Dual Drummers- ever wondered why?

Pachikara-Tharakan

Silver Member
Grateful Dead, Allman Bros band, Doobie Bros etc.. has dual drummers... the music doesnt seem to have any significant drumming in other than regular stuff. Ever wondered why they have two drummers playing almost the same? One playing accoustic Drums, other playing congas makes sense but both ones playing the same accoustic sets.... why??
 
Various reasons - a band may just be looking to fatten up the sound of the rhythm section, or to improve dynamic richness. Two drummers playing the same groove simulataneously will provide a fuller more powerful sound, whilst having two drummers playing complimentary parts will provide a more distinctive and interesting rhythm section, a la Grateful Dead. It was certainly a more fashionable idea back in the 70's, and aesthetics may have been a consideration. A nice luxury of you can afford it.
 
I can only say this about the Allman Brothers, not sure about the other bands that had two drummers.

Very close friends of mine who moved away a few years ago had started a new band, doing "jam band" stuff (allmans, dead, etc.). They were trying to get me to come out to visit them and we talked about possibly having me join as the "second" drummer. I thought at first it was awesome and wondered why the need? So I made the trip with a drumkit and spent an entire weekend with them at their rehearsal place.

We were working on "Statesboro Blues" by the Allmans. My friend who was the drummer, pointed out that there is two distinctly different parts, and he was right! Another song was "Jessica".

I never ended up joining the band (moving, job, etc.), but it was very interesting to hear and play that stuff.
 
Grateful Dead, Allman Bros band, Doobie Bros etc.. has dual drummers... the music doesnt seem to have any significant drumming in other than regular stuff. Ever wondered why they have two drummers playing almost the same? One playing accoustic Drums, other playing congas makes sense but both ones playing the same accoustic sets.... why??

I do wonder why.

Sure, sometimes you can one guy play a hit hat while the other is on the ride, but for the most part, I rarely hear two parts.

I've seen some other bands (not mentioned above) try the two drummer thing, but it's just ends up a mess of flams.
 
I do wonder why.

I've seen some other bands (not mentioned above) try the two drummer thing, but it's just ends up a mess of flams.

Two drummers who worked really well together (but are often overlooked) are Jimmy Carl Black and Art Tripp, who played in Frank Zappa's band, The Mothers of Invention in the 1960's. Jimmy was more of a "home-grown" drummer who liked to lay back in the pocket, while Art was conservatory-trained and a little more adventurous. The personality of each drummer really matters when you have two playing at once. I think one player has to be just a little more submissive than the other; if you have two "chops monsters", they'll just be steppin' all over each other's toes!
 
Yes...one band in particular made me cringe to see two drummers...38 special..on MTV....when I was a young smarta** I used to joke about it all the time...never seemed to serve a purpose...of course at the same time Subdivisions by Rush was pretty happening and I was a full blown Neil Peart head then.
 
I would say dynamics. Why have a band with two lead guitarist? I love a band with dualing/choursing guitars. I can think of Allman Bros. Songs like one way out. Listen to that one, you can hear two distinct drum parts, that I don't think you can get with one drummer. They do such a great job switching from "lead" drum part, to "pocket" drum part, if that has any place in things...
I might add that having two drummers is experimental? Different from the norm. Maybe genious, depending on how you look at it?
 
Well, maybe also just to propel the band along even more. The song "Parker's Band" by Steely Dan featured two drummers. One was Jeff Porcaro but sadly I can't recall the other players name right now. You can plainly hear them playing different parts and they just complement each other so well.
 
James Brown was notorious for using multiple drummers. (Clyde and Jabo as the 2 most famous).

Someone (maybe Clyde) tells a story that when he joined James Brown's band there was 5 drummers (all with full kits) on stage. Over time they managed to get rid of the other 3, until there was only those 2 left.

Needless to say, if you check out live footage you can see theres 2 kits on stage, as well as 2 drummers.

They often didn't play at the same time, one of them would play a tune, and then the other the next, but sometimes they'd play the same groove together, or one would play accents over the other's groove.
 
Well, maybe also just to propel the band along even more. The song "Parker's Band" by Steely Dan featured two drummers. One was Jeff Porcaro but sadly I can't recall the other players name right now. You can plainly hear them playing different parts and they just complement each other so well.

Hey jcdrum14,

The other drummer is the great Jim Gordon. One of Jeff's heroes.

Awesome track!

Terry
 
Ehh...

NEVER been a fan of the "two drummers in a band" thing. Yes, I've always wondered why some bands do this(did that).

I usually try to keep an open mind about these types of musical oddities, but when I see and hear a band with 2 drummers, I become really critical of them. Pointing out this and that about why they don't need 2.

I think the only time I've been OK with this, is with Genesis. When I see Phil Collins and Chester Thompson play together. Probably because they don't "over-do" it.

Just my 2 cents. ;-)
 
Yep I was going to say Phil Collins and Ringo and His All Starr band uses two drummers.
 
I always liked Trios, each member has their own stuff to concentrate on, with less conflict between the members about whom would get the spot light on and all etc.. etc.. .
 
Imo, 1 person playing a trap set (lol) and 1 person playing latin percussion doesn't really add up to 2 drummers.
I saw in an article in DRUM!(i wish i had a subscription to modern drummer instead ;( ) they showed the two drummers in The Melvins and they had a righty and a lefty and they set up their kits together to look somewhat like a mirror image. It was neat.
But forget 2 drummers, try 3 drummers, and teenagers at that! That was my experience at Guitar Center one time. 3 mediocre teenage drummers playing on the acoustic kits at gc(i didn't know they allowed people to play those display kits?). It was a bit comical to me, since sometimes it sounded like a flam.

But if you're interested or wondering what it's like, check out youtube. I found a video one time at school, not knowing it was a double drummer video at first, thinking it was a mirror. It dawned on me when I was like "...wait, I hear a lot of tom-age(made up word) for one person to play during a groove, he doesn't have 3 hands does he? oh wait theres another guy!"
 
yeah, that about covers it right there. They compliment each other beautifully


I'm doing that with a band I am in, and it just really sounds barren with one drummer, They over lay guitars. Pay Metheny is brilliant at that, as was Jimmy Page. Why not drums?
 
For an answer to that question, please listen to Allman Bros 'In Memory of Elizabeth Reed' from Live at Fillmore East.

I agree! And "Whipping Post", and listen the the drum breakdown in "Hot Lanta". The whole Fillmore East album is amazing. It's subtle but very powerful the way they weave in and out with each other, and it totally propels the whole song. I always thought The Allman Bros pulled off the two drummer thing perfectly. The textbook example of how to do it!

Ehh... NEVER been a fan of the "two drummers in a band" thing. Yes, I've always wondered why some bands do this(did that).
I think the only time I've been OK with this, is with Genesis. When I see Phil Collins and Chester Thompson play together. Probably because they don't "over-do" it.

Ha! And for me that's the perfect example of "Why the hell are they doing that?" What a waste of time. Phil: if you really want to be the front man and popstar, shut up and sing. I'd prefer you just play the drums, but if you really wanna be a star, let Chester do the work and stay out of his way!
 
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