It sounds like I have an audition for a Ska band this weekend

TColumbia37

Silver Member
**It sounds**

A local band by the name of 'The Suites'. All very talented guys. I hope I can do them justice.

I'm not all that familiar with Ska drumming, though I love ska music. They're not exactly a 'traditional' ska band, as they mix a lot of pop punk in with it. Any pointers on how I can land this?
 
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Re: Its ounds like I have an audition for a Ska band this weekend

See if you can get a list of covers from them that they play (or at least know) to jam on while you are there. It will save the awkwardness of the "what do you know? I dunno, what do you know?" routine. It will also show them that you can show up prepared and know your stuff. And just be genuine, go in confident but not cocky. Don't give them a reason to stuff you into the "stereotypical drummer" category. And be gracious for the opportunity. Your chances of landing the gig are far better if they like you and are willing to help you iron stuff out rather than thinking you are a jackass but can play up a storm.

If anything, your pink camo drumkit should win you some points with a ska/punk band!
 
Re: Its ounds like I have an audition for a Ska band this weekend

I was in a reggae/ska band until recently... I didn't know any reggae or ska but I got along fine playing the funky/shuffly beats. Then later I started doing the 1 drop thing here and there.

I bought Gil Sharone's dvd, that was pretty much everything I needed to see, and I think just about the only dvd there is on the subject.

Check out Sublime and Dirty Heads.

This is also really cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNoRjkJPTI0
 
See if you can get a list of covers from them that they play (or at least know) to jam on while you are there. It will save the awkwardness of the "what do you know? I dunno, what do you know?" routine. It will also show them that you can show up prepared and know your stuff. And just be genuine, go in confident but not cocky. Don't give them a reason to stuff you into the "stereotypical drummer" category. And be gracious for the opportunity. Your chances of landing the gig are far better if they like you and are willing to help you iron stuff out rather than thinking you are a jackass but can play up a storm.

I asked about covers, and they said they don't play any covers these days, so I guess that's not much of an option. I'm fairly confident of my abilities. I guess I'm just nervous, as I don't have much of any experience drumming with a live band. I've always played along to recordings. I played some songs with my roommate on bass today, though, and that was helpful. As well as that, I found a good drumless ska track and played along to it. I picked it up fairly quickly, and had a blast. I had no idea it would be so much fun to play!

If anything, your pink camo drumkit should win you some points with a ska/punk band!

Yeah, I thought so too! Let's hope that, if all else fails, they'll be so charmed by my kit that they'll HAVE to have me!

I was in a reggae/ska band until recently... I didn't know any reggae or ska but I got along fine playing the funky/shuffly beats. Then later I started doing the 1 drop thing here and there.

I bought Gil Sharone's dvd, that was pretty much everything I needed to see, and I think just about the only dvd there is on the subject.

Check out Sublime and Dirty Heads.

This is also really cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNoRjkJPTI0

I may have to look into that DVD. It's in two days, so that won't give me time to get the DVD and work on it, but if I get the gig, I'll have to check that out. It could be helpful.

Sublime is a bit lower tempo than what they'll likely be playing, but it's the same basic concept. I expect it to be more like Streetlight Manifesto type stuff, as I'm told that they play in minor keys a lot.

I've never heard Dirty Heads before, but that video was sweet!
 
Good luck! Don't let nerves get the best of you. Just make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before and eat before you audition. Playing hungry never worked for me.

Once you start playing the nerves should go away. You are all there for the same reason, the music!
 
Good luck! Don't let nerves get the best of you. Just make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before and eat before you audition. Playing hungry never worked for me.

Once you start playing the nerves should go away. You are all there for the same reason, the music!

Thanks! While I can't promise I'll get a whole lot of sleep, I will certainly have plenty of food the day of.

It's on Father's Day, in the evening. I'll be working tomorrow night, then have to get up bright and early on Sunday for festivities. I'll likely load my drums up that morning, so that I can head straight there from my dad's place.
 
Good luck. Just be yourself and do your best :)
 
Well, for anybody who may or may not care, I jammed with the guys tonight, which pretty much consisted of trying my best to make my way through their songs, which I had never heard before. Then we just did a couple of ska and punk improv jams, which went pretty well. While I feel that I certainly could have done better, they seemed to be pretty impressed.

All in all, I think I landed the gig! While they didn't give a definitive answer, they were dropping hints. I believe at one point they were discussing how to break it to their other prospective drummer that they found someone else. I believe we're getting together next Sunday, and that, in the meantime, they would make some quick recordings of the songs so that I can learn them on my time.
 
Good onya mate!

Most importantly, did you like what they were doing? And are the rehearsals and all that in preparation for some gigging?

Let us know how ya go.
 
Awesome! A second audition is definitely a step in the right direction. Learn those songs they give you, your memory for repeating songs and their parts is critical to some when auditioning new members, especially when there is less room for improv.

Just out of curiosity, what did they think of your kit?
 
Good onya mate!

Most importantly, did you like what they were doing? And are the rehearsals and all that in preparation for some gigging?

Let us know how ya go.

I really dig their stuff. They are all actually very well trained musicians. The videos I saw of them portrayed their music to be less fun than it turned out to be, because their old drummer didn't capture the ska feel very well. They have gigs booked already, and I believe they will be using a fill-in drummer for their gigs until I, or whomever they ultimately decide upon, know the songs well enough.

Awesome! A second audition is definitely a step in the right direction. Learn those songs they give you, your memory for repeating songs and their parts is critical to some when auditioning new members, especially when there is less room for improv.

Just out of curiosity, what did they think of your kit?

Ohhh, as soon as they get me something, I'll be using as much time as possible to learn the songs, and come up with the most suiting grooves I can.

As for my kit, I think they dug it. It certainly is a pretty fitting kit for a ska/pop punk band. And not to toot my own horn, but I have always had a way of making cheap kits sound much better than folks would expect. I definitely had the snare tuned just right for some ska. They had an old, crappy CB kit at their practice space as well, so I imagine that just about anything would be an upgrade from that.
 
**It sounds**

A local band by the name of 'The Suites'. All very talented guys. I hope I can do them justice.

I'm not all that familiar with Ska drumming, though I love ska music. They're not exactly a 'traditional' ska band, as they mix a lot of pop punk in with it. Any pointers on how I can land this?

It's like off-beat reggae with lots of little fills and flams on small tympany type drums (can't remember the right name for such drums....but you'll problem know what I mean).

Love Ska.

Follow a local Ska band up here in the NW UK, called DILE. Dennis Matthews is lead singer. Look them up. Proper Ska. Great stuff
 
It's like off-beat reggae with lots of little fills and flams on small tympany type drums (can't remember the right name for such drums....but you'll problem know what I mean).

Love Ska.

Follow a local Ska band up here in the NW UK, called DILE. Dennis Matthews is lead singer. Look them up. Proper Ska. Great stuff

Right. I've always been familiar to 'ska punk' (though I had never played it before), which is what this band is, but recently learned about traditional ska. What this band is playing doesn't call for as intricate of grooves as the more traditional ska, but I'd still like to learn more traditional type stuff, as it could only help if this band becomes a serious project
 
Right. I've always been familiar to 'ska punk' (though I had never played it before), which is what this band is, but recently learned about traditional ska. What this band is playing doesn't call for as intricate of grooves as the more traditional ska, but I'd still like to learn more traditional type stuff, as it could only help if this band becomes a serious project

Enjoy.

One thing it is, is really interesting music. Love it myself.
 
Congrats, man!

I have always dug the energy in that type of music...it's just plain ol' fun to listen to, and I would imagine it's fun to play as well.

Listening to D.I.L.E.....Guess I've never listened to a traditional ska band before, as this is a little different than what I'm used to hearing as ska. I actually had to look the genre up on wikipedia to realize its roots. I thought that it was just a punks-with-horns adaptation of reggae; I had no idea that it actually predates proper reggae. Always room to learn how little you actually know. Anyway, good stuff!
 
After I just talked to their guitarist, he said that they had a couple of other people who they were going to audition, but that they may not even do that now, because they were all pleased with how it went last night. That makes me hopeful.
 
Just be yourself and if that doesn't work be someone better than yourself.
But it seems like you did right if they might not audition others now.
 
I jammed with the guys again last night, and they seemed even more keen to my playing this time around. I really got the chance to pick up on their songs a little better this time, as well. One of them said something along the lines of "I'm so happy that practice is fun again!"

They still haven't given me a definitive answer, though they said we'll just plan on doing this on Sundays. It has me wondering if they're just going to consider me as their drummer, and not really formally make mention of it.
 
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