Dave Grohl once said, “I love being a drummer. Everyone thinks you’re dumb. What they don’t realize is that if it weren’t for you, their band would suck.”
Contrary to what Dave believes the rhythmically-challenged think, I have great admiration for percussionists. The things some drummers can do with a drum kit seems, frankly, impossible to me. The speed of their hands…the fact that they are often doing four separate things with their hands and feet (five if you count singing). Don’t believe me? Check out some of the videos of Buddy Rich on YouTube. Crazy fast.
Naturally, I have favorites (you may have your own, feel free to disagree with my list) – in no particular order: John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Darren King (Mutemath), Alan White (Yes), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), and Neil Peart (Rush) – sort of a who’s who of rock drummers. All highly skilled and innovative in their own way – all gifted musicians. I do not claim to be any kind of expert on drumming – far from it, but I do know what I like, and it tends more toward complicated, technically difficult-to-play rhythms. But then, I also like the music of the Beatles and the White Stripes and The Carpenters (I’m dating myself, I know), where the drumming is more understated or not viewed as a hallmark of their music (no disrespect intended towards those drummers, just pointing out that drumming is not the first thing you think of with those bands – see the notes at the end of this article for more on the topic).
This made me wonder – what makes a good drummer, and how can you tell a good one from a bad one?
I recently came across a short video on Youtube that answered this question (check it out here: https://youtu.be/9oQsKRyihEA). In the video, someone asked Brandon Khoo, an accomplished drummer himself, how to tell a good drummer from a bad one – his answer surprised me. Mr. Khoo turned the question around and asked his audience if Meg White, from the White Stripes, was a good drummer or a bad drummer. Someone in the audience, predictably, answered, “bad”. Mr. Khoo went on to ask, “why?” The guy answered, “because she only plays a simple beat.” Mr. Khoo then played a recording of the Beatles’ “In My Life” to demonstrate what is a simple drum beat from a well-known song by, arguably, the greatest band ever. He then contrasted this by playing along with the song on his drum kit using a much more complex drum pattern (i.e., “good” drumming). It ruined what is a beautiful, melodic song – it didn’t fit the “feel” of the song. What Mr. Khoo played took more skill than what Ringo played, and yet what Ringo played was clearly the better of the two.
Mr. Khoo’s point was this – a good drummer plays for the music. A good drummer plays what the music requires.
As Tony Williams put it, “Playing fast around the drums is one thing. But to play music, to play with people for others to listen to, that’s something else. That’s a whole other world.” Tony Williams played with Miles Davis.
This struck a chord with me. How many times in my life have I opted for the solution that best showcased my skills over the solution that was needed? How many times have I “gold-plated” a solution for no other reason than I could? Don’t get me wrong, many problems require complex solutions and “virtuoso” skills – but sometimes it takes great skill to simplify the complex.
As a professional – as a human being – you should always be honing your skills and learning new ones, but watch for those occasions where the simple solution is the best solution. Get in the habit of asking yourself, “what does the music require?” and then do just that.
Notes:
- In my opinion, Ringo Starr doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a pioneer of rock drumming. Here’s a brief tribute to his playing that will hopefully give you a better appreciation of his drumming: https://youtu.be/cqeBt5ZO4mU (warning: contains a bit of “colorful” language – thanks Taylor).
- Meg White’s drumming has been called sloppy, simplistic, repetitive and just plain bad, but without her there would’ve been no White Stripes…and possibly no Jack White (at least not musically). Her drumming is an integral part of the White Stripes distinctive sound.
- Perhaps you already know this, but Karen Carpenter was a talented drummer in her own right. She would often say that she was just a drummer who sings. If you are interested in hearing her drumming, check out: https://youtu.be/H47v7yYRfjA
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