Dual Drummers- ever wondered why?

I have heard all sorts of reasons about 2 drummers!
Most are not even worth reading. Since I have been around music from an early age I have been in multiple types of musical situations.
Reasons for 2 drummers are based on
1) sound affects
2) style affects
3) contrasting
4) complimenting
5) set & percussion
6) volume without microphone enhancement
And there are many more.
It kind of boils down to why a marching bands and drumcorps have complete percussion with multiples in every area; cymbals, tritoms, bass (various sizes as well), snare line, quads, bells, xylophone, keys, an actual drumset, and even guitars and bass. The more that can play and do things exactly like the others brings a more complete and full sound!
This is all technical compared to "not willing to fire one drummers", "lead singers cousin plays but isn't real good"! These comments are usually either from non players or just commentary who haven't been in the technical side of the situation. There are always exceptions to all of these too!
Thanks for reading!
 
I was in a 2-drummer band for a couple of years. For us, it worked. I have since left the band and they decided to keep the 2-drummer thing going.

The other drummer and I worked well together. When learning a new song, we'd figure out which one of us was going to play "lead" and which was going to either stay in the pocket or do percussion. This allowed us to capitalize on our strengths while hiding our weaknesses. We got so good at working together that when one of us played "solo" the band sounded thin and weak.

In our case, the other drummer was super fast and did great fills. By me staying in the pocket, he was able to do a lot of fancy stuff without going out of time. He was actually the "better" drummer and I'd either do percussion or stay in the pocket. Every once in a while I'd do lead. Any song with a shuffle or 2/4 time, was my forte, as the other guy struggled with those beats.

The visual aspect of 2-drummers on stage really set the band apart. From the perspective of the audience, seeing two sets of limbs in perfect synchronicity almost looked like dancing. In the local music scene, everybody referred to us as "that band with 2 drummers." In a local newspaper article, the keyboard player was asked about it. His response: "It's kinda like watching two monkeys fighting over a banana!" :D

Probably the most important consideration in a 2-drummer band are the personalities of the drummers. You have to be able to "share the beat" and be able step out of the spotlight every now and again.

Would I do it again? Probably not. There are simply way too many logistical hassles. The other huge hurdle is finding two drummers who can work together. Frankly, that's the elephant in the room.
 
It's clear we're witnessing a Double Drummer Mass Extinction as it gets increasingly hard to name a band with a superfluous drummer that didnt start 50 or more years ago.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard was an obvious exception, but their B Team drummer left a couple of years ago.

The May-December pairing of Tedeschi Trucks carries on with two drummers while playing mostly covers despite recently releasing 4 LPs at once.

Son of Vistalite Black was pleased to see Nathaniel Raitliff appeared on Saturday Night Live in 2021 with -- count 'em -- two drummers.

Sadly, as this forum is increasingly dedicated to complaints about $12 sticks, it's harder for bands to justify spending $24 on Vic Firths -- not to mention what King Crimson's multi-dummer lineup spends on consumables ... Or even coffee.

Its not only economics.One is afraid we’ve reached a point as a society where bandleaders’ moms no longer order their daughters and sons to not break the hearts of the lesser of the two drummers who needlessly set up side-by-side drum kits.

Truly, the end of an era, but whether redundant drummers will be missed remains unknowable.
 
For those who are interested in the rise and rapid extinction of two-drummer bands, Wikipedia lists well over 100 (that is more than 100 bands with well over 200 drummers). The list includes a surprising number who dont regularly perform in a plume of ganga smoke.

Double drumming - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
 
Recently, I was asked to join an Allman Bros. tribute band, which entailed playing with a drummer I had never met before. I was open to it. Before the first rehearsal, I called the guy and we talked for about a half hour, discussing the band, our playing styles, etc. I stressed the importance of working together, and figured it would sound alright and work well after this conversation. At rehearsal, it quickly became apparent that it wouldn't work. He was a very hard hitter, better suited to Led Zeppelin or AC/DC stuff, and he was determined to be the dominant force, the alpha male. I resigned myself to playing the "Jaimoe" role, which really didn't suit me at all. On top of that, he was critical, overbearing and intimidating. I quit after two rehearsals. The lead singer quit shortly after that as well. They replaced both of us, but I don't think they're working much at all. I discovered that this band has gone through quite a few drummers over the years.

I've done the two drummer thing successfully a couple of times, but with friends. I'll stick to being the sole drummer in a band.
 
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One word, the word is (drum roll)... Stereo!

When you look at the speed of sound when you have two drummers, unless you are dead center, you'll always get a different sound. All those live recording mixes for those jam bands were massive, because stereo.
 
I like the 2 drummer look and sound. I have defo seen bands with too many guitarists

Also I aplaud anything that leads to the gainful employment of more drummers

Heres a current 8 armed monster -
 
Its the same as any other musical component...someone in control likes it.

Seeking objective reasons for a musical decision is a bit of a fools errand, imho.

Some like it...some don't...most have little to no opinion.
 
While not something I'd want to do (or listen to) all the time - I have done a number of double drumming things over the years with quite satisfying results. Plus some double drummer album count amount my favorites.

So why two drummers? It is sort of no difference than the question - why have any large ensemble over a smaller one. Clearly a trio (in about any style) is the most nimble... every player enjoys a maximum range of expression, the ensemble can turn on a dime... can easily develop some pretty effective "mind-reading" abilities.

But... it is also limited.... in what it can do, limited in dynamic and tonal range... how thick compared to how thin it can be.

In improvisational settings - the small group must often leave the musical foundation implied - soling and reacting over a basic groove that no one is actually playing. Where a large ensemble has enough bodies that some can be maintaining the foundation while others go crazy over the top of it. For instance in a large latin band, there are always plenty of players "holding down the fort" while others may be pushing the boundaries over the top.

So with two drummers you get the options of - one drummer alone as normal; 2nd drummer playing a secondary or percussion type role - a solid 16th hat, etc. part, or doubling some backbeats, or adding fills over the top of a more constant time patten of player #1; two similar but interlocking parts; sudden dynamic/color changes - sticks to brushes and back.... or to rods; the occasional power of out-right doubling - both players playing the same (or nearly the same) part.... in the spirit of why taiko ensemble use more than one player per part... it's big and powerfully sounding.

Does every double drumming band do all of that - not necessarily. Some just seem to go for the general thicker sound... like those British "Princes' Trust" type events - two or three drummers, 4 or 5 rhythm guitarists, 3 or 4 keyboard players.... just a big thick ensemble sound.... where one bad note, a obvious event in a trio, will likely just lost in the wash with a giant band.

Others - like the current three drummer version of King Crimson - utilize virtually all of them.

Some of my favorites -

Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and Englishmen - Jim Gordon and Jim Cooper

Jack Daugherty - Class of 1973 - Jim Keltner and Jeff Porcaro (possibly Jeff's first recording date)

Don Ellis - At Fillmore

Don Ellis - Tears of Joy - Ralph Humphrey, Ron Dunn, Don Ellis (actually any of the Don Ellis albums)

King Crimson - Thrak - Bill Bruford, Pat Mastelotto

current Crimson - Bill Bruford, Pat Mastelotto, Jeremy Stacey

Snarky Puppy - Empire Central - Larnell Lewis, JT Thomas, Jamison Ross
 
I did it at an outdoor jam once. I mostly just kept a beat /pocket while both of us were playing. Later the other drummer stopped playing and I cut loose more. Peace and goodwill.
 
BobC said:
Recently, I was asked to join an Allman Bros. tribute band, which entailed playing with a drummer I had never met before. I was open to it. Before the first rehearsal, I called the guy and we talked for about a half hour, discussing the band, our playing styles, etc. I stressed the importance of working together, and figured it would sound alright and work well after this conversation. At rehearsal, it quickly became apparent that it wouldn't work. He was a very hard hitter, better suited to Led Zeppelin or AC/DC stuff, and he was determined to be the dominant force, the alpha male. I resigned myself to playing the "Jaimoe" role, which really didn't suit me at all. On top of that, he was critical, overbearing and intimidating. I quit after two rehearsals. The lead singer quit shortly after that as well. They replaced both of us, but I don't think they're working much at all. I discovered that this band has gone through quite a few drummers over the years.

I've done the two drummer thing successfully a couple of times, but with friends. I'll stick to being the sole drummer in a band.
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Your unpleasant experience in dealing with a second drummer is what I would expect in most cases. I know very few drummers who have that cooperative spirit necessary in a 2 drummer band.

A couple weeks ago a buddy in another band and I discussed doing the 2 drummer thing in his band. After a brief conversation, I politely told him I wasn't interested. Apparently, the other drummer has a difficult personality who has had many minor clashes between band members. No thanks. It's gotta be the right guy, or it won't work.
 
The whole experience with this band was bizarre. I auditioned in January and again in February, alone. Then, I came back a third time and played with a good jazz and R&B drummer who they hired to be the Jaimoe.. They hired him and the overbearing asshat I played with. Then, the Jaimoe guy quit after four rehearsals, because he couldn't work with the other drummer. So, then they called me to join. I made it to two rehearsals and bailed out. The singer warned me ahead of time to just play the way I wanted, and don't worry about copping Jaimoe's style. Fair enough.

It was a shame, because the band was really good. They've been together in one form or another for fifteen years, with a multitude of members who have come and gone. Before I joined, they changed the name of the band to something that only the most loyal and anal of an Allman Bros. fan would know, which I thought was a mistake. The lead singer, a nice guy, who also carried their extensive PA system, was fired or quit after I left. I think they played two gigs this past summer that I saw on FB, and that was it. They were even talking about doing free gigs, including a no-pay showcase in NYC. I wasn't about to drag a drumset into Manhattan for no $$ at all.

It was all for the best. I'll never do the two drummer thing again.
 
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I haven't done any dual drumming beyond a two band jam at the end of a benefit locally, so I have no practical experience with the nuts and bolts of it all.

My instinct is that the dual drummer thing is more a live show thing more than benefits a recording. Again, I haven't done any real research into listening for it, but I don't notice two drummers in the Allman Brothers or Doobies studio recordings. Perhaps its in there and I can't pick it out. But I can see how the live performance could certainly have a greater effect.

I could be wrong, I often am, being married and all ;)
 
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