The Steel Guitar Forum

I think I will send him a thank you card for taking the heat/hate/discontent off of us loud, obnoxious Tele players.

I have heard it said you have to be a damn good drummer to be better than no drummer at all and I agree. Mention that to your drummer.

If you need a good drummer in So. Ohio call Vincent J. DiSalvo.

Book a gig at this place, and send him out to the car for a cord or something.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUUz2E6aQWg

'they eventually shrink and get hard and no longer react properly to loud noises' like my love life!

I did a corporate Christmas Party gig this last Tuesday night. Mostly jazz standards. Drummer used brushes throughout the night.

And was it ever nice. I mean really nice.

The biggest problem i've had is that the drummer is usually the only one on a riser and i'm the only one sitting down therefore you not only get the drums in your ears but every instrument on stage is at your ear level. I've developed tinitus this past year and when the drummer hits that snare too hard it almost takes my head off but it's my band so he only did it once. He went and bought the ring that sits on the snare to muffle it and works real good.
I find when I play bass in 2 other bands were i'm standing up the drummer is not an issue.

Some bass players present the same problem. On bass player I used to work with said you not only have to hear the bass, you need to feel it. I could feel it 3 days after a gig.

Volume issues aside, I would like to say that I appreciate a good drummer and bass player. I don't even like playing in bands that don't have both.

Put toilet paper in each ear and let it hang out so everyone knows its toilet paper.
Toilet paper makes good ear plugs and sends a very unsubtle message.

Hey friends,

I have been following this thread with interest for a few days, and I hope it's OK for a drummer to jump in here with all you musicians (Yea Casey, I got the joke, I've heard all of them). Anyway, on most points, I totally agree. Why not just tell him he's playin' too damn loud.

Frank Parrish, you may very well be right about the fun factor, but not for all drummers. There are a few of us who were raised on and truly love traditional country music, and are perfectly content to play just that. The problem with most "country drummers" today, is that they never heard or played country music growing up. You can look at the bios of some of the guys playing with the new acts, and there is no mention of any country in their background at all. Now before some of you label me as one of those guys who thinks everything but real country music should be banned, let me say this. I truly appreciate all good music and all good players, I just like what I like, and prefer to play what I grew up on.

As for the drummer jokes, the best one was at a steel guitar show I worked recently. There was sign on the stage door that read, "STAGE ENTRANCE, MUSICIANS AND DRUMMERS ONLY" Gotta love it.

See ya soon,
Jim

Jim,I knew you would. It's very easy to work with you,I learned that even with only two songs.Comments like above wouldn't happen if everyone concentrated on their own particular job and worried less about others. The old days we had a rule K.I.S.S. That has changed now its now C.Y.H.M.N. .

I've been pretty successful with buying a set of brushes, and handing them to the drummer with the phrase, hey man, we need to bring the drum kit volume way down, so these brushes should allow you to continue to play with the same body language while dropping the volume way down.

Brushes are cheap.
'Next level is drum shields.

I am also a big fan of pointing out pro drummers who play quietly (ala YouTube).

I also bring the guy to shows with local drummers that I've played with in the past who use sticks and never play too loud.

By that point if the drum volume issue isn't resolved, it's usually the drummer telling the band that it isn't working out, so problem is solved.
Next!

Drummers either have good control or they don't - there is very little middle ground. Personally, I don't care how good a drummers' chops are or how perfect him timing is - if he has no "touch" control he's worthless, no matter WHAT style of music - even the most raucous thrash metal or punk takes a certain "touch".

I sit them down and talk to them if there's a problem. Sometimes they don't know it (drums are the hardest instrument to play in a band and "hear" the overall sound, as you are semi-surrounded by your own instrument.). If they are reasonable about it and lighten up, great; if they don't get it and won't change, it's time to find a new drummer.

Regardless of the reaction, after talking to him/her (yes, I've played with loud female drummers as well) I'l have all the other instruments dial things back at east 20% but NOT tell the drummer...sometimes it works as a wake-up call, and then you can get back up to normal volume and he'll be right with you.

And ear protection is something that I like to see everyone wearing if a band is even semi-loud. I know far to many guitar and bass players who played for years at high volume with no protection, and their tone is ice-pick treble on guitar and garbage-can-rattle treble on bass, because they have lost their high-frequency hearing sensitivity. I use Hearos - I've done the toilet paper or Kleenex thing in a pinch. It's amazing (for those who have never used some kind of sound filter) how clearly you can hear everything when you're wearing them - it's far better than unprotected hearing as far as detecting mix issues goes.

Don Discher wrote:The biggest problem i've had is that the drummer is usually the only one on a riser and i'm the only one sitting down therefore you not only get the drums in your ears but every instrument on stage is at your ear level. I've developed tinitus this past year and when the drummer hits that snare too hard it almost takes my head off but it's my band so he only did it once. He went and bought the ring that sits on the snare to muffle it and works real good.
I find when I play bass in 2 other bands were i'm standing up the drummer is not an issue.

Been there my self but not for long.I quit the last band i worked with because of the loud drummer and they have to put all the amps close to the steel player as they can and have 40 mointers on stage facing the band.Some players only care about hearing them selvs it seems.

Heckler and Koch with carry permit in a shoulder holster.
As the gig sets up, pull your vest up, show him the heat,
and say quietly;
'I don't like loud, and I had a real bad day...'

If he still doesn't listen.. Let your concience be your guide!

Smack him in the head with a mackerel.

If you can'r find a mackerel,
hit with what ya got on hand.
Just for the Halibut...

Seriously, in a pinch find a smoker.
No, not the girl with the big pair at the bar alone,
someone with filter tip cigarettes,
you may need to step out side to do it these days.

Bum two and rip off the tabaco part and give 'em back.
Keep the two filters, then take the none-tabaco-end and carefully
roll off about 1/3 the paper wrapping.
This leaves you a soft part and a tube with baffling in it.
stick the soft part in your ears.
Works great in a pinch and is dirt cheap too.
I usually do it right in front of the smoker,
and blame the drummer, then enjoy the looks on their faces.

The drums are arguably the only truly acoustic instrument on the stage - even if micd up, the drum sound we hear on stage is from the drums themselves, and every other sound (guitar, steel, voice, etc)is coming from a speaker. It's easy to turn the volume control up or down, but a drummer's exuberance often whips the band around and controls the show. Usually that is a Bad thing.... A good drummer is sensitive to the song, the vocals and the other instruments, and doesn't have to beat on his drums to have a good time. Just like any other good musician playing in a band, its about contributing to the finished product. If he doesn't get it after one or two talks, it's time to start looking for another drummer.

Thanks guys there are some really good comments here - I'm using the foam ear plugs that reduce the db by 26 or so and it seems to be a good solution. I do think that being down at the drum/cymbal level exacerbates the problem. Our drummer is a really good guy and a good drummer who needs the money just like I do so being "just" the steel player I have chosen to live and let live. Let's close it up. Thanks ya'll.

I've been very lucky, I guess. Of course I only play out maybe 5 or six times a year. And most of the time, because of the style of music I usually play and the venues I usually do it in, there is no drummer, only a bass. But all of the drummers I've ever played with have had an excellent feel. It could have to do with the modest level of skill that we all have. There just aren't any hot dogs among us. And when a pro has sat in, they have always been very helpful and polite. My musical life is about as good as it gets. I just wish there was more of it.

I had an old boy come up to the sound booth in church one Sunday morning and complained that the drums were waaaay to loud. I showed him the drum faders on the mixer were pulled all the way down. I leaned over and told him, we don't even have any mics on the drums. He shot back, well then, put some mics on the drums so you can turn him down!

Ask the guy who hired you to talk to him. If that doesn't work, well, the writing's on the wal---er, backdrop.

David Morris wrote:I had an old boy come up to the sound booth in church one Sunday morning and complained that the drums were waaaay to loud. I showed him the drum faders on the mixer were pulled all the way down. I leaned over and told him, we don't even have any mics on the drums.
He shot back,
well then, put some mics on the drums so you can turn him down!

Love that guy,
bet he finally figured out what he'd said,
around the mash potatoes course durin' Sunday brunch. LOL

Hey friends,

Steve G, thanks so much for including us drummers in the musician category, we don't always get that. I know that drummers can and do control the volume and intensity of the music, assuming everybody is paying attention. I'm not ever going to impress anybody with great chops, but I have always tried to be aware of the overall song and play with the proper dynamics. I am very fortunate to be able to work with world class players most of the time who know how to build and then drop volume to a whisper. But every now and then......

There are many things that go into being a great musician(or drummer), but in my opinion, none more important than good ears.

OK, one more drummer joke. I was in a music store not long ago with Russ Hicks and while he was looking for something, I went over to get some new sticks. As only he could do, Russ came over and glared at the clerk and asked why they had all this drum stuff in the music store. I tell ya, it just never ends.

See ya soon,
Jim