If everyone is just bent on flailing away on whatever instrument. You are doomed. Gotta be a team thing where everyone works together.
The Stones are where they are because each member is paying attention to the others. In live footage you can see the interaction. Any band where there isn't even eye contact between members will be less of a show.
Creighton
I have just arrived at the conclusion (from long experience,) that -all- guitar players are just flatulent ego-maniacs.
Ha!!!
I want this on a T-shirt!
I love this!
I just "turn down" to the point they finally notice I'm "missing" and then have the discussion on dynamics. Illustrating I don't need an amplifier to destroy their hearing with rimshots and crashes, but choose not to.
If the guys I'm working with don't get it, it's time to part ways, because I will not fight a 'back-line battle' for sonic supremacy... It's just stupid!
I have been playing in rock bands since I was a teenager and it's always the same old thing from guitarist, "We play to your volume" meanwhile, they are cranking up there amps to 10. They don't get it, a good drummer can play soft or loud, but it depends on the volume of the rest of the band. If a guitarist is screaming, I'm going to play louder, if he's quiet I'll quiet down a bit.Why do they always blame the drummer? Does this happen with you jazz guys as well?
Who've you been playing with all these years? What settings (environments)? If you've been playing since you were a teenager, and I'm supposing the group of folks you're playing with are of the same ilk, you should all understand dynamics. Maybe YOU are the problem. I've met so many flounder-pounders over the years, and they only have one volume. If you don't, and the others also don't have a good, firm grasp on dynamics, any project will be doomed. There's no secret formula. Kripes! You're all in the same room together. If you's can't figure it out, how can a forum help? Really!!
And, if the stupid comment about guitarists being "Flatulent Ego Maniacs" is any indication of who that idiot has been playing with, then he's doomed as well. C'mon. Good luck working on your interplay with that attitude, John! Am I the only lucky drummer to have had only positive experiences with the band-mates I've chosen to work with? For almost 40 years? Nay!!
A dumb thread with no regard to vintage drums. Seems like just more peeing, here, lately. What's happening? This is more akin to a CL rant. Figure it out, big boy.
B
Who've you been playing with all these years? What settings (environments)? If you've been playing since you were a teenager, and I'm supposing the group of folks you're playing with are of the same ilk, you should all understand dynamics. Maybe YOU are the problem. I've met so many flounder-pounders over the years, and they only have one volume. If you don't, and the others also don't have a good, firm grasp on dynamics, any project will be doomed. There's no secret formula. Kripes! You're all in the same room together. If you's can't figure it out, how can a forum help? Really!!And, if the stupid comment about guitarists being "Flatulent Ego Maniacs" is any indication of who that idiot has been playing with, then he's doomed as well. C'mon. Good luck working on your interplay with that attitude, John! Am I the only lucky drummer to have had only positive experiences with the band-mates I've chosen to work with? For almost 40 years? Nay!!A dumb thread with no regard to vintage drums. Seems like just more peeing, here, lately. What's happening? This is more akin to a CL rant. Figure it out, big boy.B
Wow, this proves that even drummers can be a$$-holes!
FYI, I'm not a " Flounder-Pounder", I'm not even sure what that is, maybe some sort of fish delicacy at Long John Silvers? Anyway, I don't pound my kit, but most lead guitarist use that as an excuse to crank up. Granted, most of my experience in bands has been rock oriented and you do need a certain amount of volume to play rock music, but I'm not a heavy hitter. Most of my volume comes from how I hit the drum and how I tune my kit, not from how hard I hit it.
I think part of the problem is that at most gigs the stage is small and the guitarist is right next to my kit and the lead vocalist stands right in front of me with her monitor pointed directly at her as well as myself, she gets an earfull of drums and cranks up the monitor, which then make my ears bleed. It's all a vicious cycle and it seems I'm the only one that understands what's going on, the guitarist and vocalist just blame me for the volume.
[QUOTE=johnnyringo;250706]Wow, this proves that even drummers can be a$$-holes!QUOTE]
Maybe I am, but I'm not the one with the dynamics problems. And, I'm not the one whining about people complaining about my playing or my drum prices.
B
I think part of the problem is that at most gigs the stage is small and the guitarist is right next to my kit and the lead vocalist stands right in front of me with her monitor pointed directly at her as well as myself, she gets an earfull of drums and cranks up the monitor, which then make my ears bleed. It's all a vicious cycle and it seems I'm the only one that understands what's going on, the guitarist and vocalist just blame me for the volume.
WHAT?!?!?!? A singer complaining about the drummer's volume? I've never encountered that! :O [/sarcasm]
That sounds like it could be the source of your "live" problem. Have the singer point her monitor sideways towards herself, NOT towards you and the guitar player. Offer it up as a solution, something for her to try out for a gig/set/whatever.
Do you have this same problem while practicing?
[QUOTE=johnnyringo;250706]Wow, this proves that even drummers can be a$$-holes!QUOTE]Maybe I am, but I'm not the one with the dynamics problems. And, I'm not the one whining about people complaining about my playing or my drum prices.B
You obviously didn't even bother to read my post about how I play. People don't complain about my drumming, just the volume and I'm not a heavy hitter. Does this sound like a pounder?
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os1FjGhfmu0&feature=player_detailpage[/ame]
WHAT?!?!?!? A singer complaining about the drummer's volume? I've never encountered that! :O [/sarcasm]That sounds like it could be the source of your "live" problem. Have the singer point her monitor sideways towards herself, NOT towards you and the guitar player. Offer it up as a solution, something for her to try out for a gig/set/whatever. Do you have this same problem while practicing?
Not at all, we rehearse at a lower volume and I adjust my playing to the volume the other guys are playing.
You guys have to work together. We have a group appointed leader in our trio. Before the gig we look the room over and come to a consensus as to how loud we should get. While playing our "Leader" will signal us if we need to lower the volume or increase it based on how the customers are reacting. It works well because we listen to each other and work together. I always figure if I can't hear the whole band then I'm too loud. Remember, if your playing softly you still need to play with the same intensity as when you play loud. If it becomes apparent your group can't get the volume issues under control then you need to move on to a different group.
