5 Toxic Drummer Habits You MUST Avoid
I recently heard a gig horror story involving a drummer who failed at his job in more ways than one. The sad thing is, he may not have realized how badly he was failing and wreaking havoc on the band.
Now my point today actually isn’t to share with you all the details of how this guy failed miserably. It’s really to give you some preface to today’s video, which highlights the “5 Toxic Drummer Habits You MUST Avoid.”
This particular drummer actually excelled at all the usual “drummer skills” that come to mind, like solid timekeeping, appropriate playing (playing for the song), arriving on time prepared, and in general “sounding good” on his instrument.
So what went wrong?
The drummer on this gig had an ego problem, and his lack of respect for the bandleader and overall arrogance led to a whole host of issues that good timekeeping and proper playing couldn’t solve. He failed to have the vocalist's best interest in mind, he failed to be a team player who worked to make the band sound better, and his attitude created a hostile environment in which no quality music could be made. Nobody likes a drummer with an ego, especially when that means they’re only concerned with themselves and checking a box and going home with a paycheck.
The subject of this story blew it on several of our big points in today’s video. It’s safe to say that any kind of stubbornness or ego as a drummer will completely destroy your ability to play well with a band, and it will probably hurt your reputation too. If you can dodge the ego and attitude mistakes, though, you are well on your way to success.
However, there are a few “bad musical habits” you can slip into without even being aware, and that’s what makes them so dangerous. Avoid these toxic mistakes at all cost, and you will excel at being a musical drummer who makes everyone around them sound better. This is what we’re breaking down today, so check out the video.
Stay Non Glamorous!
God Bless,
Stephen
