Navigating our place within the
spectrum of creativity and conformity
Before going deeper into the individual discipline of playing the drumset, let’s look at the immediate responsibilities we have as drumset players and the expectations placed upon us that are baked in to the instrument. Outlining our roles provides essential context for what’s required of our musicianship.
Simply put - but not simple to do - drummers are charged with the expectation of lifting others higher within the context of the shared social event we call music. This grand obligation links freedom and flexibility with tradition and responsibility. To play the drumset is to intuitively play what is best for the music.
In a contemporary creative music ensemble the drummer is the primary stylistic and emotional driver. We set the tone as well as the inner band dynamic. What we play and how we play it determines, whether by choice or neglect, how the music is received by the listener. Our playing carries and conveys the overall feel of the band. Behind it all, there is the loudly unspoken expectation that we make the music feel good.
The expectation that we make the music feel good isn’t limited to any particular genre or style.
Contemporary drummers traverse a wide variety of terrain. Our responsibilities are numerous, and include, first and foremost, being sensitive to how we deliver what the music needs. Each situation is unique; the landscape variable. We encounter different music, instrumentation, and musicians. In addition to the diversity of the music itself, we inhabit a diversity of cultural contexts, have a variety of functions or roles, and play in different venue types, all of which demand our attention and flexibility. The expectation to elevate remains.
To do so, we use whatever tools we have at the time to be attentive and flexible enough to make changes on the fly. We respond to each unique situation and musical moment in a way that is appropriate to the music and the moment. At the very least, what is played not only has to work, it has to matter.
Crafting the sounds of our instrument required for specific contexts is as important as creativity and musical ability. The drumset - how we play, how we tune and the choices we make - is context-specific. Drums and cymbals are highly reflective of their acoustic environment (see Chapter 7, Drums & their Context). The quality of our sound on every level carries significant weight. Our tone is largely determined by our ears and our ability to coax sounds from the instrument.
Broadly speaking, music is a timely representation of the social and cultural environment. Music is integrated within a culture in such a way that it can both influence and be a product of a culture. When considered at its most fundamental level, music is people.
The drumset is at the center of the continuous evolution of American music, a music that reflects the social stratification and amalgamation of our shared history. There are few instruments capable of the multiplicity of rhythmic language as the drumset. One of the drumset’s most powerful attributes is that it is capable of representing and giving voice to the rhythmic diversity of all people. It is nothing less than rhythmic democracy.
We sit at the heart of a dynamic music that is distinctly American – a music dominated by syncopation, where rhythm, melody and harmony overlap, borrow from and interact with each other.
A closer look reveals the many roles and responsibilities we share within the entire musical-cultural context.
One way we do this is by working within a range of freedom and responsibility, looking respectfully toward our peers and predecessors within the drumming community. We acknowledge the contributions of drummers past and present.
Drummers also share a respectful competitiveness. There is a sense of community, with drummers everywhere sharing the joy of playing this awesome instrument. Inspired and motivated by other players within the drumming community, we reference them, borrow rhythmic fragments, cop certain feels and musical quotes from the past, to craft and give shape to contemporary ideas and feelings. Whether references are iconic, more abstract, or outright theft, we are attempting to connect ideas in the here and now within the context of the social event we call music.
As primary actors upon this diverse stage, what we do takes many forms and serves many functions. Who we are is often defined according to the musical context and our contribution to it.
As modern drumset players, how might we define ourselves? Collectively, we are artists, supporting artists, collaborators, and session players. We may be improvisers, skilled craftsmen, animated showmen, technical wizards, groove masters, beat monsters or arena-rock animals. Some of us are traditionalists; preservationists even - indebted to upholding prior innovations and traditions but not in advancing them - approaching music more like skilled craftsmen.
We are highly skilled, context-driven players expected to contribute just what is needed. Hopefully, what we contribute is something that matters. In many situations, we have a job to do and getting it done in a way that is right for the music is what defines our success. Many of us consider ourselves supporting artists, in that our ‘art’ lies in contributing our own special sauce to make the music, the leader and the other players, sound their best. By intuition and just the right feel; through experienced gear and sound choices, etc., we support, connect and contribute a positive vibe that inspires the overall group sound and energy.
On the other hand, with music that is less representational and more improvisational, the ‘work of art’ is less defined by a finished product and instead lies more in the immediate exchanges which take place in its creation. It is collaborative creative action, or emergence. We are not delivering a predetermined musical idea but instead working in creative spontaneous collaboration. The work of art lies in the dialogue between our own creative process and with those of the other musicians in the moment. It is an artful collaboration rather than the presentation of a predetermined idea.
Creative improvisation may push the limitations of ‘acceptable’ rhythmic language by manipulating the very fabric of music, altering its primary parameters and structural components. We may wish to contribute that which carries weight, and is of significance. Here we may be abstracting within a form. Not simply improvising within a groove, song form or progression, but by bending, shaping, and twisting the fundamental norms of musical expectations. As artists we often acknowledge musical ‘rules’ while intentionally breaking them. We’ll go deeper into creative improvisation in the excerpt, Creative Wisdom.
The 1980s and ‘90s was a period when musicians and non-musicians alike digitally sampled and sequenced mid-century drummers, crafting new culture on the iconic breaks and grooves from the 19602. Today we deconstruct those sampled and sequenced grooves, bringing them back to the kit and pushing the limits of what we are capable of. Coming full circle, the sampled sounds are re-incarnate, back on the instrument, altered further, creating and re-creating new sounds via the drumset for a new century.
We continuously navigate our place within the spectrum of creativity and conformity.
On the spectrum between conformity and risk, what Bill Bruford calls the Functional / Compositional Continuum (FCC) (Bruford W. , 2018) we find a limitless range of interpretations, whether they be faithful to original or those taken with liberties. While our place on the FCC may be quite fluid within a given situation, the range is expressed via poles of either “functional” or “compositional” performance (Bruford B. , p. 39).
Context, enculturation and self-determination (the degree of control we have over our own outcome) play significant roles in formulating our place on the continuum. In any creative activity, knowledge of the past informs the present. Diverse cultural awareness widens the possibilities and choices creative artists make. Because of this, we take more informed risks.
Continuing our look at a drummer’s expectations and responsibilities, it is also expected that we support, communicate and collaborate. In these roles we also often serve as conductor. Drawing on instinct we know when it is appropriate to lead, when to follow, or both. We make it feel good no matter what. What we do is expected to complements others, and to assist others in sounding good. We are expected to make the music feel good, to make our bandmates and listeners feel good. Our success depends upon the success of others.
Essentially we are charged with the expectation of lifting others higher.
Along with the tremendous freedom that is built-in to the instrument, there are important responsibilities. The music holds the intrinsic expectation that we do the right thing at the right time. As long as we do that, we can do whatever we want. Ears, experience and instinct guide us to know what the right thing is with little, if any, instruction. The music is the teacher. And as our discipline grows, our freedom grows.
There are infinite tiny details and foundations to lay. We set the rhythmic tone, the feel, even the attitude of the song, and use dynamics to add contour to rhythm and form. We are responsible for listening, conducting, supporting and inspiring. We must be reliable and flexible, regulate tempo, control dynamics, and set the general energy of the music through touch, feel and groove.
We must be experienced diplomats within a group. Drummers are flexible, fluid and accommodating, onstage and off. Typically there are no parts written for us. Drummers are expected to have huge ears, impeccable instincts and intuition, and to know when and how to be creative.
We are expected to have technical ability, provide the backbone, to play with dynamics, strength and sensibility, have access to a diverse musical language…all while making it look easy. Doing what seems impossible, our task is “… in the broader sense, to create a framework within and around the music that portrays the style, flow, feel and meaning in a way that engages the other musicians and transports the listener. Simple, right?” (Lott, 2015)
Of these diverse assets, one of the most valuable is our touch. With the right touch we can make almost anything sound good. Touch is developed over time through the distillation of the fineries of our hearing. It is as much sensibility as it is control. Through our touch we connect points of sound with energy, space, people and history to create flowing, forward momentum. Touch is the secret sauce. One must not use too much of the secret sauce.
We also must develop, maintain, and punctuate the groove while playing with fluidity. Magic lies in rhythmic embellishment while seamlessly maintaining the groove.
Simultaneously, we acknowledging rhythmic episodes within the chord structure and song-form, introduce or set up figures, kicks, accents, breaks and cadences, all while seamlessly executing the groove. We play in a way that is solid yet fluid; is human and accessible. We play in a way that reaches everyone without stepping on anyone.
As conductor we have the sensibilities to know when to push a singer or soloist or when to hold back. Other times we follow the singer or lead voice wherever they go, and make it sound like it was supposed to be that way. We make the music feel and sound good no matter how poor the bass player is or how loud the guitar player is.
We create a seamless, enduring groove that is an agreement, a foundation for an ongoing collaboration that feels good, is unshakable yet fluid, is locked in, and infectiously syncopated. Other times we create a light groove that it is implied rather than explicitly articulated.
The drumset brings together rhythms and instruments from around the world, expressed via the inter-dependence of all of our limbs. It is the gathering of all the parts of who we are to create a flowing rhythm that unifies the group sound and energy. We have access to ample cognitive capacity on-the-fly for attentiveness, are cognizant of the entire group sound while drawing upon experience and intuition to play what supports and unites the music and musicians at each moment. All this we deliver with presence, kindness, respect and humility.
Thanks for reading.
--Brett F. Campbell, 2021
< Thelonious Monk's advice to Steve Lacy, 1960
References
Bruford, W. (2015). Making it work: Creative music performance and the western kit drummer (Doctoral Thesis). Surrey, UK: School of Arts, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Surrey.
Lott, S. (2015, November 8). The Role of the drummer. Retrieved July 18, 2019, from (now defunct) cymbalholic.com: http://www.cymbalholic.com/forums/showthread.php?5270-The-Role-of-the-Drummer/page3
Simply put - but not simple to do - drummers are charged with the expectation of lifting others higher within the context of the shared social event we call music. This grand obligation links freedom and flexibility with tradition and responsibility. To play the drumset is to intuitively play what is best for the music.
In a contemporary creative music ensemble the drummer is the primary stylistic and emotional driver. We set the tone as well as the inner band dynamic. What we play and how we play it determines, whether by choice or neglect, how the music is received by the listener. Our playing carries and conveys the overall feel of the band. Behind it all, there is the loudly unspoken expectation that we make the music feel good.
The expectation that we make the music feel good isn’t limited to any particular genre or style.
Contemporary drummers traverse a wide variety of terrain. Our responsibilities are numerous, and include, first and foremost, being sensitive to how we deliver what the music needs. Each situation is unique; the landscape variable. We encounter different music, instrumentation, and musicians. In addition to the diversity of the music itself, we inhabit a diversity of cultural contexts, have a variety of functions or roles, and play in different venue types, all of which demand our attention and flexibility. The expectation to elevate remains.
To do so, we use whatever tools we have at the time to be attentive and flexible enough to make changes on the fly. We respond to each unique situation and musical moment in a way that is appropriate to the music and the moment. At the very least, what is played not only has to work, it has to matter.
Crafting the sounds of our instrument required for specific contexts is as important as creativity and musical ability. The drumset - how we play, how we tune and the choices we make - is context-specific. Drums and cymbals are highly reflective of their acoustic environment (see Chapter 7, Drums & their Context). The quality of our sound on every level carries significant weight. Our tone is largely determined by our ears and our ability to coax sounds from the instrument.
Broadly speaking, music is a timely representation of the social and cultural environment. Music is integrated within a culture in such a way that it can both influence and be a product of a culture. When considered at its most fundamental level, music is people.
The drumset is at the center of the continuous evolution of American music, a music that reflects the social stratification and amalgamation of our shared history. There are few instruments capable of the multiplicity of rhythmic language as the drumset. One of the drumset’s most powerful attributes is that it is capable of representing and giving voice to the rhythmic diversity of all people. It is nothing less than rhythmic democracy.
We sit at the heart of a dynamic music that is distinctly American – a music dominated by syncopation, where rhythm, melody and harmony overlap, borrow from and interact with each other.
A closer look reveals the many roles and responsibilities we share within the entire musical-cultural context.
One way we do this is by working within a range of freedom and responsibility, looking respectfully toward our peers and predecessors within the drumming community. We acknowledge the contributions of drummers past and present.
Drummers also share a respectful competitiveness. There is a sense of community, with drummers everywhere sharing the joy of playing this awesome instrument. Inspired and motivated by other players within the drumming community, we reference them, borrow rhythmic fragments, cop certain feels and musical quotes from the past, to craft and give shape to contemporary ideas and feelings. Whether references are iconic, more abstract, or outright theft, we are attempting to connect ideas in the here and now within the context of the social event we call music.
As primary actors upon this diverse stage, what we do takes many forms and serves many functions. Who we are is often defined according to the musical context and our contribution to it.
As modern drumset players, how might we define ourselves? Collectively, we are artists, supporting artists, collaborators, and session players. We may be improvisers, skilled craftsmen, animated showmen, technical wizards, groove masters, beat monsters or arena-rock animals. Some of us are traditionalists; preservationists even - indebted to upholding prior innovations and traditions but not in advancing them - approaching music more like skilled craftsmen.
We are highly skilled, context-driven players expected to contribute just what is needed. Hopefully, what we contribute is something that matters. In many situations, we have a job to do and getting it done in a way that is right for the music is what defines our success. Many of us consider ourselves supporting artists, in that our ‘art’ lies in contributing our own special sauce to make the music, the leader and the other players, sound their best. By intuition and just the right feel; through experienced gear and sound choices, etc., we support, connect and contribute a positive vibe that inspires the overall group sound and energy.
On the other hand, with music that is less representational and more improvisational, the ‘work of art’ is less defined by a finished product and instead lies more in the immediate exchanges which take place in its creation. It is collaborative creative action, or emergence. We are not delivering a predetermined musical idea but instead working in creative spontaneous collaboration. The work of art lies in the dialogue between our own creative process and with those of the other musicians in the moment. It is an artful collaboration rather than the presentation of a predetermined idea.
Creative improvisation may push the limitations of ‘acceptable’ rhythmic language by manipulating the very fabric of music, altering its primary parameters and structural components. We may wish to contribute that which carries weight, and is of significance. Here we may be abstracting within a form. Not simply improvising within a groove, song form or progression, but by bending, shaping, and twisting the fundamental norms of musical expectations. As artists we often acknowledge musical ‘rules’ while intentionally breaking them. We’ll go deeper into creative improvisation in the excerpt, Creative Wisdom.
The 1980s and ‘90s was a period when musicians and non-musicians alike digitally sampled and sequenced mid-century drummers, crafting new culture on the iconic breaks and grooves from the 19602. Today we deconstruct those sampled and sequenced grooves, bringing them back to the kit and pushing the limits of what we are capable of. Coming full circle, the sampled sounds are re-incarnate, back on the instrument, altered further, creating and re-creating new sounds via the drumset for a new century.
We continuously navigate our place within the spectrum of creativity and conformity.
On the spectrum between conformity and risk, what Bill Bruford calls the Functional / Compositional Continuum (FCC) (Bruford W. , 2018) we find a limitless range of interpretations, whether they be faithful to original or those taken with liberties. While our place on the FCC may be quite fluid within a given situation, the range is expressed via poles of either “functional” or “compositional” performance (Bruford B. , p. 39).
Context, enculturation and self-determination (the degree of control we have over our own outcome) play significant roles in formulating our place on the continuum. In any creative activity, knowledge of the past informs the present. Diverse cultural awareness widens the possibilities and choices creative artists make. Because of this, we take more informed risks.
Continuing our look at a drummer’s expectations and responsibilities, it is also expected that we support, communicate and collaborate. In these roles we also often serve as conductor. Drawing on instinct we know when it is appropriate to lead, when to follow, or both. We make it feel good no matter what. What we do is expected to complements others, and to assist others in sounding good. We are expected to make the music feel good, to make our bandmates and listeners feel good. Our success depends upon the success of others.
Essentially we are charged with the expectation of lifting others higher.
Along with the tremendous freedom that is built-in to the instrument, there are important responsibilities. The music holds the intrinsic expectation that we do the right thing at the right time. As long as we do that, we can do whatever we want. Ears, experience and instinct guide us to know what the right thing is with little, if any, instruction. The music is the teacher. And as our discipline grows, our freedom grows.
There are infinite tiny details and foundations to lay. We set the rhythmic tone, the feel, even the attitude of the song, and use dynamics to add contour to rhythm and form. We are responsible for listening, conducting, supporting and inspiring. We must be reliable and flexible, regulate tempo, control dynamics, and set the general energy of the music through touch, feel and groove.
We must be experienced diplomats within a group. Drummers are flexible, fluid and accommodating, onstage and off. Typically there are no parts written for us. Drummers are expected to have huge ears, impeccable instincts and intuition, and to know when and how to be creative.
We are expected to have technical ability, provide the backbone, to play with dynamics, strength and sensibility, have access to a diverse musical language…all while making it look easy. Doing what seems impossible, our task is “… in the broader sense, to create a framework within and around the music that portrays the style, flow, feel and meaning in a way that engages the other musicians and transports the listener. Simple, right?” (Lott, 2015)
Of these diverse assets, one of the most valuable is our touch. With the right touch we can make almost anything sound good. Touch is developed over time through the distillation of the fineries of our hearing. It is as much sensibility as it is control. Through our touch we connect points of sound with energy, space, people and history to create flowing, forward momentum. Touch is the secret sauce. One must not use too much of the secret sauce.
We also must develop, maintain, and punctuate the groove while playing with fluidity. Magic lies in rhythmic embellishment while seamlessly maintaining the groove.
Simultaneously, we acknowledging rhythmic episodes within the chord structure and song-form, introduce or set up figures, kicks, accents, breaks and cadences, all while seamlessly executing the groove. We play in a way that is solid yet fluid; is human and accessible. We play in a way that reaches everyone without stepping on anyone.
As conductor we have the sensibilities to know when to push a singer or soloist or when to hold back. Other times we follow the singer or lead voice wherever they go, and make it sound like it was supposed to be that way. We make the music feel and sound good no matter how poor the bass player is or how loud the guitar player is.
We create a seamless, enduring groove that is an agreement, a foundation for an ongoing collaboration that feels good, is unshakable yet fluid, is locked in, and infectiously syncopated. Other times we create a light groove that it is implied rather than explicitly articulated.
The drumset brings together rhythms and instruments from around the world, expressed via the inter-dependence of all of our limbs. It is the gathering of all the parts of who we are to create a flowing rhythm that unifies the group sound and energy. We have access to ample cognitive capacity on-the-fly for attentiveness, are cognizant of the entire group sound while drawing upon experience and intuition to play what supports and unites the music and musicians at each moment. All this we deliver with presence, kindness, respect and humility.
Thanks for reading.
--Brett F. Campbell, 2021
< Thelonious Monk's advice to Steve Lacy, 1960
References
Bruford, W. (2015). Making it work: Creative music performance and the western kit drummer (Doctoral Thesis). Surrey, UK: School of Arts, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Surrey.
Lott, S. (2015, November 8). The Role of the drummer. Retrieved July 18, 2019, from (now defunct) cymbalholic.com: http://www.cymbalholic.com/forums/showthread.php?5270-The-Role-of-the-Drummer/page3
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