How do you feel about drum offs or drum battles?

Music in general (and drumming in particular) has always been about competition. From the drummers vying to move up one chair in the high school band, to the regional and state snare drum and ensemble competition, to drum line and drum & bugle corps contests. Competition is a fact of life. If it gets drummers practicing more and striving to improve, wouldn't that be a good thing?
 
you obviously don't work in the music industry

:)

Wrong. I get paid for playing. Music is subjective, open to opinion. There is no first past the post in music or musicians. Just those you like and those you dont like.

You could be the fastest, loudest, most stick tricked drummer in the world, but if people dont like your groove/style you wont get the gig.
 
It's a fun experience. If you take it any more seriously than that, you're missing the point :)

Some people take these things way too seriously. Worst case, you pick up some new chops from better drummers.
 
Wrong. I get paid for playing. Music is subjective, open to opinion. There is no first past the post in music or musicians. Just those you like and those you dont like.

You could be the fastest, loudest, most stick tricked drummer in the world, but if people dont like your groove/style you wont get the gig.


it was a joke

no need to get all upset ..... yes....the industry is absolutely full of competition...constant competition.....from the ground floor all the way to the top since the beginning of time


I can't imagine what it would be like without the competitive juices and tension ...... it is often what fuels people to write great music and make great records .....being pushed by their peers

you said in your own post ...if they don't like your groove/stye you won't get the gig......and guess what...someone else will get it.....that right there is competition

aside from the creative aspects....my whole musical existence of being a hired gun is built on competition....doing everything I can to be more musically appropriate for a situation than the others gunning for the job.

if I'm not competitive ....my family doesn't eat

same for every other working musician and their family

either go get it or someone more competitive will

I see less talented yet more competitive musicians get gigs over the better player everyday

just the nature of the business my friend
 
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I attended a drum-off recently. They had it divided into 3 groups; junior, intermediate, and pro level. Each group had prizes for the top 3 drummers. Each drummer got up to 5 minutes to do whatever they wanted. They based the scoring on technique and showmanship. It was nice to see over 20 drummers with all different styles come together for a one at a time competition.

Overall, I think drum-offs are a great way to meet other drummers, and a great way to see new styles and pick up a new beat and a fill.
 
It's a fun experience. If you take it any more seriously than that, you're missing the point :)

Some people take these things way too seriously. Worst case, you pick up some new chops from better drummers.

Exactly.

I love seeing players doing amazing things, and the drum-offs specifically cater to those players. It's a drumming contest, not a musicianship assessment.

If someone simply hates the contest, that's fine. But when they state that they hate it because it has no musical purpose or that music shouldn't be about competition, it's clear that they've missed the whole point.

I've judged GC drum-offs for over 20 years, and have a few Sam Ash competitions under my belt as well. I think I'm a fair judge, because I get what the competition is about: extreme skills. Now, would I ask of the contestants to sub for me on any of my gigs? Not without a proper audition and a stern warning about playing for the song!

Bermuda
 
it was a joke

no need to get all upset ..... yes....the industry is absolutely full of competition...constant competition.....from the ground floor all the way to the top since the beginning of time


I can't imagine what it would be like without the competitive juices and tension ...... it is often what fuels people to write great music and make great records .....being pushed by their peers

you said in your own post ...if they don't like your groove/stye you won't get the gig......and guess what...someone else will get it.....that right there is competition

aside from the creative aspects....my whole musical existence of being a hired gun is built on competition....doing everything I can to be more musically appropriate for a situation than the others gunning for the job.

if I'm not competitive ....my family doesn't eat

same for every other working musician and their family

either go get it or someone more competitive will

I see less talented yet more competitive musicians get gigs over the better player everyday

just the nature of the business my friend

Upset? Ha. Takes a lot more than that to get to me. I was pointing out what the thread title is about. Drum offs and drum battles. Meaningless chop fests.

I presume by "better player" you are confusing chops with actual drumming. The drummer is there to complement the song. Drum battles are a bit of fun, thats all.
 
Upset? Ha. Takes a lot more than that to get to me. I was pointing out what the thread title is about. Drum offs and drum battles. Meaningless chop fests.

I presume by "better player" you are confusing chops with actual drumming. The drummer is there to complement the song. Drum battles are a bit of fun, thats all.


we got way off drum battles when you said "music is not a competition"...and I replied jokingly....."you obviously don't work in the music indusrty"

never once did you or I discuss chops or drum battles while quoting each other ....we were in a sort of side conversation about competition in the music industry .....where competition is absolutely , and necessarily rampant

I have never seen "chops" ...in the sense of lots of fast notes around the drums sort of definition that it has somehow taken on these days.....get anyone a gig ....ever....

I don't confuse that sort of thing with tasteful drumming.....you got the wrong guy....I have been making a living playing drums for over 20 years ......I sure don't need you to explain what "actual drumming" is......

thanks though
 
I presume by "better player" you are confusing chops with actual drumming. The drummer is there to complement the song. Drum battles are a bit of fun, thats all.

Maybe worth pointing out that "drum battles" and "drum offs" are different. Drum battles are for fun, as benign as trading fours and positively adored by aficionados of certain genres (coughcoughJAZZhackretchsnort.) But drum offs are contests with winners, runners up, and losers... strictly a competitions for the sake of it.

Bermuda
 
You can hear the musicality of 2 musicians working together.

You can hear the strife of a musician contending in a competition.

The name of the gathering does not always dictate the musicians approach...but really listen to some of the high stakes competions out there...tense barely begins to describe it.
 
we got way off drum battles when you said "music is not a competition"...and I replied jokingly....."you obviously don't work in the music indusrty"

never once did you or I discuss chops or drum battles while quoting each other ....we were in a sort of side conversation about competition in the music industry .....where competition is absolutely , and necessarily rampant

I have never seen "chops" ...in the sense of lots of fast notes around the drums sort of definition that it has somehow taken on these days.....get anyone a gig ....ever....

I don't confuse that sort of thing with tasteful drumming.....you got the wrong guy....I have been making a living playing drums for over 20 years ......I sure don't need you to explain what "actual drumming" is......

thanks though

Thats ok, anytime.

I maintain, drumming is not a competition, its subjective. In running if the other guy crosses the line before you, he is better. Thats competition. In music its purely personal taste as to who in the "Best", or best suited to a gig. I was saying... drum battles dont prove anything.
 
I like the idea of two drummers just having a good time trading ideas and jamming. Competitions can get a bit bland, because the winner may be good, but might be a horrible musician: if you know what i mean.
 
Competitions can get a bit bland, because the winner may be good, but might be a horrible musician: if you know what i mean.

And I repeat... drum offs are NOT about musicianship! They are about extreme drumming skill, hopefully mixed with a little personality and showmanship, and nothing more.

Now some of the prelims can be bland, as those less-skilled, less-exciting drummers get weeded out. But as the competitions get closer to the finals, the chopfest is far from bland!

Bermuda
 
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