Set Drummers

[Mike_Bonfig]

Hey there drum-folk. I've got a question about drumming that I'm sure several people have opinions on. My question relates to "professional set drummers":

Not including the people we know came up through the drum corps ranks, how would the drummers for rock bands or even professional jazz ensembles stand up in a setting with a corps drumline? I've always considered that to be in the drumline you need to be a real "pocket player", strongly schooled in the fundamentals of the craft rather than the glitz of playing set.

At least going from the "best" (term used loosely) set drummers in my highschool, there was always an element of slop in their playing, but they could get away with it because they were a lone drum in the crowd. However, if we were to consider people like Neal Pert, Peter Erskine or Buddy Rich, from a drummers perspective, do they have enough of the fundamentals of drumming to come in and throw down with a corps?

Pardon my ignorance. B)

[dmfootworks]

It's a very difficult question to answer. Most set drummers don't look at marching percussion like it's a cousin activity or something like that. On drumset you need to coordinate all four limbs and your role is much different. Precision is not only unnecessary in set playing, but some would see it as undesirable. To the drumset player, marching percussion may be admired for the particular skill required but may be seen as limiting as well. As far as whether a good drumset player could do, say, drum corps snare or not? Depends on the level of talent, of course, but the heart has to be there, too. Many may have the chops and the stamina, but if they're not schooled in the rudiments you can imagine how they might struggle to lock in. Drumset players would likely have problems with the "static" nature of marching percussion. I really see them as completely different things in just about every way and that makes it a difficult question.

[drumstix909]

I marched with a guy in high school who was an amazing drum set player, started being taught by his uncle at age 3 or something like that....but he was horrible for our drumline. He had the chops, he could play things really fast, but he was so sloppy that he looked horrible when doing it. And when it came to things like open rolls on snare and stuff, they sounded horrible because he would crush everything and he had no control. The worst part about it all was that he thought he was great....go figure...

[RobH]

Having done both set (mostly jazz) and drum corps snare, here's my two cents':

To be a good set drummer (again, primarily the jazz genre) ya gotta be able to SWING.

It's hard to define and hard to develop - takes YEARS and often DECADES before one gets the groove - and it can differ between small combos and big bands - each have their own requirements for a drummer.

Even rock drumming, when done right, has an element of swing (or being in the pocket) to it, though rock drumming is far simpler than jazz. Less nuance, less phrasing, more solid beat-making with little interpretation beyond loud!

A couple exceptions are David Garibaldi with Tower of Power (major funk player and very musical!), and Carter Beauford with Dave Mathews - both are great examples of players who can "swing" within their own musical genre.

Drum corps (I speak of my experiences pre-DCI) requires a better mastery of a stricter and more purely rudimental style, and the need to work with several others playing the same beats simultaneously (I'm talking snare line here but it also applies to tenors).

Drum corps drumming doesn't always carry over well to drum set for reasons mentioned earlier - using hands and feet to create different sounds on different instruments simultaneously (ride cymbal, snare, bass, hi-hat) requires a completely different way to "think" about the rhythm, and requires more musical subtlety and LISTENING to the other players in a band/combo to avoid drowning them out or playing over them.

In either drum corps or set playing, PRACTICE, listening and understanding the music, and good teaching is the key!

Edited March 11, 2004 by RobH

[tamadrummer04]

I hate hate hate hate hate it when drummers claim to be good, and they are...they can play really really fast...single strokes and crazy around the toms fills and stuff, then you ask them to slow it down. And it just sucks. If you are really that good, you could play it at ANY tempo at ANY given time. I ticks me off when drummers skip the fundamentals and rudiments and the basics, and get right to the stuff that you would never really use in any drumline setting, or even in your typical rock band. Master the basics, then move to the flashy stuff. I am more impressed by someone who can play a clean 8 on a hand or double beat or something at any tempo, that is realistic, and can adapt to an ensemble setting, not the person who plays flam-chudi-chacha-chida-buda-diddles at mach 10. Sorry...had to say this...it just ticks me off...

Edited March 12, 2004 by tamadrummer04

[Chi-Chkins]

It is hard going from set playing to corps playing. I marched corps before I ever played set and let me tell yuo it was the hradest thing I ahve ever done. I was so used to playing with corps technique that I put it on to my set. Sure it worked and all but it did't look all that great. I ahve been playin for 7 years now and I have taught myself how to play a little softer asnd more fluidly ona set...it is fun but hard at the same time.

[RobH]

The real difficulty has to do with it being a DIFFERENT type of drumming - set vs corps.

Ya gotta practice a lot to be competent in both!