Downloads * Drummers Trivia * Drummers Chat Rooms * Rudiments *
Digital Music * Knowledge Assessments * TD Archives * Drum Set Buyers Guide *
Bass-Player Jokes * Assembling a Drum Set * Parts of a Drum Set * About HSID * Video Troubleshooter

Bill Powelson's School of Drums

 Back to the Tempo Dispatch Archives  

Issue #7___\__\__\__\__\__________/__/__/__/__/ July 97

 ___________________________________________________

                    TABLE OF CONTENTS
                 What is in this issue?
         Contents:
           1. Feature Article:
              Beating the Monster Players to that 'Dream Gig'
           2. Bar Joke of the Month

   ________________________________________________________

               *** FEATURE ARTICLE ***
                     For July 97

    Beating the Monster Players to that 'Dream Gig'

        If you are a professional drummer and your current job
situation is less than satisfactory, this lesson is for you.
Maybe you are in a 'dead end' band going nowhere.  Maybe the
money you are making is too low or  the quality of the music
just does not meet your standards.  Any number of reasons
can make you want to look elsewhere for employment.  What
are the secrets to landing that 'Dream gig'?

Defining the 'Dream gig':

	Before we begin, maybe we should define the so called
'Dream gig'.  I am sure it means different things to
different people.
         In short, we are talking about good money, quality
music and terrific people.  Your personal 'Dream gig' may be
a specific job on the local level, a traveling group, a
session clique or somewhere in the big leagues.  The bigger
the dream, the more difficult the climb (usually).  Whatever
your personal dream may be, the rules are essentially the
same.  Follow along and I will try to explain.

THREE RULES:

* Be the right person . . .

* in the right place . . .

* at the right time!

	We cannot get around these rules.  This is what
success in the music business is all about. The sad part is
that lady luck may play a major part in at least some of
them.  However, we can focus on being the right person and
once equipped with that reputation, we can only hope to
manipulate the other two rules.

RULE #1:

First, You Must Qualify: (Be the right person)

The whole thing boils down to reputation.  Drummers and all
musicians who strive to maintain a reputation of certain
attributes seem to always excel.  So, it goes without
saying, if you can maintain those attributes and make them
known to the right people, the climb to success will be much
easier.

What are these attributes?

What do the best bands look for, in a drummer?

* SOLID TEMPO AND PERFECT TIMING:
        The point is simple.  Develop a reputation as a
human metronome!  If perfect time is synonymous with your
name . . . the great gigs will follow.   For useful tips on
how you can greatly improve your sense of tempo and timing,
see the online drum lesson, 'How To Overcome Bad Gigs,
Forever'.


 *  DEPENDABILITY:

        The total success of any group or band is
dependant on each individual.  Like a chain, one weak link
can make the whole thing useless.  Most successful groups
are very aware of this fact and they hire accordingly.  Few
musicians are good enough to combine  a ‘no show' reputation
with success.



 * FLEXIBILITY:
        ( Or . . . YOUR ABILITY TO LISTEN WITH BOTH
EARS):

        We all have our own musical attitudes and ideas
but when you are the new kid on the block or the newest
member of a band, doing things their way is usually best.
Key in on your bass player, follow his lead, memorize and
complement his licks.  Sometimes when you are just starting
with a new group, you may dislike the musical arrangements,
routines and their way of doing things.   Don't fight these
ideas at first.  Conform to the group effort, totally if
possible.  After you have won the total respect of the
group, introducing your own ideas and changes will
eventually be much easier, so be patient.  This is where
many of us begin to break down and fail.

* TECHNIQUE:

        Be sure you know your note values, rolls and
basic dance beat structures!   Exchange ideas with other
band members using terms they can understand.  If they ask
you to play something like 8th triplets in a certain
arrangement, you should be able to do it without question.


 * FRIENDLY, EASYGOING NATURE:

        This may be the most important attribute of
all.  Many people compare a band with a four or five-way
marriage.  No band wants to hire an obstinate jerk.  If you
have cultivated a reputation as someone hard to get along
with, the great job offers may just never become real.   It
is very difficult to get a group of genius musicians to even
share the same room for more than five minutes, much less
share the spotlight nightly.  Learn to leave your ego at
home if it may cost good jobs.  Start doing that now and
discover that the good gigs may be just around the corner.
Some of the best bands are made up of 'less than genius'
players who get along and work really well together.  I will
opt for that kind of group every time because I know that
success will usually be the result.

           F.  COMMITMENT AND LOYALTY:

        With most of the top flight professional bands,
the replacement of a drummer is a serious and critical move.
They will want to make the right decision only once and they
will want to be sure of your commitment to them.  They want
to rest assured that you will stay in the group once they
have accepted you.  Again, if your previous reputation
doesn't support that possibility then they will overlook
your name and move to someone who will stick like glue.

RULE #2: ( THE RIGHT PLACE)

        The right place could be anywhere in the World but if you
keep your senses alerted, spotting the action is often easy
before it happens, right there in your own back yard.
Investigate your own locality for the band with the largest
following and get to know those people if possible.  Try to
be on a first name basis with as many 'dream gig' band
members as you can  . . . and  jam with them at every
opportunity.  If they decide they like you, your reputation
and your playing; Making it to the top of their favorite
drummer's list may be easier than you think.   One day the
regular drummer may decide to leave and you will receive a
phone call.  It can happen just like that!  The big secret
to it may be . . .

RULE #3 (THE RIGHT TIME)

        The right time could be anytime, but just like rule #2, we
can do things to increase our odds of winning.

        Try to remain on a first name basis with members
of several bands that fall under the ‘dream gig'
classification.  This increases the odds that eventually,
one of those jobs will open and you will be at the front of
the line to grab it.

ANOTHER TRICK:
	Forming a small brotherhood of drummers wherever you
may be living is best.  Get to know the key drummers, the
ones with the good jobs and become best friends with them.
Never hawk another drummers gig or play games of politics.
Trying to shoot another drummer out of his or her position
is like courting disaster.  Although political games of this
type can occasionally work, the result is very often less
than satisfactory.  Tactics such as those will usually take
a toll in lost friendships and result in a spoiled or ruined
reputation.  You will brand yourself as a cutthroat by
operating that way. The only people who want to work with a
cutthroat drummer are the other cutthroat musicians.  As a
result you could wind up in a self-made nightmare, working
with only the sleezbags and no one else.

	So the point here is this.  Your best source of leads
can often be the drummers themselves.  Think about it!  That
rival drummer, if he likes you,  is the very guy who can get
you in through the back door.  He will often be the first to
know of upcoming changes and his own decision to leave.  He
will be the very one to sell your name to the rest of the
group as a possible replacement and in this way you gain a
friend for life and the dream gig too.  That is what I would
call a win-win situation.

	So, the harsh truth is that success is a waiting game.
All we can do is build our expertise, a good reputation,
good friendships and wait our own turn.  Focus on the
controllable factors first and the rest will take care of
itself. Your chance will come when the time and place is
right,  if you have a reputation as being the right person.

  _______________________________________________________
 |________________________________________________________|

                   BAR JOKE OF THE MONTH

        A guy walks into a bar with a little yellow
long-nosed, short-legged dog under his arm.

        "That's one ugly dog", says another patron
while petting his Doberman.

        "Heh",says the guy, "but he's a mean little
devil."
        "That so?", says the other patron, "I'll bet
$20 my dog will whip yours in less than two minutes!"


        The guy agrees and they put their dogs face to face.
Each gives the command to attack. In the twinkling of an eye the
little yellow dog bites the Doberman in half. The Doberman's owner
is crying and cussing, and screams "What kind of dog is
this?"


        "Well" says the guy, "before I cut off his tail
and painted him yellow he was an alligator."

                    *** DRUMMER JOKE ***

  QUESTION:
        What was the last thing the drummer said before he
was fired?

  ANS:
        Hey!  I've got some new songs we can learn!

 ________________________________________________________

   
 What you don't know is a killer.  Take a minute to actually SEE your
future.    Reach DRUMMING GURU STATIS in under 2hours, here.


END OF TEMPO DISPATCH #7   July, 97







 







Copyright Bill Powelson 1994 all rights reserved.