To drum or not to drum

Drummers are the heart of a band, the engine room. They can't make mistakes and get away with it :) They are musicians that don't play notes..

The reason for this thread is that I've noticed the "No Drums" request on several templates. I wonder if drummers are hurt by this? They are very versatile... they can use many techniques to blend into a song.... they beat, tap, bang, flutter, shuffle, crash, brush, roll and .. well you tell me!

Are there any genres where the drummer would be an intrusion or should they be allowed to have a go at any add?

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funny, I happen to be a drummer, and if I read "no drums" on some track title, my interpretation is:
This is explicitly ASKING FOR drums (or, it is a drumless remix after someone posted a track with artificial drums, now posting a second version hoping for a real drummer).
You obviously read it as "NO DRUMS WANTED", which I have never read that way.

Since wikiloops is the kind of "do whatever you like" scenario, I'd actually feel it would be out of style to say "I do explicitly not want a remix with drums/vocals/whatever".

And - to move on to the second half of your question:
There are tunes that do not need a drummer. Think of piano ballads delivered with the typical "it doesn't groove at all, but girls fall for this kind of 'emotional' piano play" timing (girls, it's a trick, watchout!).

You could try to drum alongside, but all that would happen is awkwardness - you just can't schmalz on the drums the way other instruments can get away with not being in time (strings, think bowed string players... jesus, they spot time-slots in places where a drummer knows the bar has ended ages ago).

So, bottom line, yes there are songs where I know that I won't even try to drum along to that after four bars.
It's really weird, people are actually used to bowed strings and piano following some breathy, non-strict timing - if you let someone listen to a strings ensemble playing on click (so a drummer can join them later), most people will tell you they feel those strings didn't sound as emotionally rich as they expected them to be.
It is well known that in classical music timing is very very flexible. Someone once analysed a performance of some classical piece and found that the orchestra actually played at such variable speed, that their shortest full note (lasting one bars length) was shorter than their longest 8th note (which should actually be one-eight of the bar long) - don't expect a drummer to be able to groove to that kind of soupy timings ;)

OK, after successfully offending all keys, classical and especially bowed strings players on the loops, I'm wishing you all a nice start into the weekend :)
(no offense meant, folks, you hopefully know)

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afterthought:
drummers do play notes btw, most do not play melody, that's true, but there is drum notation for good reason.

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Well I'm glad I have a better idea about the "No drums" message - I always read things differently to others, that's why I can't construct IKEA furniture :)

One point about Classical music - some pieces are famous for their drum and percussion additions but they slot in at the most effective points. I hate when people make contemporary versions of classical pieces and 'jazz' them up. Thanks for that insight Dick :)

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drummers should be allowed to do anything they want. they spend a ton of money on their instrument and then beat it with sticks...clearly, this is unstable behavior.

:D:D:D

on a serious note, coming from someone who can't drum, yes, they are the heartbeat, the reason why you foot tap or head bob to a song. i know some people will remove the drums from a template so that drummers can join in (they'll say HD no drums). usually it's to entice and accommodate a drum add.

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Bonjour'ning,

I confirm what Dick said about the "no drums" mention, it means "free for Drums" to me. I can write 'removable drums" when I upload something with a drums simulation... and when the title lengh allows it :). the HD track will not have this drums addition

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No, drummers certainly don't get hurt because of that. Personally, I think it's a shame that uploading a version without drums to HD is often not used. We just want to play....lol

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