Singing Drummers?

How many of you guys sing and drum?

I've been singing back up for years but I'm starting to sing leads more and more.

I really enjoy singing leads but I have a hard time singing over fills. I have to work those parts out and stick to em or my brain freaks. There is nothing worse then FREEZING cause your thinking to much. Improvising and cool new drum licks are "OUT" when I sing and I like that...

Singing has really help me be more musical and simplify. And stay employed!


Any singing drummers?

I've been singing and playing for a while now with a couple of bands. I sing mostly backups in an original band and leads & backups in a soul band. I have problems, as well, singing over drum fills. What has helped me quite a bit is the Gary Chester book "New Breed". He's got you using your voice as a 5th limb.

I've had to sing leads in some of my old garage bands because I was the only one who could sing on pitch in the band. I knew that Sight Screaming in music school would come in handy! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Mike

Yeah, the Chester book ROX. [img]eek.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

It's been collecting dust on my drums/music book shelves for a "little" while now...gonna have to pull it back out & get back on it. [img]redface.gif[/img] [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 16, 2004 01:18 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

gotta have to mention this girl Yvette Preyer ( Currently touring with Michael Mcdonald ) Amazing Vocals combined with deep pocket grooves on drums.

http://www.yvettebabygirlpreyer.com/ check out her website.

I couldn't carry a note if it had a handle on it!

However, I find that singing the melody and/or subdivisions in my head helps me stay in time better. I first got this idea from Weckl's old videos, but I'm sure others have thought of it as well.

I always thought Don Henley was a great drummer, not because of technique, but becuase he's always locked right in the groove and supports the songs so tastefully (I can't get enough of that ending to "New Kid in Town"). Plus he has very nice touch. My theory is that he grooves and supports the music so well because he sings lead, or at least backup, on most of the songs.

One of the greatest tips I ever heard was this: as you are playing, try to hear yourself play as if you were in the audience, not the drummer's chair. It's easy to get too absorbed in how things sound/feel from behind the drumkit. I think this is the major reason that I am usually disappointed when I hear myself on tape. It seems that singing helps you hear things better from the audience perspective.

I think the same could be said about Phil Collins, although I think his technique is grossly underrated (I just love playing along to "Cannot Believe It's True" and "No Reply at All").

The best singing drummer whom was mostly under the radar is Andy Sturmer from Jellyfish. What a great pocket he had on the Bellybutton cd.

Levon Helm with 'the band' was pretty good at all that. I've tried it with a mic headset, but it's hard. I just about managed 'stand by me' once, haha. To sing with full power and play drums loud at the same time is a real skill.

Spilt Milk by Jellyfish has to be one of my favorite disks! Too bad they ended it there. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] Is Andy Sturmer doing anything now drumwise? Great player!!!

When I'm playing and singing, I try to feel the way the beat and melody go together, kind of figure out where they match up and differ. It's kind of like 4-limb independence, but you're adding a 5th limb.

hey Mike,

The "New Breed" is tough. I got it back (late 80's)when it first came out and went through a few systems and stuck it on the shelf...

Thanks for reminding me about it. You are right, New Breed would probably be great exercise to help build my drumming/singing chops.

Well. it's about 7:00. Off to the gig to sing and drum (without dropping the ONE, I hope)

Quote:

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Originally posted by drumgod1:
I've been singing and playing for a while now with a couple of bands. I sing mostly backups in an original band and leads & backups in a soul band. I have problems, as well, singing over drum fills. What has helped me quite a bit is the Gary Chester book "New Breed". He's got you using your voice as a 5th limb...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That sounds like a good way to go about learning to sing and play at the same time, since independence is so important to singing/playing at the same time.

I became de facto vocalist because I remembered song lyrics but I'd rather merely concentrate on just drumming than populate the singer's chair too. For me I try to get the groove in place, put that on automatic pilot and then sing with as much emotion and conviction as possible, especially when the lyrics are counterpoint to the beat. The hardest singing/drumming songs I've ever had to perform were Black Dog and the great Police punk song Next To You.

Now that I think about it The Ocean wasn't a bed of roses either! [img]eek.gif[/img]

Mark Kelso(Toronto guy)is really good at singing while playing. It adds a lot when he backs up the main singer in his funk band, and it's all over his new album. I think singing would probably give you a more natural sense of phrasing (cause you gotta breathe sometime).

the best singing drummer I've ever seen is Gil Moore from Triumph.

Even though the music is somewhat simple, he had a HELL of a voice.

I was about to post on Gil Moore too. Excellent drummer/singer. Being also a power trio from Toronto, Triumph has always been in the shadow of Rush. Both bands started at about the same time and showed some similarities in sound in their beginnings. Triumph was nevertheless a great band. ?Allied Forces? album is a classic. And the music, although not as involved as Rush, was not that simple. [img]wink.gif[/img]

I was listenign to some Night Ranger today...ok, stop throwing tomatoes, they were a GREAT band.

Kelly keagy, Mr. Sister Christian, was a singing drummer and I dig his playing, really powerful.

And don't forget EXCITER !! [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/devil.gif[/img] [img]wink.gif[/img]

Don Brewer..."We're an American Band"

Ha, ha, ha!!!!! Night Ranger! I loved that band. Whenever my band (the one where I sing backups) does a sound check, I alway break into "Sister Christian" or "Easy Lover". It really bugs the lead singer, he hated Night Ranger and Phil Collins. His loss! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Mike

I couldn't agree more with Drumgod1 - Gary Chester's book 'THE NEW BREED' is great for really getting each of your limbs working well with the other. It's helped me no-end with backing vocals

I hate to admit, but i also liked NR back in the 80's m'self [img]redface.gif[/img] ...AND Phil AW [but ESP more the older Genesis & Brand X, but he was great at that pop style ATT, too]]...listen, if you're gomnna throw something, don't throw tomatoes - throw the Unreel book or something of the like ;c)...

Triumph - dug 'em. Not quite as much as Rush, but still nevertheless...gotta go w Tombo on that one. AF was indeed a great rock album ATT [great "big 80's" band sound captured on there]; i have "Just A Game" AW [img]wink.gif[/img]
Weren't Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart originally a Canadian duo AW? Or is it that they were simply from CAN....

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 20, 2004 12:56 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>