“Will the musicians please come to the stage. Oh, and the drummer too.”
by Dustin in General / 07.30.09
We have all heard the jokes before: what do you call someone who hangs out with musicians? A drummer. Ha ha, very funny. As a below average to average drummer myself, I take exception to that hilarious jab at the drumming community. Granted, there are some knuckleheads out there whose attitude, cleanliness, and time-telling abilities may reinforce drummer stereotypes, but overall, I would say drummers get a bad rap. In fact, here are three quick reasons why you should become a drummer (and prove everyone wrong).
1) Drummers are very popular
If you take a look under the “musicians community” on craigslist.com there are more posts about bands “seeking a reliable drummer” than about any other topic. The fact that bands seem to go through drummers more quickly than Spinal Tap is certainly a perk for aspiring drummers – there is plenty of work out there. As long as you know the basics, have your own car and can show up to practice roughly on time, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to jam.
2) You cannot sing
I am not saying that all drummers can’t sing…but most can’t. For every Dave Grohl (drummer for Nirvana now lead singer/songwriter for the Foo Fighters) there are thousands of…well…drummers like me (a drummer for a bad band that’s now a drummer for a slightly mediocre band). If you were born vocally impaired and tone deaf but still have visions of rocking out on Letterman, the drummer’s life is for you.
3) Drumming is fun
That is not to say that playing the guitar, bass, keyboard, or accordion is not fun…it is just that these things are less fun than drumming. There is something amazing about getting behind a drum set and playing a rock and roll tune as loud as you can. It can be artistic and beautiful, while at the same time a fantastic adrenaline rush and stress reliever.
While these are all great reasons, there is one last reason to become a drummer. In fact, the reason is one generalization about drummers that I am willing to get behind…”chicks dig drummers.”
If these reasons have inspired you, or if you have just always been curious about drumming, your first step towards the Rock N’ Roll hall of fame is finding someone who can teach you the basics and provide you with a firm drumming foundation. Enter MindBites’ drumming expert Jim McCarthy. Jim is a drum clinician and teacher and has specialized in pure drumming technique for over 20 years. Jim has a tremendously broad background in drumming. He has played in rock bands, orchestras, marching bands - everything from high-brow contemporary music to Latin American music. Jim spent six years at a university studying percussion performance full-time and earned a Masters Degree in percussion. During that time, Jim studied every aspect of numerous drumming techniques from rudimental drumming to orchestral percussion to full drum kit performance. Jim believes that teaching and creating learning resources is like anything else - one needs practice to do it well, so he has dedicated himself to the art of teaching.
Here are some of Jim’s rockin’ MindBites on drumming:
Introduction to Drumming: The Basics
How to Play the Drums: Drum Kit Solos
Drumming Lessons: Reading Rhythm
Drumming Lessons: Beginner-Intermediate
Drumming Lessons: Intermediate
Drumming Lessons: Basics through Advanced
View all of Jim’s lessons and series here.
Share your favorite perks of being a drummer below (or reasons NOT to be a drummer…if you must).
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Margaret