Just pick up his rythem and play along until something fits. Watch for any breaks or changes and do what comes natural to you. After all, it's original music so there's no wrong. Unless it sounds like garbage it must fit.     Good luck, and have fun. Keep it simple, that's the key.   

My drumming may not be the greatest but this is the only way I play.  Just try to give it what it needs. I wish I could write music score but that is beyond the spectrum of what I have worked on.
                                Nutty

There are a couple of ways that phrase could be interpreted, including:

"I need drumming, and you're drumming, so you're doing fine."

...or...

"That sounds like what every other drummer in the world plays, and I want something different - something unique - not just 'sounding like drums.' "

If it's the former, and he's happy with what you're playing, then you're golden - don't overthink it, don't try to do something unique just for the sake of uniqueness.

If it's the latter, however, try and think of different sounds you could use to express what you'd normally play on snare, hi-hat, ride cymbal, etc. - what I believe Ryno is talking about.  A backbeat doesn't have to be played on the snare drum head or with a cross-stick - play the backbeat on a rack tom, or a tambourine, or the bass drum, or by clicking the sticks together.  Eighth notes don't have to be played on a closed hi-hat - they could be brushes on the snare drum, floor tom, a shaker...the possibilities are there, you just have to look for them.

If you need some quick inspiration in this area, I highly recommend Billy Ward's "Big Time" DVD, or if you can find a copy, Airto's "Listen And Play" instructional video (although I'm not sure if that one's out on DVD - it might just be VHS).

I think that line describes what everyone feels when confronted by the "blank slate" of a new song.  And if your song-writer doesn't have strong feelings about the drum parts, fine. Then this will be a good opportunity to hone your own sensibilities.

It is sort of like reverse engineering the thought process that you use when deciding that you really like the way a drummer plays on one recording and may don't so much like the way another drummer plays on some other record.

Use the same judgements here - take the original songs here and compare them to similar songs that you know from other recordings. Now play similar to the way the drummer plays on those recordings (assuming you'll lean more towards the records you like than the ones you don't).

As for the driving need for truely original parts for original songs - I'm with Chris here. In that. I think that need is often way overstated.  Again go back to your CD collection - on how many tunes do the drums play new, quirky things?  Compared to the number where the drums play pretty normal patterns and fills, arranged to nicely fit the song like a glove.

I'll bet is like 1 to 50, if not 1 to 100-200. The lion's share of the drumsets musical function is to provide the time/feel - the time part would be the communicating the pulse and the feel part would be helping to define the style/groove/genre of the music.

How did you put it? Singer/songwriter type stuff with a hint of funk?  Or maybe slightly funky, pop-rock? or folk rock with a hint of soul?  If any of these are good descriptions - take them back to the CD collection in your mind, find other records that fit the decription and use what those drummers did as a starting point for what you should do to these songs.

Anyway, that's bascially what I do when confronted with new music. I kind of grew up as a player feeling that the whole point of learning how to play standards and covers, etc. was to be able to learn to do exactly what your doing... making up new parts to new music.

Have fun!

David

It's kinda nice if you can listen to "scratch" tracks of ideas after the tune has been pretty much recorded.  Then if I'm really motivated I might chart or add to the chart what fills ( or lack there of ) I thought really rocked!

It's amazing the power of a well played flam   

Unfortunately I can't just play gazillions of takes with my set up- it's pretty much "digital analog" (that's the way I like it- sometimes  ) but with the right computer rig one could easily cut and paste a masterpiece.

Really good thread.  I especially like the advice from our senior members about not trying to make every drumming performance something new and innovative or whatever. 

It has to groove 1st and sound cool.  As one of my guitar players used to tell me; "play something that doesn't suck."  Hmmmm ok?   

Play with in your means; keep it simple, stupid. (K.I.S.S.) Don't try that new fill you've been working on (at least not on your first take). 9 times out of 10 it will not work. Anytime I start to think about a fill at the end or with in a verse or a chorus, I start to fade away from the click. The problem is "think", your drum part should flow naturally from you and it should complement the music. Keep your ears open and the only thing you should think about is the form of the song.
my 2 cents
-c

I envy drummers who know how to make every gig look like the best gig in the world. The reality is I think every drummer has played several, maybe many, gigs where the music just doesn't inspire them or they just can't find what they think would make everything work. A lot of times it's just the artist, the way they sing, they way they phrase their voice or their instrument, that seems counter-intuitive to what I'm asked to do. You play earnestly play through it anyway until no one can imagine the drums being played any other way.

You fight through it, but you make sure you *sell* it on the gigs with your energy and your body language. It's the Steve Ferrone rule. He plays on some the straightest rock gigs in the world, but you go to a show he's playing and he will sell you on the music. I never thought much of Tom Petty until I saw his live show with Ferrone. Great energy and, obviously, Petty's an incredible lyricist, but wow what a show. Do you think Ferrone goes home after a tour thinking he's broken new drumming ground with Petty? No way. But he's satisfied that he's done his job as a professional drummer and earned his paychecks.

What I find helpful is to get out from behind the kit, learn the songs as a fan first, maybe sing along to them...THEN some interesting drum patterns emerge because points of emphasis soon stick out to you.

Also, "keeping it easy" on yourself is good practice.  Of course, increasing your repertoire so that many different things become Second-nature is the key.  As a kid, taking lessons through the Drummer's Cookbook was invaluable for me in that respect.  The concept of GROOVE came to life.  I still flip through those pages for exercise, even though I don't play much funk these days.