Hey there, drummers! I’ve always been wondering, what makes a drummer a “great” drummer? There's gotta be billions of active percussionists all around the world, but just a handful of them are world-renowned and are considered the best. So what really makes legendary figures like John Bonham, Neil Peart, and Buddy Rich so much of a “great” drummer?” Well, one is that they may have had naturally ridiculous talent and have been playing since they were about 4-5 years old. Nevertheless, according to my research, what makes them really good is that they have micro-precise timing and mastery of every drum rudiment.

I’m sure many of you have done some sort of a performance in front of a live crowd. And what is the key part to sound amazing in front of them? Yes, it is timing. Timing is key for drummers. It’s everything. You wanna play crazy chops to impress the audience even by destroying the whole tempo? If drummers were meant to do that, then Buddy Rich’s lightning fast chops would just sound like hitting the drums like crazy and Jojo Mayer’s mind-blowing ghost notes would just sound like a jarring noise. Listening to the song and hitting the clean notes on the exact timing is essential for both the drummer and the band to sound PERFECT. If the timing falls apart, everything falls apart.

In addition to that, the greats have mastered every complex drum grooves to the point they don’t even have to think about it anymore. Their hands and feet just do their own thing, which is of course because they have decades of experience of practicing and playing live. For instance, Chad Smith from RHCP plays some complicated technical grooves mid-song without a sweat, yet to the band and the audience, it makes perfect sense. They love it.

So yup. There you have it! My personal opinion on what shapes a “great” drummer isn’t just raw talent. It’s their highly accurate timing and proficiency in technical skills that shape their drumming to the “greats” quality. That's what I've got for now, thanks for taking time to read my post!

My next snares to add to my collection will be a 6.5 x 14 Black Beauty and a 6.5 x 14 Supraphonic. I had a 5 x 14 Black Magic that was actually pretty great and I have a LM400 5 x 14. However, 6.5" is my go-to depth. I'm leaning on the tube lug BNOBrass BB and not the BNOBronze one. Any recommendations? as to which era of BB to buy and which to avoid? Also, I'm open to arguments for DW or Mapex BNOB snares if anybody wants to get into that! :)

Hello, I am an industrial design student researching how drummers perceive and act upon their hearing health looking to design a hearing protection product catered to musicians. Takes only a few minutes if you'd like to help me out!

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