Raising your game to work with pro's. Tips, tricks and advice?

In terms of the music, no matter how cliché it sounds, you have to serve the song. Pros expect their fellow pros to be seasoned enough to know what works. It mostly comes from experience, but a good ear will tell you what kind of parts, fills and dynamics work best for a given song that sounds like another song you're familiar with. In other words, if it worked once it will work twice. Or three times. That's not being too lazy, or playing inside the box - it's doing what works (serving the song.) Unless of course you're going to singlehandedly revolutionize drumming!

There's a personality dynamic. Be a good bandmate. No serious arguments or any attitude that makes you undesirable. There are plenty of other drummers to take your place. Don't give them a chance.

And there's general pro behavior: show up early for rehearsals and gigs (if you're on time, you're already late.) Keep your gear sounding its best, and bring only what you know you'll need. Don't pick and choose gigs, do every one you can. Pros work because they don't say no unless they can't say yes.

Bermuda

Thanks, Jon. I was hoping to hear what you had to say.

You'll see from an earlier response that serving the song is indeed high on my list of priorities. I'm relieved to hear that taking cues from songs that "work" is a legitimate strategy as it is something I've always done. I admire Stuart Copeland for what's he's done but I'm no Stuart Copeland!

Those other qualities you describe are certainly things that are within my control and my great hope is that demonstrating enough of those qualities will buy me time as I grow into the position. At some point "do" will become more important than "try" but as long as I'm reasonably proficient and easy to work with, I think that I've got a shot at sticking with these guys.

Really appreciate the response!
 
I'll NEVER be considered a great drummer - I'm not even "good" yet. I am steady, however, and I really care about serving the song.

I made peace with my limitations a couple of years ago and decided that my salvation lay in developing "feel" instead of serving up polyrhythms and flashy fills. It ain't much but it's all I've got ;)
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No need for flash.

Thwere are just some guys that, though they're theoretically playing the same part just feel different. It's mostly about focus and really caring enough, having the passion to be fully present and give it your all every second.
 
dw-go-anywhere-practice-set


Make sure you have a good place to practice for a minimum of 30 minutes a day untill your next gig/rehearsal.
There's all kinds of "silent" drum heads and cymbals you can buy these days to practice.
Find out what bands they are the most in to these days.
Study all those band's drummers and try to get in to their headspaces as far as how they approach their drum performances.
(Like what makes them tick)
Always be warmed up before the gigs and rehearsals.
Set a practice schedule for yourself throughout the week/month.
Set up your drums somewhere just to test out if all your hardware is in good working order.
Replace any broken drum heads and have your kit tuned up before your next gig/rehearsal.
All these things helps me with my anxiety about performance.

It's funny too because I'm in a really similar situation to your right now as well!


I'm getting ready to buy the DW "Go anywhere" practice pad kit for practice, sense I have to work out songs that already haves drums on them. The silence of the practice pads should help me monitor myself while listening to the playback of the recordings.

Thanks for the input. Your comment must have been awaiting moderation as it showed up after some of the others in the thread.

I'm very fortunate in that I live alone on 25 acres of land with my nearest neighbour about 250 yards from me. I can (and do) practice for an hour or two every day without disturbing a soul. I've made more progress in the past 18 months than the previous fifteen years combined, thanks to daily practice. Not surprising, really, given that I played for a dozen hours or less in total between 1999 and 2014.

Good luck with your new bandmates!
 
My advice would be to just ask them what they want. They obviously had a drummer before you. Ask them what forced them to replace the last drummer. It will let them tell you what they expect in an open forum, and they will know that you are able to take direction. I believe in communicating as much as possible with band members, the more you communicate, the better you will get at it.
 
Wouldn't say you've got to raise your game. Go on youtube and see where being an amazing player but unable to play in a band gets you.

If you've got the gig they like your playing. Congrats on that one!

Playing for the song is the best thing you can do. All trial and error with getting the feel when writing songs.

If all else fails just think what would Jeff Porcaro do and there's the answer :)
 
Just wanted to circle back and to thank everybody for the advice provided. I did exactly as you suggested and now I'm a full fledged member of the band.

Our first gig is scheduled for next month; it's an outdoor festival that features independent and up-and-coming artists. Needless to say, I'm pumped about it!

Thanks again. Cheers!
 
A lot of the things have been touched on already, but I'll add my $0.02

Show up prepared. Know the material inside and out before stepping into a rehearsal room. Play the parts as close to the provided recording as possible. I can't tell you how many times someone has told me "Do you own thing." and then in rehearsal if you play one note different from what they are familiar with they will correct you and assume you don't know the tune.

Just today I got a call about a sub gig in a couple weeks. Its a metal band, and while my double kick chops are okay, I'm NOT a metal drummer and don't do the break-neck speed slipknot stuff. I was honest and told them that, and they replied with "We aren't picky about having it sound exactly like the tracks. As long we are in time we are all good."

...I smell BUUUUUUUULLLLLLL S**T!!!

I told them I'll need to sit behind the kit for a day with the songs first to see if I can handle it. If I can, I'll take the gig. I know that if I don't play the parts the way they are on the record someone will point it out, and I won't get called back after that gig.
 
I'm not sure if this is a tip, trick or advise.

It occurred to me just recently, that out of all the instruments...the drums especially...actually the rhythm created by the drums...for most lyric based, non extreme music...the other musicians and the audience, they want the rhythm that the drummer makes to be mostly predictable. They may not admit this but IMO deep down, they want the rhythm to be easily identified and easily latched on to, as opposed to having to figure out where the 1 is for instance. That doesn't mean it has to be dead simple...unless that's what is needed. I can play dead simply yet with complexity. It's all about carefully placed musical nuance and dynamics decorating the simple task of establishing a simple rock solid rhythm and steady unwavering time. The rock solid rhythm and the steady unwavering time are the meat and potatoes of my part, the nuance, dynamics and carefully placed complexity is the gravy.

I think of it almost exactly like sex. Generally speaking (and talking strictly mechanically), I am building up a rhythm to a peak. In the middle of that buildup, if I throw a drum thing in there that is unexpected and not blending well into the already established patterns...all the momentum built up to that point is lost, and the building process has to start all over again. So I liken playing drums to sex...trying to make others have eargasms. It's the most accurate parallel I can think of.

I can sum up my approach to playing the drums in one simple sentence.

I try and give them what they want.

Which (happily) is what I want too, which is for them to get off.

Most non drumming musicians and the majority of the audience IMO don't want the same things a lot of drummers want. They want the drums much simpler than drummers normally think. JMO.
 
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I think of it almost exactly like sex. Generally speaking (and talking strictly mechanically), I am building up a rhythm to a peak. In the middle of that buildup, if I throw a drum thing in there that is unexpected and not blending well into the already established patterns...all the momentum built up to that point is lost, and the building process has to start all over again. So I liken playing drums to sex...trying to make others have eargasms. It's the most accurate parallel I can think of.

I can sum up my approach to playing the drums in one simple sentence.

I try and give them what they want.

Which (happily) is what I want too, which is for them to get off.

This fits with my experience Larry, not just in relation to the audience but in relation to the musicians with whom I'm playing. You do something that's pleasurable for them => you see they are getting off and that gets you off => they see that you are getting off and that gets them off, etc. As this cycle repeats, there's a flow of energy, a powerful connection develops and the whole thing keeps building. As a sex therapist, I talk about this phenomenon pretty regularly. For me, this is what playing music is all about.
 
As a sex therapist, I talk about this phenomenon pretty regularly. For me, this is what playing music is all about.

Playing music in a band with others... really does have a lot in common with sex. You are together working as one. It's pretty personal, baring your soul onstage, what with all the drummer faces and whatnot. It's highly pleasurable to multiple senses at once. It is a give and take situation, that most times culminates in a climax. Sometimes I am perspiring and breathing heavier. It works better when I feel, not think. It's in the top 2 of the most satisfying things in my life. I feel reeeeeaally good after a great gig.

A closer analogy I can't think of.
 
Playing music in a band with others... really does have a lot in common with sex. You are together working as one. It's pretty personal, baring your soul onstage, what with all the drummer faces and whatnot. It's highly pleasurable to multiple senses at once. It is a give and take situation, that most times culminates in a climax. Sometimes I am perspiring and breathing heavier. It works better when I feel, not think. It's in the top 2 of the most satisfying things in my life. I feel reeeeeaally good after a great gig.

A closer analogy I can't think of.

My reaction...

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So what is it that the pro's look for in a drummer, beyond the obvious stuff like the ability to keep steady time and show up for rehearsal, prepared? What qualities do you think it takes to hang with these guys?...

It just depends what YOU call PRO´s...

A) Would you be able to go and play with profi Jazz guys...no reharsals, just standars and make something nice, so nice that if you were not in it you will buy a video or cd to enjoy / learn from it because is so hip?

B) Would you be able to sight read a show, a song, with a big band.. etc.?
 
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