THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Every drummer is unique in what they offer a listener. That’s part of the joy of drumming. It’s also why it’s futile to ‘rank’ drummers in any sort of order. Drumming is so much more than proficiency in mechanics. It is art. Appreciation of this art form is a multi-faceted, deeply personal experience.
My fascination with the hidden world of drumming was what prompted me to write the first part of my blog. Because so much did seem to be hidden; invisible to everyone who wasn’t themselves a drummer. It was certainly invisible to most of my friends. And … my idea kinda worked. Instead of blank looks, those friends now come up to me saying “hey check this band out, the drummer sounds so strong and clear”, or “I heard this guy live - he made the whole band pop!” It’s like I’ve found a way to break the language barrier.
So I decided to draw up some drummer profiles based on the key elements that make up the listening experience. These profiles explore not just the interaction between elements, but also how this affects the drummer’s interaction with a listener.
I’m a visual person. Even though music is an auditory medium, my experience is all about the images it conjures up. If the drum tones make me think of warm buttery caramel, I think ‘he’s a Kaloper type’. If the drumsticks dance restlessly across the snare in a light, tight pattern, I think ‘he’s heading towards Mitch Mitchell’. After a while a sort of map started forming in my head, a multi-dimensional spectrum of drumming styles, and whenever I heard a new beat I’d try to place it on that map.
