What To Look For In New Drummer

[Vito Corleone]

 

Not in my experience.

 

Let's start with the observation that many, if not most, rehearsals take place at the drummer's house because his setup/teardown takes the most time and effort.

 

A lot of guys - like me - own a set of drums just so they can host auditions, rehearsals, jams, etc. All the drummers I've auditioned used my set.

 

Yes, he should have asked what was there, but you should have made things clear without him having to ask.

 

In retrospect, obviously I should have mentioned. OTHO, I've auditioned dozens of drummers in various bands over the last 40 years and this is the first time I've ever had one show up empty handed. This wasn't just a "jam". It was a much discussed/planned event with recordings and notes sent back and forth and that he drove over 2 hours to attend.

 

Just assumed using your own kit would be a given. Probably just as well since we obviously weren't on the same page.

 

In the end, our guitarist runs back to get his little e-kit, (over an hour for him to do that) and the audition just goes so-so. Drummer blames it on "not being comfortable" on that kit. Duh. That's why we thought you'd bring yours. So we schedule another audition on his kit, which only goes slightly better. He was OK but we went with another guy with much better groove and pocket.

[ski219]

We are auditioning 4 players. First one is tomorrow evening.

[Kramerguy]

I've played with more than a dozen drummers in the last few months at our open jam, and I have to say, each has their own strengths and most I would call fantastic.

 

The two that stick out the most however-

 

#1 is just a great player on every level, amazing fills that aren't too much for the song, but still inventive and not misplaced or repetitive, he plays the set like an instrumentalist, not just pounding away making noise. His cymbal hits are extremely well placed and he doesn't treat any of them like a ride, except the ride (which is my biggest complaint about most drummers), he also doesn't beat them like they owe him money, but plays very dynamically to the song. His meter is fantastic, which almost goes without saying. When we listen back to the recordings.. we find ourselves just mesmerized by the drums every time.

 

#2 is just a ferocious player- like bonham.. strong meter and solid beats. Minimal fills and he just plays it like he means it, also doesn't ride the cymbals. This guy is notable because he's consistent, strong, and never fails.

[gspointer]

I'm easy. All I want is a drummer that counts. Tempo fluctuations? I don't care. The drummers I like make the song automatic and effortless to play.

[FitchFY]

Good luck in the auditions, and as a drummer, I'll second "personality." I was actually just talking to a friend and the conclusion as to why I've always had bands is that I'm 1.) communicative and 2.) reliable. Basically, I don't act like a drummer.

 

There are tons of flakes out there, but if you're in an active and successful band, don't settle -- there's plenty of talent and professionalism. And there's nothing wrong with any of what you're asking for - modern country is basically a pop-rock act and requires basically the studio drummer's mindset. There's still plenty of room for flair and fun, but that gig is about making the music sound and feel good so really cute girls in cowboy boots, hats, and cut off shorts dance for you.

 

Come to think of it, where are you in New England? Maybe I need a new gig!

[ski219]

Just 1 more audition this week. We were supposed to do 2 but 1 guy dropped out. Said the music wasn't "interesting" enough for him. Maybe it was that guy Voltan?

[ski219]

Got a new drummer. Hope he works out.

[FitchFY]

Congrats and good luck!

[Quarterwave]

- Personality - I've found it's important to be able to get along if you are playing more than a few nights a week

- Ability - must be able play in time and keep good time during a song

- Dedication - must be able to learn the material within a reasonable amount of time

- Equipment - they need to have their own set of usable drums, cymbals and hardware... sticks too!

- Transport - it helps if they can get to the gigs without needing a ride every show

- Addictions - this is a tough one, but having a drummer that is not on pills or hard drugs can help... esp. if you need them to be reliable

- Sing - if they can sing in key and in time, that's a great bonus but for me, not a deciding factor.

 

Good luck with your search!

[SpaceNorman]

I work with multiple "part time" projects and have been knocking around the band game for nearly 40 years. It's apparent within the first few minutes of an audition as to whether or not a player has the chops for the gig. Sure - their strengths and weakness likely won't be a perfect match for the player they're replacing - but you'll have know whether the player can cut the gig musically.

 

The tough part is finding a player who will fit the group ... is everybody on the same page with regards to workload (gigs and/or practices), will the new guy's schedule allow him to fit the band's groove with regards to rehearsal days and times, etc. Does the new guy's financial position "fit" with the rest of the band. (We're definitely "part time" projects ... and often have long stretches between gigs at OUR choice). In other projects we willingly work some marginally paying gigs to keep the "big sound" together for the better paying stuff. I learned long ago that most folks who come out for an audition will happily tell me whatever they think will get them the gig. I ask for facts regarding their situation - i.e., line of work, work schedule, relationship status ... age of kids, etc. Armed with that information, I've got a better chance of making a determination whether the player will be a good fit than by letting him tell me about it.

 

Lastly - I look for desire. Does the player seem to truly want t​he gig? Faced with a choice between a stellar player and somebody who's simply "competent" but appears to be a better fit and appears to truly w​ant the gig - - I'll take competent over stellar any day of the week.

 

[wesg]

Great advice from Norman. The best part about the group I'm working with most these days is that we are all either senior managers or retired. We like to jam once a week at my place, and we like to play out once a month. We're mostly on the same page musically (lots of overlap) and we're all fine with playing a few Mustang Sallys a night, because we know it helps the audience have a good time. We're all competent musicians, and there are no total flakes. I can't believe it took 3 years to get to this point, though!

[Outkaster]

I work with multiple "part time" projects and have been knocking around the band game for nearly 40 years. It's apparent within the first few minutes of an audition as to whether or not a player has the chops for the gig. Sure - their strengths and weakness likely won't be a perfect match for the player they're replacing - but you'll have know whether the player can cut the gig musically.

 

The tough part is finding a player who will fit the group ... is everybody on the same page with regards to workload (gigs and/or practices), will the new guy's schedule allow him to fit the band's groove with regards to rehearsal days and times, etc. Does the new guy's financial position "fit" with the rest of the band. (We're definitely "part time" projects ... and often have long stretches between gigs at OUR choice). In other projects we willingly work some marginally paying gigs to keep the "big sound" together for the better paying stuff. I learned long ago that most folks who come out for an audition will happily tell me whatever they think will get them the gig. I ask for facts regarding their situation - i.e., line of work, work schedule, relationship status ... age of kids, etc. Armed with that information, I've got a better chance of making a determination whether the player will be a good fit than by letting him tell me about it.

 

Lastly - I look for desire. Does the player seem to truly want t​he gig? Faced with a choice between a stellar player and somebody who's simply "competent" but appears to be a better fit and appears to truly w​ant the gig - - I'll take competent over stellar any day of the week.

 

Good points. This is pretty much it.

[ski219]

I completely agree with above as well. They guy we chose was a bit less well prepared for the audition than the only other real contender, but he was/is a really good player and his personality, attitude, experience and just where he is in his life fit us to a T.

 

Our old drummer actually bagged out on us a bit early and we had a gig scheduled for last Saturday so our new guy did it with 2 practices under his belt and did really well. We are replacing almost our entire 2nd set over the next month and there were about 12 songs that we never even played with him. A lot of improvised endings, maybe blew through a few stops/breakdowns but he handled it really well.

[Pat'sStrat]

I'm blessed to have played with some great drummers the past couple of decades. I'm older, so the maturity issues like reliable transportation or showing up on time, professionalism, etc haven't been a factor for quite some time. I played with the same drummer for 17 years, and then we shut the band down. I went solo for a long time (I still do it) but last year I joined a straight up high energy blues band that won the regional International Blues Challenge in 2013 and went to Memphis to represent, and made it through the first two performances. I am for the first time in 17 years just another band member rather than the leader/front man. I only have to sing about 6 songs a night instead of 45. It's refreshing and frankly a lot of fun. The drummer is a guy I've known for years and did some fill in things with here and there. What I like about him the most is his versatility. We just finished a studio CD and we were able to record the entire record with a click track and he followed it very well. He is schooled, and can play just about any style of music we want- funk, 6/8 blues, shuffles, flat tires, mambos, sambas, rock, jazz, whatever- and he can play well at any volume, giving us a vastly wider range of venues and events we can play, from big festival stages to small restaurants. As as much as I loved my previous drummer, and still do, he was high energy and had an issue with volume and refused to play low volume gigs. The band I'm in now has been asked to turn down once in the year I've been with them, and we did, no problem. I'd say that may not be the most important thing, but at this point in my life and the gig situation being what it is where I live, it's a pretty big deal.