Playing With A Zendrummer
by Tony DeStefano
Well, Too
Hip For The Room has been rehearsing with our new bass player, and watching
him over the last few months as he tries to play with a Zendrummer reminded
me of my own experiences with the same.
I offer these points of advice to guitarists, singers, bassists, and any
other musician who is in a band with a Zendrummer.
1. You are no longer
the frontman. You might be the singer, leader, guitarist, etc., but the drummer
is no longer behind you. And if he is wireless, look out...I remember turning
behind me to give my brother a cue, only to find he was sitting in the audience
playing the Zendrum. Sigh.
2. If you are (were) the frontman for your band and are used to having people
coms up to you after gigs saying things like "Hey man, you were great!"
or "I love your <singing, playing, etc." you might as well get
used to the fact that most of the comments you get will now be along the lines
of "Oh, you were good too..." and "That thing makes you sound
really good."
3. If your Zendrummer is creative, or crazy, or as in my case, both, be prepared
to follow wherever the songs may go. Openmindedness is key, and don't ever
expect the songs to sound like they did at rehearsal. (But don't worry, they
are likely to be better.)
4. You will hear things that you have no idea where they are coming from.
As time goes on, this will no longer surprise you.
5. You will hear yourself saying things like "Where the heck is the 'ONE'?"
At least for the first year, there were many times I found myself just, well,
playing, until something resembling a downbeat came my way and I could sing
the next verse. This is perhaps the most important item on the list. A good
zendrummer is a lot less like a mertronome than a trap drummer. You aren't
guaranteed to hear a 4-beat pattern with a kick drum on the "one,"
so get used to it. It takes a long time.
6. You need to know the material a lot stronger and more confidently than
ever before. The beauty of the zendrum is its ability to go anywhere musically.
The more organic and capable of spontaneity you are, the better you will get
along musically (and personally).
7. Stop looking at the drummer for visual cues, like when a drummer reaises
both hands above his head right before a big cymbal crash or accent. It ain't
gonna happen. This is the thing our new bass player noticed most. Your eyes
are freakin' useless in a band with a zendrummer. You actually have to listen
now.
8. On the flipside to you no longer being a frontman, there need not be a
backline anymore. I stand in the center with Eric, our bassist, to my left,
and Paul, the zendrummer, to my right. In a straight line. At first it's a
little ego-deflating (all eyes no longer on you), but then you really the
pressure it takes off of you. An audience has more to watch, and more people
to identify with and interact with. A good zendrummer is a true all-around
performer. I recently found out that during my intros and stories about songs,
or when I am just talking to the audience between tunes, there is practically
an entire vaudeville act going on behind me, as Paul and Eric, talk, react
to me (usually by rolling their eyes), and adding an entire new dimension
to the performance.
9. Don't get distracted by the zendrummer. Sometimes Paul gets into such an
intense groove, that if I look at him it either is simply fascinating, or
downright hysterical. If you recall the baseball coach giving signals to his
players in the "B.C." comic strip, that's what he reminds me of.
10. And last, there are some things that don't change. It's still the freakin'
drummer who gets the girls coming up to talk afterward.
