DRUMMER CAFE

AHhh the thing I love about my new/current band is that they notice what I'm playing and i get compliments so that's cool. In my previous band no one really ever said anything, so I'd always rely on one of my mates for feedback.

From my experiences, it really depends on the situation.  

I've worked with some leaders who were happy with whatever went on in the rhythm section as long as we didn't step on the vocals.

Last year I worked with a funk band whose leader was a very good percussionist in his own right. He was very in tune with what actually makes a song groove and had very exact ideas of what he wanted me to play.  He would  suggest things like having me bring the tempos up in the chorus of a certain song, maybe letting things drag in another.  There were sections of songs where he would really want me to simplify things and other sections where he would want me to go a bit over the top.

He didn't really like what the drummer had played on his CDs so I could not use them as a reference.

Some of his ideas were counter-intuitive to a drummer but I was just a hired gun so I didn't argue with him.

I must say that after listening to a few gig tapes, he was pretty much right on. Those little suggestions made an appreciable difference in the end result.