Am I a terrible drummer?

Your missing the point,I think.When you say to someone that a particular performance is lacking,it's the same as saying it wasn't a good performance.That usually just comes down to a matter of taste in studio recordings,and not sub standard musicianship.

Lacking:adjective,meaning not coming up to standard,insufficent,inadequate,meager..

Nothing about his playing meets that deffinition.Deep reverence is ridiculous.I just recognize good playing when I hear it,be it Ringo,Charlie watts,Simon Phillips,Vinny,or Buddy Rich.

Maybe you just don't get Ringo,just like some don't get Buddy,or Vinny C and thats fine too.But thats a matter of taste,and not adequacy.The two are VASTLY different things.

If you serve the SONG and The MUSIC first instead of your own ego,then your a drummer.Sometimes restraint is part of that equasion.

Nobody is saying you can't deviate from the original,and make up your own parts,that may feel better to you.But nothing about those Beatle records was lacking in the drum dept.and there was never a bad or inadequate performance because it wasn't busier.That's absurd.

Steve B
 
As Stewart Copeland said: "Slavish devotion to copying and emulation is the death of musical creativity. .’ That whole thing of replicating what others do is a siren call. The sirens lure you to the rocks of unoriginality."

That's partially true.. it's funny, 99% of drum parts I don't mind toying with if it suits the music or if it brings a fresh take on an old original.. but when it comes to the Beatles .. well all bets are off! Those tunes are so ingrained and perfect that I've never heard any one do a take on them that is better... and if you do change a Beatles tune you have to be prepared for an audience with very critical ears!

.. and of course it's near impossible to totally duplicate the sound and feel (unless you are a polished tribute band)..
 
As Stewart Copeland said: "Slavish devotion to copying and emulation is the death of musical creativity. .’ That whole thing of replicating what others do is a siren call. The sirens lure you to the rocks of unoriginality."

I don't care as much as you do. Ringo can go pound sand. Sorry that I don't hold all these drummers in such high regard as you do. I like playing things my own way and hitting the signature parts. If I think a part is lacking, then I make it my own. If I can't play a part, then I do what I can. I don't hold such a deep reverence for the original song parts like you guys.

So freakin' what?

The point that I was trying to make, especially for a musician learning the craft, is that "making it your own" is fine. But start with learning the original so that you know and understand what the song is about. Not necessary to the point of transcribing it and playing it note for note. But getting the feel and vibe of the song across. If you don't have the facility to play it note for note, or hit the signature parts they way they were done originally (and by that I mean indistinguishable from the original, not just transcribed and gotten though) then simplify. Listen and think about what stays with you. What part of the pulse makes you think of that song? Break it down until you can play what you are able to play with that pulse, that feel. Then add in more. Maybe some of yourself, maybe as you progress more of what the original musician did. Maybe at some point when you are in the right situation you can turn it on it's head and really make it new and refreshing. e.g. the Dirty Loops guys. But I'll bet you they can also play everything indistinguishably from the record too. "Making it their own" is not a cop out from being able to play it.
 
The point that I was trying to make, especially for a musician learning the craft, is that "making it your own" is fine. But start with learning the original so that you know and understand what the song is about. Not necessary to the point of transcribing it and playing it note for note. But getting the feel and vibe of the song across. If you don't have the facility to play it note for note, or hit the signature parts they way they were done originally (and by that I mean indistinguishable from the original, not just transcribed and gotten though) then simplify. Listen and think about what stays with you. What part of the pulse makes you think of that song? Break it down until you can play what you are able to play with that pulse, that feel. Then add in more. Maybe some of yourself, maybe as you progress more of what the original musician did. Maybe at some point when you are in the right situation you can turn it on it's head and really make it new and refreshing. e.g. the Dirty Loops guys. But I'll bet you they can also play everything indistinguishably from the record too. "Making it their own" is not a cop out from being able to play it.

I agree, Aeolian, that's pretty much how I approach every song. I know it's not the best approach, but a lot of the time I don't even listen to the original and just play from memory of the signature parts and the feel or vibe of the song from memory of listening to it so many times in the past. A lot of the times I don't even listen to the originals during the week and the days in between practices, then when I do listen I'll hear something different that I'm not doing the same and I'll adjust as necessary. I just don't like getting burned out on a song too quickly. Our lead guitar player gets burned out on songs even quicker than I do. It sucks sometimes because I want to explore it some more. We haven't played Soulshine since we did it on a gig in March, and I can't get them to even play Soulshine any more. ha ha!
 
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