Vineyardeastworship.com talked to Matt Compton and Chris Orza to get some insight on the strange world of drummers. Both Chris and Matt play drums and as well lead worship on guitar. Who better to help us non-drummers understand their world?
Matt Compton
For ease of reading their answers have been combined except when to do so would be confusing i.e. they give very different answers to the same question.
I know you play other instruments but why did you choose drums?
(M) I feel the drum kit is the nucleus that holds a band together, similar to the role a catcher plays in baseball. A catcher sits in the background and is rarely seen or showcased, but without him the team is not together. I like playing that role. (C) I chose drums initially because it was the first instrument I was introduced to and it came to me somewhat naturally. When I was about 10 years old, my brother had a New Year’s Eve party in his basement and a blues band was playing. During their break, I sneaked behind the drum set and started playing. Someone heard me and said ‘who’s playing drums?’ The band came downstairs and to their surprise, they found a punk 10-year-old kid playing on their drum set. Apparently I could hold my own at that age (but I don’t remember that too well).
When you are sitting at a light or eating your lunch, do you hear beats in your head?
Yes, and I showcase them on my steering wheel and my lunch table, floor, etc. It’s a little annoying to people close by. (C) I hear beats all the time. My partner at work finally said something the other day. Many times we are patrolling in a car for eight hours a day and I constantly tap beats (whether there’s music on the radio or not). Actually, I can keep myself occupied doing it.
Can you start by describing the basic drum kit and how you use the different pieces in the kit?
Basic 5-piece – Kick, snare, two rack toms, and floor tom. Cymbal set up: 15″ Hi-Hat, (2) 18″ Crashes, and a 20″ ride
How is each used?
Kick – usually played on the up beat – Moves the song. Like an engine of a car. Snare – usually played on the down beat – Gives feel and completes the core beat. Hi-hat/ride – usually played in an 8th not pattern – guides the song. Kind of like a leash to bring in all the off-tempo guitar players – just kidding! lol (Keep it up and this interview will be over!) Rack Toms – Space fillers, accents, etc. Floor tom – Great accent tom, very thick for a prominent change in the song. I like to ride on it like a hi-hat/ride to mix it up a bit. Crashes – Accents
People use the word rhythm section. What does that mean?
Technically the rhythm section consists of drums, bass guitar, guitar, and piano. Most rock bands, worship bands, pop bands, etc. are rhythm sections. When you have a large jazz ensemble, symphonic band, big band or the like, the “rhythm section” is a separate entity.
Let’s dig deeper into the rhythm section and find out how the different players interact. How do the drummer and bass player work together?
I don’t remember who told me this, but it was once said that the drummer and the bass player are the backbone of a band. The drummer and bass player should flow together as one instrument that keeps the “beat” and “feel” of each song played. Usually the bass player will match accents with the kick drum or play straight ahead with the 8th note feel of the hi-hat/ride. Or, if you have a bass player who really “feels the funk” then the drummer and bass player may play every note together. This doesn’t sound good unless the two players are tight. For example: Flea and Chad Smith of the Chili Peppers.
Who decides whether the kick is on 2 and 4 or 1 and 3?
The song decides. Each song has a 1 & 3 feel or a 1 & 4 feel.
How do the drummer and the acoustic guitar player work together?
Drummers and guitar players need to sync their rhythms together or the song sounds fragmented. The beauty of the acoustic guitar is that it can be percussive. The acoustic guitar can add a lot to the “dead” spaces in a song. The accents need to match up to the drums like the bass guitar but it sounds great when an acoustic guitarist explores polyrhythm within a song. By polyrhythm I mean “many different rhythm” e.g. 16ths, 32ths, etc.
What you’re saying is that it’s not good for the acoustic guitar player to be in la la land.
Yeah, that’s right.
The hi-hat can be played open or closed? What makes you decide to play it one way or the other?
Open – when I want to open up and drive a song a little harder or louder. I use an open hi-hat as a 3rd crash as well. Closed – for the verse or softer moments.
If the ride and the hi-hat function the same, how do you decide to play one over the other?
I try to mix it up in a song to try different things. A good rule of thumb is: Hi-hat on verse, Ride on chorus.
Do you ever play triplets? If so when and on what pieces of the kit, toms, hi-hat, cymbals?
Yes, mainly on tom fills or hi-hat fills.
What is a rim shot and when is it used?
A rim shot is when you hit the snare drum head and rim at the same time. It makes a gun-shot type pop. It is good for accents and transitions.
Can you explain what is meant by playing “in the pocket” or “locked in?” Are these terms that drummers use to confuse the worship leader?
Yes, this is a secret thing that only drummers can know. No one else is allowed to know. I actually don’t say that when I talk to my band. It’s like “being in the zone” or being “tight”. No, it basically means that the beats are tight and played in time, like a metronome.
What is a back beat? Is that a helpful thing for a worship leader to say when instructing a drummer on what to play?
I have always maintained that the back beat is “2″ and “4.” It may be helpful if a worship leader says to a drummer “accent the back beat.” The back beat is the main beat people hear.
Many times drummers will use a tom tom roll when moving between the verse and chorus, etc. Are there other ways to make the transition or is use of the toms the best way?
Yes. Snare rolls, double snare hits with crashes, kick and snare fills. There is no best way. Different things work at different times.
Why do drummers like to end songs with a two-minute roll, kick and crash? Is that to impress the other members in the band or just annoy them?
No response!
Who is responsible for the tempo? Who sets it and who keeps it?
The worship leader sets the tempo but the drummer keeps it. If someone else sets the wrong tempo don’t look back at the drummer. The drummer can fix it but may not be the cause of it. It was always a mystery to me when I was blamed for the song being slow when the guitar or piano started the song…hmmm. lol. If the tempo isn’t what it should be, the leader needs to communicate to the bass player and the drummer.
Can you give us some language that will help worship leaders communicate to the drummer? Are requests like, “Louder on the snare,” “Slow it down on the verse” “Get rid of that floor tom,” helpful?
Yes, all that is helpful. Drummers need to be led sometimes. Most drummers play too much and they think is sounds cool. It takes someone listening on the outside or a recording to really settle someone down and keep them on track. Some good drummer language is “softer,” “harder,” “try it this way and we will compare,” “come in on the chorus,” “fade out on the cymbal here.” I think the kind of language you use is dependent upon the personality of the person you are talking to. Some people totally understand the “boom, bat, bat” language while others don’t have a clue.
What signals do you need from the worship leader to help you transition between the different sections of a song, verse, chorus, bridge, ending?
Any pre-made signal is always helpful; maybe one finger for the verse, two for the chorus, fist for bridge, etc.
Both of you lead from a guitar, and you have the added advantage of knowing both instruments. Is that helpful?
Yes, it is always helpful. The main way is that I know what a worship leader is going through so I try to aid him/her by being low maintenance. You may be the only low maintenance drummer I know!!
Leading from guitar is helpful because when playing drums you remember what you wanted the drummer to play and you do that.
What else can you tell us that will be helpful to worship leaders who do not play drums?
(C) Be patient. Drummers are a different breed. We can be flaky, inattentive and disobedient, but blame it on our parents or something. Drummers are behind an instrument that is either loud or soft. Remember that drummers don’t have the ability to be as expressive as a guitarist can, with the different pitches and notes we can play. Drummers need to be able to have input too. Leaders can say “play this” or “play that”, but give your drummer the time to work on making the song his/her own. Let him/her come up with their own beats or “style” of the song. It may be refreshing to hear his/her take on how to play it. Otherwise, just be patient in communicating how/what you want to hear from your drummer. (M) To have a well played song, drummers need to have a specific beginning and end. A structure in the middle helps also but you can usually feel where the song is going. It is so frustrating when a song just starts from the middle of nowhere and I have no idea when to come in, and then I make a move to come in and get a “no” head movement from the leader or guitar player. AHHHHHggggH! The end is worse. It is a very tense moment when a drummer knows that it is the end of the song but the band never decided a specific way…it usually ends up with someone playing too long, usually the drummer. That is embarrassing.