Who plays good lead drums these days?

[White Riot!]

well?

[PandaDrummer]

no one, the world sucks and music is dying

[Sletalla]

Bands that only feature drummers.

[White Riot!]

would you consider Danny Carey a lead drummer or not?

[Sletalla]

I wasn't aware that there was a such thing as lead drummer.

Don't 'lead' players usually exist when there are two musicians in the first place? There aren't a whole lot of bands that use 2 drummers, with one effectively deemed the lead player.

Perhaps you mean prominent players?

[White Riot!]

Its hard to explain.....

Keith moon was a lead drummer


the song has to be open enough for the drummer to take the lead

[Tillmon]

When I think of the term "lead drummer" (which I've never heard before reading this thread), I would imagine it'd be a band where the drummer is really the star... Rush, Dream Theater, etc.

But, I guess being drummers gives us bias towards the drummer of a band being the star so we wouldn't really know, you know?

[rohbit]

When I think of the term "lead drummer" (which I've never heard before reading this thread), I would imagine it'd be a band where the drummer is really the star... Rush, Dream Theater, etc.

But, I guess being drummers gives us bias towards the drummer of a band being the star so we wouldn't really know, you know?

I don't think it'd be possible to classify any of the aformentioned bands as having lead drummers as their parts are built for the song.

Keit soloed alot in his beats, but both Neil and Mike primarily play for the music.

[White Riot!]

rohbit its not solo'ing but its leading the song.....

[rohbit]

rohbit its not solo'ing but its leading the song.....

I'm not following exactly what leading the song is.

Do you mean that transitions are based off the drumming instead of the guitaring or..?

[Cocaberry]

rohbit its not solo'ing but its leading the song.....

In that case, any drummer that has good time. Most of the time, the kids in the audience are going to be banging heads and dancing to your backbeat.

[White Riot!]

no , I mean its like the drums lead the tune , rather than the guitar.

[Bonham#1!]

Do you mean almost like the drum is the main part of the song, and is almost playing a "riff" and the song is based around it? I don't really know what you mean.

[some jive turkey]

personally, I think the concept of lead anything is stupid. Lead singer, lead guitarist, especially lead drummer. wtf

Music is supposed to be played together, with other musicians (unless solo). However, it seems that 95% of people that play instruments are only able to focus on what it is that they are doing and they get all flashy and crazy without ever bothering to listen to see if it sounds good in the musical context. It's one thing if it's musical and sounds good, but it's another thing if it's not.

Call me a theory nerd, but it seems like the arrangment should lead the song, not any particular musician. Technically there is no leading or following if everyone is playing together in time.
I think I know what you're saying about leading,....like with blues, one could say you're just "following" what the bass player does going through the I IV V, or what the guitarist does with the stops, but...I still don't see that as leading or following. It's just playing. I don't see Moon as "leading" either....he's just a busy drummer.
That's my $.02

[Ethan.]

Yeah I don't like it when people consider themselves a lead Guitarist juts because they played a solo. Putting that word lead there kind of is a cheap way to get fans...

[Josiah]

If it's pre-written. Then it's all pre-determined and thusly, no one instrument is leading another.


That said. The drums are ALWAYS the lead instrument.

Drums SET the time, they DEFINE the feel and most importantly the drums ARE the time. Everyone else follows the drummer.

Hence why keeping time is the #1 job of the drummer, because it's what everyone else is following.

[Stert]

zach hill from hella came to mind. but i think he might just be a busy drummer like moon

[Tillmon]

personally, I think the concept of lead anything is stupid. Lead singer, lead guitarist, especially lead drummer. wtf

Music is supposed to be played together, with other musicians (unless solo). However, it seems that 95% of people that play instruments are only able to focus on what it is that they are doing and they get all flashy and crazy without ever bothering to listen to see if it sounds good in the musical context. It's one thing if it's musical and sounds good, but it's another thing if it's not.

Call me a theory nerd, but it seems like the arrangment should lead the song, not any particular musician. Technically there is no leading or following if everyone is playing together in time.
I think I know what you're saying about leading,....like with blues, one could say you're just "following" what the bass player does going through the I IV V, or what the guitarist does with the stops, but...I still don't see that as leading or following. It's just playing. I don't see Moon as "leading" either....he's just a busy drummer.
That's my $.02

omg u r so right UNITY MUSIC 4 LIFE!!!! FEEL THE MUSIC IN UR SOUL!!!!

[Sync0pation]

The guitar riff in the song Scentless Apprentice by Nirvana was completely made by the drummer and based off the drum beat Grohl created...still not really a lead, I guess.

The only real lead drummer I can think of is KJ Sawka (name of the band too).

[Moon Flavor]

zach hill from hella came to mind. but i think he might just be a busy drummer like moon
I was gonna say that....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jdMDcG3zAEI

[pitchfork]

no one, the world sucks and music is dying
Amen brother :chug:

[Seafroggys]

in my band, prior to the arrival of a 2nd guitarist, I filled the void of the lead instrument, just because, well, our 1st guitarist sucked and couldn't play more then major minor chords, and just strumming them with the same strumming ryhtm in every song.

[NCDrummer]

no one...keith moon was great at lead drumming

[Seafroggys]

I wasn't aware that there was a such thing as lead drummer.

Don't 'lead' players usually exist when there are two musicians in the first place? There aren't a whole lot of bands that use 2 drummers, with one effectively deemed the lead player.

So Eric Clapton wasn't the lead guitarist of Cream?

[Caleb3221]

One could say that a number of fusion guys end up playing "lead" drum roles-Dave Weckl comes to mind, and there are plenty of others. Vinnie C does this too in some situations-especially when he's playing in certain fusion groups(The Vinnie and Friends group comes to mind, but he has a tendancy to kind of "steal the show" sometimes, and there are some performances out there that would be utterly uninteresting if it weren't for the drumming.)

[Electric Requiem]

I think most fans would consider the lead person in tool to be MJK, but I cannot make a very strong statement to say any member of the band is more important. Maynard has excellent vocals, Adam's guitar gives alot of tools unique sound, danny's amazing drumming, and you cant forget the massive change for the better once tool picked up Justin.

Oh, and Im seeing them tonight.

[Berk]

well?
Aaron Gillespie of Underoath?

[ringworm]

Meg from the White Stripes FTW!!! :p

[cliffisanarcissist]

Zach Hill and The Drummer of Lightning Bolt are the ones that come to mind, mostly because they are in two piece bands where the drums are definitely leading alot.

[Stert]

^^^ hella is a full band now. at least according to their website.

i saw them as a full band when they opened for SOAD and The Mars Volta.

[Win A Rabbit]

I played lead bass in a 7-piece band once. :lol: 4 guitars, 2 basses, 1 drummer. 3 vocalists. It was intense trying to write songs.

[cliffisanarcissist]

^^^ hella is a full band now. at least according to their website.

i saw them as a full band when they opened for SOAD and The Mars Volta.
Haha, i know i heard, i was just hoping no one would point that out.

[Futuro]

I played lead bass in a 7-piece band once. :lol: 4 guitars, 2 basses, 1 drummer. 3 vocalists. It was intense trying to write songs.
What do you get with 2 bassist playing in unison?

a minor second.

Badum pshhhhh.

[Seafroggys]

What do you get with 2 bassist playing in unison?

a minor second.

Badum pshhhhh.

hahaha ouch

[Futuro]

hahaha ouch
Yeah I got that joke from someone on here.

I think Moogoo maybe.

[psychedelic_liam]

playing lead drums in a band is selfish, no drummer should do it...

[Aaron]

Meshuggah come to mind, so do The Dresden Dolls

[ian1988]

Im surprised no one has mentioned Jojo Mayer

[psychedelic_liam]

Im surprised no one has mentioned Jojo Mayer

Maybe... personalized taste's?

[pitchfork]

no one...keith moon was great at lead drumming
Correctomundo, keith moon is my god.

[metalman75]

i dont know about lead drums, but i like The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold), Travis Smith(Trivium), Brent Masters(ex-The Agony Scene), and Josh Wills(Story of the Year). :smash:

[stevensonmat2]

Dude my aunt is good friends with the dudes of trivium. To bad my aunt is in maine. :(

[metalman75]

sweet. i think Travis is badass. Matt Heafy doesnt impress me too much though.

[stevensonmat2]

I saw travis's set in an ad, that thing was a beast.

[Det_Nosnip]

What do you get with 2 bassist playing in unison?

a minor second.

Badum pshhhhh.

Hahaha that's such a nerdy joke...I love it.