I’ve been a professional musician for many years, and I see other players making all kinds of mistakes that don’t always have to do with the music they are playing. Sometimes these mistakes result from being underprepared or distracted by things other than the task at hand. Often the mistakes are from beginning players still learning the culture, but many veteran players also still make some of these same mistakes.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve made plenty of mistakes myself over the years. They can happen for many reasons, but hopefully I can relay a few things you can do to avoid these things and save yourself some real grief.
1. Showing up late to gigs/rehearsals
One of THE worst things you can do is show up late for a session in the studio or a gig. That is a surefire way to lose the gig or get fired from the band you are playing in. Of course things happen. Crazy weather, major traffic jams, and any number of other things that you can’t control. But the vast majority of reasons for being late are not good reasons. I was born and raised in Los Angeles — a city with some of the worst traffic in the world — and my home was in an eastern suburb about 40 miles from Hollywood. In LA, 40 miles can take 2 ½ hours to navigate. I had to work, and it was not abnormal to have commutes that were hours long. You have to account for that time commitment going into a gig or session. If you need to leave three hours early, then that’s what you do. You need to build a reputation as a player and a stand-up person. I can guarantee if you are known as honest and reliable, you will be hired more often over a player who is better than you but can’t be trusted.
2. Overplaying because you can’t hear yourself well
Overplaying because of a loud situation happens more often in a live situation than in a controlled studio session, but the fact remains the same: if you can’t hear yourself, you will try to compensate by hitting too hard and losing feel, dynamics, and your stamina. It is a real drag when you can’t hear yourself clearly, and one mistake players make is not carrying multiple earplugs with them to live shows. Not only do they protect your hearing, but they also help you hear way better in very loud situations. There are a huge number of earplug options out there, and you should have pairs all over the place — an extra pair in your glove compartment, in your stick bag, in your cymbal bag, in your pedal bag, and even hanging around your neck like a necklace. That last one is a joke of course, but you get the picture. Think ahead, and you will be happy you did.
3. Not keeping your drum-kit in good shape
Being a drummer means you don’t play the cheapest or easiest to maintain instrument, but if you want to be a professional or even a semi-professional, you have to know that good maintenance of your instrument is key. A lot of players just don’t treat their instruments well. They think, “they are drums, they are supposed to be hit.” That, of course, is true, but if you take good care of your drums, they can also last you a lifetime, and that will save you money, time, and grief in the end.
Sometimes old drumheads sound good for certain kinds of gigs or recordings, but definitely not all the time. If you are going into a big session with a client you have never worked with before and you know you will be getting a nice-sized paycheck, then I would say having fresh heads on your kit is a must. But don’t throw away the old heads. Keep those around in case you need to get a trashy tone. They can be great for that.
*Pro Tip: Read my article on how often you should replace your drumheads.
Another thing that can really kill your drum kit is overused and beat up hardware. Do your best to have a decent case for your hardware. There is nothing worse than getting to a gig and having a wing nut break off from your ride cymbal stand while you are trying to get your kit set up in the half-hour changeover between bands on a busy Friday night.
4. Not paying attention to your surroundings
When you go to a venue for a show, you need to realize that there are usually a lot of other people, besides the musicians, who are doing things needed for the gig to happen. The sound crew is there so you can be heard, and while there are some people that have no business doing live sound, I would say the vast majority are there doing a job just as you are. It is always a good thing to treat them with respect and just plain be nice to them. You get what you give, and if you are nice to them, they will be nice to you and go out of their way to get you the sound you are looking for. So to my fellow drummers out there, do not play your drums while the sound tech is putting the microphones around your kit. Hitting your kick drum while the sound tech’s head is down there is a surefire way to get a right cross to your chin.
5. Not listening
Not listening is a mistake I see many young players make. It could be, of course, that they are very new to playing with other musicians and are still just getting started, but it should be taught to a young player from the very first day of lessons. Music is meant to be a team effort. Playing music alone can be wonderful, but not for long. It gets boring after a while, and making beautiful music “together” is what it is all about. You need to be listening to everyone else around you while playing your instrument. You need to listen ahead so you know when the next section of the song is coming. If you and the bass player are not locked, then see if you can change your kick drum pattern a little to make that happen. Listening is as important as the playing is.