Observe the Speed Limit
By Philip HendricksonJam sessions can be exploratory or even chaotic at times. Closed-door rehearsals can also provide opportunities to push the envelope of the music among colleagues. But in a concert or serious performance setting, players must be careful not to push their fellow bandmates off the tracks. The drummer most of all has to provide a reference point that everyone can understand.
As drummers, we have to assess the skill level of our fellow musicians to determine whether to play conservatively and supportively or have the freedom to open up and play further out. If I go way out and lose the rest of the band, we are headed for a train wreck. That makes the whole band look bad, including me.
Play things stable at first and see if everyone else is playing confidently. If everyone is safely on board and feeling musical empathy, then you can open things up a bit more – push the emotional accelerator, as it were. (Mind you, this is not about tempo.) If everyone is still with it, open things up a bit more. If it starts to sound shaky, maybe it’s time to dial back a bit and plant a recognizable sign post to help everyone get back on track. Hopefully we don’t have to be super obvious about it, but a band’s musical confidence comes from the drum throne. Make the others feel confident and the music can fly!