VERY IMPORTANT BUT MANY TIMES FORGOTTEN

Joe Morris

DRUMMERWORLD PRO DRUMMER
There are so many threads on here about favorite drummers, what makes a good drummer etc. What do good drummers do? What makes a good drummer? All that stuff.

Of course if your hip to this what makes a good drummer is the groove, but something else that so simple is never mentioned. It is really the cornerstone of being a good drummer and progressing to a great drummer that people want to use.

I"m wondering if anyone can guess what I'm talking about?
 
a hot girlfriend half your age? an alcohol tolerence greater then an elephant? biceps the size of watermelons?
 
I will guess versatility and originality. The ability to be used in many genres of music and the ability to make drum parts memorable.
 
As far as I know Terri-Lynne Carrington and Evelyn Glennie don't have g/fs half their age so I'm not sure that's it ...

People skills is a good one. Not that we'll know how well drummers who make Top 100 lists deal with others other than through interviews and goss.

For me, it's creativity - having ideas and being able to get inside songs etc (including being bale to take direction when someone else has a good idea). I doubt this is the desired answer, though.
 
Timing...and also creativity. A groove isn't good (to me atleast) without good timing.
 
There are so many threads on here about favorite drummers, what makes a good drummer etc. What do good drummers do? What makes a good drummer? All that stuff.

Of course if your hip to this what makes a good drummer is the groove, but something else that so simple is never mentioned. It is really the cornerstone of being a good drummer and progressing to a great drummer that people want to use.

I"m wondering if anyone can guess what I'm talking about?

What is this, a test? Sorry but I have no idea at all what you're talking about. How long is this thread intended to last before you tell us?
 
People skills for sure are very important. Very important!! Let me give you a little hint.

What do you do when your playing in a band? At least what should you do?

Well, I would think be able to keep time. You can groove all you want, but if you have no timing it's quite pointless.
 
CONGRATS!!!!!! YOU LISTEN!!!!!! Listen to the musicians around you and play for the song. You will work forever!!!! Good job. Listening is very very very important and so many drummers don't realize that.

Thanks for sharing in my post.
 
Aww Joe, I've been gigging and missed your thread. My one word answer would have been interpretation, but as listening is at least half of interpretation, I'll take a 2nd place medal to Larry.
 
Wha'? Huh? What happened? Sorry, I was miles away ... :)

What's the story, Joe? Did you recently attend a gig where the drummer was off in his own little world and drowning out everyone when he did his monster triple flammacuediddle fills?
 
Wha'? Huh? What happened? Sorry, I was miles away ... :)

What's the story, Joe? Did you recently attend a gig where the drummer was off in his own little world and drowning out everyone when he did his monster triple flammacuediddle fills?

Flammacuediddle haha

Is that in any way associated with fly swattin' syndrome?

Thanks Joe for coming in here and sharing. It's great to hear from working Pro's anytime.
 
Coupled with listening, watching the others helps me a lot too. Watching the body language of whoever is leading gives me really useful info almost instantly. I always watch whoever is soloing, so I can mirror their intensity levels. I always watch the singer too, you never know when they are gonna hand signal something.... We're expected to see every signal, and know when someone is trying to communicate something. It's part of the "job".

Plus you just never know when out of the blue, they say, "Let's give the drummer some". Definitely don't want to be late to that party.

I remember seeing a drummer at an open mic jam, his eyes were closed, and the much more experienced guitar player was trying to get his attention nonchalantly to signal something, and the drummer was oblivious. You could see the guitar player subtley shake his head and laugh, like "Oh well I tried"... I remember thinking that I'm glad it wasn't me who was up there.

He was in his own private world. Not good.
 
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