I am thinking of the “not famous” drummers I’ve seen and heard, whose names I never knew or I’ve forgotten, from whom I learned one idea for evoking drumset sounds I used from then on.

There was the show band drummer at a Moline, IL night club. He took the metal looped back end of one of his drum brushes, placed it softly on his ride cymbal where the cymbal bell ends and the playing surface begins. Lightly pulling the wire loop across the cymbal toward him, the drummer produced a metallic shimmering sound. Perfect for a quiet ending to a song.

I had never seen that done before.

Another drummer, holding a wire brush vertically, moved it toward his cymbal until half the wires were above the cymbal, half below it. The drummer then gently moved the brush up-and-down, creating a one-hand roll effect. Again, a nice ballad effect.

A “no name” drummer taught me how to tune a snare drum, with no muffling, to produce a crisp, open-but-not-overringing sound.

I’m sure there are several other instances. Multiply my experience with the millions of drummers worldwide who have also learned, and are learning still, from “no name” drummers. Wow!

Thank you, “no name” drummers.

– end –