When it comes to music genres, I am *all* over the place.

Mount Saint Elle'ns

Silver Member
Blues, Swing, Rockabilly, Soul, R&B, Rock, Funk, Grunge, Afro-Cuban... I can't stop genre-hopping. Just when I think I know what I want to focus on, it changes, because the different styles of music energize me in different ways. And while I was told that playing a wide variety of music will make me a better drummer, it would be nice if I could decide what type of music I most want to play, and what I play best, so I can figure out who I should be playing with.

Was it an easy decision for you guys, or did you change your mind every couple weeks like I do?
 
It was easy for me. I started when I was 11, and all I wanted was to be a rock star. My idea of rock was pretty broad because my Mom worked at a record store, but compared to what you are describing - no, I never faced that struggle.

That said, I'd still encourage to explore all of the genres that interest you. You don't necessarily have to play in a band of each genre you like.

Crank up the iPod or mp3 player and play along! :)
 
There's nothing wrong with being all over the place. Just be where you're supposed to be for the band you're in. If the band plays in one style, stay there. But as a child, I would play along to everything I could get my hands on and I liked all of it. I still do.
 
When rock was in it's infancy, the pioneering drummers all had various backgrounds. Jazz, swing, rockabilly, blues et al. Their interests and influences were vast and varied......and it showed up creatively in their playing.

Getting bogged down and drawing influence from too narrow a scope, is a trap that's caught many a player in the modern era, I reckon. Too many guys just end up sounding like the same 4 or 5 guys they listen to most. Same old licks used in the same old context playing the same old songs, just with a different title.

Personally, I'd encourage it. As Bo said, it's important to have your head on the same page as whoever else you're playing with. But never be afraid to beg, borrow and steal ideas and influences from wherever you find them. Cast the net as wide as you can. You never know what you might find that you can then imitate and adapt to your own situation to create something new......or at least something less ordinary. That's certainly how it used to be done. It worked then, no reason we can't tread the same ground again.
 
Back in the day, I focussed on what got me work, & that was typically the commercial pop / rock stuff other drummers were too pissed or powdered to play reliably. The interesting stuff was generally delivered by more talented / disciplined players. That early experience contributed significantly to my narrow facility, so yes, keep an open attitude to your playing. If you like a style, & can gain gigging experience in it, welcome it with open arms. Favourites will form in time, but experiences will form your favourites.
 
Started with the usual Pop and Rock stuff. Then a big Blues period. Had a short Prog phase and for the last few years I have loved playing Funk and fusion. As Mr Copeland is my fav drummer I also like a bit of Eastern and Reggae.
 
Listen to it all, play along with it all. You never know when your cover band will suddenly get a request for some swing or bossa standards, or for "Buffalo Soldier" or any number of other styles, so its good to have some experience tucked away in the back of your mind just in case.

You might even find yourself in a cathedral conducting a 100 piece choir + orchestra + pipe organ for a performance of Vivaldi's "Gloria".
Then the very next night you might be singing & drumming "Return to Sender" in a 50's band - as happened to me a few months ago. So keep an open mind.
 
There was no decision on my part, I like what I like, I don't have much control over it. Music is an acceptable arena for promiscuity and general slutty-ness....musically speaking of course. Don't question yourself, just roll with it. When/if a certain genre starts taking precedence, you'll sense it. For now, have fun playing the field!

And if I haven't said so lately, it's really great having you here Elle. Your humor makes me lol. Like when you had to pack clothes for all 4 seasons, stuff like that :)
 
Drumming-wise I say go for it... learn it all and play it all if it excites you. You never know when someone will need a drummer who can play X for a certain gig or song.

If you're in a band then yea narrow it down. I joined a band that's more grungy/90s rock than I'm used to and playing some of the faster and different stuff has greatly improved my drumming.
 
This was something I struggled with as my band transitioned from cover band to original (I played guitar). One day I want to write/play prog metal, the next day I'm sounding like White Zombie or Korn. This was a problem as it slowed our songwriting to a crawl.

Just as I completed one song, I hated it and was no longer feeling that style.
 
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To make matters even more maddening, there are those (myself) who listen to music I like, but can't play it well (prog rock).
Then there's music I try to play on the drums but don't enjoy listening to passively (eighties fusion balloon pants jazzy mullet funk).

I say enjoy the ride! Listen to and learn as many different styles (like languages) that you care to, it will increase your musical vocabulary on the drums and give you a deeper knowledge of the craft.
 
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The recent trend in music land is to decide what genre you play, and stick to that genre and define yourself by that genre. So you'll hear people say "I'm a metal drummer" "I'm a jazz drummer" "I'm a rock drummer."

I've always looked at it as "I'm a drummer" and just play whatever the style calls for. I started as a rudimental marching drummer before I delved heavily into drumset, so I learned the "universal" language first. Also I started composing at that time, and I would write whatever type of song I felt like writing. A punk song? A prog rock song? A funky latin song? A piano ballad? I wrote all of those when I was 14. I just wanted to write different types of songs.

So I never really defined myself by genre. Sure, I'll play in a band that's genre-specific, and will play and write to that style, but I'll play in another band that's a different style, and play and write to that.
 
I ended up switching genres by default, but all in all, I've not taken as many left turns as you have. I started out doing acoustic-based rock and roll with one band. Then I went and did unplugged-type stuff with another band (I learned how to play bongos, congas, djembe, etc.). Then I played in a straight-up heavy rock and roll band. Now? I play country, Americana, and bluegrass on drums.

I've been involved in modern worship music as well which has changed tremendously over the past 20 years, and I have to practice that pretty frequently.
 
The term is Eclectic. IE drawing from many styles. It really begs the question who really wants to be conformist?

I think the only drawback to such approach is that one needs to be careful about appropriating other cultures, in a way that doesn't give credit to the maintainers of the tradition or causes the originals to be lost or diminished in some way. For example, I love researching various Native American cultures, but it would be somewhat insulting for me to enjoy traditions that many were(and in some cases are to this day) severely persecuted for performing. Better just to buy their CD.
 
It's complicated.

There are my favorite drummers whose playing I like and try to mimic no matter what genre they come from. Often it's from a genre I don't care for a whole lot, but as drummy influences go, that's not the really the point.

There is a broad range of what kinds of music I do like, though, but the genres I end up playing in a band are practically always just a narrow slice of where my own tastes are.

When I'm playing in one of my hard rock bands, I'm not approaching the drumming from a hard rock drummer's perspective, necessarily, because that seems so limiting and I've picked up a lot of useful bits from other types of drumming that work just as well, if not better than what might be 'expected', or even cliché.

I get some heartburn seeing players trying to match their playing exactly to the genre they're playing in at the moment, just because it's somehow the correct thing to do, and I can't help but think that it's a recipe for missed opportunities. (full disclosure: I don't go for 'authenticity' much as I usually prefer my own playing to aping someone else's. YMMV)

So my advice would be to learn, and draw from, every style that interests you so that you have them at the ready in whatever situation you find yourself in.

Almost as an aside, I've noticed a lot of guitar and bass players are more or less married to the genre they're working in, so they can't stray too far outside of that lest they become something other than what they were going for. But I don't see drums as being so bound by such constraints, and to a gross first order approximation, drums are drums no matter what the genre. I'd say we're kinda lucky that way.

There are endless drumming ideas that can be lifted from one genre and dropped into another, so I would learn whatever strikes your fancy, and let those bits find their way into your everyday playing. Just keep in mind you still need to develop the sense to filter out those bits that clash with the rest of the group.
 
Was it an easy decision for you guys, or did you change your mind every couple weeks like I do?

It was easy, but it was a process. You will figure it out when you figure it out.

I now know what I like to play, but I have learned a lot by venturing into other genres and I have learned to like some new things.
 
I know a drummer who basically plays rock drums to any style of music. Blues, country, quiet music, dance music...it doesn't matter. I find that terribly tunnel visioned. Different styles require different approaches.
 
Was it an easy decision for you guys, or did you change your mind every couple weeks like I do?

It was an extremely easy decision ---> Rock! ...Heavy rock that is (you know, long hair, jeans, leather jacket).

I only play in rock bands for the first 10 years or so, then I was asked by a mutual friend to audition for a jazzy/funk type of band with a horn section, strangely enough, I got the gig.

From then on, I started to play different genres, I even played for a traditional jazz band, but it was very brief, it didn't felt right for me, the best band I've played was covering classic rock and pop songs, but played without vocals in a jazzy, funky way, with drums, bass, piano, guitar, electric violin and saxophone, I couldn't tell you which genre that would fit in, lol.

It's early in your drumming journey, soon you'll find your style, what you really want to play, in the meantime, genre-hopping can only be a good thing, I really like when a rock drummer's a bit jazzy or when a jazz drummer has the energy of a rock drummer, when you play many genres of music, you can incorporate some different style of drumming in a given type of music.
 
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