The Importance of the Drummer

The Importance of the Drummer

by Daniel N. Brown

Because of the fact that the drummer is the backbone of most
bands other musicians rely very heavily on him or her to
provide a strong beat that will keep a song together. A
drummer who is off beat, or off tempo, will lead the entire
band astray. Therefore, if the drummer is weak the whole
band will be weak.

Since the drummer provides the foundation for the other
musicians to follow, the drummer is the anchor of the band.
Being the anchor of the band, the drummer must have
confidence.

Confidence is what makes a good drummer a great drummer.
When you have confidence in your ability to play and
confidence in your instrument, success for the band is much
more likely to occur.

If you are a drummer in a band, then you are the anchor of
the band. The other musicians are relying heavily on you to
provide a strong beat that will keep everything together.
Other musicians may be able to cover their flaws when
playing their instruments as a group, but not you.
Everything you do behind your set will not only be heard,
but felt. There is simply no way to hide or cover up poor
drumming skills!

The drummer is vital to a band, and a great drummer can make
up somewhat for other musicians who may not be at the same
level of expertise. The reason is because your listeners
will notice more of what is in your band's music than what
is NOT in it.

For instance, let's say your guitarist is not real creative.
He may play well enough to keep up with the pace of the
song, but as far as adding anything flashy, he's just not
able at his current skill level. But, there you are, with
your solid sense of rhythm and timing. That's what people
are going to notice! They simply will not notice something
that the guitarist does NOT do.

People who are not musically inclined just want to be moved
by the music. They do not evaluate it like musicians do.
Now, if the guitarist seriously flubs something up, then
that's a different story all together. Not being creative
and not adding to the music is one thing, but making
critical mistakes is another. Musician, or not, people know
what is, or is not, pleasing to the ear.

So, as a drummer, the anchor of the band, be solid, strong
and confident. Continue to practice regularly and never be
satisfied with your level of progress.