Holding it All Together
The band was about to
play their final number and the leader was introducing the band members one last
time. It was a bit redundant because the line-up was a who's who of Canadian
jazz players. Finally the MC announced the drummer, adding that he was the glue
that held it all together, and all the band members nodded in
agreement.
That struck me as a bit odd. These were
simply the ‘best of the best’, so why would any glue be required? These
musicians could do anything. Still, the consensus seemed to be that the drummer
was the one who kept things on track.
It's both a flattering
and an intimidating assessment. It's nice to have someone say you're such an
important part of the ensemble, but its also a lot of
responsibility.
In a way, the drummer
is the ‘floor manager’ of the music. While the leader may pick the tunes, set
the tempos and kick things off, successful completion of a tune requires someone
to take care of how it all develops. And the drummer is the ideal choice. A good
drummer, one with the right skill set, helps to illustrate the time, solidifies
the rhythmic structure, marks the different points in the tune, and manages the
energy level during solos and different sections of the
tune.
A drummer has quite a
bit of power. Even in a high-volume situation, the drummer can usually compete,
and our drive (or lack of) can have a big effect on the music. We're like the
tiller of a ship. We can determine the direction with a simple adjustment. We
can also make things a bit scary if we're too heavy-handed on the tiller.
A drummer is a
go-between. We communicate the time and energy to the other band members. For
example, in a jazz band, the bass player's job is to lay down a steady bass
line. The drummer can then help communicate the time to the other players. This
will also give the bass player more freedom and lighten his/her
load.
And we’re arbiters. If
you have two musicians pulling in opposite directions -- guitar player plays on
top, bass player plays behind, for example -- the drummer can find a spot
in the middle and help these two work
together.
Sure it's a big job, but
somebody's got to do it.
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