The drums are the backbone to any musical performance. It is what keeps the music alive. When I play the drums, I find that there is a responsibility given to me to look after pulse of the song. When I listen to a band with a drummer, I notice that the lead guitarist or bass player are reliant on the drums keeping a good groove and keeping good time.
I came across a small band of three busking in King’s Cross Square on my way home from school and I could not help but to bop my head and tap my foot. That is the mark of a good band. The different instruments complement each other and gel together well. The drummer had a simple drumkit setup which allowed for a simple beat to be played. For the most part, the two other members playing bass and electric guitar seemed to have an important role to play the melodies and chords but in actual fact, their job would be made a lot harder if the drums weren’t there keeping a good rhythm.
To prove how important beat or rhythm is for music, try listening to a song without any drums in it and you would find yourself trying to clap or click your fingers or tap your foot. That would be you trying to fill the void of the absence of the drums.
“Do I Wanna Know” by Arctic Monkeys starts by the pounding beat of the bass drum which continues throughout the song giving it drive and purpose. Arctic Monkeys have performed this piece live at Glastonbury in 2013 in front of thousands of people. The responsibility of the drummer at the start of this song is to get everybody involved and engaged by moving to the beat of the bass drum and it’s also to set the tempo for the other instruments to join in later. The drummer can get thousands of people moving just by his playing which is the power of the drums. The guitars are later allowed to come in with the leading riff which starts the song all because of the drums; the backbone to any musical performance.
