I posted this in a thread and it has been bugging me

B

blade123

Guest

How many times must this be said???
You do not:
hit
beat
bash
thrash
strike
pummel
bang
or batter a drum.
You PLAY drums! You don't "beat the crap out of them"...
Using any other word is just proliferating the notion that drummers aren't musicians and just hit things.

You never hear guitarists say "I pluck guitar strings", it's always "I play guitar". You never hear trumpet players say "I blow air through a trumpet", it's always "I play trumpet". You play drums, you don't hit them. You hit a baseball. You hit a nail with a hammer.
 
Hmmmm.... Maybe I'm a bit of a snob. I, also, always have felt that you should "play" drums... "Play" being a fair and concise description of what most of us do.. Expend energy for the pleasure of ourselves and those engaged with us...

Maybe the difference is between drummers and drum owners.

My $0.02
 
I agree. Although all drummers take part in actions described in the first post, it's not fair to describe the entire art of playing percussions with just one of them. Sure, the very nature of drumming is "hitting stuff with other stuff", or if you take it a bit further, "exciting physical objects with other objects in order to create a sound". This approach works for all instruments, but apparently certain methods of producing a sound are held in lower regard than others...
 
Bravo for you. I think you've had a "moment of clarity". You can play fortissimo (loud) and pianissimo (soft). And everywhere in between. In addition, there are words used to indicate gradual changes in volume. The two most common are crescendo, sometimes abbreviated to cresc., meaning "get gradually louder"; and decrescendo or diminuendo, sometimes abbreviated to decresc. and dim. respectively, meaning "get gradually softer".
 
Just to play devil's advo - especially if you teach - how many times have you said "when you hit the drum..." ?

I have no problem with saying any of those words, and from seeing a lot of drummers play - I would say the same about them. Which is fine.

We used to make fun of (behind his back) a drummer in school who thought he was King Poop on Poop Mt. and he had the clumsiest left hand in the world - just NO idea about his dynamics (and played the same comping phrase ALL the time - we'd sit in the back row and speak his comping out loud - which we thought was hillarious - we're evil) - and while he had very nice drums - the way he tuned them helped me coin the phrase "They might as well be boxes"

Did a whole cartoon series on that phrase with the other drummers and myself. I showed the other guys 'cause they could take a joke, but not the BoxHand guy...yeesh.
 
The Colonel said:
We used to make fun of (behind his back) a drummer in school who thought he was King Poop on Poop Mt. and he had the clumsiest left hand in the world - just NO idea about his dynamics (and played the same comping phrase ALL the time - we'd sit in the back row and speak his comping out loud - which we thought was hillarious - we're evil) - and while he had very nice drums - the way he tuned them helped me coin the phrase "They might as well be boxes"
Click to expand...

That's some pretty mean-spirited stuff there, The Colonel. Making fun of someone (behind his back) in school.
Really, what's the point in posting stuff like that?
 
The Colonel said:
We used to make fun of (behind his back) a drummer in school who thought he was King Poop on Poop Mt. and he had the clumsiest left hand in the world - just NO idea about his dynamics (and played the same comping phrase ALL the time - we'd sit in the back row and speak his comping out loud - which we thought was hillarious - we're evil) - and while he had very nice drums - the way he tuned them helped me coin the phrase "They might as well be boxes"

Did a whole cartoon series on that phrase with the other drummers and myself. I showed the other guys 'cause they could take a joke, but not the BoxHand guy...yeesh.
Click to expand...

Dude, go and play outside and buly kids smaller than yourself. Don't expect ANYONE on the forum to appreciate the stuff you just posted. Really.
 
The Colonel said:
if you teach - how many times have you said "when you hit
a lot of drummers - I would say is fine.

a drummer who thought he was King Poop on Poop Mt. he had the clumsiest left hand dynamics

(and played the same comping phrase ALL the time -

we'd sit in the back row and speak his comping out loud - which we thought was hillarious -

we're evil)

- and while he had very nice drums - the way he tuned them helped me coin the phrase "They might as well be boxes"

Did a whole cartoon series on that phrase with the other drummers and myself.

I showed the other guys 'cause they could take a joke, but not the BoxHand guy...yeesh.
Click to expand...

Someone wanted me to tell you- "Great Job...And congrats on the new phrase and cartoon. I m sure its hilarious..."

Just passin it along, Cnl Crnhl.
 
Man, do we have a massive chip on our collective shoulder!

Why should it matter how we get our instrument to 'speak'? Coax, cajole, whip, beat the crap out of.. whatever??

Drums aren't built like guitars and guitars aren't built like trumpets? Somehow we seem to desperately need the nod of acceptance & approval from 'real musicians', whoever those geniuse are. We crave to hear from them that we aren't just cavemen with a tree trunk & a bone, and that we're musical and legit...

Who cares what anyone thinks....really?

I'll admit I still get terribly pissed off when a band leader that I work frequently who seems to think it really doesn't matter what a drummer plays on, as long as there is a ride cymbal. ( Read- as long as you keep time, what you sound like doesn't matter, what you play doesn't matter as long a it doesn't interfere with the music..lol....).

It goes without saying that this association is getting less frequent.

Hey, I feel your pain, Blade.. but c'mon, lets get over it bro............ ; )
 
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I went to school with a kid (I didn't make fun of him, lol) BUT He was so proud of his new drum solo because he Broke every head and cracked at least 1 cymbal before he was done!!!! And then had plans to repeat it every time he solo'd. What the heck...

It doesn't bother me too much what people think about us, Let them try to get along without us for a few shows and they'll sing a different tune.
 
caddywumpus said:
I share in your frustration. Not enough to let it bug me, though. People are going to call it what they're going to call it. You can't reach out to enough of them and change their ways to make a difference, though. Be the change you want to see...
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Quoting some Ghandi I see......
 
blade123 said:

How many times must this be said???
You do not:
hit
beat
bash
thrash
strike
pummel
bang
or batter a drum.
You PLAY drums! You don't "beat the crap out of them"...
Using any other word is just proliferating the notion that drummers aren't musicians and just hit things.

You never hear guitarists say "I pluck guitar strings", it's always "I play guitar". You never hear trumpet players say "I blow air through a trumpet", it's always "I play trumpet". You play drums, you don't hit them. You hit a baseball. You hit a nail with a hammer.
Click to expand...
If you do not:
hit
beat
bash
thrash
strike
pummel
bang
or batter a drum, you're not having enough fun and might be taking yourself too seriously.

Have FUN with your drumming, don't waste your time getting all "elitist" about a simple word or phrase.

Now gimme those leg bones, I'ma gonna go "Bang on the drum All DAY!!"
.
.
.

__________________
Most respect the badge, but all fear the drum.
 
Although I agree that terms like bang the drum are used too frequently, I think it's a stretch to believe that all other instrumental groups are not subject to a certain amount of stereotypical slang.

When wind players play a passage as well as can be expected, they are said to have nailed it.

Articulated sections are described as being popped.

While the term blast is so popular among brass players that you can even purchase tickets in the front of a DCI comp called the blast section.

The only difference between these groups and drummers is that these other groups are not nearly as obsessed about what other people think about them. As I've said a million times, the implied inferiority complex that percussionists incorrectly have about themselves is the far larger problem.
 
blade123 said:

How many times must this be said???
You do not:
hit
beat
bash
thrash
strike
pummel
bang
or batter a drum.
You PLAY drums! You don't "beat the crap out of them"...
Using any other word is just proliferating the notion that drummers aren't musicians and just hit things.

You never hear guitarists say "I pluck guitar strings", it's always "I play guitar". You never hear trumpet players say "I blow air through a trumpet", it's always "I play trumpet". You play drums, you don't hit them. You hit a baseball. You hit a nail with a hammer.
Click to expand...

Saying that you don't "hit," "strike," or "bang," drums is ridiculous. Yes, you do hit them. You certainly strike them. Bang 'em too. Using the terms "Hit, strike, or bang" doesn't imply any crazy amount of force or lack of technique. I think it's pretty foolish to say that "batter" is offensive, when we have "batter side heads." The only times I ever hear "pummel, bash, or thrash" are when people are describing really heavy hitters, when it's a fairly accurate statement.

Guitarists don't always say "I play guitar." Have you honestly never heard the term "shred" when a guitarist is talking about soloing? Shredding sound more violent and less technical than any word you listed above...but it's used to describe the best guitarists in the world when they solo. Some other examples include: piano players often say they "slam" the keys, bass players "pop" and "slap" their strings. Sax players "wail" on their horn. Trumpeters "blast" or "blare" their horns. As I said, guitarists "shred." The list goes on and on.

I spend all darn day talking music. My conversations would get REALLY boring if we were only allowed to say "play" for our instruments.
 
You guys are so much fun. I just love the interplay here. Long live everyone here.

I liked Matt Smiths last line, about the incorrect inferiority complex percussionists have as being the larger problem. Which is perpetuated by the countless drummer jokes. Whenever I hear one, I am torn whether to lightheartedly laugh it off or give it right back to the person who said it with both barrels. Sometimes I do both, depends on the mood.
 
Yeah, this should definitely be filed under the "Drumming Minutia Taken Way too Seriously" sub-forum...
 
Drums are not trumpets, flutes, or cellos. They are percussion instruments, which by definition you strike, or hit, and no one is going to respect you more because you think being a great musician means playing like a pansy. Drums are a different animal altogether, and I think we should appreciate that difference rather than fighting so hard to pretend it doesn't exist. They are different because they are so physical, which is one reason I love them so much. I love how I can play hard and fast for half an hour without stopping, and when I'm done my heart is beating fast, my throat is dry, my arms feel all tight, my hands are blistered, my sticks are broken, and my ears are ringing. I know that's not going to happen as much if you're a jazz-only guy, but that stuff is fun too, and it's still different. When you watch a [rock] band live, you want to see a drummer that plays every note like it's the last note he'll ever play.

All that said, I am still a musician. I play several instruments, can read very well, and teach. Just in percussion, I've done stuff with wind ensembles, orchestras, jazz bands, marching band, pit orchestras for musicals, church bands. and lots of other stuff where I didn't have to entertain anyone by hitting really hard and rocking out. Still, if I want to beat the crap out of or hit my drums, then dang it, I will, and I don't care if that bothers anyone here or not.
 
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