Playing Drums In A Band

The following tips will help you play in a band. Did you start to play drums and now feel ready to play along with other musicians?

How to find a band or musicians

There are multiple ways to find a band/musicians, it all depends on where you live. In big cities, many events usually called “Jam Sessions” are organized every night.
There’s often a leader who will suggest songs and set teams, according to the participating musicians. The atmosphere is there friendly. This is a good opportunity to meet musicians who will share the same interests and affinity.
If you can’t go to jams, search for specialized locations in music classified ads.

You’ll find on theses websites many classifieds from musicians who want to start a new band or expand.

Rehearsal spaces and gear

The best solution is for you to have a large room where you can gather musicians around your drums.
There’s no time or schedule limits but you’ll have to invest in a PA system for the singers. Guitar and bass players usually come with their own amplifiers.

If this solution is not suitable for you, you’ll find rehearsal studios in every city. They can be part of an associative project or belong to private companies. Prices range from 10 € and 40 €/hour according to the location, fame, available gear and time slot. Evening slots are the most requested and are often more expensive than day slots.
We recommend drummers bring their own cymbals, although most of the rehearsal studios also provide them.

The role of the drummer in a band

We drummers have the most important role in the band. Following are our 4 main tasks:

– Set the tempo of the songs An audience won’t have the same feeling if a song is played too fast or slow. Use a metronome to set the right tempo.

– Keep the pace Setting the tempo is one thing, but you’ll have to keep it through the whole song. The drummer’s role is to prevent the other musicians from slowing down or accelerate during the song (except when arrangements require tempo changes).

– Set the song structure. In modern vocal music, songs are structured in different parts: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, etc.The drummer must mark these changes by varying the tempo or tone, but also by playing a fill at the end of a part.

– Set the music style. Each genre has specific drum beats. Traditional beats and variations. It’s like another language. One needs to know their codes and vocabulary. You won’t play a jazz song like a pop song or a metal song. These examples are very far away from each other but the principle is the same.

Preparation

Playing in a band takes practice. The goal of a rehearsal is to organize the music, song structures and the place of each instrument in them. You’ll need to practice your drum beats and fills beforehand. The rehearsal is not the place where one practices their instrument.
If your band plays covers, listen to the original songs, write the structure down or look for drum sheets on the Web Music School website.
Drum Sheet, Bass Tab, Guitar Tab, Horn Sheet

When you know how to play your part, it will be easier for you to listen carefully to what’s going on around you…And that’s what is called Music!