What makes a great drummer?

I

itsbettertodieyoung

Member
^^?
So yeah, what makes a great drummer?
I play hard rock/ rock n roll, but i guess it was kind of a general question, but id also like to know what makes a great rock n roll drummer.
Thanks people
 
Big ears. A strong, well-honed sense of time and meter. The ability to manipulate the space between the notes to make time patterns groove. A deep and wide technical vocabulary of grooves and fills supported by a finely-tuned musical sense of when to apply them. Great hair. Cool clothes.
 
Boomka said:
... Great hair. ...
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the "hair" thing...

Steve-Smith3.jpg


Greatness requires talent and dedication. The genre, the kit, the sticks and heads do not matter. In some cases technique does not matter. Focus, talent, drive, and dedication matter.


.
 
I think one of the most important things that makes a drummer great is that ultimately, they serve the song. Great drummers do not impose their impressive chops in their songs unnecessarily. Great drummers know there's a time and place for everything. I think Neil Peart is a good example of this. We all know how great his solos are, but he exercises restraint on many songs that don't call for anything very special, but have subtleties that you'd have to listen to the song several times to catch ("Bravado", "The Speed of Love", and "Armor and Sword" are good examples of this).

Of course, there are other things that make a drummer great, but this is a big one for me.
 
I agree with all of you above and one more to add,
to be able to play with one snare and kick and make it feel like he is playing with 10,000 tom toms and 20,0000 Cymbals!!!

need example:

Smells like Teen Spirit- Dave Grohl
 
A few things, I think:

- A *massive* kit with at least 7 toms and a large assortment of chinas, two-to-four kick drums (of course)

- Ability to twirl sticks constantly and chew gum at the same time.

- A chronically inflamed ego

- Cool hair
 
zambizzi said:
A few things, I think:

- A *massive* kit with at least 7 toms and a large assortment of chinas, two-to-four kick drums (of course)

- Ability to twirl sticks constantly and chew gum at the same time.

- A chronically inflamed ego

- Cool hair
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Definitely ;D

ahahaha
 
double bass drum, definitely, not the skill to play it, possessing a double bass drum (pedal) is enough ;)
 
a great drumer is someone who can play all the best beats, play fast and do funky grooves in front of his friends (really just make himself look gud)

but when it comes to playing in a band can put aside all of that and just do whats best for the song....ie. nobody likes to hear constant fast chops in a slow jazz song
 
zambizzi said:
A few things, I think:

- A *massive* kit with at least 7 toms and a large assortment of chinas, two-to-four kick drums (of course)

- Ability to twirl sticks constantly and chew gum at the same time.

- A chronically inflamed ego

- Cool hair

- Be 15 years old
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i just added a #5.

i'll never be great... every time i twirl my gum, my drumsticks get caught in my wig and i cant see my china cymbals which go to 11
 
Hmm. If the answer was easy we would all be doing the American Idol gig!!

I think the basic fundamental requirements of any pro/working drummer are simple.

Time
Feel
Technique
Dynamics
Attitude.

This is in no particular order but if you tick all of these boxes you are 99% there.

To be a regular session drummer, I have found that all of the above are equally important. You invariably get called to play music you don't particularly like hence the attitude etc. Then of course you need to be sensitive to the volume and feel of the particular piece and have the technique to play accordingly. Feel is the unspoken ingredient which makes a good drummer great.
 
The goodwill to learn and listen, not to sound like everybody else and have your own feel.
 
What makes a great drummer what?

Laugh? When the singer forgets the words.
Happy? Getting noticed.
Sad? When his woman leaves him for the guitarist.
Angry? "Can you play Wipeout?"
Gassy? Chili.
Cool? Central air.

Now if you want to know what actually MAKES a great drummer, well obviously unprotected sex. Otherwise (s)he'd just be some random, nameless ovum.
 
Most great drummers play complicated parts with precision, speed and technical agility.

Most great musicians just play 2 & 4.

Bermuda
 
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