Singing Drummers.....does/can it work???

drumdrum

Hi guys,

Was talking to a friend (as to why most of my threads start...maybe I need new friends! ) and we were chatting about drummers, and singers and eventually drummer/singers.... I dont mean drummers do one or the other (like Dave Grohl) but combination, i.e., drummers and singers.

Not to get into the nitty-gritty of the conversation, but basically I was saying that as long as the person could singer and keep the beat at the same time then I wouldnt be opposed to a drummer/singer in my band. I think it could even be something a bit..."new" or something.

However, my mate disagreed (and I agree he does have some valid points here) and he said that nowadays you NEED a front person who has mobility on their side to draw the audiences attention. And also, as he quite rightly points out, why are there not more singing drummers around so if (in theory) there is nothing wrong with the idea?

Anyone got any similar or other thoughts on the issue? Does it work/ not work and why?

Cheers!

finnezzia

Levon Helm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RjqcTsxx-8

Enough said really. (though I suppose it depends on the type of music)

chughes

Roger Taylor sang lead vocals on a number of Queen songs. Did a good job too.

rcaz

Works for Death From Above 1979 and The Band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWqg_uWTxnM

Having a frontman/woman who can move around and draw attention is an easy way of keeping attention. There are millions of other ways of keeping attention that people don't bother to look for, probably because they all have mobile singers and they don't need to look for new ways to keep attention.

Package

two words

deen castronovo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s55Py6a5YQs

Bjorn Bored.

My sweet sweet beautiful Karen, would she be still with us if she was wasnt forced out from behind her kit? Alas we can only ponder....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dJUnh6N8-U&feature=fvw

honru

I don't think it's so much a case of needing mobility to gain an audience's attention. There's plenty of singer/pianists that can draw in people without running around the stage, for example.

As a drummer myself, there's enough on your plate already hitting bass drum notes and/or controlling your hi-hat with your feet while working your hands, and keeping all this tight and in time. I could sing and play along to simple rock/pop grooves but to have to engage with an audience at the same time... man, that's some serious multitasking!

mathepac

finnezzia wrote: »

Levon Helm. ...

A true superstar. You beat me to it.

Bjorn Bored. wrote: »

My sweet sweet beautiful Karen ...

+1

Don Henley, The Eagles.

Mike Hugg, Manfred Mann.

Dave Clarke, drummer and front-man (literally) with the Dave Clarke Five

Mickey Dolenz, The Monkees

rcaz

f®eak s©enery wrote: »

As a drummer myself, there's enough on your plate already hitting bass drum notes and/or controlling your hi-hat with your feet while working your hands, and keeping all this tight and in time. I could sing and play along to simple rock/pop grooves but to have to engage with an audience at the same time... man, that's some serious multitasking!

But singing pianists have it easy? :rolleyes:

finnezzia

I think the rule is you just have to be a brilliant drummer to pull it off properly.

drumdrum

finnezzia wrote: »

I think the rule is you just have to be a brilliant drummer to pull it off properly.

Well, Id not so much say that you need to be a brilliant drummer or singer, I think that your real skill would have to lie in your multitasking ability. I mean I know some brilliant guitarists who can sing, but just not together too well.....usually just playing chords while singing and then busting into the lead stuff when the vocals stop.

Also, cheers for the vids guys. Some cool stuff there!

Though I did notice that the acts there were either from another era, or were basically non-mainstream. Just wondering if it could work on a larger scale..... I would of reckoned Phil Collins had this one, but then again he kinda did a mish-mash of everything, fair play to him!

We need more singing drummers these days!

rcaz

drumdrum wrote: »

Just wondering if it could work on a larger scale.....

The scale doesn't get much bigger than playing drums for Bob Dylan (Levon Helm)!

spankadamonkee

NO WAY! NEVER! imo drummers have a hard enough job without having to sing aswell. but some of them want all of the limelight all of the time. i wouldnt mind but a good few drummers i know cant even keep time that well, and then they want to go and sing aswell. :rolleyes:

honru

El Pr0n wrote: »

But singing pianists have it easy? :rolleyes:

I don't know if it's difficult for pianists, I'm just speaking for myself.

Rigsby

f®eak s©enery wrote: »

As a drummer myself, there's enough on your plate already hitting bass drum notes and/or controlling your hi-hat with your feet while working your hands, and keeping all this tight and in time. I could sing and play along to simple rock/pop grooves but to have to engage with an audience at the same time... man, that's some serious multitasking!

I am not a drummer (I play bass), but I think there is a fair amount of truth in this. I was doing some research into why I find it so hard to play bass and sing at the same time. It seems that the bass is generally regarded as one of the hardest instruments on which to sing and play. One reason is syncopation, and quite often the notes being played and sang are different.

Obviously a drummer does not play notes, but syncopation using all four limbs, has to be a factor IMO.

ElPrOn : Granted, the piano is one of the hardest instruments to master, even without singing, but at least as a pianist, you are playing the melody, which helps as regard to singing.

Malice

Rigsby wrote: »

It seems that the bass is generally regarded as one of the hardest instruments on which to sing and play.

It is? I sang in a couple of bands when I was in college and found it far easier to play bass than to play guitar.

finnezzia

I was just thinking. There's probably an element of how the instrument is learned too. Like a guitar or piano player will usually be singing along with themselves as soon as they know a couple of chords, so the skills improve in tandem. Drums (and to a lesser extent bass) isn't exactly 'sing along in your bedroom', so by the time someone is actually in a band, they're less likely to suddendly start singing? Just a thought.


On the other hand, drummers to harmony singing all the time, so maybe that's complete bollocks.

Rigsby

Malice_ wrote: »

It is? I sang in a couple of bands when I was in college and found it far easier to play bass than to play guitar.

Well, that's what my research threw up. I suppose it depends on the type of music being played. If a bassist is pounding out mainly roots and 5's on the downbeat, it could be different. Not saying this is what you play. It is definitely an asset being able to do both.

Rigsby

finnezzia wrote: »

I was just thinking. There's probably an element of how the instrument is learned too. Like a guitar or piano player will usually be singing along with themselves as soon as they know a couple of chords, so the skills improve in tandem. Drums (and to a lesser extent bass) isn't exactly 'sing along in your bedroom', so by the time someone is actually in a band, they're less likely to suddendly start singing? Just a thought.

Interesting point, which could have an element of truth. For instance, if you play say a C chord on piano or guitar, the notes are played together in one stroke. 95% of the time a bassist plays a chord note by note, which does not lend easily for singing along to.

I realise this thread is about drummers, but I think this point is still relevant.

drumdrum

Theres probably an element of truth to what finnezzia said alright.


Well, drumming & singing sure been done in the past, (albeit probably less so now though) but surely nowadays with more demanding audiences expecting a proper show, can the static drummer singer connect with the audience as well as a singing guitarist?

Being half hidden behind a drumkit on stage can only lessen your stage presence and the element of hiding could induce a slight mistrust element from the audience perspective......well, what I mean is that you are less open and "in front" of the audience than singing guitarists/bassists.

On a larger scale, this can be lessened with technology (different cameras, big LCD displays....you know the stuff you see at those big open air concerts) but could a local band playing in your local still pull off the stage presence?

rcaz

Rigsby wrote: »

ElPrOn : Granted, the piano is one of the hardest instruments to master, even without singing, but at least as a pianist, you are playing the melody, which helps as regard to singing.

The instrument doesn't have anything to do with the music being played, though. Who says the pianist has to play the melody? Similarly, who says the bassline has to be syncopated or have different notes to the vocals?

Guitar is my main instrument and I play drums to a reasonable standard and some keys too. They're all as easy as each other to sing with, it depends on what you're playing.

I find that the vast majority of singing guitarists are just strumming on chords, singing bassists are chugging on roots, singing pianists are vamping and singing drummers are playing a beat in 4/4. Obviously if you want to play a harder part, keeping up singing will get harder too, but this doesn't have anything to do with the instrument in context.

Rigsby

El Pr0n wrote: »

The instrument doesn't have anything to do with the music being played, though. Who says the pianist has to play the melody? Similarly, who says the bassline has to be syncopated or have different notes to the vocals?

The type of music being played would dictate this, I would say. Nothing is written in stone. I am talking generally. For example, in a song, the guitarist might be playing a C chord, while the bass plays a different chord ( as in a slash chord). You are right, he does not have to play a different chord, but it is up to him/her to decide which compliments the music to the better degree.

markthedrum1

All valid points above. If we look at Ireland just, the cover band Cunning Stunts was fronted by a drummer, he was their main singer. Same goes with the band Hot Rocks from Ardee, their main singer is the drummer (should go see them, great three piece).

As for big bands, Don Henly from The Eagles, if you go see the Eagles, it's him that sings. Phil Collins sang lead for Genesis. Drummers can sing, the cover band Bluemoose, their drummer Shane Gough is an amazin singer.

But I do agree a frontman is needed but drummers can also be just as good at singin and have to deal with near enough the same dilemmas as like a pianist with coordination.

honru

finnezzia wrote: »

I was just thinking. There's probably an element of how the instrument is learned too. Like a guitar or piano player will usually be singing along with themselves as soon as they know a couple of chords, so the skills improve in tandem. Drums (and to a lesser extent bass) isn't exactly 'sing along in your bedroom', so by the time someone is actually in a band, they're less likely to suddendly start singing? Just a thought.

That's true for me, at no stage in my early days of learning drums was I finding myself singing along to what I was playing. It just feels more natural to sing along to a melody.

Another problem with the singing/drumming is the tendency for the mic to obstruct your drum set up; accented stick notes could potentially hit the mic. Of course, you can position the mic to the extreme left of the kit but then you lose engagement with the audience if your head is consistently tilted sideways.

I think it was Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters that said drumming/singing at is akin to jogging and singing at the same time. That was about ten years ago, in his current project the Coattail Riders he sings and plays drums.

No Age is another band fronted by a drummer/singer.

RebelSoul

I think Gil Moor and Triumph prove that it can be quite awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qnhoxAEVX0

Although that video isn't the best quality. Couldn't find a better live one but you get the idea.

Plus Brandon Saller from Atreyu sings some lead vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nQ54lJZPn4

Air_Bass

Malice_ wrote: »

It is? I sang in a couple of bands when I was in college and found it far easier to play bass than to play guitar.

Been playing bass for 13 years and personally find it really difficult to sing and play bass parts simultaneously (unless it's simple root-note stuff). I have huge respect for drummers who can play and sing at the same time. I see no reason why a drummer couldn't be a lead/frontperson once the music is interesting enough to hold an audience.
+1 for Karen, especially when playing that cool 70's orange perspex kit.