DISSERTATION HELP - reference needed on what makes a drummer a good drummer

apologies if this is the wrong section to be posting.

I'm investigating the contradiction between my house mates developmental coordination disorder ( DCD - a movement disorder that results in poor balance, coordination, spatial awareness etc - basically poor motor abilities) and how he is still an awesome drummer.

Basically dcd is not a neurological impairment but rather just a lack of development, he has however developed his drumming ability.

as everything has to be referenced so that any statements etc are valid etc i need a reference saying what makes a drummer a good drummer.

I’m recording him play drums which people will then watch and rank him on certain aspects of the performance that make it a good performance, i.e groove, dynamics, timing etc - i have to have a reference that says that they are some attributes that make a drummer good.

if anyone knows of any journals or interviews if you could please post them that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

Hi and welcome to the forum!

No prob, this thread is ok in this section.
I've deleted that multiple thread in another section though - no need to have the same topic/thread across various sections/multiple times.

Arky said:

Hi and welcome to the forum!

No prob, this thread is ok in this section.
I've deleted that multiple thread in another section though - no need to have the same topic/thread across various sections/multiple times.

Click to expand...

no problem, thanks for letting me know

Being that "a drummer being good" is very subjective by nature, I think that it might be difficult to find this kind of information.

I do hope that someone is more helpful, but I would recommend breaking the essentials of drumming down into their various basic subjects (math, physics, hand-eye coordination, the development of the understanding of rhythm in the brain etc.), and finding sources that rate the rate of development of each of these things in relation to overall motor-function...

I haven't heard of DCD, but I am interested in your research and your findings. Best of luck!!

you may find this journal interresting its basically what happens in the brain regarding sensory motor synchronisation - drumming... for example, to have rhythm you need an intact basal ganglia - a part of the brain

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-012-0371-2#

any interviews with pro drummers saying you need groove, dynamics, timing etc?

What makes a "Good drummer" is subjective, but in my opinion, what makes a drummer stand out is..... creativity.

Someone who comes up with the unexpected, rather than simply playing what is the norm. Its not about re inventing the wheel just being creative, musical and enhancing the song.

thanks for the replies,

noone know of any interviews where pro drummers talk about the importance of rhythm, groove, timing, technique at all?

You're a good drummer when you are in demand and people want you. Probably not what you are looking for.

There's so many answers to this question. It's not so cut and dried. Good drummers can fail in some categories and still be good drummers. Stewart Copeland for example, not what you call good timing...didn't matter, he is a great drummer.

I think the real answer can be both clinical and non clinical. Like the math rock these days...I can't get my head around how they displace all that stuff and remember all of it. These guys can really drum. Does it move me? Not in the least. Impresses the hell out of me and I bow at their feet but I don't want to be like that. So there's as many reasons a drummer can be good as there are good drummers. It's like asking what makes a great painter. Rembrandt and Picasso are completely different yet both masters.

Lots of silly questions on the forum today. Everyone knows that you're a good drummer if you can hit your kick drum really fast.

Interesting. I wonder if there are similarities with the fact that people with stammers don't struggle to get their words out when they sing (which I imagine has something to do with the certainty of knowing what's coming next).

can you swing a band?

make an ok band sound really good ?

make an audience dance ?

make the music feel the way whoever wrote it intended it to feel ?

......yes to any of these?

you are a good drummer

at ease soldier

Knowing when not to play.

One this topic, which is better; 1) excellent time and energy but sticks to simpler beats OR 2) keeps time pretty well but is better with dynamics/complex rhythms/changing things up to fit the feel of the song?

I'd think 2 myself.

I dont know if the answer to your question is what makes a great drummer. People with aqired (or congenital) brain injuries do not have global problams.

I'm not sure what consitutes a "good drummer" in your mind...might be worth articulating it more ans seeing if there are other taks of a similar nature he can also do.

I wonder if part of the reason is the direct feedback between the action of hitting something and hearing the response, In a sense his bio feedback mechanism is action = sound.

I wonder if his verbal learning skills are good, and their is somehow a good neural connection beteen his motor skills and his verbal ( read musical as well) as well.

Its surprising how people with seemingly poor coordination are good at art, music etc, but have difficulty making a sandwhich.

For mine its something to do with the feedback loop between learning, storage, retrival and action...perhaps that part of the brains neural wiring is not damaged....

The brain is a mysterious thing !!