"professional drumbeat"?

[Justin_F]

Me and my bassist were jamming in the garage today and a large group of young kids came over to have a listen. after we were done with our "song" the kids proceeded to ask various questions to both of us. but the oddest question i heard wasn't even really a question, it was more of a request. the child asked me to play a "professional drumbeat." i was startled and i didn't know what to do, so i just played a simple funky rock groove and they enjoyed it. but it raised an interesting question in my mind, what is a professional drumbeat exactly? (if such a thing exists) what qualifies it as professional, is it the groove of the groove? is it how flashy your groove is? is i how complex or rhythmically deep your groove is? or is just being able to play a simple groove with some finesse? just a thought.
-justin

[somedrummer]

I'd say that's a strange way of saying "play what fits the music", as it would be un-professional to do anything else but that. That is definitely an interesting question though. Kids say the darndest things.

[kung_f00]

I'm pretty sure it's kids being kids. To my knowledge, there is no such thing as a professional drumbeat. A drumbeat is a drumbeat.

[rjvsmb]

Hey Justin_F,

How's it going?

Technically speaking, whatever beat you're playing when you get paid is a professional drum beat.

Best,
rjvsmb

[Gravy]

Maybe one that sounds tight, like they'd hear on the radio?

I'm sure that's what you were already playing though. ;)

[Mendozart]

Originally Posted by rjvsmb

Hey Justin_F,

How's it going?

Technically speaking, whatever beat you're playing when you get paid is a professional drum beat.

Best,
rjvsmb

That's what I was going to say, lol.

[NUTHA JASON]

i prefer looking at the term professional as solely relating to earnings. a pro drummer earns basically all their income from drumming, semi pro earns a large percentage of their total income from drumming.

in those terms there is no such thing as an exclusively 'professional drumbeat'.

j

[bballdrummer34]

Originally Posted by Gravy

Maybe one that sounds tight, like they'd hear on the radio?

I'm sure that's what you were already playing though. ;)

radio or popular beat that he would know.

[That Guy]

Its all about the Benjamins!

[ECVail]

Consider Guns 'N Roses "Paradise City" intro beat. As simple as it gets and yet they recorded it and made a hit out of it.

BTW, I'm not knocking GnR - just a great example of a very simple beat used professionally.

[elpol]

Thunder already stolen...

I was going to suggest asking the kids present to buck up a dollar each, then proceed to play the groove from "Take the money and run" by Steve Miller.

No? I guess they might not get the joke...

[PreppieNerd]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

i prefer looking at the term professional as solely relating to earnings. a pro drummer earns basically all their income from drumming, semi pro earns a large percentage of their total income from drumming.

in those terms there is no such thing as an exclusively 'professional drumbeat'.

j

It would be odd sitting in a studio and hearing this:

"All right, sounds great, but on tracks 3, 4, and 7, you didn't use professional drumbeats so you don't get paid for those."

haha

[PeartWeckler]

In the Oxford third edition, it says a professional drumbeat is a drum beat existing in "The Drummers Bible" book of drumbeats. For example, the Chicago Shuffle is a professional drumbeat if the person playing the drumbeat, makes it sound like the drumbeat on the CD that came with the book.

At least that's my take on the matter.

;-)

[balboa]

professional means anything that makes money basically....so any beat that made money...which could be just about anything

[NUTHA JASON]

yep. so all of meg white's beats are professional.

j

[elpol]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

yep. so all of meg white's beats are professional.

j

so why am i feeling so depressed all of a sudden...

[Jon Cable]

I would hazard to suggest 'the money beat'; straight 4/4 rock beat with no frills, I think it was Hal Blaine who coined the expression

[Jon Cable]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

yep. so all of meg white's beats are professional.

j

Now now Jason, play nice....

[rjvsmb]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

yep. so all of meg white's beats are professional.

j

Basically.......yep.

[brittc89]

Originally Posted by NUTHA JASON

i prefer looking at the term professional as solely relating to earnings. a pro drummer earns basically all their income from drumming, semi pro earns a large percentage of their total income from drumming.

in those terms there is no such thing as an exclusively 'professional drumbeat'.

j

I agree totally with this statement. I mean technically ever time Marky Ramone played some sloppy punk beat it was a "professional drumbeat."

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by brittc89

I agree totally with this statement. I mean technically ever time Marky Ramone played some sloppy punk beat it was a "professional drumbeat."

I get what you all are saying about professional = making money, but I don't think that's what the kid had in mind when he asked, "What is a professional beat?"

What stands out to me are beats that consist of fragments of shuffles, with the snare and bass popping in and out in unusual places, yet always in the pocket. Vinnie Colaiuta is a master of this. To me, these beats stand out as classic examples of restraint, groove and class - the other things that go with being a true professional, not just making money.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Kids tend to look up to grown up world activities are very cool, and that includes everything "professional", because it smacks of training and experience, something they feel they don't have a lot of yet. Other sacred titles are the "best", "fastest", "strongest" etc. All these terms have no real meaning, of course, including professional. I could, for example, imagine Thomas Lang, on a very bad day, or in a certain situation, being unprofessional.

The notion about paying the bills also doesn't hold water: a drummer who got rich from an inheritance or a lucky financial break is still professional if he is, well, darn good. A member of the forum comes to mind.

Implicit in the "professionalism gauged on income" is the notion that a good musician has to look at music as work to be any good. I hold more or less the opposite view: professionalism is a question of quality and attitude. Attitude is something partly perceived by the surroundings and so is not really measurable. Only a small part of it could be said to be universal qualities, I think.

I think it was an incredibly funny request the kids made, without knowing. In my world, either Justin had already fulfilled it, or he could not at his present level.

Anyway, interesting discussion. DPS

[bballdrummer34]

The kid could be refering to something flashy with a cross over or two in it also. It seems this discussion is over analyzing the mind of a child, who my not have any idea about drums. Play a professional beat, make a professional jump shot, make a professional sandwhich, I dont know

[rjvsmb]

Originally Posted by bballdrummer34

The kid could be refering to something flashy with a cross over or two in it also. It seems this discussion is over analyzing the mind of a child, who my not have any idea about drums. Play a professional beat, make a professional jump shot, make a professional sandwhich, I dont know

bballdrummer34,

Right on target. All the kid wanted to hear was something cool - that's all.

Take care everyone,
rjvsmb

[stasz]

Originally Posted by rjvsmb

bballdrummer34,

Right on target. All the kid wanted to hear was something cool - that's all.

Take care everyone,
rjvsmb

I concur.
202020202020

[NUTHA JASON]

and instead he got an education on the definition of the term professional and was shown that any drumbeat is professional in the right context.that is what the forum is for.