The Modern Drummer Misnomer

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
I mentioned this in another thread today and it was kind of an epiphany so I thought I'd share it here.

When Modern Drummer magazine debuted back in 1975, I thought, "cool - a publication just for drummers!"

As I got older and continued my studying and playing (well, more playing than studying) it struck me what a crock the title "Modern Drummer" really is. The more I worked, the more important it was to really just lay it down for the rest of the band to groove on and to swing. All those historic musical theories are true! Whatever you do, just get to the next bar or If you can't play a hard phrase, simplify and don't mess up the time. I've kinda' concluded that being a Modern Drummer is anything but being modern. There's nothing that I do on the kit that's really modern.

I'm not saying I'm dissatisfied because I don't get to throw tried-and-true musical concepts out the window, actually I'm pleased with my progress over my career and am pretty happy with being able to lay down the boogie, and, play that funky music til you die.

If anything, the Modern Drummer arena has been used to sell drummers from all walks of life all kinds of stuff they don't really need. We all say it here: What does the music require? You give the music what it requires. But does anyone really listen to this? Not really. If someone asks if they need certain drums, or certain cymbals, or certain pieces of hardware, they never ask if the music requires it. It's basically a 'want' question.

If you can't play for the band with a little four-piece kit and a couple of cymbals, then you're doing it wrong. But Modern Drummers are sold on the need factor. Here's this publication advertising all these cool things you need to groove with the band. But do you really need it? So many of us have a problem playing four-on-the-floor bass drum, snare on two-and-four, and hats on all the 8th notes (even me), that we're trained to think that another drum, or a double pedal, or a new cymbal, will help your situation. Anybody ever thought about that?

Isn't it ironic that I bring this up as I practice on my NINE-PIECE double bass kit? It's so hard for me to sit at that big kit and not play all of it, resulting in sounding just plain dumb. I don't know, think about it - do you play anything that's truly modern and ground-breaking? I've never played a wedding and had the band leader say 'we're gonna do a samba in 7/8 now' or did a casual that required more than one bass drum. Bands that I've seen play stuff like that, just disrupt the whole evening for everybody and they don't work too much. But the guys I know who work three to five nights a week, are the ones who lay it down for the dancers and create the party for everyone to want to be at.

I'm not saying you should stop studying and stop your pursuit of getting better and better. I'm saying you should gauge your audience and tailor what you do for them and be happy that you get to sit at your drums at all to make a living. Maybe it'd be more important if Modern Drummer concentrated on giving Modern Social Skills?

(This is in no way a big slam on Modern Drummer and the fans of the magazine - it actually applies to all musician magazines, but MD's title provided the irony of the topic).
 
I mentioned this in another thread today and it was kind of an epiphany so I thought I'd share it here.

When Modern Drummer magazine debuted back in 1975, I thought, "cool - a publication just for drummers!"

As I got older and continued my studying and playing (well, more playing than studying) it struck me what a crock the title "Modern Drummer" really is. The more I worked, the more important it was to really just lay it down for the rest of the band to groove on and to swing. All those historic musical theories are true! Whatever you do, just get to the next bar or If you can't play a hard phrase, simplify and don't mess up the time. I've kinda' concluded that being a Modern Drummer is anything but being modern. There's nothing that I do on the kit that's really modern.

I'm not saying I'm dissatisfied because I don't get to throw tried-and-true musical concepts out the window, actually I'm pleased with my progress over my career and am pretty happy with being able to lay down the boogie, and, play that funky music til you die.

If anything, the Modern Drummer arena has been used to sell drummers from all walks of life all kinds of stuff they don't really need. We all say it here: What does the music require? You give the music what it requires. But does anyone really listen to this? Not really. If someone asks if they need certain drums, or certain cymbals, or certain pieces of hardware, they never ask if the music requires it. It's basically a 'want' question.

If you can't play for the band with a little four-piece kit and a couple of cymbals, then you're doing it wrong. But Modern Drummers are sold on the need factor. Here's this publication advertising all these cool things you need to groove with the band. But do you really need it? So many of us have a problem playing four-on-the-floor bass drum, snare on two-and-four, and hats on all the 8th notes (even me), that we're trained to think that another drum, or a double pedal, or a new cymbal, will help your situation. Anybody ever thought about that?

Isn't it ironic that I bring this up as I practice on my NINE-PIECE double bass kit? It's so hard for me to sit at that big kit and not play all of it, resulting in sounding just plain dumb. I don't know, think about it - do you play anything that's truly modern and ground-breaking? I've never played a wedding and had the band leader say 'we're gonna do a samba in 7/8 now' or did a casual that required more than one bass drum. Bands that I've seen play stuff like that, just disrupt the whole evening for everybody and they don't work too much. But the guys I know who work three to five nights a week, are the ones who lay it down for the dancers and create the party for everyone to want to be at.

I'm not saying you should stop studying and stop your pursuit of getting better and better. I'm saying you should gauge your audience and tailor what you do for them and be happy that you get to sit at your drums at all to make a living. Maybe it'd be more important if Modern Drummer concentrated on giving Modern Social Skills?

(This is in no way a big slam on Modern Drummer and the fans of the magazine - it actually applies to all musician magazines, but MD's title provided the irony of the topic).

Bo,

I am one of the guys who does lay it down 4-5 nights a week for the party and I love what you have said but the thing is, is that I didn't get into drums and music just for the partiers; I got into this for me and my enjoyment as well. When I practice, it is usually on things that I want to get better at or have issues with so that just maybe, there might be a day when I do get to play that samba in 7/8.

I know that I wear the Warren Cuccurullo story out but it is worth noting that he played in Duran Duran and Missing Persons for quite some time before he eventually got to make the Thanks to Frank cd (with Vinnie Colaiuta on drums) which really showcased not only his immense talents but the rest of the band as well.

In many ways you're right, MD is guilty of advertising gear we don't really need. The flip side is that the advertsing pays for the great educational articles in the magazine. I don't really read the feature articles anymore (I'm bordering on old-farts-ville here) - I look for the value elsewhere as I'm not all that interested in Travis Barker.

Again, I'm not taking issue with anything you said and I too have noticed this.

Mike

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Whatever you do, just get to the next bar or If you can't play a hard phrase, simplify and don't mess up the time.

That pretty well sums up my lifelong approach. This is why I could play along with MO and King Crimson albums. I always thought of it as "fudging the hard parts" :)

While I was an avid reader of MD for years, I stopped reading it about 25 years ago so I can't comment on it. I love good drummer interviews - the ones where they share a bit of their Yoda with us - but now I can read thousands of interviews online.


If anything, the Modern Drummer arena has been used to sell drummers from all walks of life all kinds of stuff they don't really need. We all say it here: What does the music require? You give the music what it requires. But does anyone really listen to this? Not really. If someone asks if they need certain drums, or certain cymbals, or certain pieces of hardware, they never ask if the music requires it. It's basically a 'want' question.

How true. Reading that mag cost me a fortune. But that's what magazines are designed to do - to encourage you to think you need all the cool new products, when really they are mostly just "nice to have". If you think MD is bad with this stuff, you should try women's magazines for blatant commercialism. I've tried plenty of "wonder creams" designed to turn me into a gorgeous porcelain doll who looks 18yo, but the only "wonder" involved is me wondering how I could be taken in again.


It's so hard for me to sit at that big kit and not play all of it, resulting in sounding just plain dumb. I don't know, think about it - do you play anything that's truly modern and ground-breaking?

Whenever I found myself on a big kit I felt guilty if I didn't use al the pieces. It depends on whether you're focused on communication or "research".
 
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Bo,

I am one of the guys who does lay it down 4-5 nights a week for the party and I love what you have said but the thing is, is that I didn't get into drums and music just for the partiers; I got into this for me and my enjoyment as well. When I practice, it is usually on things that I want to get better at or have issues with so that just maybe, there might be a day when I do get to play that samba in 7/8.

I know that I wear the Warren Cuccurullo story out but it is worth noting that he played in Duran Duran and Missing Persons for quite some time before he eventually got to make the Thanks to Frank cd (with Vinnie Colaiuta on drums) which really showcased not only his immense talents but the rest of the band as well.

In many ways you're right, MD is guilty of advertising gear we don't really need. The flip side is that the advertsing pays for the great educational articles in the magazine. I don't really read the feature articles anymore (I'm bordering on old-farts-ville here) - I look for the value elsewhere as I'm not all that interested in Travis Barker.

Again, I'm not taking issue with anything you said and I too have noticed this.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw

I hear ya', Skitch. And I do my fair share of working on things I know I'll never really be able to play anywhere except my practice room. But part of me tells myself if I could groove it a little harder, I might've worked a bit more. When I go out on a casual gig, it's so much of playing time and enjoying it, you could really spend a lifetime just doing that and never really stripping that goldmine, ever. But you're right, our facilitiy is latched onto the hard stuff we've practiced - that's what makes gigging so easy.

And I may be over-simplifying things by saying the magazines get us to buy things we don't need. Polly's right - it's much worse in other magazines, especially the ones selling you products you couldn't possibly use to make a profit (like make-up). At least with drum gear, there is this chance of using something to a profitable end, eh?

So, I'm just pointing stuff out and calling it like I see it. It's existence is good for our purchasing power. To risk sounding like an angry curmudgeon, it'd be nice if our newer players would look at what they do from the music's stand-point. I did my share of dreaming about gear and buying stuff, but I've always had older musicians around me forcing me to keep it real. I don't think everyone is so lucky.
 
To some of this I agree and some I don't.

Gear choices are left open to the player him/herself. I do agree that playing a small trap set should cover you in almost any musical situation and much of the gear is not needed. But then again, that's me.

For those that feel the need to have their musical voice expressed on many more drums and cymbals, that's fine too. Heck from time to time icons like Art Blakey, Tony Williams and Elvin played on more than the traditional 4 piece set with a few cymbals.

I use two ride cymbals and two crash cymbals. Could I do it with just one of each? Sure but two of each provides more opportunities for color, texture, etc... Heck, I could do it with just hi-hats if needed.

We all say it here: What does the music require? You give the music what it requires. But does anyone really listen to this? Not really. If someone asks if they need certain drums, or certain cymbals, or certain pieces of hardware, they never ask if the music requires it. It's basically a 'want' question.......

I just assembled a new set this year choosing all drums, heads and a collection of cymbals based around the musical situation I am in. Cymbals especially, took many months to gather in which I felt the tone, response, and feel worked for the music.

......I'm not saying you should stop studying and stop your pursuit of getting better and better. I'm saying you should gauge your audience and tailor what you do for them and be happy that you get to sit at your drums at all to make a living. Maybe it'd be more important if Modern Drummer concentrated on giving Modern Social Skills?.....

Remember, some people have no intentions on trying to earn so much as a single dollar playing. I have taught and still teach many of these types. The escape from daily struggles is why many of these people pursue the instrument - not so much playing jobs or even playing in a band.

Not trying to start a debate, like yourself, just expressing an opinion.
 
... products you couldn't possibly use to make a profit (like make-up). At least with drum gear, there is this chance of using something to a profitable end, eh?

Actually, for some gals make-up is very much something that can help gain them handsome returns. Take that sentence any way you like :)
 
Over the years "Modern Drummer" has become a worlwide read specialised magazine read by millions of drummers, it has reach an enormous status as one of the leading magazine related to drums and drummers.

Perhaps the choosen title name for the magazine could have been another more appropriate name, describing better it's inner properties or just a more neutral name as some of the other drum magazines have opted to choose as their names. It would not change the content, that's for sure, but the ambiguousness of the name wouldn't be questioned in this thread.

However, it would not had affected Bo's view and opinion shared in this thread, which I agree with almost every points.

I agree with Bo, it's very hard to lay down just the groove without being tempted to add some kind of "extras" that a lot of us do within our playing, it brings to the mind the need of practicing all these rudiments, skills, chops etc., but in my IMO, it's a hard thing to play what's the song really need, and ,often, "simple" grooves are mistaken with "sober" grooves, which is not the same, a sober groove, while not being over played in any kind of form, can be a very tricky piece of music, hence the practice needed to lay down such grooves, Mr Steve Gadd is a master at doing this, and Any Newmark is another drummer with a "less is more" approach that I admire within that concept.

As a young drummer, I was infuenced by drummers like Simon Phillips, Neil Peart and Billy Cobham, and I LOVED their drumkits, so I wanted to have a large kit and emulate their approach and feel on my kit (it doesn't do it the same on a 5 pieces kit). Although, unlike Bo, no one advised me not to buy such kits, and if I'm honest about it, I would have bought them anyway, you have to live your own experiences.

And after all my years at the kit, I've never been happier as far as drumkit config is concerned, to downsize to a "regular" 5 pieces with fewer cymbals, I even gave up double bass playing.

But I'm not saying that every drummer should have the same approach to their gear choice, but somehow, Bo's thread is giving us some food for thoughts.

Thanks Bo, great thread, great subject. :)
 
I must be in the minority, big kits never held an attraction for me. I know that I don't need more than 2 toms. I use 3 for the high, medium and low approach, but I could lose the medium tom. It doesn't take any extra footprint so i use it. I am very happy keeping a beat that doesn't highlight me in the least. I can even go the whole night without getting highlighted, and it simply doesn't matter. I know what I am providing, my beauty is in the (seemingly) simplicity of things. It's when one feels that they are "boring" or "playing too simply"... that's when things go south. It's a security thing. The only reason I am secure all night long is because I know the sonic consequences of "feeling like I'm boring", from (sorry for harping) recording and listening back.

I am more than happy if I keep the right tempo, make the song feel good, nail the transitions, own the dynamics, complement the soloists to a T, make the vocalist look like they have complete control, and nail the endings. In my mind, all this stuff is highlighting me, and I don't feel the need to have to define my drumming personality with my fills. I only do fills when the song absolutely screams for one. Too many times, especially in Blues, drummers put fills in because:

A. In blues, only certain spaces work being "filled", and drummers feel that it's since it's more OK to fill there, more than other places, that they cannot let the opportunity pass. When really, more times than not, that transition would have sounded better with no toms, and no crash, just a seamless beat that maybe goes from the hi hat during the verse to the ride during a solo, without any transitional fill. It builds tension. (duh gee boss, what's ten si on?) Most drummers feel that this is their only chance to make a fill, instead of really feeling the music and realizing that it sounds better and builds tension without one. This is an especially hard mindset to get past. Again, recording and listening will help you there.

B. They think that because the soloists get to wank off all song long, that any chance we get, we need to fill. Again, it's the wrong mindset. You are playing for yourself first, and not the music first.

There's more reasons, but these are the main mindsets of the amateurs I see. It's what makes them amateur. They have to get their fills in, like that's the reason they play. Meanwhile they are missing the fact that the musicians are rolling their eyes because not enough care is being given to the tempo, dynamics and feel, it's all about the next chance to do a stupid fill. And some of them are so stupid. One hit tom fills, just enough to kill the groove. Are you happy now?

I am only addressing lyric based groove music here, prog and heavier music gives drummers much more leeway. Blues is so strict by comparison. But those chains can liberate you from the need to feel like.... if you don't fill, what's the point?

There's so much point. There's point all night long.
 
Precisely why I don't play Blues. I would rather watch a good movie than drag my stuff somewhere to sit in the pocket all night. JMHO. :)
 
Blues drumming is all about discipline. I feel bad for you in a way Sticks. You honestly can't know how cozy the pocket can be, with a statement like that. Hey, I'm not trying to convert anyone, that's more gigs for me. The great majority of drummers I see in my world are pocketless, filler type drummers. They get talked about negatively, I hear it.

Pocket feels soooo good to me, it's a drug. I get high from a good pocket.

It's foreign concept to most guys I encounter, that the less fills you do, the more the guitarists want you drumming behind them.

So go ahead, fill away. Don't worry about tension and release, just keep releasing. Don't want to be too tense lol.
 
It's foreign concept to most guys I encounter, that the less fills you do, the more the guitarists want you drumming behind them.
.

True statement here Larry. I get compliments from both the bass and guitar players in our band about how "solid" I am.......BUT.....the best compliment I ever got was from a lead guitar player who once played with a very good "schooled" drummer.....

His compliment? "You're back there but I don't know you're back there."
 
I will turn 55 in a week, and I have playing drums since I was ten. I play in a blues band now (my idea), and I love the groove. However, the guitarists and bass player like it when I occasionally play busy, or as my wife puts it "cut up". During a guitar solo, I sometimes kick up the intensity by playing the crash cymbals and/or toms. The others like it.

I buy Modern Drummer because I like to read other drummers' stories. I do agree with the original post. Peace and goodwill.
 
Precisely why I don't play Blues. I would rather watch a good movie than drag my stuff somewhere to sit in the pocket all night. JMHO. :)

Word. Monotony is monotony, no matter how you dress it up.

I read MD occasionally. It is a good publication. It has turned me on to new styles, stories, products and techniques for 30 years. Drumming is truly a diverse world and MD has chronicled it well over the decades in my opinion. Bo's post makes MD sound evil, vain and harmful or something.

And most people play medium-sized kits of 5 to 8 pieces. There's some kind of assumption that you either play a monster kit or an itty-bitty four piece. Usually, it is people who play itty-bitty four pieces stirring up this divide; they secretly wish to be mistaken for jazz drummers.
 
True statement here Larry. I get compliments from both the bass and guitar players in our band about how "solid" I am.......BUT.....the best compliment I ever got was from a lead guitar player who once played with a very good "schooled" drummer.....

His compliment? "You're back there but I don't know you're back there."

HA! I am often fond of saying, "People like the concept of a drummer more than the reality of a drummer." That quote just really brings it up.

If someone wants a drum machine, they can buy one.
 
I think it should be titled "Modern Drum Commerce" because it exists for one reason- to make money. (as any business does).
Here is one dynamic I see: Why does a high quality bassdrum cost $1500 and a cymbal $350? When you see a page of 100 endorsees you see why. We basically pay to support those drummers.
I found Modern Drummer incredibly interesting and useful when I first began playing. Much of what I learned about drumming I learned from the mag: probably the most useful was interviews with drummers of all types. Also the lessons were enormously useful, and I pretty much taught myself to read drum notation from the magazine.

Nowadays I hardly ever read it. Most of the exercises are just repetition at this point. And I have a little problem with the expense of modern instruments and some of the ridiculous prices. It shouldn't cost $6000 for a nice five piece kit.
I really like "Drumhead"- Jonathan Mover's mag. That thing is like a book in every issues. But that's probably because they are younger and haven't filled it up with ads yet.
 
At first I was like hey dont bash Modern Drummer. And then I remembered why I let my subscription expire in 1988 without re-newing it. It became too ad heavy for me back then. Sounds like it hasnt changed much.
 
HA! I am often fond of saying, "People like the concept of a drummer more than the reality of a drummer." That quote just really brings it up.

If someone wants a drum machine, they can buy one.

Yes, I agree that a pocket groove is very satisfying and rewarding, both from a drummer point of view as well as the others involved, and that cannot be provided by a feelingless drum machine, however, this only apply to certain type of musics, some pieces DO require an over the top playing with intricating and busy patterns, it's also within such musics that very often a larger kit is used to provide a wider texture of sounds within a given project, but we're not all multy style players, and everybody choices generally goes along the style of music they play, as a need or as a visual aspect, as for some band, the image is as important (sometimes more) as how "good" is the drummer.

But for me, the "ego" has landed, and I would only use a large kit IF the music requires such an approach. :)
 
His compliment? "You're back there but I don't know you're back there."
If people said that to me, I would stop drumming, and take up painting. Honestly. That is no compliment. That is like patting my dog on the head and saying good boy. You stayed on the porch all night, and didn't bark once. Please. I got more compliments on my creative and out there playing, from both band, and audience. Sorry I come from the drummer is an entertainer school of thought. If they want a drum track then they should just make one. Larry, weren't you the one the other day saying that we are being replaced. Well pocket drumming is very easy to duplicate on a drum track or machine. What I do is much harder to duplicate.
 
I like to lay down the groove and let the music breathe, I like big kits and small kits. I don't always like to see a good drummer play super basic beats with no color, I like added rythmic flavors and dynamics that a good drummer can add. Sitting and playing if safe all night are not in my vocabulary. I grew up listening to drummers that view percussion in a melodic, dynamic, and musical way....Not a human metronome with no feel or sense of adventure.\

I do understand the other side though. Some drummers view the instrument as a time keeper and thats it, I pity the fools. Just simply keeping time is not musical or interesting, and imo does not require any deal of talent. I don't mean play all over the place every nite, but have a voice and a fingerprint on your playing, otherwise you're not really a musician just a machine, a replaceable machine.

Also many of the drummers I know that consider themselves "pocket" drummers are that way simply because that is the limit of their abilities. They learned the basics, and that was it..I have had guys tell me the whole "all you need is what i use" which of course is a 4pc kit and 3 pies.

I have had the same people tell me they can cover Rush on these type kits. I say then try, since your 22" turk ride has 980,484,834,738 different sounds you can coax from it..

What I am saying is you need the right tools for the job. If you play cover songs at weddings, yeah a minimal kit will suffice. If you are a studio guy its good to have a large collection and use it accordingly. If you play progressive fusion jazz you might need an 8pc kit and 12 cymbals. If you are a d-bag elitest you may use a 3pc with 2 cymbals and declare yourself a master, and ridicule others for not bowing to your greatness.
 
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