Brian Doherty

I love listening to other drummers, to hear where they’re coming from musically and what motivates their choices.  I often share my observations with colleagues while shooting the breeze.  My questions framing the conversation are always the same; “What makes this drummer great?”  “What separates him from the rest of the pack?”  “What drives his musical choices and instincts?”  Recently, a bass player colleague paid me a compliment by telling me that I play “right on the beat; not ahead or behind.”  I was elated, until I realized I didn’t know precisely what he meant.  Musicians often evaluate the worth of drummers with phrases like, “Behind or ahead of the beat”, or “Great time and feel.”  But what do these phrases really mean?

Just because I can’t translate these expressions into specifics, doesn’t mean that others are clueless.  What it means, is that I think of these traits in different musical terms.  I’d like to share these with my fellow drummers and instrumentalists.  Here are 5 musical tips for achieving a great feel and groove.

Feel Trumps Time

Don’t worry about your overall time.  Instead answer the question, “Does it feel right?”  There are countless examples of musicians speeding up or slowing down in relation to a click track, and yet the overall track still works.  From a drummer’s perspective, I immediately think about John Bonham and Levon Helm.  Getting the right feel will take care of everything.

Orchestration

Maintain focus on the part you’re executing and how it enhances the track you’re playing.  Your choice of instruments of the kit; what to leave in, what to leave out and what to highlight will make all the difference.  A drum track with little or no use of cymbals has a much different feel than one that leans heavily on them.

Weak Hand

Drummers–try leading with your weak hand.  (Other instrumentalists may be able to apply this principle to their instrument.)  Doing this places your stronger hand on the weaker beats.  With practice, this can change the feeling of your musical phrases.  An added bonus is that the strong hand will often be on the second-to-last stroke (weak beat).  I refer to this as the “leading tone” of the phrase.  Emphasizing the leading tone brings added life and energy to phrases.  Articles have been written about this, and legendary timpanist, Fred Hinger, made this leading tone theory the centerpiece of his teachings.  Implement it and I think you’ll see what I mean.

Remove the Drummer Hat

Plain and simple: take a step back and use your ears as a casual listener.  How does your track sound now?  Play to a wide audience and not only to fellow musicians.

Give Notes Their Due

Be deliberate and precise when playing note values.  Drummers can express lengths of notes as well as the type of attack or sustain.  Sometimes just being aware of it is all you need.  However, if you want to take it further, you can sometimes achieve longer tones by leaving the stick near the drum head immediately after a stroke.  I think of this as “digging in.”  This sometimes works well on the ride cymbal or kick drum.  Longer sounds can also be expressed with press rolls, bigger crash cymbals, etc.  Quick hi hat splashes, smaller cymbals and quickly pulling the stick away from the drum head can help with shorter sounds.  I’m not suggesting you go crazy with this stuff; don’t let it get in the way of your playing.  It’s supposed to enhance your feel.

Rock ‘n Roll busses can be travelling frat hous­es. There’s little privacy, and they often smell like a combination of urine and diesel fumes. Remember that they stop almost exclusively at truck stops and not travelers rest areas (that gets old fast). The essential thing about bus touring is that it’s really your home away from home. Here’s how it works: the bus driver gets quality sleep in his hotel room while you’re hard at work sound checking, appearing at the local radio station, or actually playing the show. As the band blasts into the final chord of the gig, Mr. Bus Driver resurfaces from slumber land and heads for the bus where he waits for you and the rest of the band. You get on and wait for the crew to pack up everything — gear, lights, P. A., and monitors.

A couple of hours later, when this is finished and everyone has boarded the bus, it drives overnight to the city of the next engagement. It’s during this drive that you’re supposed to sleep. (I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to sleep well on a bus. I keep dreaming I’ll wake up to find the bus driver asleep in a bunk and no one at the wheel!).

Brian Doherty, Mark Oakley, Tyler Gibbons, Stuart Mathis, backstage at Red Rocks. Last show of our tour .

When we reach the next city, the bus parks near the venue. Makes sense right? But here’s the juicy part: Let’s say that the bus arrives at that city, after dri­ving 350 miles, around 6AM. What do I do? Most of the time, I’ll continue sleep­ing for a couple of hours. If I wake up at 10am — now what? Breakfast? Shower? Phone calls? Visit rel­atives? Maybe. If the bus isn’t parked in the thriving center of town, none of this might be possible. It’s been my experience, in fact, that theaters and clubs are often on the outskirts of town and are sometimes in their most down­right funky neighborhoods.

I can shower in the club, provided they have one that I’d be comfortable using. I can dine at the McDonalds down the road a mile or so, provided I’m up for a brisk walk through heavy traffic. As a rule, the bus always stays at the gig. Phone calls can be made and my distant cousin is a mere $20 cab ride away.

Okay, let’s say that I’ve successfully negotiated my morning routine. It’s only noon, and sound check doesn’t begin until 5pm. Now what? As much as I try to be productive, this aspect of bus touring can be really limiting and cramp my style. The best solution is to have a hotel booked. This brings us to our next surprise.

NO TELL HOTEL…

Surprise #2 — Accommodations. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT assume that you’ll be in a hotel every night. In fact, most bus tours only provide hotels on days off. Management reasons that if we’ll be getting to the club’s parking lot at 6am, it’ll just be easier for us to stay there, at the venue. ALL DAY.

Management will also reason that check-in time at the hotel isn’t until 1pm, and that we’d have to check out at 4pm to make 5pm sound check anyway, so why bother? If right now you’re asking why we have to check out of the hotel, just remember the overnight bus ride. In my experience, the band either checks out before sound check, or on the way out of town.

Management loves this because they save large sums of money (courtesy of your discomfort) on hotels during the duration of the tour. Please let me clarify one thing here: If you are on tour with a band in which you’re a full member, by all means, save money any way you can. I’m assuming here instead that you’re a hired sideman.

So, at this time, I might remind our friendly tour man­ager that many hotels offer an early check-in. And here’s where I see his shoulders hunch up, as he pre­tends like he’s learning about early check-in for the very first time! I watch him squirm. As long as it’s set up as such in advance, there should be a hotel room ready upon arrival.

The Perfect Bus Day

My friends, here’s how it should really work: The bus pulls up at the gig. The crew continues sleeping on in a drunken stupor, until their 10am equipment load-in. My band mates and I step off of the bus and into a cab that the tour manager has called. The cab takes us to a nearby hotel, where I check into my room.

I now have the day to rest, write postcards, make phone calls, practice and whatever else I may want. There is one hitch, however. Don’t assume you’ll get your own room. Many tours encourage doubling-up on rooms, obviously to save even more money. But why anyone would want to share a room with someone they’re already spending 18 hours a day with is beyond me.

You may be wondering why man­agement is so concerned with saving money. After all, this is Rock ‘n Roll, ain’t it? Well, to their credit, manage­ment has to run a tour like they would any other business. They have to look at the numbers to make sure that the tour is bringing in more than it’s shelling out. After all, my salary is being paid out of the mon­ey that the tour is generating. Man­agement’s job is to run the tour effi­ciently, and cut excess spending every­where they can.

All of that’s okay, but here’s where I get fired up… Sometimes, the tour goes extremely well, like an oiled machine. It’s also generating large sums of money. Wouldn’t you think that as prof­its go up, accommodations would get better, and everyone would get more pay, too?

Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen all of the time. Often, when a tour begins to pull in a lot of dough, the artist and management may want even more corners cut. To avoid what I term “diminishing returns” as one helps the artist to make an even greater profit while perhaps accepting something less than spectacular for yourself, think about negotiating for what will become a bet­ter deal down the road, when and if rev­enues permit. Otherwise, relatively speaking, a salary can become less than what it was when one started.

I share some personal Rock ‘n Roll tour experiences here.

Marit Larsen of M2M walks to our tour bus on our very last tour

The years of practice and hard work have paid off, and you get a call to go on the road with a well known band. You readily accept the tour; now its dates beam out from your desk calendar. It is great to tell your network the good news about your upcoming gigs.

After all these years, I still love touring. I’ve heard lots of road stories and told my own share as well. I’ve had some great experiences but others still haunt me. Touring has been a character builder and my free ticket to world-wide travel. I’ve never met a musician who didn’t romanticize the road and all its bumpy glories. However, there is a lot about touring that I wish someone had told me about before I signed up. Chances are, these issues will not disappear, and we may as well protect ourselves as professional musicians.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

The calendar shows that you are in the middle of your tour. It’s going well, except for the many surprises. Surprise #1 – TRAVEL. This is a good one. There are only two methods of tour travel-ground or air. Air travel is really only necessary in situa­tions where it’s too far to drive by bus. Seems obvious, right? Brace yourself. Many tours will make you take the bus for great distances anyway, if there’s enough time before the next gig. For instance, if the tour is slated to begin in Idaho on Friday, manage­ment may try to get the band to leave on Monday, from New York, ON THE BUS. This can become frus­trating when you find out that the star artist isn’t on the bus, because he’s flying straight to the gig. When you can say, “No way!” and fly instead.

MEN WITH A VAN

I used think that travelling on a tour bus was living large. That was until my first tour on one. Later, I’ll tell you what I don’t like about bus travel. But first, let me tell you what I do like about touring in a van. Actually, I love touring in a van. No, I’m not talking about a tour where the band, crew, gear, and a dog are packed into something like a “Cheech and Chong” vehicle. I prefer the adult approach. And here’s why: the van gives everyone in the band mobility. A van means that just a few people (usually only the band, and let’s hope that it’s a five piece band), can fit into it. The tour man­ager and crew ride separately on a bus. The gear, the P.A., and the merchandise are in separate trucks. As a matter of fact, the crew actually needs to be on a bus because load-in at most venues is early in the morn­ing. They can’t possibly sleep after the previous night’s show, wake up, and drive 300 miles, all by 10am the next morning. The band, on the other hand, doesn’t have to get to the next city until 5 o’clock for sound check.

One van to another. I'm in Jim Johnson's van while on The Silos tour in California

So, here’s a perfect van-tour day on the road: this day, in fact, really begins the night before, when I look in my room and find the “daily info sheet” that the tour manager has left for me. Every evening, one of these is put under each band member’s door. It contains everything we will need to know for the next day; destination, direc­tions, important phone numbers, hotel specifics, etc. It also tells us what time we should meet in the hotel lobby for departure.

On this perfect day, I wake up early around 8 am. Am I nuts? After a show that didn’t finish until 1 am? No. I’ll have plenty of time to sleep during today’s six-hour drive to the next town. This way, I have a couple of free hours before we leave, and I can exercise by jogging or going to a gym.

After breakfast, I check out of my room, and meet the band in the lobby. We pile into the van and are on our way. A fifteen-passenger van has three bench seats and two club chairs up front. If there’s only five guys, that means one to a bench and one to a club chair. This makes for a very comfortable ride and allows everyone to stretch out and relax.

Who’s driving? One of us. To have a professional driver would just take up valuable space. I love it when band members take turns driving (unless we have some scary drivers among us). On the road, we can stop for lunch and maybe a few sights, as long as we’re on time. The guys on the bench seats can lie down and sleep. For me, this is a great way to tour. We do what we want, when we want, and stop as often as we please. Some of my favorite towns and restaurants were discovered like this.

If we get to the next town early, we can check into our rooms and relax. If the hotel is close enough to the gig, we are also able to go back for a nap before the show. Want to see a movie on your day off? You can borrow the van. With this set up, the band is really independent from the rest of the tour crew. Many times, I’ll only see them at the gig. Unfortunately, this is not the way a bus tour operates. More on bus tours coming up.

3-2-1-Contact! In this step you will be casting a very wide net and marketing yourself to numerous artists and bands.  Warning.  Do not proceed with this step if you misrepresent yourself, can’t follow through on a musical promise, or if you believe you will fold in high-pressure situations.  You can always proceed at a later date.

Many music business resources appear in the form of lists.  Like phone books for the music industry. Generally, these publications list the managers and office personnel of bands, producers, and recording engineers.  There are also staff directories for record companies.  These lists bring the music industry within your reach.  For our purposes, the Artist Management roster will be the most useful.  This book is designed for people looking to do business with bands and artists (such as yourself).  It lists the direct contact information for virtually every band in the western world, as well as the names and direct numbers for managerial staff.  With this book in hand, your first goal is to choose the bands with whom you want to play.  Then let them know who you are, and how to reach you.  Great!  Start dialing, right?  Not so fast.

You’re going to look at this list and highlight the names of bands with whom you’d like to work. Differentiate by using colored highlighters.  In the past, I used color codes for my personal A, B and C list artists.  I’d start my solicitations with the C list first, allowing me to fall flat on my face with the low stakes clients first.  Over a period of time, I would systematically work my way up to the A list. There is only one chance to make a first impression, so it’s important to sharpen the saw in this manner.

Your next step is to find out the name of the person who handles your targeted band. Although staff names are listed, it is not always apparent which person at the firm handles the artist in question, especially when a firm handles many bands.  So you need to call the management firm directly and ask for the information.  When you call, identify yourself, and express your interest in becoming known to “Band X.”  Then ask for the name of the person who manages that band.  Having a short, concise, and scripted sentence or two is helpful in these situations.   A successful phone call will yield the name of the manager.   You now have a direct contact.

Start writing. Next, craft a brief introductory letter highlighting your features and benefits.  Reference the artist’s work and explain how your drumming is perfect for the artist’s future endeavors.  Direct the reader to your website, where they can learn more about you and your work.  When you are done with the first draft of your letter, proofread and edit it.  This may require several revisions.  Be patient.  When you are ready to send it, choose a mode that suits you (I prefer fax or email).  After it’s been sent, move on to the next contact.  Continue working through your C, B and A lists.  This phase does not require awkward and annoying follow-up calls and emails.  Don’t do it.  Although you are selling your services, the music business does not buy on impulse and you are not selling insurance policies.  However, in a couple of months, you may want to send a business postcard to the recipient.  At a later date, you can also do a general mailing to all names on the firm’s list to cover all bases.

Be realistic. During and after your campaign, be realistic and do not expect callbacks.  When calls come in, you must decide how to field them and sell yourself.  If they do not come, remember that your goal is to become known to the industry and to create top of mind awareness.  This process could produce tremendous results when combined with effective marketing and networking strategies.

Brian Doherty. Sound check on the Jewel Tour

Create an event and make it happen. As much as we would like to sit around and wait for the phone to ring, it is time to take control and make something happen. I mean get off your ass! Get creative and get the wheel rolling like your life depends on it! I mean host an open mike in the very near future. Book a show for your band in the next two weeks. Demonstrate your exotic percussion collection at a local school! Offer a workshop on drum technology at a music store next week. Host a free, beginner’s seminar for children and their parents a week from Saturday. Whatever your specific talent and interest, take action and DO SOMETHING FOR GOD’S SAKE! Put aside the study, practice, critique and analysis for the time being. Now is the time to get things moving.

Do not let doubt and excuses slow you down. Remember that it is not so much the type of action you take, but the fact that you are establishing yourself as an expert, building a network for the future, and letting the community know you are open for business. Some may find this step extremely difficult. For others, this step is an ongoing cycle of success. Which describes you? There is no debating the power of this step. Try it and see for yourself. The only question is whether or not you are ready to use it as a tool for your success. When I find myself unwilling to use this step, I have to be reminded that I know what will happen if I do absolutely nothing. Nothing!

Shout it out! Now that you have taken some action by creating an event, go ahead and publicize it. Publicity works on many levels, from casual conversations and email reminders, to formal press releases. Whatever the case, you have to let others know what you are doing. The key is to underscore the uniqueness of your event. Does your jazz quartet have two drummers and no bass player? Is your band reforming for your twentieth high school reunion? Playing Madison Square Garden for the first time? Perhaps your band is featuring reggae renditions of Beach Boys songs. Relax! You’re not turning your life’s work into a novelty act or circus sideshow. You are simply giving the community and the press a reason to pay attention to your gig, when they have many other options to choose from. Yes. An audience will come to listen to music or attend a workshop simply because it is good. However, highlighting features and benefits provides a necessary edge and may help your event stand out in a crowded field.

The Challenge. We study and practice.  Yet the question remains, “What now?”  How do I make a musical connection to others?  How do I apply my skills to real-world experiences?  It’s frustrating that the craft of drumming, and the landscape of the music business is not an exact science.  But there are things you can do; steps you can take; and changes you can implement to take you out of the practice room and into the music business. Let’s start by planning and then by taking a look at your goals.

Take stock. Examine your musical and professional experiences and goals.  Where are you in your music career?  How many shows do you play a year?  Do you have the network you need to achieve your goals?  Do you have any network at all?  What do you want to be doing next month or next year?  Are you on the outside looking in?  If so, what must change?  This type of personal assessment will be different for everyone depending on your hopes and dreams.  Allow yourself the time for this evaluation.  Perhaps even do some research.  Be very clear about the type of drummer you are, and the types of playing at which you shine. Taking an honest look at your present situation will save time now and perhaps avoid future disappointment.  It will also pave the way for your next step.

Find your pigeonhole. Have a concise, truthful answer prepared to the “What kind of drummer are you?” question.  Once you’ve decided, stick to the answer and tell people that answer when they ask!  For drummers, this seems to go against our very core.  We are taught to be well rounded and versatile.  We should be open to many musical styles.  However, it is also important to realize that fellow musicians, band mates, the music industry, even your local bartender, will classify you as a certain kind of drummer.  For example, think of a drummer that you do not know personally, but one whose work you admire.  What kind of drummer is he?  If you had to put him in one musical category, what would it be?  You see?  We do it to others, and others will do it to us.

If you do not pigeonhole yourself, others may do it for you. For example, suppose you consider yourself a heavy metal drummer.  Your band recently returned from a successful tour.  You have several weeks before your band tours again.  To pay the rent, you accept a six-week gig, playing a show at a local dinner theater.  Because you are now working at a dinner theater, are you a show drummer?  The outside world may see it that way if you let them.  However, if you have already established yourself as a heavy metal drummer, the theater gig will only help you appear accomplished and versatile.  Remember to decide your category honestly, and then stick to it, no matter what kinds of jobs you are doing.  Soon, others will describe you by using your own phrase. If you do not take the time to type cast yourself, to pigeonhole your career, you are leaving your legacy open to the random interpretation of your peers.  Now that you have your place in the music world, it is time to make something happen.