Kev chimes in with a handful of musician jokes so I had to add some of the jokes I've heard about my musical instrument of choice. Here are a few:
What do you call a guy that hangs out with musicians?
A drummer.
What's the last thing a drummer says before he leaves a band?
"Hey guys, let's try a song that I wrote."
How do you get a drummer off your porch?
Give him the $12 for the pizza.
What do you call a drummer that just broke up with his girlfriend?
Homeless.
I know, "har har har." I've heard these jokes for years and think they're pretty funny too. However, the perception that a drummer is a loser/non-musician is a misnomer. There are/were plenty of smart people behind the skins that treat the beating of drums and cymbals as musical instruments. They think of drums as single-note bells; each drum and cymbal represent a different note. It's up to the one holding the sticks to make the notes work.
I think drums work best when they compliment and energize the song. Drummers like John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, Jimmy Chamberlin and Dave Grohl had their own personalities in their playing, but I don't think they were overplaying. As the line goes, they played for the song. Yes, there was overplaying in spots (worst offense, "Moby Dick"), but most of the time, there was enough space for the guitars, vocals and whatever else. That's the role that I use in my playing.
I've been asked to play simpler, ala Meg White from the White Stripes, and I just refuse. It's too simple and to be honest, I'd get too bored playing one simple, thudding beat over and over again. The beats and fills must augment everything else while keeping a steady beat.
I don't know, maybe there's some drummer joke in all of this.
What do you call a guy that hangs out with musicians?
A drummer.
What's the last thing a drummer says before he leaves a band?
"Hey guys, let's try a song that I wrote."
How do you get a drummer off your porch?
Give him the $12 for the pizza.
What do you call a drummer that just broke up with his girlfriend?
Homeless.
I know, "har har har." I've heard these jokes for years and think they're pretty funny too. However, the perception that a drummer is a loser/non-musician is a misnomer. There are/were plenty of smart people behind the skins that treat the beating of drums and cymbals as musical instruments. They think of drums as single-note bells; each drum and cymbal represent a different note. It's up to the one holding the sticks to make the notes work.
I think drums work best when they compliment and energize the song. Drummers like John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, Jimmy Chamberlin and Dave Grohl had their own personalities in their playing, but I don't think they were overplaying. As the line goes, they played for the song. Yes, there was overplaying in spots (worst offense, "Moby Dick"), but most of the time, there was enough space for the guitars, vocals and whatever else. That's the role that I use in my playing.
I've been asked to play simpler, ala Meg White from the White Stripes, and I just refuse. It's too simple and to be honest, I'd get too bored playing one simple, thudding beat over and over again. The beats and fills must augment everything else while keeping a steady beat.
I don't know, maybe there's some drummer joke in all of this.
Comments
Remind me sometime on a "slow news day" and I'll post the story of the drummer who overindulged a bit on a gig I was on in college.