How do you guys go about covering a song? I never really learn exactly how to play a song. It's not really my style. I just come up with my own drums. I try and keep it along the same lines as the original but for the most part it's my own beats and fills.








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It kind of depends on the song, sometimes a song has pretty much perfect drum tracking, like a lot of BDM's drumming, nothing I can really think of to add that would make it sound better, so I just play what he plays.








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Check out my band Before fire,
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"Close to the original but your own style". That's me.








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13612
www.billraydrums.com
www.myspace.com/billraydrums

BillRayDrums wrote:

"Close to the original but your own style". That's me.

+1

Signature parts and the groove stay, everything else is me.








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

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SGarrett wrote:

+1

Signature parts and the groove stay, everything else is me.

"Signature parts". Exactly!








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13612
www.billraydrums.com
www.myspace.com/billraydrums

You can go any way you want with it. So it's all good. But you have to remember that everything you do has to be for the fan's enjoyment, so keep the signature parts. They'll recognize those parts and enjoy it. I want to do some Steely Dan covers, I wish I was in a band, blimey. LOL








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I'm with Bill and Scott! Some songs it's just criminal to change things too much.








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RobCrisp.co.uk

It all depends on the vibe of what everyone else is playing. Jazz musicians make careers off taking covers and playing the changes as they see fit.








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www.myspace.com/alanselectronicmuse

Alan_ wrote:

It all depends on the vibe of what everyone else is playing. Jazz musicians make careers off taking covers and playing the changes as they see fit.

True.








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RobCrisp.co.uk

Well if the band's playing a punk cover of a funk tune then no holds barred. Now if you are playing a zep tune or a Rush tune you better be spot on.

It depends on the band, and the song!

I tend to cover the Hendrix stuff as close as I can, because the drumming is really an integral part of the feel... In other bands, I prefer to hit the signature parts dead on, and the rest is all me.

Every so often, we completely toss the original parts and make a whole new arrangement.

This couldn't have been too helpful, no?








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I suck at playing covers, so usually I try to get it as close as possible, but there always seems to be my style mixed in there. I admire anyone who plays covers well. It's always been harder than it looks to get that feel.








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SilverFox HR Sticks, Medicine Man rebuilt PDP Snares, PDP Drums, Zildjian, Meinl, Po Boy Cymbals, DW and Pearl Hardware and pedals

I think zen's response is perfect.

play to fit the situation. if the band's trying to nail it note-for-note, support them by doing the same. if they're going off and creating something new within the confines of the song, play what you think fits.








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www.myspace.com/alanselectronicmuse

It's fun to learn songs note for note if you want to take on the challenge of learning another drummers style. I went through a period last year where I learned and charted out several YES tunes with Bill Bruford on drums. (for a YES cover band) Once I learned what he played on the tracks, I was free to mix stuff up as I saw fit. I learned a lot by really getting into his style and seeing which rhythmic tricks he used (note displacement, odd time signatures. mixed stickings).

When I need to learn a lot of songs quickly, as I am right now, I make a quick chart of the song and then listen too over and over until I can sing the guitar part and melody to myself from memory. I don't even try to play the song on the drums until I have the song engraved in my brain -- then I just play it my own way but in the spirit of the original. I can usually get two or three songs done a day this way.

If it's something with really distinctive, cool drumming, then I'll probably play as close to the original as I can, but really there's nothing you can do to stop your own individual style creeping in there. Everyone's got their own little quirks.

If not, I put my own spin on it. You know, different fills etc. Sometimes I'll play it entirely differently, but if you're going to do that you've got to make sure what you're playing actually works with the song.

My band covers 'Mary Jane's Last Dance' by Tom Petty and 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' by the Stooges, and my drumming's fairly different in both of those. Especially as we put a little drum solo into the second one.

However, if we were going to cover, say, 'Sweet Lady' by Queen or 'When the Levee Breaks' by Led Zeppelin, I'd be sticking to the originals, cause I love the drumming way too much to change it.








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This could only be more awesome if it had tits and was on fire.

My response would be closest to Okjohnne, and Zen. Some stuff you can have a lot of freedom with, and some stuff, well if you ain't on don't play it.
Actually looking back over the thread, this does seem to be the consensus.








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I PROUDLY ENDORSE MEDICINE MAN DRUMS AND SALUDA CYMBALS, and Bud light.



www.drumroadtrip.com
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If I like where the drummer went with it I usually play close to the original, but I still make it my own.

If I don't, I will just create my own part that I feel suits the song better.








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_...:::/ Jimbob2020 agrees \:::..._

Well the 1 vote for "exactly. note for note" Would be me.

I believe if your going to "Cover" a song then you should learn how it is played as close to the drum track as you can possibly get!

otherwise it should be called "my interpretation of this song"

Just my opinion

sjoey1r wrote:

Well the 1 vote for "exactly. note for note" Would be me.

I believe if your going to "Cover" a song then you should learn how it is played as close to the drum track as you can possibly get!

otherwise it should be called "my interpretation of this song"

Just my opinion

I see That being the case if you were a serious cover band that sold themselves for playing exact. But for bands that do originals AND covers, sometimes it pays to give it your own feel.








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I PROUDLY ENDORSE MEDICINE MAN DRUMS AND SALUDA CYMBALS, and Bud light.



www.drumroadtrip.com
www.myspace.com/newconceptpercussion
www.myspace.com/bngrzn

Depends on the gig - on a tour situation with the artist who recorded them - note for note. For a band who is reproducing songs, catch the flavor of the song with all of the trademark parts.








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Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
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Hey, it's gonna be YOUR interpretation of it anyway. There is physically NO WAY you can match EXACTLY the same thing someone else is playing into the molecular level.

Sure you can come close. But saying you can is like saying you have the same fingerprints as the drummer you're trying to copy.

Why be the next Neil Peart when you can work on becoming the first YOU?








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13612
www.billraydrums.com
www.myspace.com/billraydrums

I used to be very meticulous trying to learn cover songs as close to the original parts as possible without actually morphing into that person. These days it's just out of laziness that I'll listen to a tune 3 or 4 times just to get the structure then I'll make up anything else. Less stressful that way.








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Yea i'm with the other dudes it should be similar to the song but when i try and play to songs I don't care about playing the song exactly like the orignal. Speaking of covers me and my band plan to cover needled 24/7 which should be fun.








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DRummer BOy Jeff