Need help translating from guitarist to drummer

EricT43

Senior Member
I'm playing in an 80's rock cover band. My bandleader, who is the guitarist, has said that he loves how solid I am - he says I'm like a human metronome. I take this as a great compliment, of course. He says he thinks I am a "finesse drummer", which I would agree with. I am more Stewart Copeland than Keith Moon. But, he says he would like me to "rock out" and play more "drum rolls" (I think he means fills). I asked him if he could give me a specific example, or name a drummer who rocks out like he is imagining, and he mentioned Journey's new drummer but was not able to explain his thoughts any more clearly.

I really would like to understand what he's looking for so that I can make an attempt to play the way he is asking. Have any of you been asked for this, and if so, how did you handle it?
 
I'm also in an rock cover band of the same era, and apart from metronomic rhythm, my tips would be:
  • Make sure you look like you're enjoying yourself while playing. Chances are you may be concentrating too much on keeping time and playing the right notes; if you loosen up the playing you will look and feel like you're "rocking" more than just "playing".
  • If he wants more fills then go for it! Make sure to start conservative though. A fill doesn't have to be a full bar, or even half a bar. Try to do some 16th note fills on the very last beat of a bar, or the last beat and a half. Quick note: 80s rock doesn't tend to stray from 4/8/16 bar structures. If you do a fill on an odd numbered bar it's likely gonna sound odd unless the vocals or a guitar hook indicates that something musically interesting is going on.
  • A quick way to spice up a neat chord progression, especially when the chord changes are happening off the beat, is to crash on the chord change, or at the least do a hi-hat bark - listen to the chorus of AC/DC's Touch Too Much.
 
I'd take this request with a grain of salt. Sometimes non drummers don't understand that being solid trumps fills. He likes what you're doing right now. As a guitarist, he is much more free to wander about the song. Drummers don't have as much of that luxury. It's a possibility that perhaps this guitarist can't relate to being tied to the time like a drummer needs to be. I would keep doing what you are doing, and just be on the lookout for places that you can put in some extra stuff that compliments, without distracting from anything. Small moves for now to test the waters. Sometimes what they think they want doesn't actually work as well as they'd expect.

It sounds like you are doing a great job though.

It reminds me of hearing Ringo. There were times where I've said to myself, "if I were him, I would have played this right there"
So I'd play along to the record, only to realize that "my" part didn't work as good as what Ringo already understood. Could be the same thing here, maybe.
 
i agree w/ Larry. file it away & save the "my playing is not a democracy" speech if it gets nasty. if you are nailing the 80s covers drum parts...then this should be a non issue / non comment.
 
I really would like to understand what he's looking for so that I can make an attempt to play the way he is asking.

This seems like communication 101 but, ask him for specifics.

Have him choose a song, then listen to that song and try to replicate the fills.

If you would have asked him in the conversation, you wouldn't be left wondering. Don't be afraid to ask anyone (except you wife) for anything.
 
Don't be afraid to ask anyone (except your wife) for anything.

What are you talking about? I've never been disappointed asking his wife for anything!


Ba-da-boom! Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the fish...
 
This seems like communication 101 but, ask him for specifics.

Have him choose a song, then listen to that song and try to replicate the fills.

If you would have asked him in the conversation, you wouldn't be left wondering. Don't be afraid to ask anyone (except you wife) for anything.

Does Communication 101 include reading retention?

I asked him if he could give me a specific example, or name a drummer who rocks out like he is imagining, and he mentioned Journey's new drummer but was not able to explain his thoughts any more clearly.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to have to push him on an example, because I'm not sure what he means except to play busier. And like Snorbuckle said, maybe just kick back and enjoy myself and project myself more out to the audience. I do tend to concentrate on what I'm doing, and I'm sure I'm not that interesting to watch.
 
The way I read it, you tried to communicate but were not able to..

My suggestion was to approach him again and narrow it down to a specific song or better yet, a specific part of the song, and get his input. If he can't express himself at this basic level, I'm not sure what to suggest..


I understand that my 101 comment appeared to be harsh. That was my fault. It's up to me to explain what I'm trying to convey (more 101 stuff :) )

My suggestion for almost any situation is, don't walk away from the conversation without an understanding of what you were discussing. Pursue different angles until you reach some understanding. Maybe it's 202 :)
 
Another option, if you can do it solidly, is to spice up the pattern where you might otherwise put a fill. It's not as much of a groove killer and makes song transitions sound like something is happening. Some of my favorite drummers do this. A couple of extra ghost notes or one or two extra hits per bar. Just to make it go somewhere.
 
The way I read it, you tried to communicate but were not able to..

My suggestion was to approach him again and narrow it down to a specific song or better yet, a specific part of the song, and get his input. If he can't express himself at this basic level, I'm not sure what to suggest..


I understand that my 101 comment appeared to be harsh. That was my fault. It's up to me to explain what I'm trying to convey (more 101 stuff :) )

My suggestion for almost any situation is, don't walk away from the conversation without an understanding of what you were discussing. Pursue different angles until you reach some understanding. Maybe it's 202 :)

You know, my 101 retort was kind of harsh too, sorry about that! It was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but reading it again it seems kind of rude. My apologies!
 
I'm playing in an 80's rock cover band. My bandleader, who is the guitarist, has said that he loves how solid I am - he says I'm like a human metronome. I take this as a great compliment, of course. He says he thinks I am a "finesse drummer", which I would agree with. I am more Stewart Copeland than Keith Moon. But, he says he would like me to "rock out" and play more "drum rolls" (I think he means fills). I asked him if he could give me a specific example, or name a drummer who rocks out like he is imagining, and he mentioned Journey's new drummer but was not able to explain his thoughts any more clearly.

It sound like he wants more energy from you, doesn't it? So play bigger, project more energy, and, selectively, play more stuff. Rock more. It's pretty straightforward.

And he's not a drummer, so he's probably not going to have too many helpful specifics. Wasting his time grilling him about it, or fighting about it, will only encourage him to replace you at the first opportunity. If you don't care about that, or if he's not actually the leader, and has no business telling you how to play, then you should do whatever you want.
 
I. If you don't care about that, or if he's not actually the leader, and has no business telling you how to play, then you should do whatever you want.

heh heh, that always works out well, lol

An amateur low level band is generally a cooperative arrangement that requires members to get along. You should never just do what you want. Every member has a right and a responsibility to talk about the direction of the music, even (occasionally) the other players parts.

3, 4 or 5 people can't just do what they want and hope it all works out. That's like building a house without a blueprint. You need to talk about it, think about it, try different things and work to get/stay on the same page.
 
I wouldn't have put the emphasis on that part of my comment. I thought I was suggesting he try to give the guy what he was asking for. I don't think he was sounding him for a band meeting on the direction of the music.
 
In our small corner of the world, our band is one of the best around. We get to play interesting and challenging music, and we play almost every weekend. So even though I do this as a hobby for my own enjoyment, I do want to be part of a team, which occasionally means not just doing what I want.

I think toddbishop hit the nail on the head. I just have to figure out what playing bigger and projecting more means, but I think it has more to do with attitude and personality than it has to do with what I actually play :) I always pour my heart and soul into my playing, even on a straight 4-on-the-floor 2/4 beat. I just have to figure out how to let my passion show more to the crowd.

Thanks so much for all the feedback guys, really appreciate it!
 
I think some of this is just about the type of player other musicians like. Sounds to me he wants you to be play a little harder, harder in terms of dynamics and adding some flavor to selected fills.
 
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