Meytal Cohen? She plays, right?

I think Meytal is an ok drummer. My problem is with her millions of fans who think she is the best drummer in the world. They seem to have no awareness at all of the many drummers, including females, who are just miles above her in drumming ability.

I'm quite aware that she is not the best female drummer ever out there, players like Anika Niles for example I would say is above her technically. I could reel off a bunch of 'best drummers in the world'

However, i love her for her consistency and drive to put out straight up covers one after the other, she said in the beginning she was putting out three a week, which is a lot of hardwork. (this i find extremely inspiring) I admire how easy she makes everything look - her playing style is so effortless. She nails everything down to the tiny details! It wasn't until i attempted to play these songs alongside her, i realised how good she is in that respect. That's where her ability does shine! i don't think anyone can deny that about her. This is the reason why i like her. not necessarily because i think she's the best drummer in the world, and to be honest, whether she is THE BEST or not, i would still choose her as one of my top drummers.

I assume a lot of these 'millions of fans/students' that you are talking about may have a similar opinion and angle on why they love her so much. So i really would not be so quick to judge her fans as unkowledgable or to have not seen or have any understanding of the other "better" drummers out there.
 
If Meytal was a guy with equivalent talent would he be as popular as she is?

No.

I followed her for a while & found her YouTube stuff not much better than any other drummer filming themselves playing. Anika Nilles started out this way, but her composing & band inclusion sets her apart.
Meytal is talented for sure, but I found it "ho-hum" after a year or so.
 
So I liked her FB page some time ago and really like how she plays - it's here:

https://www.facebook.com/meyta1cohen?fref=nf

Every now and then she posts stuff and I see it whenever I'm on FB.

Anyway, so now, with those natural guy instincts, I don't even care if she plays drums anymore. I just want to look at her. She should just go into modeling. I appreciate that she's a musician and working hard like the rest of us in spreading drumming joy around the world, but I think for the girls, nobody really cares. We're more interested in the clothes they're wearing and what they look like.

It must be frustrating to be a woman. Am I pointing out the obvious again?
Having looked at that page, I could barely tell she was a musician. It's like every other 20 something facebook page, filled with pointless photos. I have no idea if she can play. If you want to be known as a musician though, don't build your social media account to show off your head shots.
 
Meytal is screwed whether she does anything or not. If she wore sweats, people would be saying that she should dress a little nicer. She's a lightning rod for sure. I'm glad she's here.

I don't understand why people have to say this certain drummer is better than another certain drummer. It's not about being the best. It's about being true to who you are. Music is not a competition. Rock on Meytal.

Here's Meytal doing a Ted X talk.

 
Last edited:
When I say there are lots of drummers who are miles better than Meytal, it's not just my opinion. It's objective fact.

Here is the basic test for comparing drummers: can each play what the other plays. Now Anika, to name one, could easily play anything Meytal does. But most of what Anika plays, Meytal could not play, not with a hundred years practice. If she tried it, she would screw it up completely.

Beyond that, there is quality. If Anika played one of Meytal's tunes, it would be much better, like much more precise, more in the pocket, and more musically expressive.

So yes, there are many, many drummers out there who are vastly better than Meytal.

To put it a another way, the DW list of the 500 greatest drummers is not a random selection. These really are the best drummers ever.
 
IDK why all the judgement. Can't we just like her for what she is instead of dissing her for what she's not? Would you tell Meytal to her face that there are drummers who are vastly better than her? How would it feel if all this judgment was against you? Unfair, undeserved is my guess. You get back what you put out so it's best to be careful about what one puts out there.
 
When I say there are lots of drummers who are miles better than Meytal, it's not just my opinion. It's objective fact.

Here is the basic test for comparing drummers: can each play what the other plays. Now Anika, to name one, could easily play anything Meytal does. But most of what Anika plays, Meytal could not play, not with a hundred years practice. If she tried it, she would screw it up completely.

Beyond that, there is quality. If Anika played one of Meytal's tunes, it would be much better, like much more precise, more in the pocket, and more musically expressive.

So yes, there are many, many drummers out there who are vastly better than Meytal.

To put it a another way, the DW list of the 500 greatest drummers is not a random selection. These really are the best drummers ever.
It's not objective fact, because you're forming your opinion only on what you've seen/heard from each of them, but you don't know if that information set is complete. Have you considered the possibility (and I'm not claiming to know if it exists) that Meytal has only revealed herself playing what's needed to accompany the music she's playing along with? For all we know, she could be a Tony Williams fusion badass but hasn't had a need to record and post it. Also, "better" is a relative term.
 
The bias displayed in some of the posts in the previous pages of this thread is fairly evident.
Larry mentioned earlier that it was a potential minefield.
The brakes probably should've been put on immediately at the first hint of sexism but It continues on...

A disappointing area of discussion nonetheless for what is generally considered the foremost internet forum on the subject of drumming.
 
Last edited:
Well some people are sexist but sexism is stereotyping and discriminating. Which many people are just noting her sexuality (she is a lovely woman) like the image of Tom Jones with a big pistol in his belt and an obvious bigger pistol below his belt. Same thing and nothing wrong with it-all entertainment history exudes sexuality-we can be so Victorian sometimes. I think if you label her as just looks limiting her to sexuality and ignore her talent well you're being sexist. All those old male rockers didn't wear spandex cause it was comfortable lol. I found this issue in "Race" related research-you breach the subject and suddenly you're a racist-so all race researchers and geneticist now are trying to eliminate the "race" word (because there is no biological/genetic entity) and replace with "ancestry" to unload the pistol because it's a hindrance to academic studies.
 
Meytal is screwed whether she does anything or not. If she wore sweats, people would be saying that she should dress a little nicer. She's a lightning rod for sure. I'm glad she's here.

I don't understand why people have to say this certain drummer is better than another certain drummer. It's not about being the best. It's about being true to who you are. Music is not a competition. Rock on Meytal.

Here's Meytal doing a Ted X talk.


Well said, Lar.

Comparing ourselves to other drummers or comparing drummers to one another is pointless, and totally irrelevant to our true purpose. Making music.

The only valid comparison is comparing yourself to who you were yesterday. Improve towards your goal of making sweet music and for "comparison" purposes: ignore every other drummer you aren't learning from.

It also translates to a positive thought exercise. When I watch drummers play their own stuff now, rather than even think about picking them apart, I like to focus on what they're doing well! Can I learn something from the elements I'm really digging? So much better than the comparison stuff where we try and size each other up to decide who is "better" which is utterly meaningless in just about every respect.
 
I think there's a middle ground in comparing ourselves to others. Tearing people down, and especially trying to make ourselves feel better by comparing ourselves to them is always very uncool and unnecessary. In my mind though, it is certainly possible to compare drummers on technique if not musicality, at a rough level at least. I compare myself to "good" drummers to get a sense of what is possible, to see where I'm lacking, and to decide where to focus my efforts for improvement. I compare other drummers to each other, to some extent, to decide whose advice to take and who to check out for ideas on technique and so on. Watching drummers who are better than me is also be a source of inspiration.

But I digress from the Meytal discussion...
 
Well said, Lar.

Comparing ourselves to other drummers or comparing drummers to one another is pointless, and totally irrelevant to our true purpose. Making music.

The only valid comparison is comparing yourself to who you were yesterday. Improve towards your goal of making sweet music and for "comparison" purposes: ignore every other drummer you aren't learning from.

It also translates to a positive thought exercise. When I watch drummers play their own stuff now, rather than even think about picking them apart, I like to focus on what they're doing well! Can I learn something from the elements I'm really digging? So much better than the comparison stuff where we try and size each other up to decide who is "better" which is utterly meaningless in just about every respect.

That's a great attitude James. It should be baseline.

I do have my opinions about players, good and less than, I can't help it. But it crosses a line to air any negative ones in public. That I do have control over.

We are supposed to support one another, no matter what opinions we have. Like family.
 
That's a great attitude James. It should be baseline.

I do have my opinions about players, good and less than, I can't help it. But it crosses a line to air any negative ones in public. That I do have control over.

We are supposed to support one another, no matter what opinions we have. Like family.
With the utmost respect, you absolutely can help it. We DO have control over our thought patterns if we don't let them run amok; not airing them means you "get it", but if you can re-train yourself, stop yourself from the negativity and comparisons as soon as they start. Divert yourself like I do and look specifically for what they're good at in complete isolation from what you're good at!

And never forget at the end of the day, this is art. It's subjective and no matter how much we make comparisons, nobody expresses their artistic ideas in the exact same way as we do ourselves. It's ALL unique and while different, with the goal of making music, comparisons really do become meaningless.
 
I think there's a middle ground in comparing ourselves to others. Tearing people down, and especially trying to make ourselves feel better by comparing ourselves to them is always very uncool and unnecessary. In my mind though, it is certainly possible to compare drummers on technique if not musicality, at a rough level at least. I compare myself to "good" drummers to get a sense of what is possible, to see where I'm lacking, and to decide where to focus my efforts for improvement. I compare other drummers to each other, to some extent, to decide whose advice to take and who to check out for ideas on technique and so on. Watching drummers who are better than me is also be a source of inspiration.

But I digress from the Meytal discussion...

pretty much this for me too...

when I was younger, I was more competitive for sure, but it was always me versus them in a "good" way...it motivated me if someone was better than I was, and still does. I was always comparing and contrasting. I know that I did probably get into some bashing when I was younger, but I quickly realized how that was NOT going to help my rep as a professional...
 
With the utmost respect, you absolutely can help it. We DO have control over our thought patterns if we don't let them run amok; not airing them means you "get it", but if you can re-train yourself, stop yourself from the negativity and comparisons as soon as they start. Divert yourself like I do and look specifically for what they're good at in complete isolation from what you're good at!

And never forget at the end of the day, this is art. It's subjective and no matter how much we make comparisons, nobody expresses their artistic ideas in the exact same way as we do ourselves. It's ALL unique and while different, with the goal of making music, comparisons really do become meaningless.
It seems I have no control over the thoughts that enter my head. I try to observe them first without reacting, judge them as healthy or not, and respond to them...or not. Sometimes I get a truly awful thought in my head where I say, where did THAT come from? Then I'll take that terrible thought and put it in a mental trashcan that I installed in my head. I even have a name for it, but it can't be uttered. Hey it works for me.

So you're saying try and control the thoughts. That doesn't make sense to me, but I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes. I feel we are radio receivers and have no control over the signals coming in out there. I do have control over how I interpret those signals. Maybe that's what you mean. When I see something, to the best of my ability, I try to see both sides, because everything is composed of a mixture of positive and negative, it can't be any other way. One can't be ignored, because it's there. Life needs both positive and negative. Magnets prove that. If you cut a magnet, the piece will have both positive and negative. I really think it's conundrums like this that makes music so great. It forces me to confront my negative not so pleasant side and deal with it. It forces me to realize when I'm being blind, which stings.
 
I'm quite aware that she is not the best female drummer ever out there, players like Anika Niles for example I would say is above her technically. I could reel off a bunch of 'best drummers in the world'

However, i love her for her consistency and drive to put out straight up covers one after the other, she said in the beginning she was putting out three a week, which is a lot of hardwork. (this i find extremely inspiring) I admire how easy she makes everything look - her playing style is so effortless. She nails everything down to the tiny details! It wasn't until i attempted to play these songs alongside her, i realised how good she is in that respect. That's where her ability does shine! i don't think anyone can deny that about her. This is the reason why i like her. not necessarily because i think she's the best drummer in the world, and to be honest, whether she is THE BEST or not, i would still choose her as one of my top drummers.

I assume a lot of these 'millions of fans/students' that you are talking about may have a similar opinion and angle on why they love her so much. So i really would not be so quick to judge her fans as unkowledgable or to have not seen or have any understanding of the other "better" drummers out there.
In one of her old posts (I can remember if it was a live or facebook post) she stated that the way she learns the songs is by selecting portions of the song and playing along them until she gets them perfect, then adding the next part (something like 20 sec at a time) until she completes the entire song, she then plays along the track multiple times until she has completed the song with all perfect takes ( therefore there are NO mistakes in her videos). I have seen a very old video of her playing Judith ( A perfect circle) where her friend Jenn is holding the camera so there are no extra takes and no extra cameras, and she does play the entire song correctly note for note. Anybody can learn most music that way which is why you see 9 year olds nailing hard stuff... When you can correct mistakes via editing, then anybody can play perfect.
All that said, she has played some hard parts and played them correctly. Even if she was just faking it, you have to know what you are doing to look that convincing. Now those that say someone is the best are biased by how well known or popular someone may be (all those Peart fans out there) is he the best? not IMO but he was great at what he did, to me the best drummer is like the most beautiful girl.. what I like is going to be different from what others like so it's on the eye of the beholder...
 
It seems I have no control over the thoughts that enter my head. I try to observe them first without reacting, judge them as healthy or not, and respond to them...or not. Sometimes I get a truly awful thought in my head where I say, where did THAT come from? Then I'll take that terrible thought and put it in a mental trashcan that I installed in my head. I even have a name for it, but it can't be uttered. Hey it works for me.
These are perfectly normal. Psychology calls them "intrusive" thoughts. It's odd that we can make our own selves uncomfortable, right?

The way you're so deeply introspective is one of my favorite parts about Larry, BTW. Don't change that!

So you're saying try and control the thoughts. That doesn't make sense to me, but I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes. I feel we are radio receivers and have no control over the signals coming in out there. I do have control over how I interpret those signals. Maybe that's what you mean. When I see something, to the best of my ability, I try to see both sides, because everything is composed of a mixture of positive and negative, it can't be any other way. One can't be ignored, because it's there. Life needs both positive and negative. Magnets prove that. If you cut a magnet, the piece will have both positive and negative. I really think it's conundrums like this that makes music so great. It forces me to confront my negative not so pleasant side and deal with it. It forces me to realize when I'm being blind, which stings.
For me it wasn't like a light switch. I had to work at it, and re-train my head that there's no point in thinking these negative thoughts... Even so, they still make it through and I have to remind myself sometimes.

So now I automatically but consciously listen to a drummer play and again, even though it's a conscious choice, my thoughts are able to center around what I like and what they're good at rather than trying to pick them apart or notice what isn't working so well. I seek the positive and at the end of the day this makes me feel a lot better than trying to re-enforce my own idea that I'm "better" than they are and will be judged by others as such. It sounds backwards but it makes me more confident instead of less, and keeps my head in a positive space.

FWIW, I think you have a lot of outward positive energy already, Lar.
 
Meytal is screwed whether she does anything or not. If she wore sweats, people would be saying that she should dress a little nicer. She's a lightning rod for sure. I'm glad she's here.

I don't understand why people have to say this certain drummer is better than another certain drummer. It's not about being the best. It's about being true to who you are. Music is not a competition. Rock on Meytal.

Here's Meytal doing a Ted X talk.



too right, this is the problem female musicians have to face - constant judgment
 
Last edited:
Back
Top