Excellent advice. It's gotta be fun!

First post on here in a while, pity it's a bit negative;)I understand how you feel I've had the same type of thing happening. Nowadays I'm trying to 'make it' as a big band drummer. ( not 'pro' bands) but very, very good musicians, and mainly 'old timers' in it, lol. There's some quite difficult charts to follow as well as having to make it swing and sound good, with dynamics etc. Even though I'm thinking my tempo is fine I see some of them in the corner of my eye pulling faces and then I get accused of dragging the tempo, - slightly. It's getting where it's like a habit and they make me feel **** because of it. And sometimes I'm concentrating so hard on what groove I'm doing that I lose my place in the chart. well I tell you it IS only by a very small degree. I just think they should show a bit more compassion. They just give me a realy cold and stern feeling a lot of the time, and I'm getting very tense. I Am determined though to keep playing with them and improving. Think how it feels being the drummer in a big band and if they let you go how can I get in another one as they are like gold dust - not like your normal rock/ pop band where you can join more easily as there's more of them.Keep on Pl

Olddrumgeek- you may have to resort to a click.

Down-side: it sort of kills the "feel"; however you will avoid speeding and slowing as the dynamics increase and decrease.

Up-side: no more sideways looks from other members of the band. "I'm on time; why are you wanting me to push/pull the tempo?"

I despise the click, but after a recording session where it is blatantly obvious I was pushing hard, I learned to live with it. I do need to get some 21st century technology and maybe that'll make it a bit easier to deal with for me.

Yes, thanks I could try using a mini click I have somewhere, I used to play to a click track in a party/pop band.

Mark - It sucks that you started the band and now they are giving you $hit about your playing. I've been in and out of bands for over 50 years the story you're telling is all too familiar to me. It sounds like it may be time to move on brother. Trust me, if they are giving you $hit -during- rehearsals they have been talking about it/you when you're not there. That band is going to be looking for another drummer. It doesn't sound like they are trying to work with you. Instead they are offering -unfriendly- sounding criticism. In the past I found that once it starts to get $hitty it rarely ever gets better. If you're not having fun then what the hell is the point? Get out now before it becomes painful for you and it sounds to me like it already is...

PS - I hate click tracks...

John

Thanks John, I've given some serious thought about bailing, but I don't like to give up on a project so quickly. Like I said, for the most part we all get along and this is the first time it got stressful during a rehearsal. If they want me gone, so be it, but unless it continues to spiral downward, I'll stick with it and hope we can set out to do what we all wanted to do from the beginning.

Btw, I hate click tracks too.

It's never pleasant when the people you started something with turn coat. I've been poorly fired from bands, and some that were trying other people behind my back. Even had the audacity to have them use my kit and when I called them out that my things were moved and who was on my kit, I got a sad excuse of it's been that way. Haven't dealt with those fella's in some years, but been there. Click wise I always have one in studio and from having played in bands where my tempo wasn't on, I made it a point to become on. For me something as silly as getting perfect in sync time with myself and a click is just making me a better player. For my symphonic metal band I really need to ensure I'm in the right time. For my blues rock band, we just play and let the music go where it needs. I try and just follow the lead and lock in where I'm needed. But it's def a lot looser, and we in no way try and act like a " tight " band. We like a little slop, goes with the music we do. Can't say I hate or love the click. To me it's just another part of the kit.

Tempo-meter is something I am pretty aware of. But...from being involved in MANY different bands and situations, the band itself is probably more worried about it than need be. If the lyrics are discernable it's not too fast. And drummers playing too slow...not a common situation. Since I sing lead and play drums our tempo's are pretty close. So good luck with your band situation.

AMEN brother ! Yes Sir

As the music director,drummer, 1st lead vocalist, and founding member of my cover band that i've been in for the past 24 years, i fortunately and UNfortunately, have the last say on EVERYTHING. I did get to a point where i recently just went with the flow and let someone else make some important decisions in all aspects of the band. But it didn't work. We recently added a female vocalist to the band, and although she's good, looks good and gets the people on their feet, she had recently overstepped her boundaries with all kinds of stuff that is too numerous to mention now. I made sure that i spoke with my guitar player who is my musical partner and friend, and although we're like too rams colliding head on, we agreed that she's out of line. Even though it's the most minor things, i felt that she began to act as if it were her band and she was in charge. Big mistake.. She's a great person, but unfortunately, a bit of an opportunist, in that if she found a better deal where she could be the boss, she'd drop us in a second. I personally am not worried, as we've done just fine without her for the past 24 years. She also bragged about getting us a bunch of gigs and quote " kicking our butts into shape". LoLoLoLo . Well, FFWD a year later, and she's done absolutely nothing except complain that she doesn't have enough gigs and has to work part time at a day job. Talk about bragging..Truth be told, i don't like sounding like the boss, but i am. If there is any negativity in this band caused directly or indirectly by her, then either she goes or i do. This is how i am. However, that would leave everyone else screwed without gigs, myself included. So far, things are great and there is no animosity between us. She's also beginning to realize that the rest of us are friends and are like brothers for the past 26 years, and that SHE is the outsider. Bottom line is, this is MY band, so i have the last say in everything. She also had mentioned that she was contemplating going back to gig in Thailand, where she had been for the past 4 years, but preferred to stay here because she loves this band. I told her simply that she do what she thinks is best for her at the moment, and that she'll always have this band to come back to should she choose to do so. Even though my situation isn't like yours, i hope it can at least give you some insight into band situations that may sometimes be difficult to deal with it..

Cheers,

Rob