I remember the first time I saw a “bad” drummer with chops. It was a revelation.
He could move his hands faster than mine.
He could do impressive things on the kit, and had worked out impressive combos and stickings. He could play louder, for longer, than I could.
And yet, anybody who’s played in a band for more than a year would’ve wrinkled their brow, and - hopefully not looking right at the drummer cause that’s rude - thought “that ain’t it”.
Similarly, I saw a bucket drummer in the subway in 2019, and I knew immediately he was legit. There are tons of bucket drummers in New York, and most are…I’m sorry, but well-meaning amateurs. Hobbyists.
But I could tell that this guy had played real music.
Years later, after decades of playing with groups, in recording sessions, and sometimes with difficult music, there’s a set of things I do automatically. They include knowing where “1” is at all times, learning tunes quickly, being able to play unfamiliar kits, and plenty else.
But it wasn’t until I started asking my friends to evaluate some of these subway performers that I realized: these musical skills that pros can identify immediately…
…aren’t necessarily well-recognized among the general public.
Which is why I made a video about it. My most popular video to-date.
Curious what the skills are, and whether you measure up?
Just check out the video.
Enjoy!