Female drummers?

Hi,
I'm Gina and new to the forum. I saw the first post about "guys should be drummers" or something like that. Someone even wrote that on my YouTube Video. I don't think that was very nice. Well, I don't like to brag but, I've been told I'm pretty good for a girl and someone that has only been playing about 2 1/2 years. I'd love to hear from some of you and get your thoughts. And, what about Hillary Jones or Cindy Blackman? Are they not good drummers? Come on! I like Mike Portnoy and Neil Peart but there are lots of us girls that are up and coming!

Come visit me on Facebook! Or my YouTube video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vD2G3v9aTY

Hope to hear from you!

Gina "G" Bongiovanni-Osmar

Hey Gina....... The first Gal drummer I ever saw was "Peaches" and she played for Wynn Stewart in the Nashville Nevada Club in Las Vegas. I have not seen better yet but I do know that drumming has nothing to do with SEX. Keep at it girl. - Curly

Now back to the practice pad..
 
I gotta say my favorite female drummer is our own Pollyanna. I'm not just saying that to kiss up, she really does play with fine style. C'mon Grea, make that link public...
 
Thanks Larry. You're far too kind. While in this benevolent mood, you couldn't lend me a quick $400 for a new splash cymbal, by any chance? :)

Ok, I'll risk the brickbats: http://www.sangrea.net/rijidij/music.htm *ducks for cover*

Of course I'm not even in the neighbourhood of Cindy, Hillary, Sheila, Karen, Peaches, the other fine players mentioned on this thread, or the many excellent female percussionists graduating from conservatoriums everywhere, etc etc. Oestrogen drumming has plenty to offer :)

The hard part is convincing girls who want to play drums that it isn't necessarily unfeminine. Playing a drum kit is too often seen as the female equivalent of a guy doing ballet or making tapestries.
 
Of course I'm not even in the neighbourhood of Cindy, Hillary, Sheila, Karen, Peaches, the other fine players mentioned on this thread, or the many excellent female percussionists graduating from conservatoriums everywhere, etc etc. Oestrogen drumming has plenty to offer :)

.

You're so modest. I think you have as much to offer than all these wonderul drummers. And I like your style more than some mentioned.
Tell ya what Polly, you tell me exactly what splash you want, and I'll send it to you. They aren't nearly that expensive here.
 
I actually inherited my first drum kit from my sister, who for some reason decided she was no good at the drums. This was absolutely not true, but she has never changed her mind (she makes up for it by playing harp, piano, tuned percussion, ocarina, and all sorts of other things).
 
I actually inherited my first drum kit from my sister, who for some reason decided she was no good at the drums. This was absolutely not true, but she has never changed her mind (she makes up for it by playing harp, piano, tuned percussion, ocarina, and all sorts of other things).

... and she can sing Thijs van Leer's vocal line in Hocus Pocus :)

There's a list of top female drummers on Wanderlist: http://www.wanderlist.com/girldrummer. There's a woman there named Elie from an all-female metal band called Scarlet Sins. She can really play.

There's also Allison Miller who's played some serious gigs, including with Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant and the Marty Ehrlich Quartet.
 
The wife is the primary drummer in the house

funny thing is, while we are both low-to-moderate volume (7a) players -- she's more competitive and when it is time to open up she'll lay into em (our next door neighbors are in their 20s have a rock band and sometimes she'll open our doors and goose their drummer to mess with em...all in good fun though)

she's an avid sea kayaker...it's her WINTER sport...so she's got physical/mental reserve tanks and can get surprisingly undainty and inexhaustible when you flip that switch
 
The wife is the primary drummer in the house

funny thing is, while we are both low-to-moderate volume (7a) players -- she's more competitive and when it is time to open up she'll lay into em (our next door neighbors are in their 20s have a rock band and sometimes she'll open our doors and goose their drummer to mess with em...all in good fun though)

she's an avid sea kayaker...it's her WINTER sport...so she's got physical/mental reserve tanks and can get surprisingly undainty and inexhaustible when you flip that switch

And they say lead singers get all the luck!!!!
 
Thanks Larry. You're far too kind. While in this benevolent mood, you couldn't lend me a quick $400 for a new splash cymbal, by any chance? :)

Ok, I'll risk the brickbats: http://www.sangrea.net/rijidij/music.htm *ducks for cover*

Of course I'm not even in the neighbourhood of Cindy, Hillary, Sheila, Karen, Peaches, the other fine players mentioned on this thread, or the many excellent female percussionists graduating from conservatoriums everywhere, etc etc. Oestrogen drumming has plenty to offer :)

The hard part is convincing girls who want to play drums that it isn't necessarily unfeminine. Playing a drum kit is too often seen as the female equivalent of a guy doing ballet or making tapestries.

What kind of splash costs $400?????
 
What kind of splash costs $400?????

Sorry Zep, I should have clarified. That's $A400 not $US400. I saw a 12" Zildjian for $A360 that had a good, clear sound (the other $40 was headroom - lol). That would be a bit under $US300. If you guys went into a shop and found the best-sounding 12" splash in there, how much would you be paying?

I squibbed and instead spent $67 on a Stagg 12" (ie. the least bad garbage can lid in the shop), figuring that I can usually coax something pleasant out of a cymbal once I get to know it. If I hit the garbage tin lid ... er, Stagg, with the shaft of the stick close to the bell - not too hard - it can almost sound ok in some musical situations but there's not much margin for error. I should have known better but since I'm not "serious" any more I couldn't justify buying a good one since I've spent plenty on other gear in recent months. Still, it does help keep my playing clean because I'm avoiding crashing as much as possible :)

Pardon the hijack. To make up for it, there's an intreresting thread on this forum: Why are there so few female drummers? http://ilikedrums.tribe.net/thread/88e6b370-a258-40a1-beb9-eac09856eec1

A couple of people on that forum listed some high quality women drummers as though suggesting that we're not a TINY minority in the drumming world. But we are. Even today, when people find out I'm in a band and ask me what instrument I play I feel a bit weird about saying "drums", even though I've never had a bad reaction. I just know it's not normal and people see it as a bit of a novelty.

Putting aside a couple of dozen outstanding individuals, the fact is that the gulf between the best female drummers and the best male drummers is huge. I mean, Cindy and Sheila are maybe the most technically advanced women players around, but on the other side you have guys who are percussion legends like Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, Vinnie, Steve Smith etc ... the list is almost endless.

I think a feminine sensibility might bring something a bit different to the table, at least at the "drumming working class" levels where I'm at. A lot of guys who pay around my technical level who I've met seem less sensitive to dynamics (ie. they play loud almost all the time) and also to the singer/drummer relationship, focusing more on the drum/bass relationship without really considering the vocals all that much.

That's just my perception based on what I've seen. At the higher level drummers there's probably not much difference in musical sensibilities because high level musicality seems to be pretty universal.
 
Hi, I'm a female drummer, and a newbie to this site! (Hint hint:Would anyone like to show me around?)
I've been playing for 3 years after a girl jokingly remarked on my constant tapping and fidgeting, "you should become a drummer!". Said girl was shocked when I picked up the sticks, joined a rock band and don't tap anymore! (much)

People are always asking me "Which female drummers do you look up to?" And I always get annoyed, because I look up to John Bonham, Keith Moon and Dave Grohl. For me drumming ability transcends gender; a great drummer is a great drummer is a great drummer. If there was an insane female player on parr with Bonham who had shaped rock drumming like he had, well, she would be on my list. I appreciate there are great female players out there, (Mo Tucker is amazing) but I think gender is irrelevant to who your role models are.

I do quite like Meg White, not because of her technical ability, but because she just ignores all the criticism and keeps on going regardless, I admire her guts! Plus her minimalistic style complements Jack's so well; if you had a mental male drummer laying down heavy fills and rolls all the time then... well it just wouldn't be the White Stripes. :)
 
Me! Me! Me! I'm a girl drummer! Or at least working at it. Started taking lessons about 6 months ago (decided at 44 I better get started on that old bucket list if I wanted to cross anything off of it). Having the time of my life and it's one of the best decisions I ever made. Not sure why more women aren't getting behind the kit but it does seem to be becoming more and more common. I also ride motorcycles which even 5 years ago when I first started wasn't very common among women, although nowadays you see a bunch of us out there getting off the b#tch seat and riding our own. I think the numbers of women drummers will just keep growing in time. After all it's not who's sitting behind the kit, it's the music they're getting out of it that counts.
 
It's great to see so many girl drummers on here. My Mom (and Dad) played the drums. I remember her teaching me the rudiments when I was knee-high. In fact, she played the drums in my Dad's band till she was 8 months prego. I was rocking out in the womb :)
 
Welcome welcome female drummers. This place is too heavily weighted with males. I have to say, they are probably the nicest males in cyberspace, but still...we need more of you for balance. Please know that we want you lol.
 
I consider drums to be one of the most - if not, THE most, masculine instruments around. They are big, loud-mouthed instruments hogging up all the space on stage and prefer to be eye-catchers...

But you have to agree that a drumkit is the most masculine instrument out there ;) So getting comments from other people is quite natural. But don't let that put you down.

I disagree :) I have recently returned to the UK after taking two months of taiko classes at a taiko school in Japan. One thing which stood out was that our class, which was held by a young professional female drummer, was mostly attended by females. Then I realised there is pretty much an even balance, if anything with a slight female majority, for the other classes, teachers and professional groups at that school. I have played drum kit for over half my lifetime and taiko is hands-down much more physically demanding than any band I've ever played with. The drumming is also seriously loud... which is another factor described above as 'masculine'. There is nothing seen as out of the ordinary in Japan about women combining a love for rhythm with physical exercise. That's the way I have always seen it.
 
I disagree :) I have recently returned to the UK after taking two months of taiko classes at a taiko school in Japan. One thing which stood out was that our class, which was held by a young professional female drummer, was mostly attended by females. Then I realised there is pretty much an even balance, if anything with a slight female majority, for the other classes, teachers and professional groups at that school. I have played drum kit for over half my lifetime and taiko is hands-down much more physically demanding than any band I've ever played with. The drumming is also seriously loud... which is another factor described above as 'masculine'. There is nothing seen as out of the ordinary in Japan about women combining a love for rhythm with physical exercise. That's the way I have always seen it.
Fascinating! Do you have any video clips of your time in Japan? Would love to hear the passion oozing out of those sessions!

joined a rock band and don't tap anymore! (much)
Bristol, I'm not so far away, between Hereford & Hay on Wye. I think we're due to play Tunnels in Bristol, I'll check that out. Welcome to the forum!
 
One of my best teachers was a woman. She's the principal percussionist at a local University.

I studied with her for 3 years and she completely changed the way I'd hold my sticks ever since. Amazing teacher and great person.

I also was at a local club this weekend where Kaleen Reading of Judas Priestess was playing. Doing some searching on her, at the ripe old age of 19, she's an absolute killer! Watch out metal world cause here she comes... Awesome stuff available online of her playing.

Wish I had a chance to talk with her but she was busy getting set up and I had to leave.

Go Kaleen Reading!!
 
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I disagree :) I have recently returned to the UK after taking two months of taiko classes at a taiko school in Japan. One thing which stood out was that our class, which was held by a young professional female drummer, was mostly attended by females. Then I realised there is pretty much an even balance, if anything with a slight female majority, for the other classes, teachers and professional groups at that school. I have played drum kit for over half my lifetime and taiko is hands-down much more physically demanding than any band I've ever played with. The drumming is also seriously loud... which is another factor described above as 'masculine'. There is nothing seen as out of the ordinary in Japan about women combining a love for rhythm with physical exercise. That's the way I have always seen it.

Wow I bet that was a great experience. Do you think it has affected your kit playing in any way? Do you speak any Japanese? It's always been one of those places on my "to visit" list and you've just given me an idea of something to do while I'm there.
 
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