Drums, Leaders, Players, Worship Leading

(…) Is Your Drummer Too Busy?

2_9_16#SimpleIsBetter Is your music too busy?

How do you go about fixing it? “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding.” #Psalm47.7 Simple is better. Skillfulness is even greater. (…)  Like when the other person is texting, the long pregnant pause builds.

You’re waiting. Finally…they leave. Nothing happened…it was meaningless. Doesn’t the same happen to us musically? How can we better communicate as musicians by making the simple better?





This article is dedicated to worship leaders and drummers in how they can better musically get along – to both get what you want.


Has this happened to you? What is it like when you’re trying to communicate with your drummer – is it similar to texting – both are trying to communicate, but the messages are not coming through?

This happens often in a musical sense. They maybe trying to do the best job possible, however, as humans we tend to over complicate things. Instead of keeping things simple, we like to add flash, pizazz and frills. These little bells and whistles only add up to one great sum of complex noise.

Don’t let this happen to your drummer, don’t let this happen to your band. Here’s how you go about fixing it. #Prov9.10  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” First, worship leader, learn more about drumming and what drummers do. If you are not familiar with drum kits and what they can do, find yourself a good drummer in your area.

Ask them about good basic books on drums and videos. Maybe have them show you in live-person what they do and take a few lessons. The best way to guide musicians is to learn about their instrument and how to play it yourself. You can’t direct people well, if you have little-to-no knowledge of what they are doing.

#2Chron5.13 “and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever,”the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,”

If you are a musician or singer, your duty is to make yourself heard unto the Lord in all praise and thanksgiving. Not unto yourselves, but to Him whose love is steadfast and endures forever. From the House of God, we are to bless His name making, His music glorious. We teach much of the concepts at our WeekendWorkshops . We give share these ideas with both drummers and worship leaders to help them create a better sound. Plus a learning how to create a better musical environment for the entire team.  

Worship Leaders

Learn about the many different pieces of equipment and what they can produce. Look into styles and different well-known drummers for examples. Reality is, most drummers, along with all musicians, want to do things right.

They just may need specific direction, guidance and encouragement to help them do their job – in support of the band. Overplaying: Drummers are not alone, guitarists and pianists suffer from the same symptom. They may want to add that extra fill, notes and texture, but it may complicate what else is happening in the group.

Here’s how you go about fixing it:
As you learn more about drums, patterns and styles, begin to speak to your own drummer of what you learned. Have an honest conversation of what you know and don’t know.

Present yourself as a learner, before being a helper. Drummers, musicians in general, do not play well with open-ended directions. As a leader, you can’t just say to your drummer: “ok…do that sizzle thing you do with the boom, boom…” They will look at you in an awkward stare.

You need to communicate musically and in a way that drummers can understand. You may cause confusion on all sides. Think about how the drummer is trying to respond to what you’re saying. If your drummer were to say to you: “ok…do that worship leading thing with your hand and give me the shout-out and give me the arm twirl.” Would you understand this?  

Drummers and Worship Leaders

If you want something from them specifically, you have to speak your thoughts clearly, they cannot read your mind.

Give your drummer (musician) the idea of what you’re looking for, let them come up with the creativity. But they first need you to set the direction of where you want to go.

What are some examples of helping the drum section?
  • I always go back to simple.
  • Instead of just saying, “keep a steady beat.” I encourage them to do the following:
  • (Song in 4/4 Example) Simple Pattern
  • Play 8th notes on the Hi-hat
  • Play counts 1 and 3 on the kick (bass drum)
  • Play counts 2 and 4 on the snare
  • No fills, no crashes
  • Just straight ahead 4/4 time keeping
Now for any drummer, this pattern can be done in their sleep. But notice how and what I said: 8th notes, hi-hat, play on count numbers, kick and snare. I am giving them easy directions of things they know: beat numbers, notes and the individual pieces of the drum equipment.

Also, you give them sections to think about:
  • Play eight notes on the verses, move to quarter notes on the ride during the chorus.
  • Hold the tempo down tight between the snare and kick
  • Lock in the kick drum with the bass
  • Play the hi-hat clearly and on time to help the guitar players.
  • Take the volume down on the bridge section, play cymbal rolls / add effects etc.
  • Back to the simple 4/4 time keeping: You would be amazed how this will clean up the entire band line.

 
Drummers

Yes, the basic 4/4 pattern maybe boring, but it helps the band focus on time. Even the most professional drummers such as Zoro the Drummer and Carl Albrecht – both who are mentors at WTT: The most professional drummers will tell you that even this simple pattern can be the most challenging task for any drummer.

It takes hard work, quality and control, not only to keep tempo, but to produce clarity and precision. There’s more work going on than just playing a 2 and 4 back beat rhythm.

In essence, the drummer is to lay the foundation for the band. It’s not about the drum fills every 4 bars, nor about every 8 beats you must hit the crash cymbal. It’s about simplicity and complimenting (not complicating) the band. YouTube other well known drummers, that are playing with a band.

Don’t look at Dave Weckl or Terry Bozzio drum solos. This is an art for itself in drum soloing. My recommendation is Youtubing: Zoro the Drummer, Carl Albrecht, Greg Bissonette, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Chris Coleman, Quest Love and Tereon Gulley. – when searching, insert their name + band in the search window. This will ensure you pull up the right videos that are band related.  

“of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,” #Col1.25

If God made you to make music, then minister/steward according to what you have, not what you don’t have. @branondempsey


Conclusion

All in all, communication and simplicity is key for making great music and creative grooves. Learn what you can from each other. Make great harmony in the relationship of drumming and providing a solid foundation, to help others be led in worship. @BranonDempsey @worshiptt

Worship Team Training Workshops @worshiptt Branon Dempsey http://www.worshipteamtraining.com/workshops/Worship Team Training® Is your worship team stuck? Want worship leading to be better? Want to be free? We can take you there. Inspire, create and transform the leading of worship. Get a WeekendWorkshop
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