How do I convince my drummer to learn a good rimshot technique?

mrhotapples said:
If I play them, they sound great, and I'm no drummer, but my drum-god friend in another band from FL has played his kit too, it sounds good. It's not a case of the drums being crap or him resting the stick on the head or playing terribly inconsistently, I know he needs to lighten up on his tight he make his stand and that it's hurting the sound of the snare, but... He's on his second kit now, the first was a Forum, this one is an Export. We've used a Tama Stewart Copeland signature, a Pork Pie 10 inch piccolo and a DW 14 inch along with the snares from the Pearl kits. If he were a bad drummer, I'd quit the band over this, but it's come to my attention as I try to find ways to make us sound better.

This is our myspace with demos, listen to Red Cars on Sunday Afternoons.
http://www.myspace.com/shiphighintransitfl

I'd much prefer our drums sound like this (I'm not a huge fan of Blink 182 but Travis Barker's his favorite drummer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCjbphQH2iE

If he's not rimshotting, I want to know how to make a snare sound like that.
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I much prefer your drummers snare sound to travis. It's a horrible sounding snare imo. Your drummer's snare doesn't cut through enough and travis' certainly does, but that doesn't make it better sounding.

If he hits the snare like a wimp when playing hihat, get him to move the hihat over closer to the 1st tom, and not cross his hands(or not as much anyway) so he has more room to lift his hand and hit harder.

It doesn't sound like your getting much of a crack though. Maybe mic the bottom of the snare too, try different heads, and snares(or different snare settings).

You shouldn't need to rimshot every hit. Rimshot should be for the occasional accent.
 
I can´t believe a lot of what I just read...

I hope more pro drummers can chime in to give some pro advice...
( Hipskind are you there? ;) )

80 or 90% or rock (and heavier music) are rimshots...
It´s not something to debate. It´s a fact...

You may decide to do it or not, I doesn´t change the fact...

Some situation for no-rimshots are: Motown music (some), ballads (and other low tempo songs), bossa, and some other afrocuban music...

Colaiuta, Aronoff, Porcaro, Jordan, Pelton, Robinson... All those guys will agree with this...

HTH :D
 
Yeah, that's what I'm saying, but the real problem is still that our drummer hits like a bitch. That's where I'm going to start. A well-tuned snare hit hard should cut through a mix without being rimshotted. He needs to play more consistently and that's all there really is to it.

I like this sounds, for instance:
Green Sweater Society
 
mrhotapples said:
Yeah, that's what I'm saying, but the real problem is still that our drummer hits like a bitch. That's where I'm going to start. A well-tuned snare hit hard should cut through a mix without being rimshotted. He needs to play more consistently and that's all there really is to it.

I like this sounds, for instance:
Green Sweater Society
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Get him to lift his sticks higher then.
 
If you're having trouble getting through to him, the next time you practice, set this guy next to him. When he asks what it is, tell him you're auditioning new drummers.
 

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JuliánFernández said:
80 or 90% or rock (and heavier music) are rimshots...
It´s not something to debate. It´s a fact...

You may decide to do it or not, I doesn´t change the fact...
Click to expand...

This is absolutely true!!!!!

undebatable! I can give you a HUGE list of pro players and almost ALL rimshot the snare! I can list jazz drummers who rimshot the snare.

I've stood over the shoulders of some big names and watched them do it!
 
That´s one of the things that you don´t learn in school...

I remember an old ModernDrummer interview with Colaiuta, Porcaro, Mason, Keltner and a couple of top sessionist of that time...

All of them agreed that in the studio, you hit rimshots 90% of the time...

If someone wanna disagree with it, isn´t even worthy to try to persuade him...
 
Fuck that! I would look at the big picture. Is it just his snare sound that is the problem? If thats the only thing you are having trouble with in your band I would let it go. Does every drummer have to please the guitar player?
Does every drummer have to sound like neal or bonzo or whom ever the guitar player likes that plays in his favorite band?
If he plays well, Does well on stage and is a descent guy let it go.
Worry about pleasing the people you are playing for and you will have a lot more fun, Make more money and sleep better. Do you really think that susie bigslit gives or hears the differance in the snare sound that you like. NO
 
Herm said:
Do you really think that susie bigslit gives or hears the differance in the snare sound that you like. NO
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Of course not, until you take away the fact that you can hear the snare and the whole sense of rhythm falls apart.

the lowest common denominator can still tell a shitty performance apart from a great one.
 
Herm said:
Fuck that! I would look at the big picture. Is it just his snare sound that is the problem? If thats the only thing you are having trouble with in your band I would let it go. Does every drummer have to please the guitar player?
Does every drummer have to sound like neal or bonzo or whom ever the guitar player likes that plays in his favorite band?
If he plays well, Does well on stage and is a descent guy let it go.
Worry about pleasing the people you are playing for and you will have a lot more fun, Make more money and sleep better. Do you really think that susie bigslit gives or hears the differance in the snare sound that you like. NO
Click to expand...


Pretty much that. Well put.
 
Herm said:
Fuck that! I would look at the big picture. Is it just his snare sound that is the problem? If thats the only thing you are having trouble with in your band I would let it go. Does every drummer have to please the guitar player?
Does every drummer have to sound like neal or bonzo or whom ever the guitar player likes that plays in his favorite band?
If he plays well, Does well on stage and is a descent guy let it go.
Worry about pleasing the people you are playing for and you will have a lot more fun, Make more money and sleep better. Do you really think that susie bigslit gives or hears the differance in the snare sound that you like. NO
Click to expand...

Do you play drums?

You´re saying a couple of nosense on your post (from a drummer p.o.v)
 
Yes I am a drummer and have been for the last 42 years and have played several hundred jobs and been in quite a few bands.
And I still say its not worth worrying about.
 
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