Why Do Bands Have Two Drummers?

Hollywood Jim

Platinum Member
Isn't one drummer enough?

I met two drummers last week that are both in the same band. Seems crazy to me.
I can play and make it sound like there are two drummers if they needed me to.

The Allman (corrected) Brothers had two drummers. I say there is no need for two drummers.

Here in this recording you can hear where the drummers begin hitting on 1 and 3 instead of 2 and 4 and they confuse the other band members.
The drummers have to drop a beat to get back on the vamp. It's at 3:20.
Maybe they needed a third drummer to keep the beat while the other two drummers messed around with solos, fills and such................

http://youtu.be/7TVTNl2C2iw

Why do some bands have two drummers? They never have two bass players..........


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I think it's for fun. I have seen stages filled with guitars beyond the lead, bass and rhythm.
 
Two drummers work VERY well here. Actually, I don't know if they could have done the song any other way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oB64hmY9lc

Nicely done.
However, most decent drummers could reproduce the sound of both those drummers on a single set of drums with a maraca on a pedal played with the left foot.

One drummer and one utility percussion player work great together. I just don't see the need for two drum set players.


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A few reasons.

Maybe for power and appearance (eg. Adam Ant) - drummers are more dynamic to look at than others instrumentalists.

Or it could be for different textures, where drummers are playing very different kits with different sounds - the dynamic can be similar to drums & percussion (Bruford and Mastellotto).

Or it could be because a band or act has a strong drum emphasis (eg. Zappa's Roxy & Elsewhere). Why should a band only have one drummer. Why do countless bands need two or more guitarists? Todd Rundgren's first Utopia has three keys players. I imagine similar reasons in drumistic music.

Never quite understood the Allman Brothers having double drummers - maybe to distinguish themselves from other southern rock bands and extra fatness in the stage sound? Jim, not wanting to be a smart arse but I laughed at "Almond Brothers" :) I've done those typos too, where I replaced a word with something that sounds similar ...

Be interested in Bon's (Midnite Zephyr's) reply.
 
If you can't see it or think it's pointless, that's fine, but I don't need any reason beyond, "because it can be fun." If it does nothing to tickle your funny bone, that's cool too. No judgement here.

I saw Polica a couple weeks ago for the 2nd time and totally dig what those guys have worked out. Definitely not going to get that sound or vibe with just one drummer. But I also think they're sensitive to not doing it just because - they've thoughtfully worked out complimentary parts. I'm still more enamored with the bass player, but still ...

I thought the Melvins did an interesting job as well.

I was in a 2-drummer band for many years and we didn't try sitting smack on on another either. That was a lot of fun.

I agree that the 38-Specials of the world don't do enough interesting that makes it worth it, but I'm sure they had fun!
 
A few reasons.

Maybe for power and appearance (eg. Adam Ant) - drummers are more dynamic to look at than others instrumentalists.

Or it could be for different textures, where drummers are playing very different kits with different sounds - the dynamic can be similar to drums & percussion (Bruford and Mastellotto).

Or it could be because a band or act has a strong drum emphasis (eg. Zappa's Roxy & Elsewhere). Why should a band only have one drummer. Why do countless bands need two or more guitarists? Todd Rundgren's first Utopia has three keys players. I imagine similar reasons in drumistic music.

Never quite understood the Allman Brothers having double drummers - maybe to distinguish themselves from other southern rock bands and extra fatness in the stage sound? Jim, not wanting to be a smart arse but I laughed at "Almond Brothers" :) I've done those typos too, where I replaced a word with something that sounds similar ...

Be interested in Bon's (Midnite Zephyr's) reply.

Grea, I wasn't really going to comment on this thread because he was obviously biased against it.

But since you brought it up, it wasn't my intention to be in a band with another drummer. It just happened because I joined in a band with a few Deadheads. It was the band leader's idea. But I wasn't against it, and I think, all in all, it is a great experience. The other drummer has since moved on, but we kick around the idea to get another one a little.

It would have to be the right drummer. Both drummers have to have a keen sense of rhythm to gel with each other. Some guy/gals won't work even though they can play a very good kit. I've jammed with a few drummers now and it's usually the ones who have lots of stage playing experience are the best because it all comes down to the meter. You listen to some of our recording and you can't even tell there are two snare drums hitting at the same time because the timing is executed so well. When you listen to it live though, the sound is just so thick and full. I think it sounds great and I always look forward to a two-drummer jam at the studio, even if it is for a couple songs. There is one band that comes by once in awhile to the studio. The drummer for that band has jammed with me a couple times, but he is very busy and he is a touring drummer (only 22). Incredibly good drummer, graduate of PIT, and easy to jam with.

I think what made me and the other drummer work so well was that he had a lot of chops for the flash and I had a lot of deep pocket groove. No doubt he is a great drummer on his own, and I can hold my own too, but together we were a better drum sound than each as a solo. it just worked. From an audience's perspective, it sounded pretty awesome too.

For now I am the only drummer in the band, but I'm not against trying it again with the right drummer, but really I think I'd prefer a percussionist. Hard to say. We need a Mickey Hart. That would fit the bill nicely!

BTW...I think in that Alman Bros song the bass player was off first and the drummers did a great job of righting the ship by doing that. That's what good drummers do.
 
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The Allman (corrected) Brothers

:) I kind of liked Almond Brothers!

... together we were a better drum sound than each as a solo. it just worked. From an audience's perspective, it sounded pretty awesome too.

Sounds like a good reason to me. No doubt an extra drummer would add presence live if you have the space. No doubt the logistics of micing two kits would turn many off. Twice as many unported bass drum heads to deal with ;-)

... I think I'd prefer a percussionist. Hard to say. We need a Mickey Hart. That would fit the bill nicely!

I've had that in one band in the 70s and it was enjoyable. I've had many drum / percussionist jams and it's very enjoyable.
 
Having written an 'accompaniment solo' for two drumsets based around a marimba solo, I can tell you that it's tons of fun (and there's certainly stuff you can't do with one drummer). I agree that there's perhaps not a lot of practical reasoning to do it, at least not as much as two or three melodic instruments (and I think having three guitars is certainly practical enough if they are used well- Periphery!) but it's certainly fun and an easy crowd-pleaser when they duel fills as a little solo.
 
Isn't one drummer enough?

I met two drummers last week that are both in the same band. Seems crazy to me.
I can play and make it sound like there are two drummers if they needed me to.

The Allman (corrected) Brothers had two drummers. I say there is no need for two drummers.

Here in this recording you can hear where the drummers begin hitting on 1 and 3 instead of 2 and 4 and they confuse the other band members.
The drummers have to drop a beat to get back on the vamp. It's at 3:20.
Maybe they needed a third drummer to keep the beat while the other two drummers messed around with solos, fills and such................

http://youtu.be/7TVTNl2C2iw

Why do some bands have two drummers? They never have two bass players..........


.

Usually and most likely in the Allman Brothers case and 38 Special, two bands merged and then had two drummers. However, it doesn't always work like and more often than not, one drummer loses out......

I was working a part-time job in an oil field tooling shop will playing in a road band (that ought to let you know how little money is left in road gigs right there!) when I met a guy by the name of John. John was from the deep south and had also done some pretty remarkable things such as build recording studios for a couple of the BeeGees and worked in a recording studio in New York City. He came in my office one day and told me about how he was in a band that had a guitar player and the other rival band in the town had a bass player. The solution seemed simple enough; the two bands could merge and become one band and have everything, including two drummers.
One drummer played well enough but the other drummer wanted to play everything really fast. A vote was taken and John was elected the drummer who played fast. John said that the next the he saw that drummer, he was playing on-stage for Ozzy Ozborne.

John fired Tommy Aldridge!

Mike

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Grea touched on the 90s-reincarnated King Crimson and I also thought that was brilliant. Bruford had his parts and Mastellotto had his parts. They'd even break up beats between the two of them on simple stuff - very cool. It never sounded sloppy because they weren't playing in unison most of the time.

And that band did have two bass players, and two guitarists, just so you know ;)
 
Great post, great story, Skitch! Just goes to show that being sacked isn't the end of the world.

Bo, the BB and PM partnership was an odd one - being Fripp's conception and as far as I've read, Bill wasn't thrilled about playing with a rock basher like Pat, given that he was planning to go more or less in the opposite direction. ThraK was a good album though - huge sound at times.
 
Grea touched on the 90s-reincarnated King Crimson and I also thought that was brilliant. Bruford had his parts and Mastellotto had his parts. They'd even break up beats between the two of them on simple stuff - very cool. It never sounded sloppy because they weren't playing in unison most of the time.

And that band did have two bass players, and two guitarists, just so you know ;)

That was actually what I drew my "dueling solos" reference from... saw Crimson Projekckkckct live and they did that. Unfortunately only saw about 15 minutes but it was still great stuff.
 
Layering. Similar concept as a rhythm guitarist supporting a solo guitarist. Think of the layered guitars on Beast of Burden.

GJS
 
So, I've been working on the Martha Reeves version of Heatwave. Anyone who's seen Standing In The Shadows of Motown knows that there were two drummers. On this song, one is playing a fast shuffle and the other is digging coal. Net result is far too many notes for me to accomplish any sort of groove on.

Sometimes it's subtle, but the folks who know how to make it work can add just the right color to the other player to make it sound like one integrated piece.

Ever see a salsa band? There's as many people banging on things as there are playing everything else.
 
Having written an 'accompaniment solo' for two drumsets based around a marimba solo, I can tell you that it's tons of fun (and there's certainly stuff you can't do with one drummer). I agree that there's perhaps not a lot of practical reasoning to do it, at least not as much as two or three melodic instruments (and I think having three guitars is certainly practical enough if they are used well- Periphery!) but it's certainly fun and an easy crowd-pleaser when they duel fills as a little solo.

We have 3 guitarists in the band, and with 3 guitars, having 2 drummers giving that full layered drum sound really rounds out the whole vibe. Toolate thought it was great. I can see why the Allman Bros would do that.

The main problem with having 3 guitars in my band is that one is not as practiced as the other two. So in a way, it's like having two different bands. Guitar player 3 is a founder of the band, but he only shows up once a week on Tuesday mostly. He doesn't know his scales and modes as well as the other two, just plays mostly pentatonic blues scales. So on Tuesday we just play mostly songs and work on some originals. On Thursday night, he is not there and we have these amazing jams that are really starting to take off and evolve. We really can't do this with the third guy there. At least not quite as well. The better I can do on the drums, the more these guys can do, and vice-versa. It's really a lot of fun. But we play our gigs with the third guy, and he is sticking around.
 
Theoretically, it doubles the chances that your rhythm section will be on time for the gig. OK, maybe not.

I have enjoyed playing drums alongside another drummer (when they can play). I believe that artistic contributions can be made from this configuration.

In my neck of the woods, musicians' gig pay is at an all time low. On simple economic terms, each added band member pushes your cut take further down.
 
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