“Being A Professional Drummer”
When asked what I do for a living I’m proud to say, “I’m a professional drummer.” Earning a living playing the drums is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. However, it did not happen overnight. As a matter of fact is it has taken most of my adult life to get here. I have spent countless hours practicing, learning songs, taking lessons, rehearsing with bands, playing one-nighters for little or no money, and the lists goes on. I know it may sound like I’m complaining, but I’m not. I wouldn’t change any of it. I hope this article sheds some light, and helps make life a little easier for some of my fellow drummers.
I would like to start by talking about the business. Remember this is a business, so it needs to be treated as such. I forgot who said it, but one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard was, “anyone who wants to make their living playing drums needs to have a stick bag in one hand and a brief case in the other.” In other words, you need to present yourself as professional as you would in any vocation.
In business you need to spend money to make money, so always try to get the biggest bang for your buck. Your money is best spent on good promotional material. Start by getting some business cards made. They are a cheap, easy way to open a door. If you’ve just played a gig and someone wants to hire you or your band, writing your number on a bar napkin is not the most impressive way to start. You will also need a good promotional package. Promoters have packages coming across their desk all day, so presentation is everything. You need to impress a promoter or band into hiring you and not the other guy. Promotional packages should have a good recording (a DVD is better if you have one), a photo and a good biography. If you have any references include those as well.
Once you have someone’s attention, you need to keep it. If you are asked to do an audition, here are some things to keep in mind: Make sure you come prepared and know the material. If it’s a Top 40 gig, ask what songs you will be playing. If it’s an original gig, get the band’s CD and ask which songs they want you to learn; and if you have the time, learn the entire CD. Playing songs at the correct tempo is of obvious importance. I play to a click, which has saved me many times. I have a metronome going though a headphone amp, which I play to through a small set of ear buds. The whole thing sits on a percussion shelf attached to my hi-hat. This way I can play the songs at the same tempo as the CD. If you have to learn numerous songs in a short amount of time, make “cheat charts.” I write out the main groove and the first line to the lyrics to jog my memory if I have a brain fade. Then I put in any special notes, B-sections, guitar solo grooves, bridges and endings. Endings are the biggest. If the song fades out, make sure you ask how the band ends the song. Don’t just crash the ending then say, “sorry dudes, the song faded on the recording.”
I believe most drummers keep their equipment in good working condition. However, having the correct gear for the type of gig you are playing is sometimes overlooked. You don’t want to show up at a wedding with a 12-piece kit with two 24” bass drums and 15 versions of your loudest rock cymbals. On the other hand, you wouldn’t show up to rock gig with a cocktail kit with an 18” bass drum and your collection of rare Ks. I have a few kits for different gigs. I know not everybody reading this has an endless bank account and a list of endorsements. So, start by taking a look at what you already have. You might be able to make a few kits out of the one you already own. If you have a standard kit with a 22” bass drum, great! That means you probably have a 16” or an 18” floor tom. There are numerous companies who make floor tom-to-bass drum conversion kits for a reasonable price. Most drum head manufactures, like Aquarian, offer bass drum heads which are mounted on tom hoops, for just such a conversion. I have an 18” floor tom converted into a bass drum, it sounds great and is perfect for casual gigs and/or small stages.
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Another issue is your attitude. Keeping a positive attitude is a very important. If you get hired to do a gig, you want to get a call back. If you are always complaining about things like, “the stage is too small,” “it’s too loud,” “it’s not loud enough,” “I don’t have my own hotel room,” “where are my meal tickets,” “blah, blah, blah, waahhh,” chances are you won’t get a call back. Nobody wants to work with or be around someone who has a bad attitude and is complaining constantly. They bring everybody down, and then the band is expected to walk on stage and entertain? Believe me, the audience will pick up on it. If you are on tour or playing gigs around your hometown, you want to able to hang with the guys/girls in the band. If you have a positive attitude, people will gravitate towards you and want to work with you. This will also be reflected in the music and you will play better, which the audience will pick up on as well. They know if you’re in a good mood and are having fun.
The last thing I would like talk about is BEING ON TIME!!! To me, this is one of the most obvious things you can do. I like to get to the gig early. That way I have plenty of time to get set up, warm up and change my clothes before downbeat. Because I live in Southern California , traffic is always an issue, so I pad in plenty of time. Take into consideration things like parking and how convenient it is to load into the venue. Will you have to take your gear up or down a flight of stairs? Getting your gear into some gigs is hard enough -- you don’t want to be loading in while there are a lot of people around. Whether it’s a casual gig or a wedding, you don’t want to be loading-in during the festivities.
Whether you make a living playing or you play on the weekends for fun or to make a few extra bucks, you need to be a pro. Playing the drums is a great thing. After all, they are drums and you do get to hit them with sticks! Being professional and having a good attitude might mean the difference between working or not. I tell my students who are trying to break into the business to act like they would at any job or job interview. The way I see it, the more professional you are the more you can be 15 years old at heart.
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