Rock Drummers

[sLarkin20]

Is it just me or does there seem to be a lack of rock drummers on these forums? Lots of people on here all seem to be influenced and play with the style of Gadd, Weckl, Vinnie,Peart, Buddy Rich, Portnoy what have you, and those seem to make up a lot of the threads that talk about what drummers are "good" or influence people on here and what not. I personally look at drummers like David Silveria, Shannon Larkin, McBrain, and even into some Matt McDonough, Bittner and Adler heavier drumming for inspiration, but mostly centered around hard-rock drumming. I dont see many threads about a lot of the good hard-rock drummers, or see their names mentioned when people talk about great drummers or great influences too often if at all. Is there just less people on here that listen to / like to play that kind of drumming or something? Theres nothing wrong with that I just find it odd that there dosent seem to be a great variety of names when thers a "You're favorite drummer" or "Your're biggest influence" type thread shows up, seems to be the same answers for the most part. Anyone else notice or agree to some point with me? I just wanna know if I'm the only one that feels this way, theres nothign wrong with talkin about those drummers I mentioned before though because they are all amazing, but it seems like everyones been hypnotized to have the same influences and such almost! There is more to drumming the Neil Peart and Buddy Rich : P Discuss : D!

PS: If this turns into any kind of flaming thread about drummers or types of drumming dont blame me because thats not what this is about : )

[crazyguy832]

Because we don't constrain ourselves.

Right now I'm still in my "rock" stage, but I've been trying to do a little jazz. It's definetely funner to mess around with.

Many drummers are in different styles.

I mean, look at Derek Roddy, one of the top death metal drummers right now. He also does jazz, blues, rock... hell he does a lot of stuff.

[Chris]

Rite, so whati thinky our getting to is that if you listen to say Buddy then you wont be a rock drummer.

You really shouldn't say to your self, 'I want to be a rock drummer' or 'I want to be a jazz drummer', as then you will be limited to that one style.

Im majorly influnced by Jimmy Chamberlin, John Otto, and Brian Viglione. Both Jimmy and John made there name by playing in 'rock' bands, but both where brought up on jazz.

It could just be that people don't see 'Rock' as being very hard, so are more inpressed by Jazz.

And one last thing, quite a few people are influnced (sp) by Danny Carey.

[oliv_da_skinmasher]

Exactly guys listen to different styles it won't stop you being a 'rock' drummer. sLarkin20 you refered to Nicko in you post, Mr McBrain is my main influence he got me into drumming and he is at a level to which i aspire,also drums in my fave band. But even nicko plays many styles, granted not since he joined Maiden, but before he did he was a session drummer of a sort and played funk, jazz etc but hes still an amazing rock drummer. Don't label people as a certain type of drummer its not right.

[RushHourSoul]

I lub Bon Jonham. I used to be into a lot of rock. Now I barely listen to it, save a few bands like Led Zeppelin, Supergrass, Jeff Buckley and maybe a bit of Incubus. Theres so many more genres and styles of music out there to be discovered, I feel rock gets talked about too much. I mean how many times is there threads about reggae or afro-cuban music on here?

[LoneStarDrummer]

just because someone likes rock doesn't mean they should limit themselves to that style. they should be earger to expand their horizons as much as possible and try to incorporate all those styles together in some way.

[aznriceball]

you can play rock and be inspired by a non rock drummer. sheesh

[SkaRabbit]

i listen to every drummer i can.

[flyguy]

It's a touchy subject in a way. When I first started drumming I listened to Tre Cool, Travis Barker, but I did have an interest in jazz as well and I also liked to listen to Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and Art Blakey. They all gave me inspiration to start playing.

As I started learning more about the instrument I started to get into different drummers. I wasn't listening to Blink or Green Day as much. "gee i wonder why?"

To put it bluntly most of the rock drummers today are garbage. Many cannot keep time on a live set. They are very sucessful at what they do, but they arent good players. However, as with everything there are exceptions.

Thats why many people here talk about Gadd, Weckl, Colauita, Smith, Blackwell, etc... These are the players that more advanced drummers seem to like. Nothing against other drummers, but its these guys that are pushing drumming to the next level and not Silveria, Larkin, McBrian, and all those guys.

Your tatse will develope with time.

[drummingducktape]

i love playing rock but i also like play jazz and blues. you have more room to play what you feel

[Double Bass Jim]

you can play rock and be inspired by a non rock drummer. sheesh
Exactly... Why don't people share this same mentality.

Most of the people on here are inspired by vince,weckl gadd ect ect for one reason... Their damn good and they make you drive yourself further on the kit. Watching someone of that caliber play makes ME want to play that way AKA huge insperation.

[Josiah]

I love rock music, it's my favorite kind. I got some Alice in Chains on right now even.

Like jim said though, when it comes to insperation on the technical level. Well it's the masters who do it best.

[ringworm]

I just posted a thread earlier asking if anybody here has seen the Godsmack solo with Shannon & Sully together on 2 kits. I've never heard it brought in here before. Personally, I'd rather see more of that than some Bonham solo, just me. Sure, the other "greats" are more talented, but they tend to get mundane & boring to me.

[Double Bass Jim]

Like jim said though, when it comes to insperation on the technical level. Well it's the masters who do it best.
Right on, for every instrument as well

[sLarkin20]

It just seems wrong and close-minded to say "well if you want good inspiration you can only go to these drummers:" God forbid someone mentions a drummer besides Neil Peart and Buddy Rich and Steve Gadd and whoever else for once. I dont feel anything when I watch an old Buddy Rich video of him tearing up the snare and doin his fills around the kit over and over, It gets repitive and almost boring to me. Same with videos of Weckl and Peart I get bored a lot of times watchin them because a lot of their playing dosent involve heavy grooves and such that rock does, and I cant get into it, not to mention a lot of them play like statues and dont even crack a smile when they play. Maybe its just a personal thing , but It just seems "wrong" to go to any drummer outside of the little circle of "masters" that people name here for inpsiration or to look up to or anything. I'm not saying everyone needs to stop listenin to them play and only go to Shanon Larkin for inspiration because hes my favorite drummer, but it should be considered wrong to only look up at certain drummers from the same genre of music just because they arent considered "Legends" or whatever, that dosent mean they arent good, they just werent the first ones to do it or the pioneers of drumming or anything. People going with the "masters" of drumming as someone said eariler is just as close minded and constraining as me only going to rock drummers for inspiration isnt it?

[Double Bass Jim]

I dont feel anything when I watch an old Buddy Rich video of him tearing up the snare and doin his fills around the kit over and over, It gets repitive and almost boring to me. Same with videos of Weckl and Peart I get bored a lot of times watchin them
You have to understand whats being played and what your seeing to appreciate the level of playing.

[Josiah]

You have to understand whats being played and what your seeing to appreciate the level of playing.


That's dead on.

[ringworm]

Well I do, & I am impressed & amazed at the speed & technical ability, but all in all, zzzzzzz. I kinda agree w/TS, grooves & beats vs what sometimes just sounds like popcorn popping. To each there own.

[Talos]

I only play Rock, Metal, Punk and Blues.

I try to play other genres but I find if you dont like the music its hard to sit down and listen to it and play along.

I really need to do it though, as it can come in really handy.

[aznriceball]

It just seems wrong and close-minded to say "well if you want good inspiration you can only go to these drummers:" God forbid someone mentions a drummer besides Neil Peart and Buddy Rich and Steve Gadd and whoever else for once. I dont feel anything when I watch an old Buddy Rich video of him tearing up the snare and doin his fills around the kit over and over, It gets repitive and almost boring to me. Same with videos of Weckl and Peart I get bored a lot of times watchin them because a lot of their playing dosent involve heavy grooves and such that rock does, and I cant get into it, not to mention a lot of them play like statues and dont even crack a smile when they play. Maybe its just a personal thing , but It just seems "wrong" to go to any drummer outside of the little circle of "masters" that people name here for inpsiration or to look up to or anything. I'm not saying everyone needs to stop listenin to them play and only go to Shanon Larkin for inspiration because hes my favorite drummer, but it should be considered wrong to only look up at certain drummers from the same genre of music just because they arent considered "Legends" or whatever, that dosent mean they arent good, they just werent the first ones to do it or the pioneers of drumming or anything. People going with the "masters" of drumming as someone said eariler is just as close minded and constraining as me only going to rock drummers for inspiration isnt it?

you're the only one seeing this as 'wrong'. talented drummers get posted all the time and people come and acknowlege them. noone is telling you who to be inspired by, that's silly. but to show how much many of the big ones get mentioned gives an inkling of an idea of how talented those individuals are.

[sLarkin20]

Well I do, & I am impressed & amazed at the speed & technical ability, but all in all, zzzzzzz. I kinda agree w/TS, grooves & beats vs what sometimes just sounds like popcorn popping. To each there own.

Exactly. Technicality shouldnt be the only attribute looked at when consider a "good" drummer to look at for inspiration, or what defines a drummer as being "good", which it seems to be. Every drummer would play the same then, how interesting.

[spirit]

Exactly. Technicality shouldnt be the only attribute looked at when consider a "good" drummer to look at for inspiration, or what defines a drummer as being "good", which it seems to be. Every drummer would play the same then, how interesting.

Technicality isn't the only attribute considered when looking for inspiration. You seem to have missed that. Have you ever wacthed Gadd solo? It's one long groove.

That said, the ability to play whatever you want, with whatever limb you want lends itself to you being a more capable and adaptable drummer. Vinnie Colaiuta, who often gets mentioned here, has great chops. Does he use them all the time? No, not unless it fits the song.

If, however, you're going to do a drum clinic, surely you'd want to demonstrate a bit of groove and a bit of chops, preferably at the same time? The two aren't mutually exclusive.

[Sleeper]

I've always been a Rock drummer, mainly influenced by Zach Hill, and Abe Cunningham.

[LostRythym]

you can play rock and be inspired by a non rock drummer. sheesh

Agreed. The Steve Gadd fill (snare-tom-floor tom-bass) can be used in rock.
And most drummers here play alot of different genres. For example, I play rock, metal, samba, african groove thing and in the midst of learning latin and jazz/blues.

[RushHourSoul]

Hmm.. anyone can 'play' one of those genres.. but do you listen to them and study the music, buy cds/music and apprieciate the artists?

A lof of people say they play reggae, jazz, latin etc, but they hardly purchase music of these genres, and stick to rock and pop. I think having a love for these genres will give you a more 'honest' feel when playing those styles, and you'll have a better 'groove' going I suppose.

[LittlePound]

I'm pretty strictly a rock drummer, i look up to people like peart, gadd, weckl but it's not really me. They just don't play my style. Though if i ever solo'd it'd be more along the lines the stuff they play, or if i ever really got into jazzy stuff, but i'm pretty much a rock drummer just becuase that's what i "feel" and play the best.

[Seafroggys]

Peart, a non-rock drummer? You gotta be kidding me.

Anyways, I always whore out rock greats.....Keith Moon, Ian Paice, Mitch Mitchell (though he was more fuision then anything)....yes I know they're all older, but still, they're rock, and they're great!

[Bonham#1!]

Peart, a non-rock drummer? You gotta be kidding me.

Anyways, I always whore out rock greats.....Keith Moon, Ian Paice, Mitch Mitchell (though he was more fuision then anything)....yes I know they're all older, but still, they're rock, and they're great!

Ian Paice=Greatest left handed drummer

[Motleyguy]

hmmmm...in response to the VERY first post on here....isn't Neil Peart a rock drummer? Isn't Rush a prog/rock band...yes. I also often see names of people like Josh Freese, and Danny Carey (both play in rock bands, A Perfect Circle and Tool respectively) come up in threads.

Like jim said though, when it comes to insperation on the technical level. Well it's the masters who do it best.

and in response to why rock drummers aren't as often mentioned, I think Josiah said it best right there.

[some jive turkey]

Hmm.. anyone can 'play' one of those genres.. but do you listen to them and study the music, buy cds/music and apprieciate the artists?

A lof of people say they play reggae, jazz, latin etc, but they hardly purchase music of these genres, and stick to rock and pop. I think having a love for these genres will give you a more 'honest' feel when playing those styles, and you'll have a better 'groove' going I suppose.
/\
that's so true

I feel like you have to do a lot of listening to a style of music in order to get to know it. I call it "the immersion factor".

[Motleyguy]

Improving my double bass technique by reading the 1000s of posts on the subject instead of actually practicing.

ROFLMAO!!!
Nice dude.

[some jive turkey]

ya like that?

[We_Love_Lime]

Agreed. The Steve Gadd fill (snare-tom-floor tom-bass) can be used in rock.
And most drummers here play alot of different genres. For example, I play rock, metal, samba, african groove thing and in the midst of learning latin and jazz/blues.


Wasn't it Bonham who did that fill? I.E. Stairway To Heaven...???

Edit: Also didn't jazz and blues and afro-cuban and latin ( not really reggae ) come BEFORE Rock? And shaped Modern Rock Music as it is? So shouldn't the drummer's and artists be the ones to receive some credit? I think what everybody on these forums is doing is trying to get new drummers to "remember" the legends. Becuase without them, the music wouldn't be as it is.

[ak50324]

Billy Cobham for me :)


I tend to be more affected by jazz drummers...

[[Fonya]]

I listen to tons of classic rock and thats basically all I play when playing with music but I still play jazz and other styles on my own.