“Your band is only as good as your drummer.” – Awesome Person
I don’t know whose lips first dawned that quote, but it couldn’t be more true.
Drummers are captains. They steer the ship wherever their skill and personality will take it. If your drummer sucks, good luck trying to find any traction in worship.
But with a good drummer, anything is possible. Over the years as I’ve worked with some great drummers I’ve developed a list of what I believe to be common habits between them.
And, yes, anyone can develop these habits. Sure, some talent helps. But I would rather have the less talented drummer who develops these habits than the talented know-it-all who can’t work with a team.
10 Drumming Habits
Welcome to my world of good drumming. A highly effective drummer:
1. Practices Fundamentals – I don’t care know how many double bass pedals you own or how fast you can race around the toms. Want to prove your skill? Show me how many hours you practice your rudiments. It’s the little things that make a big difference with professional drummers.
2. Practices With a Metronome – Great drummers don’t just play to a click. They internalize it. So much so that every limb on their body is moving to its rhythm. Every downbeat, every fill, every kick pattern is connected as one. They are masters of timing.
3. Studies Current Music Styles – I love drummers who take ownership of their playing. They’re constantly challenging themselves, avoiding the rut and routine of what they’ve always done.
Sure, they listen to the classics. But they’re also pushing the envelope, learning new styles and staying current.
4. Shows up Fully Prepared – Since a drummer is captain of the band, they know it’s paramount they show up prepared. Click tracks are ready, charts are written, and the musical path is defined. They are detail oriented – making sure everything is ready to go.
5. Is Easy-going – Working with a team is hard enough. Working with a team of drama queens is a nightmare, especially if your drummer is the guilty one. Want to improve your drumming? Tweak your personality to be more fun and easy going. Your leaders will love you.
6. Is Teachable – I don’t care how much you know, you need to be able to take instruction. A prideful, know-it-all attitude is the primary factor that will ruin your chances of getting more gigs. No matter the musical situation you’re in, seek to learn.
7. Is Influential – Get used to these words: captain, leader, influencer. Your team’s musical fate is in the palm of your hand (no pun intended). A great drummer realizes his musical responsibility and seeks to bring the rest of the band higher.
8. Is Passionate – Great drummers don’t just play the gig. They destroy it…in a good way. They’re fully present in the moment, pouring out their heart to God. They set the musical tone and maintain it.
9. Is A Good Listener – Yes, we typically keep drummers in cages. But that doesn’t mean they’re isolated. A great drummer is a great listener. They listen to the bass to lock in patterns. They take note of the lead vocal and how they are supporting it.
They realize they’re making music with a team, not just soloing.
10. Plays Simple – Great drummers can kill it. Sit them down at a drum kit and watch their hands fly. But in a team setting, great drummers kill it in a different way.
They’ve learned the art of simplicity – they know how to practice restraint in a way that serves the song. They realize that great music has more to do with what you don’t play than what you do play.
They’ve gotten over the desire to impress everyone in the room. Instead, they’re committed to what the Holy Spirit wants to do – committed to making one sound of praise as a team.
I believe in excellent drumming because I believe our responsibility as a worship team is great. Don’t allow yourself to get complacent.
The first step to being a professional is realizing that you never arrive. Now go and develop good habits.
And, if you benefited from this, tweet this post for more drummers to read. You’re awesome!
Question: What other habits would you add to the list of effective drummers? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
I love this post! It is so true! Thanks for sharing.
My college roommate said drummers are the only sane person in the band. Obviously he was kidding. They have a very big temper that’s why they love smashing the drum, be very careful.
Being Female 🙂 …
I say this because my wife is a drummer and she rocks… I agree with everything else in this post.. but female drummer take the awesome up a notch
Haha!
Maybe because girls can somehow count better than guys. Dang. 🙂
David, these 10 habits are what every good musician strives to achieve, not just drummers. Every good musician knows the fundamentals of their own instrument. I am not a drummer, but I still start every practice session with fundamentals I’ve been doing since I was a teenager. As to #10, some things every one in the band should encourage are ensemble, space, and minimalism.
Sincerely working on brevity, Don
Great points, Don. What fundamentals do you practice?
I just had another long detailed answer, and an erroneous key click wiped it out. Maybe later, or ask a different or more specific question. Blog time is up for today. Besides, I was long winded about guitar in a post for drummers. It seems so far that most of the guitar stuff has been about acoustic. Why not do a post about highly effective lead guitar players.
Don Simpson
What a necessary post for drummers to read. So many drummers I have come across in the church mistake skill for wrist chops. Drummers are the backbone of any band, not just worship, and taste is key to all playing styles. Steve Jordan is one of my favorites because of this, however guys like Carter Beauford tend to play more, but what makes it work is their impeccable timing across complex poly-rhythms and fills. Read this, apply it, and YOU will be a better drummer in no time.
“If your drummer sucks, good luck trying to find any traction in worship.”
I’m not sure how this posture will help a team experience pure worship. Just a surface thought.
I love good drums, but I try not to use this as a requirement to experience God’s presence.
Good point, Melanie. I didn’t mean to say it wasn’t possible. God moves even through an unskilled team. Great drums doesn’t secure the presence of God; however, it can be very difficult to lead a congregation deeper if your drummer is out of control. Without good musical traction, it’s difficult to find spiritual traction in worship. Does that make sense?
Yeah, it makes sense. Something still rubs me wrong with the motives behind our worship sometimes.
“They’ve learned the art of simplicity – they know how to practice restraint in a way that serves the song.”
Amazing point!
Good drummers also play to the room and acoustic environment, something Carl Albrecht highlights a lot. Restraint is important in that sense too I guess.
Dude, that’s a great point. I’ve been noticing that a lot, too. Immature drummers pound the crap out of drums in every room they play 🙂 Restraint is so important.
The important thing to remember is that there is a difference between control and restraint. As a reformed drummer turned worship pastor (ok I still love drumming more than a lot of things) I had to learn that control is the key. If you try to restrain your self and pull back because you’re “too loud” you hold back the creativity and passion that flows through you. But if you learn to harness that through control and a deep understanding of dynamics, you can really take the music to a whole new level. In the end, with control over dynamics instead of a hard cut restraint, you will see when the song calls for loud excessive rhythm and people will be moved in a way you’ve never seen. So show control and don’t be abrasive (that’s what can turn people off). If anyone needs an awesome drummer let me know because writing this has got me want to play again. 🙂
Hello,
We need a good drummer. We are Goodnight Wednesday, a modern rock outfit from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and are having trouble finding, and keeping a reliable solid, Jesus Loving drummer. If you are serious about playing drums please consider us as an option. Check out our reverbnation profile for info about our band.
A good follow up after your post on ‘Timing’.
I’ve also heard the drummer (and bassist) described as “the engine room” of your band. As you know, the rhythm section sets a foundation, upon which every other instrument either builds on, or crashes on.
I also agree with Don, “these 10 habits are what every good musician strives to achieve”.
Love that analogy. Definitely agree.
As a drummer I love this post. You hit tom right on the head. Number 9 is often over looked but so key.
When are you coming to play drums for me?
Bro say the word my friend and I’m there
Word. This weekend 🙂
Agreed. Playing music with a Worship team is a conversation and we need to learn to let other people talk (musically) and figure out ways to back up what the are saying. If you can support the key featured parts with what you’re playing; the music will be able to reach the next level and really improve the movement of the song itself. DRUMMERS FOR LIFE! lol 🙂
There’s the ongoing joke that the drummers are actually the worship leaders of the band. 😛
I have two ‘Beginner Drummers’. One plays on Wednesday night services and one plays on Sunday morning. We have Tuesday night rehearsals. How do I split up their practice time with the team?
Can you have them both attend and rotate during rehearsal?
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