What type of a drummer are you?

[Gregdc]

I straddle 4 and 5. Circumstance has led me to not to make the big jump to "pro", I'd consider myself a professional level player and I tour with my band and release records on a fairly reputable UK indie label, but just not enough to pay the mortgage and feed my son.

 

[Eric Osler]

I skimmed the article because I read comments on here that it kind of misses its mark on the higher numbers. I would rate myself a 4, with regard to their system but I agree I see some flaws. I have been in the studio and cut 2 albums in my younger years (one was completed, the second was never mastered and the rough mixes were lost). We supported our album around the region quite a bit. The band flirted with a few small labels but none of us could afford a legitimate tour and none of us were interested in forfeiting rights to our music so it all went kaput. Now I gig a lot more regularly than I did back then and have no real desire to be anything more than a working hobbyist. That being said, I am steadily practicing, learning material, working on my lazy left hand, trying to learn traditional grip...there is always something. Drums and Jeeps are where my mind wanders to 90% of the time. I would love to get into the studio again. I have some friends looking to collaborate on stuff they have written and several have asked if I would be a part of it...so there is a small chance I might. However where I live there is a LOT of extremely talented drummers so that may not happen, and that's ok too.

 

[CherryClassic]

Over my 66 years of playing I've been several kinds of drummer, from serious hobbyist to full time professional. Now that I'm a retired geezer, drumming is how I supplement my retirement income while keeping relatively fit and getting out of the house now and then.

What really drives me these days is playing with other good musicians. There's nothing like the feeling I get when the band is really grooving, no matter the genre. I don't often play something myself that makes me say, "Oh, yeah!" to myself, but my fellow musicians do so on a regular basis, and being a part of that is a great feeling. And there is absolutely nothing like the feeling that comes when the audience is in sync with us and pushing us to greater heights. There's nothing else like playing with really good players. Nothing harder, and nothing more rewarding.

I guess I'm number 3; I really like Paul's response although I had a regular job and never had to rely on drumming to survive. Mostly a hobby and a hobby that finances my second hobby of R/C Airplanes. Like Paul I really enjoy playing with a group of top notch musicians. Playing with those guys keeps you on your toes from beginning to end. I play a style that I try to please the dancers, (mostly Country) to give them a feeling of enjoyment and the feel of the music.

sherm

 

[DamnSingerAlsoDrums]

Nooooo, can people stop posting this myth.
A crowd is much less judgemental than a record producer or sound engineer. I've played terrible shows (it happens) and people have come up to me afterwards and said they thought I was fantastic.
Also, this incorrect belief that bad playing and bad sound can all be solved by 'studio fairy dust'.
If you were a key member of a band you might get away with that attitude, especially as drum tracking is likely to occur once every couple of years. If you are a 'studio drummer' if you aren't delivering world class performances and sound, you just won't get any work.
As I said, most studio drummers also play high profile gigs. So it's a false split in category.

With all due respect for your tremendous body of work and your invaluable contribution to this forum, Chris, with album budgets shrinking and technology advancing, the definition of a session or a studio drummer is changing.

Of course what you say is mostly true, but more and more of the studio cats are now working from their home studio where they use every trick in the book to make sure the producer receives a world class performance (wich may or may not have been done in many many takes and contain many edits, sample augmentation etc...)

Save for a tiny number of extremely privileged productions, gone are the days where you'd fly in top guys like Aaronoff, Omar Hakim, or Porcaro. I didn't invent this fact, this is what is happenning in my market as it is around the globe. That has been discussed and repeated in numerous podcast appearances by top cats like Matt Chamberlain, Ash Soan, Carter McLean, Aaron Sterling, Jake Reed, Blair Sinta and a bunch of others.

Sure, all these folks can (and absolutely do) offer world class playing right out the gate and will very likely get a producer that "magical" track in a minimal amount of takes. That is usually what a producer wants: getting the closest to a finished product within minimal time. But at the end of the day, even in a hi-cost studio, a producer will generally give his drummer at the very least 2 or 3 takes before switching to the next song.

A crowd may be less picky than a producer, I'll give you this, but they are also all equipped with recording/filming and broadcasting gear now... On any given night, a sizeable percentage of any crowd is filming, some of them broadcasting live on YT or FB or the likes. And with the democratisation of technology, most shows are now tracks-augmented or have their lighting/video effects time-coded, so a lot of live drummers now have got to lock pretty aggressively with the click and not miss a cue or else learn to spell train wreck... WITH a bunch of folks filming/broadcasting...

What I meant then, and still mean now is: it is hard to prioritise one over the other. Like you said yourself, there is a lot of cross-pollination within the higher echelon of studio and live playing.

 

[FitDrummer]

I’m not sure where I would rate myself. I would consider myself just a basic, maybe boring cover band drummer. I try to serve our songs, and not overplay.

 

[Carbineone]

Always been just a hobby Drummer..And not a very good one..I just like sitting down and beating on my old 60s Club Date every now and then...Just a escape from reality every now and then..

 

[michaelocalypse]

I like these types of articles. Minimal reading required: Occasional hobby drummer.

Why? Life is busy and it's been the only thing I've every had where I can just do it for fun. I have gotten into higher levels at times, and I could do way more than I do, but I like where I'm at with it.

 

[Monday317]

Over my 66 years of playing I've been several kinds of drummer, from serious hobbyist to full time professional. Now that I'm a retired geezer, drumming is how I supplement my retirement income while keeping relatively fit and getting out of the house now and then.

What really drives me these days is playing with other good musicians. There's nothing like the feeling I get when the band is really grooving, no matter the genre. I don't often play something myself that makes me say, "Oh, yeah!" to myself, but my fellow musicians do so on a regular basis, and being a part of that is a great feeling. And there is absolutely nothing like the feeling that comes when the audience is in sync with us and pushing us to greater heights. There's nothing else like playing with really good players. Nothing harder, and nothing more rewarding.

I’m a wannabe amateur at best. But hell—

 

[Old Drummer]

What, there's no category for weekend warrior?

This guy's emphasis on recording and de-emphasis on live gigs is way too modern for me. Back in my day, except for demo tapes made in real studios, you waited for a big record company to sign you (which never happened) while making your money off live gigs. Nowadays, I've noticed, nearly everybody and their brother have home recording studios. Accordingly, bands do a lot more recording and even "release albums" online, although they seem to gig a lot less. My neighbor's band, for example, only gets gigs about once a month, but they also release albums and make a little money that way. This is a new business model to me. I gigged every weekend and sometimes more often for many years, but never recorded more than demo tapes or whatever somebody captured on a cassette recorder.

Anyway, if I can adjust the typology for historical differences, I was probably in the middle or a little beyond the middle of the list at my peak, though have now dropped back to the lowest category of amateur hobbyist. I just got tired of it and life intervened. Then, just as I was gently easing back into it, the pandemic hit and I realized that I'm too old and at too much risk to brave enclosed, crowded clubs with heavy-breathing dancers. Drumming again was fixing to be fun, but not fun enough to risk becoming a dead drummer, so I dropped back to #1 on the list, a living amateur hobbyist.

 

[Rock Salad]

I'm at 4, and the guys are talking about wanting to get out regionally (5.) But I have always, and still do consider music my hobby. Plus really, I have very few drumming skills and a very lax attitude toward practice. Most basement drummers (or even high school drum students) would probably slay me. I just have a sound and feel in my heart/mind that I don't find anyone else making.
So yeah, another one that doesn't really fit the article's scheme.

 

[ronisong]

Over my 66 years of playing I've been several kinds of drummer, from serious hobbyist to full time professional. Now that I'm a retired geezer, drumming is how I supplement my retirement income while keeping relatively fit and getting out of the house now and then.

What really drives me these days is playing with other good musicians. There's nothing like the feeling I get when the band is really grooving, no matter the genre. I don't often play something myself that makes me say, "Oh, yeah!" to myself, but my fellow musicians do so on a regular basis, and being a part of that is a great feeling. And there is absolutely nothing like the feeling that comes when the audience is in sync with us and pushing us to greater heights. There's nothing else like playing with really good players. Nothing harder, and nothing more rewarding.

Couldn't have set it better myself. I'm 65, recently retired, and am playing often these days! A little supplemental income helps. I'm playing different styles, and when the others are skilled players . . . yes! I've been playing straight ahead jazz with a particular bassist who has toured with some serious bands and it's just wonderful and I'm holding my own! My main problem now--besides my wife who wants to spend more time with me--is this nagging pain in my left hand. I am wondering if it is related to the fact that I returned to trad grip and was building up my fulcrum with my thumb. Lots of pain. Doc says it's arthritis. My right hand, which I play matched, is fine.

 

[kzac]

I'm a broke, and I'm old, and now retired from working
So, I finally have time to play my kits and learn some new grooves, and its been wonderful
I am completely amazed by what they have done with e-drums.
Ok enough typing, got to get back to my kit..... see yall...

 

[David M Scott]

Over my 66 years of playing I've been several kinds of drummer, from serious hobbyist to full time professional. Now that I'm a retired geezer, drumming is how I supplement my retirement income while keeping relatively fit and getting out of the house now and then.

What really drives me these days is playing with other good musicians. There's nothing like the feeling I get when the band is really grooving, no matter the genre. I don't often play something myself that makes me say, "Oh, yeah!" to myself, but my fellow musicians do so on a regular basis, and being a part of that is a great feeling. And there is absolutely nothing like the feeling that comes when the audience is in sync with us and pushing us to greater heights. There's nothing else like playing with really good players. Nothing harder, and nothing more rewarding.

Amen !

 

[brokenstick]

Liked it from the start and I'm pretty sure it's fun

 

[bikeboy]

I'm 61 now and never been more active with drumming than the past few years. Played off and on since 5th grade band but various other things kept me from really focusing on becoming a good drummer as a young man. I went about 10 years without owning a kit then got one for my 40th birthday. I would mess around but not really practice until a friend was looking for a drummer for his country-flavored indie rock band. Joined that around age 50 and still play with the most recent configuration. We are playing at a friend's retirement party in a few weeks.

About 4 yrs ago I was introduced to a blues/Americana singer/guitarist when he moved to our small city and we hit it off immediately, played together very naturally. We now gig regularly and are driving to Southern California tomorrow to play one 3-hour gig at a beach bar. It's so great to play shows locally and occasionally travel to adjacent states to play at breweries, little bars etc. If we make enough to cover expenses great, if not it's a fun little roadtrip vacation with friends.

As others have said, drumming can be really fun and therapeutic even without fame or fortune. I really appreciate the details of the thing and think it's really cool to check out various forum members' wisdom, opinions, gear, etc.

Oh yeah, type 3.5.

 

[robthetimekeeper]

I prefer the term "drimmer".

 

[TCurtis]

2 currently. Working towards 4 - I'm more interested in recording than playing shows

I’m 57 now, and injuries have taken their toll. It would make sense if lean towards studio playing. I just don’t enjoy it. Playing with others, under any circumstances is the best high I’ve found. I’ll never give up playing live.

 

[latzanimal]

A happy one.... I don't care 'bout no stinking' list

 

[Whitten]

Of course what you say is mostly true, but more and more of the studio cats are now working from their home studio where they use every trick in the book to make sure the producer receives a world class performance (wich may or may not have been done in many many takes and contain many edits, sample augmentation etc...)

Of course, I work from home now too. I'm struggling to see how working from home equates to using every trick in the book. I'm no longer on the clock. My studio doesn't charge by the hour, like a commercial studio. I was under more time pressure when I worked at expensive studios. Now I can do a couple of takes, walk away for an hour, have a cup of coffee and listen back to my work with a clear head and decide if it's good enough to send to the client.
I'm not doing anything in my home studio that isn't done in big studios on major productions.
The core performance HAS to be there, my drums HAVE to sound as good as possible.
I often edit the best bits from two or three (already good) takes - because I can. I often sit a great sounding kick sample (that I once recorded in an expensive studio) under my main kick - because I can.
You can't change the sound of the overheads, or the room mics.
There is tremendous competition in remote drumming. People like Aronoff and Bissonette are offering it.
I'm not sure what this mythical 'fairy dust' is that makes it easier to record at home than at Oceanway or Air Studios?

 

[Mapex Always]

Of course, I work from home now too. I'm struggling to see how working from home equates to using every trick in the book. I'm no longer on the clock. My studio doesn't charge by the hour, like a commercial studio. I was under more time pressure when I worked at expensive studios. Now I can do a couple of takes, walk away for an hour, have a cup of coffee and listen back to my work with a clear head and decide if it's good enough to send to the client.
I'm not doing anything in my home studio that isn't done in big studios on major productions.
The core performance HAS to be there, my drums HAVE to sound as good as possible.
I often edit the best bits from two or three (already good) takes - because I can. I often sit a great sounding kick sample (that I once recorded in an expensive studio) under my main kick - because I can.
You can't change the sound of the overheads, or the room mics.
There is tremendous competition in remote drumming. People like Aronoff and Bissonette are offering it.
I'm not sure what this mythical 'fairy dust' is that makes it easier to record at home than at Oceanway or Air Studios?

Brother Whitt , if you read the original post the guy is responding to , he is simply stating that there is more you can make happen in the studio than you can live on stage (mostly) , that’s the “fairy dust”. Nothing more than that. And he is correct.

Then you proceeded to provide a couple of examples of you using this “fairy dust” in your above post (edit the best bits , sit a great sounding kick sample under my main kick).

The guy gave you all the respect in the world in his response to you. Just listen to what he’s saying with an open ear and you’ll get it.

Respect , Doc.