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New Drummer cancels practice!


New Trail

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So, we started rehearsals with our new drummer last Thursday night.  He had not had time to download and work on our songs (all original) but we practiced anyway.  It went okay, but JUST okay.  Tempos were off, stops and starts weren't there, and no accents, but I guess that's understandable since he had just downloaded the songs and listened to them (all of them some, some of them a little???) but had not worked on them.  So we did what we could last week and scheduled rehearsal for tonite (our normal night).  Well, I just got a text from him asking if we can postpone tonight's practice until next Tuesday since he had only worked on 2 of the songs (there are 12) so we postponed (cancelled) tonight.

This is starting off GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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New Trail wrote:

 

 

So, we started rehearsals with our new drummer last Thursday night.  He had not had time to download and work on our songs (all original) but we practiced anyway.  It went okay, but JUST okay.  Tempos were off, stops and starts weren't there, and no accents, but I guess that's understandable since he had just downloaded the songs and listened to them (all of them some, some of them a little???) but had not worked on them.  So we did what we could last week and scheduled rehearsal for tonite (our normal night).  Well, I just got a text from him asking if we can postpone tonight's practice until next Tuesday since he had only worked on 2 of the songs (there are 12) so we postponed (cancelled) tonight.

 

This is starting off GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

As long as he's committed to the long term, you might be better off in the long run giving him the chance to learn the songs better.

Also, by letting him schedule the next rehearsal at his convenience, then he'll have no excuses should he show up and still not know the material.  And you'll know better if he's actually going to work out or not.

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New Trail wrote:

 

 

So, we started rehearsals with our new drummer last Thursday night.  He had not had time to download and work on our songs (all original) but we practiced anyway.  It went okay, but JUST okay.  Tempos were off, stops and starts weren't there, and no accents, but I guess that's understandable since he had just downloaded the songs and listened to them (all of them some, some of them a little???) but had not worked on them.  So we did what we could last week and scheduled rehearsal for tonite (our normal night).  Well, I just got a text from him asking if we can postpone tonight's practice until next Tuesday since he had only worked on 2 of the songs (there are 12) so we postponed (cancelled) tonight.

 

This is starting off GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Dude, pick a battle and stick with it - do you want him to show up and not know how to play your songs, or to take a week and to learn the songs and show up and know how to play?

The best bands have an agenda, almost like for a meeting at work. "Come to practice knowing that you're working on songs 1-3," and that way he can focus on them. Telling someone "learn these 14 songs by August" is great in theory, but the average musician on our level isn't that good. If they were, they'd already be in another succesful band.

It seems like you've had a LOT of drummer posts lately - just roll with it for a few weeks and get settled with the guy and give him a chance to learn your music. I'll say this from experience: I've come into many bands as a replacement drummer, and what makes a band good is communicating, teaching, and knowing how to share information about what a song entails (changes you've made, little nuancies, feels and tempos, etc) instead of assuming the new guy suddenly knows everything about your band and perfomances..

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It's just frustrating is all.  We have a festival show in September, which initially seems a long way away, but it's really not, if you're working in a new drummer and you only rehearse once a week.  To me next Tuesdays rehearsal will tell me a lot about whether this will work or not, and whether he's really committed to it.  I don't want to sound like a butthole but I don't want to play (mostly my) original music and it not be 100% there.  I'm not opposed to pulling the plug on the gig if it's not right.  The other guitarist and I pulled the plug on a bar gig on Aug. 2 cause we knew we wouldn't be ready, and now we've missed one rehearsal, so we were right about that.  The festival show is only one hour so we SHOULD be able to get that together as long as we can actually rehearse.  I'm staying positive and keeping my fingers crossed about next Tuesday.

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I agree with Lee. You could be working with an SLScott86. When the pressure (gig coming up) is on, I scramble to prepare. When it isn't... I let things slide. In a perfect world I wouldn't be that way and I don't defend it. With a person like me/that though, you've got to keep that deadline looming.

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Learning 12 original songs and expecting to have them all down pat is a tall order.  Learning 12 songs is aggressive enough...for a cover band where the songs are something the guy is already likely somewhat familiar with.  But originals where there is zero familiarity with each nuance over the 12 songs?  That's a lot of work.  I'd ease up a little bit.  Just my suggestion.

 

And my own personal opinion, having him show up and try to wing it on 12 original songs at the last practice was setting him up to fail, and kinda unfair.

 

Either give him some realisitic time to learn all 12 (I assume this isn't anyone's day job), or bite off small chunks and identify 2 or 3 at a time for him to focus on. 

 

Realize that at the next practice, there's no way he'll have all 12 of those down perfectly solid.  Just be ready for that. 

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I started playing in my first original band, well since the early garage days, late last year after playing in cover bands for 10 years and the entire thing is a lot slower than doing the cover band.  I enjoy playing the original stuff, but honestly it is boring compared to playing gigs every week.  We have a good group, but it's small... only 3 guys.  I think without the gigs (and pay) it's hard to find good musicians who will put in the time to learn/work on the original material without any real payoff.

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Opus Antics wrote:

 

Learning 12 original songs and expecting to have them all down pat is a tall order.  Learning 12 songs is aggressive enough...for a cover band where the songs are something the guy is already likely somewhat familiar with.  But originals where there is zero familiarity with each nuance over the 12 songs?  That's a lot of work.  I'd ease up a little bit.  Just my suggestion.

 

 

 

And my own personal opinion, having him show up and try to wing it on 12 original songs at the last practice was setting him up to fail, and kinda unfair.

 

 

 

Either give him some realisitic time to learn all 12 (I assume this isn't anyone's day job), or bite off small chunks and identify 2 or 3 at a time for him to focus on. 

 

 

 

Realize that at the next practice, there's no way he'll have all 12 of those down perfectly solid.  Just be ready for that. 

 

 

I agree that just showing up and having him wing it on 12 songs was setting everyone up for dissapointment.

But... assuming these aren't weird math-ey or complicated tunes and don't involve and super-technical parts, I don't really think 12 songs is THAT big a deal. It shouldn't take more than a couple days for any reasonably organized and competent drummer to prepare by listening and taking notes, and at least- with cheat sheets- be able to hit the changes and get through the songs.

Hell, if they are reasonably simple songs, give me a notepad, some colored markers, and a few hours to listen, and I'll be able to at least stumble through twelve songs. And I'm certainly no pro.

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New Trail wrote:

 

So, we started rehearsals with our new drummer last Thursday night.  He had not had time to
download and work on our songs
(all original) but we practiced anyway.  It went okay, but JUST okay.  Tempos were off, stops and starts weren't there, and no accents, but I guess that's understandable since he had just
downloaded the songs and listened to them
(all of them some, some of them a little???) but had not worked on them.  So we did what we could last week and scheduled rehearsal for tonite (our normal night).  Well, I just got a text from him asking if we can postpone tonight's practice until next Tuesday since
he had only worked on 2 of the songs
(there are 12) so we postponed (cancelled) tonight.

 

This is starting off GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

The songs are arranged guys. I'm not trying to be "internet tough guy" and pretend I'm something I'm not. But this isn't that big of a stretch for anyone is it? I get that the workflow of an original project is different and therefore might be foreign to some. But here's the deal...

 

...the songs are arranged. All he needs to do is download the recordings and learn them like he was learning Brown Eyed Girl. For now. Get up and running. Jot down the groove, tempo, how it starts, how it ends, any speed bumps along the way and... do the same to the next until you've got the 12. 

 

And when I say learn them, it's more a question of what it isn't rather than what is is. Most likely the wheel is not being recreated. "Straight beat with 1/8 note pickup before 3 on the kick. 8s in the hat." Then you jot down any identifiable figures and... Next.

 

So, while it might seem to the guy that he has to "learn them", really, he needs to be aware that most likely, an understanding of the song's basic groove and where he should stop playing is going to get him 95% of the way there. I think he might be thinking from the wrong direction if he's choking himself into paralysis.

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Lee Knight wrote:


New Trail wrote:

 

So, we started rehearsals with our new drummer last Thursday night.  He had not had time to
download and work on our songs
(all original) but we practiced anyway.  It went okay, but JUST okay.  Tempos were off, stops and starts weren't there, and no accents, but I guess that's understandable since he had just
downloaded the songs and listened to them
(all of them some, some of them a little???) but had not worked on them.  So we did what we could last week and scheduled rehearsal for tonite (our normal night).  Well, I just got a text from him asking if we can postpone tonight's practice until next Tuesday since
he had only worked on 2 of the songs
(there are 12) so we postponed (cancelled) tonight.

 

This is starting off GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

The songs are arranged guys. I'm not trying to be "internet tough guy" and pretend I'm something I'm not. But this isn't that big of a stretch for anyone is it? I get that the workflow of an original project is different and therefore might be foreign to some. But here's the deal...

 

 

 

...the songs are arranged. All he needs to do is download the recordings and learn them like he was learning Brown Eyed Girl. For now. Get up and running. Jot down the groove, tempo, how it starts, how it ends, any speed bumps along the way and... do the same to the next until you've got the 12. 

 

 

 

And when I say learn them, it's more a question of what it isn't rather than what is is. Most likely the wheel is not being recreated. "Straight beat with 1/8 note pickup before 3 on the kick. 8s in the hat." Then you jot down any identifiable figures and... Next.

 

 

 

So, while it might seem to the guy that he has to "learn them", really, he needs to be aware that most likely, an understanding of the song's basic groove and where he should stop playing is going to get him 95% of the way there. I think he might be thinking from the wrong direction if he's choking himself into paralysis.

Yep, this is pretty much exactly what I'm saying. If we're not talking about a songs with unusually complex grooves or fills, or prog-like structures, "learning" 12 already-arranged-and-recorded songs on drums is a pretty easy proposition.

If he had a week to get ready to play 12 "normal" songs and copped out, he sounds hopeless.

Again, if this stuff is really technical or something, then it's a whole different deal...

 

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Yeah, in hindsight, continuing to practice would be a good way to keep the screws on him to not let things slide. But at this point, I think the urgency will already be there after canceling a rehearsal already. If not... THEN I'd say this probably isn't the guy for you.

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SLScott86 wrote:

 

Yeah, in hindsight, continuing to practice would be a good way to keep the screws on him to not let things slide. But at this point, I think the urgency will already be there after canceling a rehearsal already. If not... THEN I'd say this probably isn't the guy for you.

 

Yeah, it's on him now.  If he's not well prepared next Tuesday I'll be very disappointed cause that means we will have to really buckle down to get ready for the festival gig in September.

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Opus Antics wrote:

 

Learning 12 original songs and expecting to have them all down pat is a tall order.  Learning 12 songs is aggressive enough...for a cover band where the songs are something the guy is already likely somewhat familiar with.  But originals where there is zero familiarity with each nuance over the 12 songs?  That's a lot of work.  I'd ease up a little bit.  Just my suggestion.

 

Here in Austin you can give a download link to a drummer or bassist and have just one rehearsal (or often, none) and they will kill at the show.  If there are any rough spots in the songs it's likely because the band doesn't do the songs exactly like the MP3s the guy was given to learn.

Then again, these are people who play drums for a living and they expect to be paid pretty well for that hour or two.  There are so many original bands in Austin that there's a large organized group of drummers and bassists who make most or all of their living as hired guns.

The downside, of course, is that they're not going to "join your band" or tolerate a lot of rehearsals (if any).  And their availability will be spotty (as they work with many bands) so you'll need an Excel sheet listing of drummer and bassists sorted in order of your preference so you can call or email down the list each time you book a show to get what you need.

That might sound horrible, but I kinda like it.  It's a built in way to meet lots of new, proficient musicians and network.  It also gives you ideas as you hear a different take on your tunes from time to time, usually a better one if the guy decides to deviate from the MP3s you gave him.  Most of all, it's so much better to play with guys better than yourself, it's how you learn.

Terry D.

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