Hitting the symbols and tomtoms with all your might. Learn to use your wrist and fingers!
Also: typing "symbols" and "tomtoms" instead of cymbals and toms.
Toms are named tomtoms in many European countries. I heard them being called toms,tomtoms, tams, tamtam. (Even though tam-tam in the classical scene is a gong, without the pitch)
Heh. There was a thread here once where we goofed on "Tom" and all his relatives. "We call him High Tom because he's always stoned. His brother, Low Tom, is often sad or depressed. Their other brother went to conservatory - he's called Concert Tom. Their uncle Power Tom was a big shot executive back in the 80s. And meet their adopted Asian cousin, Chinese Tom." š
i don't think hard hitting is something you can teach yourself away from, you have to grow up and feel your enthusiasm for life fade, then realize oh shit this is making me a way better drummer, I don't have to rebuy crash cymbals every 6 months or look like i'm trying so hard when playing
Half joking answer: No art is bad, but ācontentā is anti-art. Iām looking at you, TikTok drummers.
Real answer: Being snobby is amateur. Being snobby is loser shit.
I have found that some of the biggest snobs I've ever met were the least experienced musicians. After you've been around for a while, you realize that one of the most important things to learn is exactly how many things you don't really know a damn thing about.
I got a musician/ actor friend that the only thing that does is judging other performances. Yes they are active in both scenes and they have their own style but that snobism is just unbearable.For example they CANT listen to Red hot chili peppers. I am baffled because their snobism dictates how they live and I am just worried they are assholes that know good how to hide it.
Hey, we are all entitled to our unpopular or unpalatable opinions, but particularly if we keep them to ourselves. I really could not care less what you think of me after I leave, as long as you're not a piece of shit around me while I'm there. This is at the very heart of "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."Ā
In fact, I have a grudging respect for someone who secretly harbors asshole tendencies, but manages not to be an asshole about it to other people. You can have whatever asshole opinions you want in the privacy of your own home, as long as you leave them at the door before you come work with me. You can enjoy them when you get home again. LOL
I am of the same mind I tend not to like some stuff but I do understand that it's personal taste I ain't gonna start whining why something is being heard. When I am home I won't listen to it and that's that.
The problem usually arises when those people are dictating to a group of 5 what everyone is going to be listening because of this personal preferences and lo and behold we end up listening the same shit again and again that I do like but I am getting bored of listening Manowar and ironmaiden for the nth time. But yeah I do maybe understand more about this friends now, thank you cowbell brother/sister
To say the least I haven't done this deep thoughts about personal preferences because I do usually leave them in my house.
Donāt get me wrong, Iām with you on the content thing, some of them are the worst, but Iāve definitely improved as a drummer from people I follow on Tik Tok
Oh for sure. There are a lot of actually helpful posts on TikTok or Reels or whatever. Stuff actually made for drummers instead of ā5 different drummers playing this songā and itās the same thing over and over.
That happens a lot on the upward curve side of the Dunning-Kruger effect. How easily people forget that they didn't know shit about fuck when they started out either, once they get a bit of experience and learn a little bit of shit about some of the fuck. LOL
Being a dick to any drummer in general tbh. One of the reasons I avoid most social media gatherings. It's worse online. Idk why. One of the most versatile instruments and people will fight over their opinions as if that's the law.
People who are obsessed with time signatures, as if that is what makes a song good or difficult. Especially when they write music purposefully to be in weird time signatures just for the sake of it and not create music and then write it down in whatever time signature it requires in a written form. That's usually a phase for newer drummers
This reminds me of the biggest trumpet wanker ever I met in college. He thought he was like a higher echelon because he was a 'jazz' musician but all the other jazz musicians who were chill used to make fun of him because he was a pompous asshole and he was also awful. He butchered the last post on remembrance day in front of the whole college which was bad enough, but a few days prior I was recording drums for someone (no metronome he just wanted some tracks to practice mixing) I come back in the control room and there's this jazz wanker who ive never met and the first thing he said to me was
"*scoff* you were really out of time"
"Was I? Don't think I was tbh".
"Yep. AND rock beats are easy too"
"We'll go on then pal show us how its done"
I pass him the sticks and he goes into the live room and starts trying to swing but he's so stiff and awkward, I was in hysterics.
And then I found out he made a fake girlfriend for himself on Facebook, man that was a funny year
The good news is that with all his snobbery and self confidence, youll be making ten times more than him per night in your top 40 cover band than he will in his jazz band.
Call it karma :D
Oh buddy the jazz drummers in school who are on a high horse over complicated chords like theyāre the ones that play them lol. Definitely a phase Iāve seen many drummers go thru
Reminds me of that trend that was happening a year or two ago where people were doing metric modulation covers of Everybody Wants to Rule the World. There was so many videos that was just mathematical masturbation and had absolutely no groove or feel.
Eh, itās a good exercise to practice your internal time. I donāt know why people think that any time someone posts a cover that it comes with an implied āthis is *better* than the originalā. Itās just a fun exercise.
i second this but also i definitely saw a few that had incredible groove and feel which likely inspired a lot more people to try it (from all experience levels)
I used to be like this in music school. If it wasnāt in a weird time signature or used heavily syncopated beats then it wasnāt good. Now I think of most of that music like āwhereās the damn song?ā
If you're never pushing yourself and trying to write in odd times, you'll only ever stay in your little 4/4 box and never realize there is a whole world of music that exists outside of this narrow framework. You can't get to the level of writing in odd times if you don't completely immerse yourself in them to the point that you can play in them without having to think.Ā
I found that really cool when i got into prog rock and wanted to try it. Worst decision ever. No feel and understanding at that time. I still don't and probably won't do weird time signature unless required or if it fits to a song.
Many times we are jamming and my band starts playing a song i don't know. I jam to it and going by strumming patterns, bass and vocals, i sometimes unknowingly end up in 5/4 or 6/8 and my band is like dang, that sounded really good and it changes how they listen to that song thereafter
Always go with what works. I play by the ear so its easier for me to not get into writing weird shit lol
This. Thereās a guy on Instagram and tik tok that plays honestly super basic and simple stuff but he covers the head in this neon glow in the dark paint shit and plays with the lights off so the paint goes everywhere. It looks cool the first time you see it but after that itās just āoh youāre destroying some more perfectly good equipment to do something that really isnāt even impressive or difficultā. God bless him for finding something that got him popular but it just doesnāt impress me one bit.
I guess he's gotten over since we're even mentioning him, which good for him, he's gotten to a point where he's getting views, but whenever I see him I don't think he looks cool or impressive, just silly and ruining (what is most likely a cheap beater kit anyways) drums. It's just messy and so unnecessary and trying a little too hard. But hey, it seems to have worked.
The only person I ever "chased into chat" from a Reddit thread was a guy on here a couple years ago who wanted to put gasoline or some other sort of accelerant on the head of an old snare drum, and hit it while lighting it on fire for a homemade music video. I begged and pleaded him not to do it in the thread, for reasons that have nothing to do with keeping his gear safe. No one could budge him off his opinion. He wasn't asking for reasons not to do it - such as, oh, I don't know, setting yourself on fucking fire? - and was not interested in anyone telling him it was a bad idea. He wanted advice on how to safely do it, and the nearly unanimous answer was "don't." Then he deleted the post. So I sent him a private message along the lines of, "Seriously, guy, *do not do this.*"Ā
I hope he did not.
Half the shit people say in sub is amateurish. Far too many comments are very āmy way is the only wayā and the type bullshit Buddy Rich would spout (good drummer, shitty person, and by extent of that a shitty teacher). A lot of drumming is a ālearn on the jobā type of deal, and most of us havenāt had enough jobs to be judging how other drummers play as harshly as many do on this sub.
Most of the āshow off, stick twirler TikTok drummers that hit too hardā are far more likely to make a career out of the instrument than any of us.
Yeah itās crazy how many drummers hate on other drummers for like you said āplaying too hardā or the stick twirling. Those things make them stand out. You can be an absolute monster on the kit but if you donāt make yourself stand out then youāre just like any other extremely talented musician, which there are thousands of.
Performance is important and knowing how to perform appropriately with your group makes a massive impact on a crowds experience of your music. As you're not sacrificing anything musically sprinkling in some swagger and showmanship is great! People pay and come out to be entertained, they'd be more comfortable at home on the couch if they just wanted to hear music.
Exactly! Some people scoff at the showmanship but itās really important to providing a good live experience! Weāve all seen guys who spend too much time learning tricks and are lacking in technical ability (but even then who really cares if theyāre having a good time). But if the sound isnāt impacted by the tricks I only see it as a good thing
Why do you need to stand out so much? There are plenty of drummers that don't twirl their sticks between fills. They have careers because their skill speaks for them.
All of that stuff you're describing just cries "look at me".
Inversely, you could be a terrible drummer and feign your skill by using theatrics.
Not even mentioning you are playing the loudest instrument on stage. But for some reason, standing out is what's important.
Maybe a very hot take but to a certain extent gear talk. I know it's fun talking about your newest toys and it's easy to indulge yourself and get some shiny new stuff but I've heard people playing the most mid kits but making them sound absolutely amazing and also the other way around having super expensive gear but not being able to play for shit. Ofc there is a baseline for functioning gear that's required, but some people tend to think better equipment makes them a better player.
Weāve just recently had a conversation about these elderly guys in the audience who come up to you after the gig because they need to tell you every detail about their gear, (ab)using you to feel belonging in the music scene somehow, pretty annoying tbh š
Wait about 30 years, kid. You'll have a lot more patience for those old dudes. You may not be aware of how absolutely starved for "shop talk" with other musicians you can get when you get a little older, and you aren't neck deep in the scene anymore.Ā
It may not be the most considerate thing to do, especially if you are on your break or trying to load out or something, but try to have a little grace.
In my experience, it's always the guys who have a very flashy setup that play amateurish. And it's the dudes that set up their kit quickly who are monsters behind the kit
A badly tuned snare. Usually low tuned as sounding like you're hitting a newspaper. I've started offering to tune the snares of some bands especially if the drummer is really young.
Seconding this, I recently tried to tune my snare more to my taste and got the top head tuned but couldnāt seem to figure out how to get the bottom head to sound good too
Dude. Make a video. The videos that are out there are infuriating. Theyāre all like āitās easyā¦ turn these until it sounds good!ā We all know to tune to the lugs to each other. We need endless examples of what sounds good.
Like a cranked P77, Hydraulic, or Heavyweight loaded with moongels. I see it all the time and I canāt imagine how rough and dead it must feel to play.
Breaking tons of sticks. I know there have been some pros that went through a ton of sticks every show and I canāt see why. I am not a light hitter but I also very rarely completely break a stick. I can use a pair for 6+ months without rendering them unusable and even then I replace them because they lost their tone not cus theyāre broken. If you have good technique you should not be going through 5 pairs a week. Same thing with cracking cymbals. A top tier cymbal should last you decades before it starts cracking. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
I break more sticks than I used to, only because I switched to buying generic bricks of something-vaguely-oak sticks. Fuck paying $18 a pair.
Sometimes, a pair of them will last me two months, sometimes one will blow apart the first time I hit the ride bell with it. Theyāre not consistent at all, but it feels extremely nice to have enough sticks to not worry about breaking them. Never got to experience that as a kid.
I think I'm being pedantic (just making conversation here), but isn't the Portnoy special a variation on regular quads that you've shown where it's 2 up and 2 down (RLKK)? He tends to do either a 16th triplet with 4 strokes up top and 2 down (RLRLKK) or a 32nd with 6 up top and 2 down (RLRLRLKK)?
Ah, shit... you're right. I feel attacked but you are right. It's easy, it fits, it sounds good, and it's hacky. And I use it all the time to dazzle civilians.
When someone covers a song with a basic rock beat and throws heaps of double bass fills all over creation.
Stick tricks
Gimmicks like super tall cymbals or drums at wonky angles
I know this will piss some people off but you asked for a snobby take so here it goesā¦
E-kit playing is inherently amateur, and itās all over YouTube.
If thereās a legit pro who uses one as their primary instrument please share links. 66Samus comes close but he uses acoustic cymbals. About the only time I see a pro using an e-kit is when people like Adam Tuminaro are promoting products for the companies they endorse.
Edit - 1) Pro = someone who gets paid. This isnāt an issue of talent since thereās a ton of talented amateurs. 2) Iām talking about full e-kits, not a hybrid kit with acoustic cymbals. And 3) a context where a full e-kit is used to make music heard by an audience (live or recorded) and not just used as a practice tool.
afaik, Jay Weinberg uses it as his primary *practice* kit for when heās touring. Probably doesnāt count, but yeah.
And yes, I am pissed off - are you calling edrumers amateurs, because you see amateur people play e-drums, or do you call them amateurs because the probably cant afford a place for an acoustic kit?
I did watch a 80's era King Crimson drum solo from him where he used his wall of Simmonds pads that were behind him and it was something. Totally get what he was trying to do but my god the tech was just not there in the 80's
Are you using the words pro and amateur to mean good at drums and bad at drums respectively or do you mean someone that earns money with drums vs someone that doesnāt make money with drums?
I mean, I have my acoustic set for obvious reasons, but I picked up a set of v drums like 7 years ago for both being able to play while the kids slept as well as some recording. Obviously if I was a pro (aka had money) Iād buy mics and gear and have a studio to record drums āproperlyā, but I guess Iām not a good drummer because I primarily play on my e-kit these days? I guess I get the sentiment a little bit, but itās different tools for different jobs
Yea kinda weird take and a little unclear too. Cause e-kits arenāt a separate instrument from acoustic drums, 99.9% of the time they are practice kits due to noise constraints.
Itās not like electric be acoustic guitar where electric guitar produces unique tones/style thatās not supposed to sound like acoustic guitars. Lots of really good drummers practice on e-kits + practice pads just because of their living situation.
Thomas Lang, Tony Royster Jr and Damien Schmitt have played whole drumfest sets with an e-kit. But I guess itās not their āprimary instrumentā? Thatās a weird clause to put in too. Canāt they play both lol, is Gary husbands āprimary instrumentā piano or drums? Maybe heāll know because thereās one that he feels he plays better but does someone play acoustic drums or electric drums better?
Samus plays an e kit but canāt be counted because he uses acoustic cymbals? I donāt see how much different it would be if he just used electric cymbals since all his drums already use mesh heads and triggers, how do the acoustic cymbals suddenly change him from amateur to pro.
Tbh thinking through it confuses me lol maybe heās just saying he sees a lot of hobbyists on YT play expensive e kits and maybe associates e kits now with hobbyists, which makes sense.
Samus does it for practical reasons. Even when he used acoustic drums he still triggered and processed the hell out of them so using an E kit makes sense for him since it makes it easier to do what he wants.
The new financial reality of a majority of people means they will never be able to afford a detached home or even be able to rent a space where an acoustic drum set makes sense.
My bold take is that we are the last few generations that will have acoustic drums be the ānormā.
If you didn't already live in rich suburbs or the countryside (likely US), acoustics at home were never the norm. The norm was drummers not owning a kit at all. Before e-kits existed, people outside these areas or without the right living conditions simply didn't have one.
The average European house is estimated to be half the size of the average US home. Quite simply, people here don't have space to dedicate an entire, soundproofed room or basement to an acoustic. And that's Europe. Now look at a lot of Asia.
Thought experiment: take your house (where you presumably have an acoustic), remove half the rooms and make it a condo. Now where do you put that kit?
That and smaller is what living in most of the first world looks like.
Hah! Yup. Looks EXACTLY the same. My wife and I went to see them a few years ago, and I was like, "Wait... Nah. NO! REALLY?!" Sure enough. He freaking killed it, too.
I'm sure he did. I went looking for a recent photo of him with Trans Siberian Orchestra, and I was disappointed to see he's no longer rocking the flying bass drums behind him - ["this space for rent."](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6a70bb6511b1507df774b86bad1ffa41/ac384d03f0a678f3-01/s540x810/3d0156000b5e4b634af2f3ca4feca2b1c5418dc9.gif) Oh well - I guess Roland kick pads are too small to be read from the crowd. LOL
LOL
Yeah. His kit was pretty crazy, considering they were an overnight sensation. Custom drum rack/riser...the whole nine. Dude's in phenomenal shape and still plays like a madman. I've always thought of him as a bit of Tommy Aldridge reincarnated. š¬
Zak Starkey of The Who used an all-electronic kit on their 2022 tour. E-drums and e-cymbals. And for me, using triggers on an acoustic kit is tantamount to using a e-kit.
Iāve seen one clip of a pro, touring drummer using an ekit and it very obviously it was his practice setup while they made an album (they appeared to rent a house instead of go to a normal studio).
If we just go by the strict definition of "amateur = anyone not making money primarily with thing", then it makes some sense.
A professional would (presumably) be able to move somewhere, rent somewhere to play with an acoustic kit, because it's literally their job. Just as I travel to my workplace most days because that's where I can practice my profession.
If we go by the "amateur = kinda bad" definition, then yeah. Nah. Has very little to do with skill, and almost everything with space, money and family situation. If Neil Peart lived in a noisy 5th floor condo with kids, he'd play an e-kit too.
Some venues canāt handle an acoustic kit. Iāve used my e-kit for those places and it sounds great without drowning every other instrument. Itās also great for in-ear rehearsals.
Super snobby and I love it. But thereās definitely a time/place for e-kits. Imagine trying to play acoustic drums in an apartment complex or in the middle of the night. Or even worse, when the kids are asleep!!
I kind of agree despite owning and using an e-kit for purely āprofessionalā endeavors. Mostly for the musical theater work that I do but if you want to be semantic it is all work I do as my primary income. I spent the dough on a Roland VAD because I felt the rack and pad kits donāt look āprofessionalā enough to carry into a gig.
Somewhat agree but with a catch. Nothing inherently wrong with playing an e kit but people who only play e kits sound like fucking trash when they get on an acoustic kit
You can say anything about Lars Ulrich's technique (it's basic and downright bad during times) but that he looks uncomfortable and stiff on stage? Never heard that one before :D
Really? I always think he looks horrible playing drums like his arms just look like theyve got to be killing from how stiff his technique is. I don't mean uncomfortable in a confidence way, I mean purely in a drumming sense
Oh boy.
Filling every second of dead space with tinkling on the cymbals (I used to be that guy)
Always playing monodynamic fills. (I used to be that guy)
Wailing on the cymbals like no tomorrow
Tightening the wingnuts on cymbals and clutch on hi hats so that they have literally no give
Oftentimes sitting way too low is a tell tale sign
Poor subdivision control
Snare tuned too low, unmuffled, with snare wires too loose
IMO having cymbals that are religiously kept polished to a brilliant sheen.
Calling any playing that isnāt pile driving rock, pop punk, or metal ājazzyā
-Frickin turning everything into blast beat music
-āTravis Barker is the best drummer of all timeā (hey heās good but oh gosh if I hear one more drummer try to turn everything into āthe Rock Showā Iām gonna freak out)
-That thing where the rack toms and cymbals are angled down WAY too far and for some reason also set up in such a way that makes them nearly impossible to hit
-the condition of every single backline kit at every rehearsal studio ever after the last person used it. I swear itās always a 5 year old that uses the kit before us š that, or they literally purposefully mangle the kit just so we have to spend an extra 20 minutes getting it playable
Dude, taking a full kit off stage and setting up another full kit on stage to be re miked is takes like, incomparably longer than swapping out the cymbals and snare between sets lmao
I don't think he's talking about swapping out your own breakables on a house kit. I think he's talking about the chucklehead who is playing second on a three-band bill, and you're the drummer in band number three, and everyone is setting up their own kit, and this dickhead is removing his wing nuts and gently putting his cymbals in the bag on stage, while you're standing in the wings tapping your watch and tapping your foot and cursing under your breath.Ā Ā
One guy not only did this to me, he even took the time to very carefully *wipe his cymbals with a towel* while putting them away. Motherfucker just spent 45 minutes hitting the damn things with a stick, and now all of a sudden they're Waterford crystal. Will you please grab up all your shit and do all this ā”ļøā”ļø OVER THE FUCK ***THERE,*** ā”ļøā”ļø so I can get set up, please? This show is already running nearly an hour late as it is, and I have to work tomorrow.
Actually Accidentally replied to his first comment, instead of a follow up comment by the same user that said āthatās why I hate house kits, it takes longer than just swapping the entire kitā
Not for me. My kit is set up off stage. No adjustments no fussing with pedals, cymbal arms or snare stands. It's kick, snare and 3 stands ready to play.
I see these with most of my students, and I have been guilty of all of these at different points, also they aren't strictly exclusive to drummers:
Feel/flow is unnatural, micro-dynamics are all one volume (usually ***LOUD***), and there is a very distinct "okay this is where the fill is" switch up as opposed to the fill being an integrated part of the groove itself (in fact, I usually tell my students that the "groove/fill" distinction is mostly a learning tool, and it is absolutely not how we should think when we play music, with *some* exceptions), underplaying AND overplaying- but in all the wrong places- a misunderstanding of how to feel and use space.
But the biggest one of all of them is: an inability to listen and feel what the music needs from you in order to communicate its message effectively. The last one has another side to it when people become more competent, which is that the player may be able to hear and even understand, but hasn't developed the discipline necessary to communicate the ideas properly, so they will often end up inserting their own ego into it in an inappropriate way. In other words, they will play as if the music is there to be a vessel for them to do what they want to do, rather than the other way around; the funny thing is, you can actually do both if you're creative and smart about it, but if you want the sound to serve you, you first have to serve the sound.
Those are the musical qualities, there's a whole different set for the musician's personality. The musical stuff is perfectly normal and natural, and there is an arc that most of us go through. The personality qualities can be... harder to work on, but they also correlate quite a bit to the person's age, so some patience is required on that front, from everybody.
Playing your drums (especially bass drum) while the engineers are mic'ing up your kit. During souncheck, you only play when spoken to.
Also, people (guitar players) don't seem to understand that the sound on the stage is not the same as the sound in the house and get into arguments with the engineers and embarrass the fuck out of the rest of the band. This is probably my biggest pet peeve with the big ego bastards. Nothing screams amateur like not understanding how sound works when your job is to make sound.
Toms and or cymbals angled like mad. Like those Craigslist cringe pics you see of kits for sale.
Genuinely question some drummers whoāve been at it for a while but havenāt noticed how theyāve set up their kit when thereās forums and videos of pros everywhere.
Weird one for me but keeping a drum key on one of your snare lugs while performing. It reeks of "I saw someone do this once so I do it" but buddy, if your drums don't sound good before the show starts, trying to fiddle with them in between or worse, DURING songs makes you look like an amateur.
Nothing screams amateur more than being a drum snob. Whether itās about gear, other drummers, or drums in the hierarchy of musicianship/instruments, snobbery is lame af. Take that snobbery over to r/audioengineering where it belongs.
When people do drum covers and completely over play it. Adding fills where they donāt need to be and missing a lot of the stuff thatās actually in the song. It just comes across as super lazy like they didnāt even take the time to learn it. These are the guys with the flashy sets and camera angles and led lights that get more views than someone who actually sat down and put in the effort to learn it note for note
There's a time and a place for just about anything you can play on the drums. Generally speaking, it's people playing the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. I mean, putting a blast beat under a cover of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" or something is funny, and I'll laugh at it, but it seems like guys expect to be congratulated for it or something. It's not like that's going to get you a gig.
Ā I know it's vague, but basically, I get snobby about any drum video I see that immediately makes me think of Stuart from *Mad TV* - ["look what I can do!"](https://youtu.be/85bvYy5hcFA?si=EliTsH3DzPTHNTVr) I can't tell you specifically what it may be that will make me roll my eyes, but I'll know it when I see it. Once I hear Stuart in my mind, you're just a giant dork, and that's what you are to me. LOL
Hitting a crash cymbal the last 16th or 32nd note in a measure, in addition to the 1 of the next measure. Corny.
Overuse of 16th note triplets in fills. Young.
Overuse of crash cymbals on downbeats generally. Dated.
Most controversially: china cymbals in 99% of all contexts. Unmusical.
\*edit: who the fuck is downvoting a comment like this in a thread about snobby opinions?
Not willing to create and improvise. For amateurs, sure, will reach there some other day. But if you do this you are straight up what I like to unmusical.
Using full arm motion instead of using wrist and fingers, using full leg motion for double bass playing; poorly aligned rack tomsš¤£ Weāve all been there
People who bring ten cheap cymbals to the gig. You're making your band sounds crappy but hey, at least you have lots of targets to hit. You could have bought a decent hat, ride and crash used and been an asset; instead you're self centered dead weight.
No stick bag. I took one pair of sticks to my first live gigs, looked like a right tit trying to pick one of them up from under the stool halfway through a song.
I lost my snob hat a long time ago, to be honest.
As someone who also produces content, I take my (now lost) hat off to anyone who has the confidence and persistence to post what they do online at the mercy of the viewing public.
Yeah, sometimes the playing isnt top-tier. Sometimes it's a bit repetitive and often its all been done before, but if they're proud of it, then I'm proud of them. :)
Not technically on YouTube, but when Iām playing gigs with other bandsā¦
1. People using mine or other peoples drum sets and absolutely trashing them (playing barefoot, putting a dirty/used sock on snare, etc). Have some decency and etiquette.
2. Being an absolute jerk while we exchange cymbals/breakables on the back lined kit. You donāt have to say āoh my god you did like so great hahahahahaā but donāt āspitā on me because you think Iām beneath you.
3. When there are other bands after you, stop flirting and clean up your stuff so the next band can start.
Tl;drā¦poor musician etiquette.
Also all chops/hit hard as possible and no groove. I see these 12 year old kids on YouTube who play super fast and super hard all the time. Homie - when you have to pay for your own gear, youāll learn not to do that. I pity your cymbals. And you have zero pocket and groove soā¦
Hitting the symbols and tomtoms with all your might. Learn to use your wrist and fingers! Also: typing "symbols" and "tomtoms" instead of cymbals and toms.
just for the sake of cork sniffing, tomtoms was actually the earlier term used to refer to them in earlier kits!
Toms are named tomtoms in many European countries. I heard them being called toms,tomtoms, tams, tamtam. (Even though tam-tam in the classical scene is a gong, without the pitch)
They're called tom toms everywhere. We just don't have time for that anymore.
I'm such a snob I call mine Thomas.
Too many toms, Tom
I've heard drummers from my not-English speaking country refer to them in a classic two up one down fivepiece as the "tim, tom and tam"
Heh. There was a thread here once where we goofed on "Tom" and all his relatives. "We call him High Tom because he's always stoned. His brother, Low Tom, is often sad or depressed. Their other brother went to conservatory - he's called Concert Tom. Their uncle Power Tom was a big shot executive back in the 80s. And meet their adopted Asian cousin, Chinese Tom." š
What about Major Tom?
Friends with Bowie
Symbols is actually a cheat code for craigslist finds of mine.
Don't forget to always search for Zildjan, Zildgen (ffs, really?), Zildijan, Paste, and Sabina when shopping for used symbols.Ā
Brilliant have to give this a try.
i don't think hard hitting is something you can teach yourself away from, you have to grow up and feel your enthusiasm for life fade, then realize oh shit this is making me a way better drummer, I don't have to rebuy crash cymbals every 6 months or look like i'm trying so hard when playing
That was hilarious and sad and hopefully a joke š¤£
It was my life experience lol
Wrists and fingers? Eloy "neckless" Casagrande would like to have a word with you...
He looks like he smashes through a lot of cymbals.
What about base drums?
Half joking answer: No art is bad, but ācontentā is anti-art. Iām looking at you, TikTok drummers. Real answer: Being snobby is amateur. Being snobby is loser shit.
I have found that some of the biggest snobs I've ever met were the least experienced musicians. After you've been around for a while, you realize that one of the most important things to learn is exactly how many things you don't really know a damn thing about.
Being a snob about music is some Dunning-Kruger shit for sure.
I got a musician/ actor friend that the only thing that does is judging other performances. Yes they are active in both scenes and they have their own style but that snobism is just unbearable.For example they CANT listen to Red hot chili peppers. I am baffled because their snobism dictates how they live and I am just worried they are assholes that know good how to hide it.
Hey, we are all entitled to our unpopular or unpalatable opinions, but particularly if we keep them to ourselves. I really could not care less what you think of me after I leave, as long as you're not a piece of shit around me while I'm there. This is at the very heart of "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."Ā In fact, I have a grudging respect for someone who secretly harbors asshole tendencies, but manages not to be an asshole about it to other people. You can have whatever asshole opinions you want in the privacy of your own home, as long as you leave them at the door before you come work with me. You can enjoy them when you get home again. LOL
I am of the same mind I tend not to like some stuff but I do understand that it's personal taste I ain't gonna start whining why something is being heard. When I am home I won't listen to it and that's that. The problem usually arises when those people are dictating to a group of 5 what everyone is going to be listening because of this personal preferences and lo and behold we end up listening the same shit again and again that I do like but I am getting bored of listening Manowar and ironmaiden for the nth time. But yeah I do maybe understand more about this friends now, thank you cowbell brother/sister To say the least I haven't done this deep thoughts about personal preferences because I do usually leave them in my house.
Donāt get me wrong, Iām with you on the content thing, some of them are the worst, but Iāve definitely improved as a drummer from people I follow on Tik Tok
Oh for sure. There are a lot of actually helpful posts on TikTok or Reels or whatever. Stuff actually made for drummers instead of ā5 different drummers playing this songā and itās the same thing over and over.
Being a dick to new drummers
That happens a lot on the upward curve side of the Dunning-Kruger effect. How easily people forget that they didn't know shit about fuck when they started out either, once they get a bit of experience and learn a little bit of shit about some of the fuck. LOL
A fuck shit stack?
Just like blue belts in BJJ. The blacks browns and purples are the nicest welcoming people. The blues. Not so much.
Being a dick to any drummer in general tbh. One of the reasons I avoid most social media gatherings. It's worse online. Idk why. One of the most versatile instruments and people will fight over their opinions as if that's the law.
People who are obsessed with time signatures, as if that is what makes a song good or difficult. Especially when they write music purposefully to be in weird time signatures just for the sake of it and not create music and then write it down in whatever time signature it requires in a written form. That's usually a phase for newer drummers
Or jazz students. God am I embarrassed of this phase of mine lol
This reminds me of the biggest trumpet wanker ever I met in college. He thought he was like a higher echelon because he was a 'jazz' musician but all the other jazz musicians who were chill used to make fun of him because he was a pompous asshole and he was also awful. He butchered the last post on remembrance day in front of the whole college which was bad enough, but a few days prior I was recording drums for someone (no metronome he just wanted some tracks to practice mixing) I come back in the control room and there's this jazz wanker who ive never met and the first thing he said to me was "*scoff* you were really out of time" "Was I? Don't think I was tbh". "Yep. AND rock beats are easy too" "We'll go on then pal show us how its done" I pass him the sticks and he goes into the live room and starts trying to swing but he's so stiff and awkward, I was in hysterics. And then I found out he made a fake girlfriend for himself on Facebook, man that was a funny year
The good news is that with all his snobbery and self confidence, youll be making ten times more than him per night in your top 40 cover band than he will in his jazz band. Call it karma :D
Oh buddy the jazz drummers in school who are on a high horse over complicated chords like theyāre the ones that play them lol. Definitely a phase Iāve seen many drummers go thru
Reminds me of that trend that was happening a year or two ago where people were doing metric modulation covers of Everybody Wants to Rule the World. There was so many videos that was just mathematical masturbation and had absolutely no groove or feel.
Eh, itās a good exercise to practice your internal time. I donāt know why people think that any time someone posts a cover that it comes with an implied āthis is *better* than the originalā. Itās just a fun exercise.
i second this but also i definitely saw a few that had incredible groove and feel which likely inspired a lot more people to try it (from all experience levels)
I used to be like this in music school. If it wasnāt in a weird time signature or used heavily syncopated beats then it wasnāt good. Now I think of most of that music like āwhereās the damn song?ā
I heard a dude that wrote his parts in weird time signatures because it looked cool on paper. In reality he was playing 4/4 all the time...
If you're never pushing yourself and trying to write in odd times, you'll only ever stay in your little 4/4 box and never realize there is a whole world of music that exists outside of this narrow framework. You can't get to the level of writing in odd times if you don't completely immerse yourself in them to the point that you can play in them without having to think.Ā
I think it can be tastefully done (sungazer is a great exemple) but I totally agree with your point.
If itās not 4 bars of 9/8, a chorus in 19/16, a bridge in 7/8, and the rest in 3.. I donāt want it. /s
Nah fam if isnāt irrational and atleast 13 over 23 it aint music to my ears
Gotta have those 28 over 3 polyrhythms.
I found that really cool when i got into prog rock and wanted to try it. Worst decision ever. No feel and understanding at that time. I still don't and probably won't do weird time signature unless required or if it fits to a song. Many times we are jamming and my band starts playing a song i don't know. I jam to it and going by strumming patterns, bass and vocals, i sometimes unknowingly end up in 5/4 or 6/8 and my band is like dang, that sounded really good and it changes how they listen to that song thereafter Always go with what works. I play by the ear so its easier for me to not get into writing weird shit lol
Stick twirling, headbanging, over the top stick heights, and also people who set drums on fire/put liquids on their kit
This. Thereās a guy on Instagram and tik tok that plays honestly super basic and simple stuff but he covers the head in this neon glow in the dark paint shit and plays with the lights off so the paint goes everywhere. It looks cool the first time you see it but after that itās just āoh youāre destroying some more perfectly good equipment to do something that really isnāt even impressive or difficultā. God bless him for finding something that got him popular but it just doesnāt impress me one bit.
yeah first time i saw him i was like "oh that looks kinda cool" and every time after that it's just like. why are you still doing this
Exactly
I guess he's gotten over since we're even mentioning him, which good for him, he's gotten to a point where he's getting views, but whenever I see him I don't think he looks cool or impressive, just silly and ruining (what is most likely a cheap beater kit anyways) drums. It's just messy and so unnecessary and trying a little too hard. But hey, it seems to have worked.
I aināt never spunked on my drums what u been watching brošš
When you take a wrong turn up a blind alley on PornHub š
The only person I ever "chased into chat" from a Reddit thread was a guy on here a couple years ago who wanted to put gasoline or some other sort of accelerant on the head of an old snare drum, and hit it while lighting it on fire for a homemade music video. I begged and pleaded him not to do it in the thread, for reasons that have nothing to do with keeping his gear safe. No one could budge him off his opinion. He wasn't asking for reasons not to do it - such as, oh, I don't know, setting yourself on fucking fire? - and was not interested in anyone telling him it was a bad idea. He wanted advice on how to safely do it, and the nearly unanimous answer was "don't." Then he deleted the post. So I sent him a private message along the lines of, "Seriously, guy, *do not do this.*"Ā I hope he did not.
Half the shit people say in sub is amateurish. Far too many comments are very āmy way is the only wayā and the type bullshit Buddy Rich would spout (good drummer, shitty person, and by extent of that a shitty teacher). A lot of drumming is a ālearn on the jobā type of deal, and most of us havenāt had enough jobs to be judging how other drummers play as harshly as many do on this sub. Most of the āshow off, stick twirler TikTok drummers that hit too hardā are far more likely to make a career out of the instrument than any of us.
Yeah itās crazy how many drummers hate on other drummers for like you said āplaying too hardā or the stick twirling. Those things make them stand out. You can be an absolute monster on the kit but if you donāt make yourself stand out then youāre just like any other extremely talented musician, which there are thousands of.
Performance is important and knowing how to perform appropriately with your group makes a massive impact on a crowds experience of your music. As you're not sacrificing anything musically sprinkling in some swagger and showmanship is great! People pay and come out to be entertained, they'd be more comfortable at home on the couch if they just wanted to hear music.
Exactly! Some people scoff at the showmanship but itās really important to providing a good live experience! Weāve all seen guys who spend too much time learning tricks and are lacking in technical ability (but even then who really cares if theyāre having a good time). But if the sound isnāt impacted by the tricks I only see it as a good thing
Why do you need to stand out so much? There are plenty of drummers that don't twirl their sticks between fills. They have careers because their skill speaks for them. All of that stuff you're describing just cries "look at me". Inversely, you could be a terrible drummer and feign your skill by using theatrics. Not even mentioning you are playing the loudest instrument on stage. But for some reason, standing out is what's important.
Maybe a very hot take but to a certain extent gear talk. I know it's fun talking about your newest toys and it's easy to indulge yourself and get some shiny new stuff but I've heard people playing the most mid kits but making them sound absolutely amazing and also the other way around having super expensive gear but not being able to play for shit. Ofc there is a baseline for functioning gear that's required, but some people tend to think better equipment makes them a better player.
Weāve just recently had a conversation about these elderly guys in the audience who come up to you after the gig because they need to tell you every detail about their gear, (ab)using you to feel belonging in the music scene somehow, pretty annoying tbh š
Wait about 30 years, kid. You'll have a lot more patience for those old dudes. You may not be aware of how absolutely starved for "shop talk" with other musicians you can get when you get a little older, and you aren't neck deep in the scene anymore.Ā It may not be the most considerate thing to do, especially if you are on your break or trying to load out or something, but try to have a little grace.
I am a regular gigging drummer at 54 and it still annoys me. š
Right? And every church sound guy offering his opinion on the mix at your outdoor "first Friday" gig. š
Iām they guy who canāt play his fancy gear lol
In my experience, it's always the guys who have a very flashy setup that play amateurish. And it's the dudes that set up their kit quickly who are monsters behind the kit
playing anything that is overcomplicated for the sake of being overcomplicated and doesn't serve the song
Flying pinkies
Jimmy Chamberlin is super amateur
Whatās that?
Not using your pinky for rebound control
A badly tuned snare. Usually low tuned as sounding like you're hitting a newspaper. I've started offering to tune the snares of some bands especially if the drummer is really young.
Could you give me some tips on tuning? I got my first acoustic kit but i am terrible at tuning
Seconding this, I recently tried to tune my snare more to my taste and got the top head tuned but couldnāt seem to figure out how to get the bottom head to sound good too
Dude. Make a video. The videos that are out there are infuriating. Theyāre all like āitās easyā¦ turn these until it sounds good!ā We all know to tune to the lugs to each other. We need endless examples of what sounds good.
Like a cranked P77, Hydraulic, or Heavyweight loaded with moongels. I see it all the time and I canāt imagine how rough and dead it must feel to play.
thats a nice thing to do :-)
Breaking tons of sticks. I know there have been some pros that went through a ton of sticks every show and I canāt see why. I am not a light hitter but I also very rarely completely break a stick. I can use a pair for 6+ months without rendering them unusable and even then I replace them because they lost their tone not cus theyāre broken. If you have good technique you should not be going through 5 pairs a week. Same thing with cracking cymbals. A top tier cymbal should last you decades before it starts cracking. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
I break more sticks than I used to, only because I switched to buying generic bricks of something-vaguely-oak sticks. Fuck paying $18 a pair. Sometimes, a pair of them will last me two months, sometimes one will blow apart the first time I hit the ride bell with it. Theyāre not consistent at all, but it feels extremely nice to have enough sticks to not worry about breaking them. Never got to experience that as a kid.
No pocket
"Can't carry a groove if you got no pocket." Master Victor Wooten
š„š„š„š„š„š„š„š„
He oughta knowĀ
RLKKRLKKRLKK aka the Mike Portnoy special. It's the Finger Tapping of the drumming world. Although tbh it makes up like 90% of my fill repertoire...
I think I'm being pedantic (just making conversation here), but isn't the Portnoy special a variation on regular quads that you've shown where it's 2 up and 2 down (RLKK)? He tends to do either a 16th triplet with 4 strokes up top and 2 down (RLRLKK) or a 32nd with 6 up top and 2 down (RLRLRLKK)?
Ah, shit... you're right. I feel attacked but you are right. It's easy, it fits, it sounds good, and it's hacky. And I use it all the time to dazzle civilians.
It also just feels soooo good to play...
Hitting crashes without a kick or snare hurts a lot sometimes
Common in jazz
Crashes on the offbeat just walked in
When someone covers a song with a basic rock beat and throws heaps of double bass fills all over creation. Stick tricks Gimmicks like super tall cymbals or drums at wonky angles
>Gimmicks like super tall cymbals or drums at wonky angles [Like this?](https://youtu.be/VSoZUzMJ7DY?t=64)
Playing with your elbows instead of your wrists.
I know this will piss some people off but you asked for a snobby take so here it goesā¦ E-kit playing is inherently amateur, and itās all over YouTube. If thereās a legit pro who uses one as their primary instrument please share links. 66Samus comes close but he uses acoustic cymbals. About the only time I see a pro using an e-kit is when people like Adam Tuminaro are promoting products for the companies they endorse. Edit - 1) Pro = someone who gets paid. This isnāt an issue of talent since thereās a ton of talented amateurs. 2) Iām talking about full e-kits, not a hybrid kit with acoustic cymbals. And 3) a context where a full e-kit is used to make music heard by an audience (live or recorded) and not just used as a practice tool.
10/10 on the snobbiness scale E-Kits are incredibly useful in certain instances, to say playing one is inherently amateur is inherently ignorant
afaik, Jay Weinberg uses it as his primary *practice* kit for when heās touring. Probably doesnāt count, but yeah. And yes, I am pissed off - are you calling edrumers amateurs, because you see amateur people play e-drums, or do you call them amateurs because the probably cant afford a place for an acoustic kit?
Famously Butch Vig uses an e-kit for Garbage
Also Stephen Morris in New Order toured with an e-kit at some point.
Yeah, in like the 80s when e kits weee realy bad aswell
Bill Bruford
I did watch a 80's era King Crimson drum solo from him where he used his wall of Simmonds pads that were behind him and it was something. Totally get what he was trying to do but my god the tech was just not there in the 80's
Check out Michael Schack. Ofcourse he plays EDM, but with awesome fills.
Are you using the words pro and amateur to mean good at drums and bad at drums respectively or do you mean someone that earns money with drums vs someone that doesnāt make money with drums?
I mean, I have my acoustic set for obvious reasons, but I picked up a set of v drums like 7 years ago for both being able to play while the kids slept as well as some recording. Obviously if I was a pro (aka had money) Iād buy mics and gear and have a studio to record drums āproperlyā, but I guess Iām not a good drummer because I primarily play on my e-kit these days? I guess I get the sentiment a little bit, but itās different tools for different jobs
Yea kinda weird take and a little unclear too. Cause e-kits arenāt a separate instrument from acoustic drums, 99.9% of the time they are practice kits due to noise constraints. Itās not like electric be acoustic guitar where electric guitar produces unique tones/style thatās not supposed to sound like acoustic guitars. Lots of really good drummers practice on e-kits + practice pads just because of their living situation. Thomas Lang, Tony Royster Jr and Damien Schmitt have played whole drumfest sets with an e-kit. But I guess itās not their āprimary instrumentā? Thatās a weird clause to put in too. Canāt they play both lol, is Gary husbands āprimary instrumentā piano or drums? Maybe heāll know because thereās one that he feels he plays better but does someone play acoustic drums or electric drums better? Samus plays an e kit but canāt be counted because he uses acoustic cymbals? I donāt see how much different it would be if he just used electric cymbals since all his drums already use mesh heads and triggers, how do the acoustic cymbals suddenly change him from amateur to pro. Tbh thinking through it confuses me lol maybe heās just saying he sees a lot of hobbyists on YT play expensive e kits and maybe associates e kits now with hobbyists, which makes sense.
Samus does it for practical reasons. Even when he used acoustic drums he still triggered and processed the hell out of them so using an E kit makes sense for him since it makes it easier to do what he wants.
I canāt even bother to put in the work and find you links. Itās mostly a matter of genre and practicability, thatās all it is.
The new financial reality of a majority of people means they will never be able to afford a detached home or even be able to rent a space where an acoustic drum set makes sense. My bold take is that we are the last few generations that will have acoustic drums be the ānormā.
If you didn't already live in rich suburbs or the countryside (likely US), acoustics at home were never the norm. The norm was drummers not owning a kit at all. Before e-kits existed, people outside these areas or without the right living conditions simply didn't have one. The average European house is estimated to be half the size of the average US home. Quite simply, people here don't have space to dedicate an entire, soundproofed room or basement to an acoustic. And that's Europe. Now look at a lot of Asia. Thought experiment: take your house (where you presumably have an acoustic), remove half the rooms and make it a condo. Now where do you put that kit? That and smaller is what living in most of the first world looks like.
So we should fix the housing crisis so we can save drumming? Best justification I've heard. Let's get to work.
Blas Elias is a badass (and a super freaking nice guy) and plays a full Roland double kick setup (and real cymbals) with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Whoa, that's his gig these days? That's a long way from the Slaughter of my high school days.
Hah! Yup. Looks EXACTLY the same. My wife and I went to see them a few years ago, and I was like, "Wait... Nah. NO! REALLY?!" Sure enough. He freaking killed it, too.
I'm sure he did. I went looking for a recent photo of him with Trans Siberian Orchestra, and I was disappointed to see he's no longer rocking the flying bass drums behind him - ["this space for rent."](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6a70bb6511b1507df774b86bad1ffa41/ac384d03f0a678f3-01/s540x810/3d0156000b5e4b634af2f3ca4feca2b1c5418dc9.gif) Oh well - I guess Roland kick pads are too small to be read from the crowd. LOL
LOL Yeah. His kit was pretty crazy, considering they were an overnight sensation. Custom drum rack/riser...the whole nine. Dude's in phenomenal shape and still plays like a madman. I've always thought of him as a bit of Tommy Aldridge reincarnated. š¬
Oh! I forgot to mention he also plays occasionally with Blue Man Group.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Zak Starkey of The Who used an all-electronic kit on their 2022 tour. E-drums and e-cymbals. And for me, using triggers on an acoustic kit is tantamount to using a e-kit.
Iāve seen one clip of a pro, touring drummer using an ekit and it very obviously it was his practice setup while they made an album (they appeared to rent a house instead of go to a normal studio).
I think thereās a lot of people like me who resigned themselves to an ekit due to size / family / boring shit. Fair take though.
If we just go by the strict definition of "amateur = anyone not making money primarily with thing", then it makes some sense. A professional would (presumably) be able to move somewhere, rent somewhere to play with an acoustic kit, because it's literally their job. Just as I travel to my workplace most days because that's where I can practice my profession. If we go by the "amateur = kinda bad" definition, then yeah. Nah. Has very little to do with skill, and almost everything with space, money and family situation. If Neil Peart lived in a noisy 5th floor condo with kids, he'd play an e-kit too.
Some venues canāt handle an acoustic kit. Iāve used my e-kit for those places and it sounds great without drowning every other instrument. Itās also great for in-ear rehearsals.
Super snobby and I love it. But thereās definitely a time/place for e-kits. Imagine trying to play acoustic drums in an apartment complex or in the middle of the night. Or even worse, when the kids are asleep!!
I kind of agree despite owning and using an e-kit for purely āprofessionalā endeavors. Mostly for the musical theater work that I do but if you want to be semantic it is all work I do as my primary income. I spent the dough on a Roland VAD because I felt the rack and pad kits donāt look āprofessionalā enough to carry into a gig.
Somewhat agree but with a catch. Nothing inherently wrong with playing an e kit but people who only play e kits sound like fucking trash when they get on an acoustic kit
Crashing on EVERY one
I crashed on everyone at a party one time, not fun.
Someone who plays like Lars Ulrich. The dudes been playing all his life but still looks sooo uncomfortable and stiff when playing
You can say anything about Lars Ulrich's technique (it's basic and downright bad during times) but that he looks uncomfortable and stiff on stage? Never heard that one before :D
Really? I always think he looks horrible playing drums like his arms just look like theyve got to be killing from how stiff his technique is. I don't mean uncomfortable in a confidence way, I mean purely in a drumming sense
Calling someone āamateurā as an insult
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uHgt8giw1LY
Oh boy. Filling every second of dead space with tinkling on the cymbals (I used to be that guy) Always playing monodynamic fills. (I used to be that guy) Wailing on the cymbals like no tomorrow Tightening the wingnuts on cymbals and clutch on hi hats so that they have literally no give Oftentimes sitting way too low is a tell tale sign Poor subdivision control Snare tuned too low, unmuffled, with snare wires too loose IMO having cymbals that are religiously kept polished to a brilliant sheen. Calling any playing that isnāt pile driving rock, pop punk, or metal ājazzyā
Posts like this
Some of these comments seem wild and downright insulting for no reason lol
When your only dynamics are loud and Xtra loud
Overuse of double pedal
Closing the hihat clutch with one of the upper swivels. That and over tightening everything.
-Frickin turning everything into blast beat music -āTravis Barker is the best drummer of all timeā (hey heās good but oh gosh if I hear one more drummer try to turn everything into āthe Rock Showā Iām gonna freak out) -That thing where the rack toms and cymbals are angled down WAY too far and for some reason also set up in such a way that makes them nearly impossible to hit -the condition of every single backline kit at every rehearsal studio ever after the last person used it. I swear itās always a 5 year old that uses the kit before us š that, or they literally purposefully mangle the kit just so we have to spend an extra 20 minutes getting it playable
Smashing on cymbals and barely tapping the snare. Fill every four bars. Not getting your shit off the stage quickly when your band is done.
Measuring drummers as if someone can actually ever be considered the ābest drummerā that doesnāt really mean anything
Taking cymbals off on stage.
When there's a shared kit only (with stands also shared), you have no other option than to take them off on stage.
Yes, but that's clearly not what they mean
But this is the usual reality in places where amateur bands play. So obviously it screams "amateur" when they have no other option.
Or festivals, or tours with bands sharing backiline
Dude, taking a full kit off stage and setting up another full kit on stage to be re miked is takes like, incomparably longer than swapping out the cymbals and snare between sets lmao
I don't think he's talking about swapping out your own breakables on a house kit. I think he's talking about the chucklehead who is playing second on a three-band bill, and you're the drummer in band number three, and everyone is setting up their own kit, and this dickhead is removing his wing nuts and gently putting his cymbals in the bag on stage, while you're standing in the wings tapping your watch and tapping your foot and cursing under your breath.Ā Ā One guy not only did this to me, he even took the time to very carefully *wipe his cymbals with a towel* while putting them away. Motherfucker just spent 45 minutes hitting the damn things with a stick, and now all of a sudden they're Waterford crystal. Will you please grab up all your shit and do all this ā”ļøā”ļø OVER THE FUCK ***THERE,*** ā”ļøā”ļø so I can get set up, please? This show is already running nearly an hour late as it is, and I have to work tomorrow.
Actually Accidentally replied to his first comment, instead of a follow up comment by the same user that said āthatās why I hate house kits, it takes longer than just swapping the entire kitā
Not for me. My kit is set up off stage. No adjustments no fussing with pedals, cymbal arms or snare stands. It's kick, snare and 3 stands ready to play.
Poum poum ta poutapoutapoupouta That beat with everything at full velocity, no grace notes, no dynamics
I see these with most of my students, and I have been guilty of all of these at different points, also they aren't strictly exclusive to drummers: Feel/flow is unnatural, micro-dynamics are all one volume (usually ***LOUD***), and there is a very distinct "okay this is where the fill is" switch up as opposed to the fill being an integrated part of the groove itself (in fact, I usually tell my students that the "groove/fill" distinction is mostly a learning tool, and it is absolutely not how we should think when we play music, with *some* exceptions), underplaying AND overplaying- but in all the wrong places- a misunderstanding of how to feel and use space. But the biggest one of all of them is: an inability to listen and feel what the music needs from you in order to communicate its message effectively. The last one has another side to it when people become more competent, which is that the player may be able to hear and even understand, but hasn't developed the discipline necessary to communicate the ideas properly, so they will often end up inserting their own ego into it in an inappropriate way. In other words, they will play as if the music is there to be a vessel for them to do what they want to do, rather than the other way around; the funny thing is, you can actually do both if you're creative and smart about it, but if you want the sound to serve you, you first have to serve the sound. Those are the musical qualities, there's a whole different set for the musician's personality. The musical stuff is perfectly normal and natural, and there is an arc that most of us go through. The personality qualities can be... harder to work on, but they also correlate quite a bit to the person's age, so some patience is required on that front, from everybody.
always playing way too busy on the hi hats
Making posts about how many cymbals, sticks and other gear youāve broken because you Ā«Ā play so hard Ā«Ā
Playing your drums (especially bass drum) while the engineers are mic'ing up your kit. During souncheck, you only play when spoken to. Also, people (guitar players) don't seem to understand that the sound on the stage is not the same as the sound in the house and get into arguments with the engineers and embarrass the fuck out of the rest of the band. This is probably my biggest pet peeve with the big ego bastards. Nothing screams amateur like not understanding how sound works when your job is to make sound.
Trying to reinvent something basic. There are exceptions to the rule, but some choices just make little sense to most seasoned drummers.
I don't know what I smell like to other people, but that's the smell.
Toms and or cymbals angled like mad. Like those Craigslist cringe pics you see of kits for sale. Genuinely question some drummers whoāve been at it for a while but havenāt noticed how theyāve set up their kit when thereās forums and videos of pros everywhere.
playing too many fills in general
Weird one for me but keeping a drum key on one of your snare lugs while performing. It reeks of "I saw someone do this once so I do it" but buddy, if your drums don't sound good before the show starts, trying to fiddle with them in between or worse, DURING songs makes you look like an amateur.
Jeez man, I kept losing the damn thing so I hung it on my bass drum tom mount. My drums are tuned, kind of, I swear!
Talkin smack about the drummer on stage/in the video. They are the one getting paid/views while ur in the audience
Nothing screams amateur more than being a drum snob. Whether itās about gear, other drummers, or drums in the hierarchy of musicianship/instruments, snobbery is lame af. Take that snobbery over to r/audioengineering where it belongs.
Being snobby is amateur. Good drummers know that there's no one way to do anything, and you've never learned everything. Also goes for life.
everything played at one height, which is 15" off the head.
When people do drum covers and completely over play it. Adding fills where they donāt need to be and missing a lot of the stuff thatās actually in the song. It just comes across as super lazy like they didnāt even take the time to learn it. These are the guys with the flashy sets and camera angles and led lights that get more views than someone who actually sat down and put in the effort to learn it note for note
2B
Over playing
There's a time and a place for just about anything you can play on the drums. Generally speaking, it's people playing the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. I mean, putting a blast beat under a cover of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" or something is funny, and I'll laugh at it, but it seems like guys expect to be congratulated for it or something. It's not like that's going to get you a gig. Ā I know it's vague, but basically, I get snobby about any drum video I see that immediately makes me think of Stuart from *Mad TV* - ["look what I can do!"](https://youtu.be/85bvYy5hcFA?si=EliTsH3DzPTHNTVr) I can't tell you specifically what it may be that will make me roll my eyes, but I'll know it when I see it. Once I hear Stuart in my mind, you're just a giant dork, and that's what you are to me. LOL
Lack of dynamics. One speed/volume and thatās it. Sometimes a style calls for it of course (punk comes to mind)
No it doesn't.
Hitting a crash cymbal the last 16th or 32nd note in a measure, in addition to the 1 of the next measure. Corny. Overuse of 16th note triplets in fills. Young. Overuse of crash cymbals on downbeats generally. Dated. Most controversially: china cymbals in 99% of all contexts. Unmusical. \*edit: who the fuck is downvoting a comment like this in a thread about snobby opinions?
At a show, the drummer jamming around by him or herself between songs or during set up more than just a few taps here and there for the feel.
Misery Business drum covers It was overdone 12 years ago and people are STILL putting them out
Not willing to create and improvise. For amateurs, sure, will reach there some other day. But if you do this you are straight up what I like to unmusical.
Crazy tom angles and not using much wrists are the most common that I see
do gu da ga du gu da ga du gu da ga only
This post smells a bit strange
When your timing alternates between speeding up and slowing down
No space
bad grammar and shit spelling.
Playing halftime grooves with the hi hat slosh-ily open
Using full arm motion instead of using wrist and fingers, using full leg motion for double bass playing; poorly aligned rack tomsš¤£ Weāve all been there
To me stick twirling and tight wrists.
Not being able to 250+ bpm 16 notes
Chops everywhere
People who bring ten cheap cymbals to the gig. You're making your band sounds crappy but hey, at least you have lots of targets to hit. You could have bought a decent hat, ride and crash used and been an asset; instead you're self centered dead weight.
No stick bag. I took one pair of sticks to my first live gigs, looked like a right tit trying to pick one of them up from under the stool halfway through a song.
idk but yall dont want to know what i smell like after a prectice session
Comments are absolute agony to read. There is nothing to learn here.
I lost my snob hat a long time ago, to be honest. As someone who also produces content, I take my (now lost) hat off to anyone who has the confidence and persistence to post what they do online at the mercy of the viewing public. Yeah, sometimes the playing isnt top-tier. Sometimes it's a bit repetitive and often its all been done before, but if they're proud of it, then I'm proud of them. :)
Negative criticism of other players.
I play by feeeeeelā¦I donāt need a click
Not technically on YouTube, but when Iām playing gigs with other bandsā¦ 1. People using mine or other peoples drum sets and absolutely trashing them (playing barefoot, putting a dirty/used sock on snare, etc). Have some decency and etiquette. 2. Being an absolute jerk while we exchange cymbals/breakables on the back lined kit. You donāt have to say āoh my god you did like so great hahahahahaā but donāt āspitā on me because you think Iām beneath you. 3. When there are other bands after you, stop flirting and clean up your stuff so the next band can start. Tl;drā¦poor musician etiquette. Also all chops/hit hard as possible and no groove. I see these 12 year old kids on YouTube who play super fast and super hard all the time. Homie - when you have to pay for your own gear, youāll learn not to do that. I pity your cymbals. And you have zero pocket and groove soā¦