!

I have to agree with Dr. Watso that there is alot of "Country Pop" out there but there is also some pretty good country tunes as well.

I've played more rock and blues over my lifetime and never thought I'd be playing country but after being in three different country bands in the last four years I'm very much enjoying it. Give it a shot....you might like it.
 
Country is more fun and versatile than alot of the mainstream pop/rock. I do a Brooks and Dunn tribute band and a top 40 country type thing which also slips in some classic rock. Our ZZ Top tribute sometimes mates up with our Brooks and Dunn and it fits together pretty good.
Garth is the worst singer in history, alot like Ben Affleck as an actor, blah blah whitebread.
 
Band I'm in does a lot of country....just depends on where we play.
Depending on the crowd, sometimes a whole show of old and newer country stuff is all they will dance to.
Then other times it's both, country and older rock. And it must be tunes they know. Original tunes don't work at the places we play.
 
I'm proud to be a Southern Country kinda guy. I like to hunt, fish, and listen to country music. I've never really played country, though. I've played punk, rock, blues, jazz, praise/CCM, and even hard rock/rapcore, but never country. I can't help but be impressed by some of the country drummers, though. Especially, say, Ben Sesar who plays for Brad Paisley. Since Country fits my personality I think it would be fun to play in a country group. Not so much older country, but more of the Zac Brown, Brad Paisley, Band Perry, etc kinda stuff.

What currently has me all messed up is that I heard on the radio this morning that Zac Brown is playing Phillips Arena on New Years Eve with Levi Lowery. Maybe none of you have heard of Levi Lowery (yet), but I grew up with the guy. We were in scouts together, went to the same church for awhile, and I did some session work for him when he was running a studio. I also played live for him at his first CD release party as an artist. I took issue with him singing some of the lyrics he was (the CD release was held in a church and I didn't feel that some of those lyrics belonged in a church) and told him to change them or I was leaving. He changed them that night, but I think that really upset him and we kinda lost touch over the last few years.

Hearing that on the radio this morning, it made me think, "If I hadn't opened my big mouth, that might be me playing behind him." Oh well, morals are worth more than money.

Anyway, do any of you play behind a county/folk/bluegrass band?

Awh.... That stinks. Morals are def. worth sticking up for though. And I would probably do the same thing. I am in a blues/southern rock/country band. AND I LOVE IT. I was in a metal/rock band at first and this is totally different and fits my style perfectly. I think blues shows the most talent in drumming.
 
Dr Watso- Check out anything by Zac Brown Band- or Jason Aldean good drums on Dirt Road Anthem/My Kinda Party- good fun songs that dont have the classic country whine (not that I hate that but I think anti country types glaze over when they hear it).
 
Never been a huge fan but have always enjoyed Hank Jr, Johnny Cash, and Garth Brooks, Hank JR does the best version of Blue Jeans Blues I have ever heard.

Am thinking of joining a local country band, been going through some of their songs and most of them are alot of fun to play, I tried playing Brad Paisley's Old Alabama yesterday, was good till the end where it goes into some kind of fast train beat. I was at the end of my practice time and did not have time to work on it buy am looking forward to figuring it out.. Anyone have a suggestion on the sticking?
 
I'm honestly interested in examples. He'd be on the top of my list in the "really bad pop-rock" category given my last statement. My little sisters used to listen to that guys garbage right along side their backstreet boys albums. Have things changed since the 90's?

Really? I think he's one of the best in the genre. As a songwriter, vocalist and performer, the guy has a ton of talent.

I played in a country band and mostly... hated it. It's not my thing.

But that said, it was a fantastic learning experience for me. It was the gig that taught me how to play for the song. I thought I knew how to do that before, but once I started playing country, I realized I didn't. It forced me to work on that facet of my playing and I think I made big strides because of it.

I can't see myself wanting to join another country band, though.
 
Dr Watso- Check out anything by Zac Brown Band- or Jason Aldean good drums on Dirt Road Anthem/My Kinda Party- good fun songs that dont have the classic country whine (not that I hate that but I think anti country types glaze over when they hear it).

Thanks, I'll do that. I'll utube some right now.
 
If you need tips on playing a train beat, check out Tommy Harden's you tube videos. He plays for Reba Mcentire and used to play for Ricky Skaggs. His YouTube page is TempoTommy.
 
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Folk, classic country, cash... that stuff I can get into. What is being called, and radio-played as "country" music today is kinda utter crap. It's basically really bad pop-rock with a "country" accent to the singing voice and "cowboy" hats on stage.

I like some of it and some of those in Cowboy hats onstage are my friends. Actually, there aren't many wearing cowboy hats onstage; most the singer. Most of the band look like modern rock musicians.

Everything has to evolve (just like cars, computers and technology) and at least in Country that you call utter crap, real musicians are still playing on the recordings.

Mike

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I tried playing Brad Paisley's Old Alabama yesterday, was good till the end where it goes into some kind of fast train beat. I was at the end of my practice time and did not have time to work on it buy am looking forward to figuring it out.. Anyone have a suggestion on the sticking?

The only 2 ways I know how to do train beats is either individually stroked double stroke rolls with the 2 strokes of the non starting hand accented, (r r L L r r L L r r L L r r L L) or, more commonly, single stroke 16th notes with the accent on the AND. (r l R l r l R l r l R l r l R l)
 
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