Where is our place in a band?

[Smelly_granny]

maybe all we need is some new things to talk about.

[Darkeagle22]

maybe all we need is some new things to talk about.

Well then smart ass why didn't you make a new subject?  LOL

[Diets]

I am going to work on getting some pic's to this site.

[Darkeagle22]

Well...I just got done with my drumming lesson a few hours ago...he says I am progressing rapidly.  WOOT WOOT!!!

[TAMA_MAN7A]

thats good darkeagle... keep it up.... does any body no a web site or sumthing i can go to so i can find some places that have lessions?..... were i am from i dont think any body plays drums.... its all guitar...

[PASHA]

Sure do a search on "free drum lessons" on this site, that will get you started.

were i am from i dont think any body plays drums

And where is that ?

[TAMA_MAN7A]

thanks man i o u 1..... i am from wellston ohio..... its one of those towns were u cant blink or u will miss somethin... but it ant to bad.... its about an hour south of columbes

[Yamahadrums]

Hello, I am a working drummer in a cover band and when ever my primary band is not gigging, I do fill in work for other cover bands. As a working drummer, you have to know your place in the band ,  that is, if you would like to keep working. Playing covers to me, means being a live jukebox. I guess I feel that, I should try to be like the drummer on the recording, not myself.  I don’t play my own fills, or groove, I play  what was recorded. Every song has a signature lick and that’s what people what to hear, not my own fill of the day. Some songs are harder to learn than others. Most of the time, I will chart out the songs to make sure I get all the little things. The songs that are the hardest to me to chart out, are the old Motown songs. Sometimes you can barley hear the bass drum, but the kick pattern is so important in those songs. At times you think the bass drum is playing, but it may not be. I have heard many musicians say, I am not playing that cheesy crap, (disco, dance stuff) as if they are selling out there souls, if they  play that song or type of music, but I have no problem playing any song or type of music. If I am getting paid, I play it. I may not like every song I play, but I am getting paid to play, so I do not ever voice my opinion if I do not like a song, or do I ever say “Not that song again!” I can think of worst things than playing a song for the one thousandth time. I guess I feel that is my place in the band. Keep time and play the right feel and parts to the song. Trust me if you play the right part to the song with good feel and time, even if there is not much to the song, every drummer and musician will know you’re a great drummer, you don’t have to play a ton of notes to be a great drummer. Just check out Steve Gadd, Kenny Aronoff, Anton Fig, Zoro, Vinnie Colaiuta, Todd Sucherman. Go to drummerworld.com and see the list of all the people these drummers have played for and remember we are trying to play music and we as drummers,  sometimes forget to ask ourselves, does that part really help the song, or hurt the song, that’s call being musical and that’s why guitarist always yell at us.

[Diets]

All that is true and more.  Some of the details can change depending on who the other members of the band are. One project I am with right now ( a blues band mainly ) will do a mixture of covers and original songs but the covers we do have our own twist to it.  You will still reconize the song but it will have a different feel to it. Another band that I play percussion in instead of the kit is a cover band and we do local bars and pubs and in this band they want everything copied like the original.  The way I see it if you are not a band that wants to play the A rooms ( and there are not many ) then you likely will be a juke box band and if you need to play a lot you will likely try to play in one or two of these.

[MRSMASH]

At this point I have 4 bands and my role varies in all of them

Central (Jazz band)- Is simply me and another guy who plays bass/cello (very well I might add)
Most of what we do is improv, so we have to play off eachother all the time.

Trigger (Death metal)-4 guys [guitar,guitar,bass,drums]-A very Educated band, all of us are over grade one theory, we talk in keys, ect...this band is hard to work with simply because we all have our ideas, for the most part everyone gets their input.

Quick fix (Punk)- What am i suposed to do to make punk rock better? bassicly we cover songs and i drum

Dust After Destruction-Is very poorly educated compared to trigger, but we work well together, i set up the stucture of the song, and some rythems for the guitars. and we all write the lyrics

So i guess it just goes to show that it really depends on the band your in and the type of music you play and the people in your band.. lol, just remember not to let band members push you around, cause lets see how bands sound without drummers.

OH, and if anyone says "The drummers job is to keep the beat".... kill them

[speed_demon]

well to me anyone can play the guitar with just a little time put into it i played for an hour the first time i picked up a guitar as a second insterment ofcourse i could play thunderstruck....well the begining just looking at tabs...but not everyone can pick up some sticks and keep a beat while playing interesting things....so on my opinion i think drums have a bigger role.......or at least is capable of having one.

[Cameron]

drummers are the force behind every band without us the music sounds bland abd dull
In my band i write the lyrics and music for most songs and i say aslong as your comfortable with your position in the band then its all good