# Is it almost impossible for a band to sound good with a bad drummer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 20, 2024, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491 "2024-07-20T12:07:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/61 "2024-07-28T22:52:16Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Spelling nitpick: it’s Towns_ **h** _end, with an h. I swear I’ll NEVER be able to keep that straight. And it’s not a nitpick- spelling matters to some of us. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/62 "2024-07-28T23:04:57Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Pete Townsend: > But, for many years I was the timekeeper. People say that I’m a better rhythm guitarist than a lead guitarist, that’s because for 20 years I had to keep time. I was the drummer. I’m one of those people who maintain that Pete, a mediocre guitarist at best (far more entertaining to _watch_ than to hear) was in fact the timekeeper, rhythm guitar being the only style thing he was good at. Keith in his prime played a mix of “lead drums” and rhythm, with John essentially providing “lead bass.” Pete’s ego and inflated sense of his own importance/significance was impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/63 "2024-07-29T00:49:32Z")
I have to wonder… is it impossible for a band to sound good with a bad guitarist? A bad bassist? A bad singer? I would think so. I would think a band can’t be considered “good” if one of their members is considered “bad” at what they do. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/64 "2024-07-29T01:01:24Z")
The Sex Pistols beg to differ. Not to mention that there is an endless list of bad singers (most of whom at least have the talent to be front people). And believe me, a rhythm guitarist can be so far back in the mix, standing at the back of the stage plucking out two or three notes, barely even mattering and he could be in a superstar band (James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) I’m looking at you). ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/65 "2024-07-29T01:10:09Z")
If any member of the band is so bad that it’s noticeable, sure, any instrument can sink the whole thing. But a mediocre rhythm guitarist is different than a meh drummer. Think of it this way: In my band, if the keyboard feed went out in the middle of a song (assuming it wasn’t a super key-centric tune), we’d still sound okay. People might not even notice. If the drummer stopped playing? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/66 "2024-07-29T01:59:48Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I’m one of those people who maintain that Pete, a mediocre guitarist at best > [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > And believe me, a rhythm guitarist can be so far back in the mix, standing at the back of the stage plucking out two or three notes, barely even mattering and he could be in a superstar band (James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) I’m looking at you). Harsh guys, harsh 😀. I don’t think Townshend is ‘mediocre’, I think he is a perfectly good guitarist, who is maybe just not great guitar-hero he was sometimes cast as back in the day (at least to read old articles). I tend to reserve the term mediocre for some scrub playing off notes in a bar band in Topeka. When I hear criticism like that I think of people tearing guys like Peter Buck or Jack White because they can’t shred like Yngwie. Similarly with Iha - he’s not bad. He’s well below Corgan’s level of technical proficiency to be sure, but Corgan is pretty talented. But he’s at least competent at least live he wasn’t always relegated to a little background strumming. I mean he is playing the solo here: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/avr_AB6xEbc/hqdefault.jpg "[HQ] The Smashing Pumpkins - Thru The Eyes Of Ruby") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avr_AB6xEbc) ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/67 "2024-07-29T02:21:35Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I mean he is playing the solo here And to bring the thread full-circle: that’s what a good drummer can do for a band’s sound – monstrous, but still tight. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/68 "2024-07-29T11:48:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Ringo- the drummer, asks what key. Key? Drums? Sure, the band sounds rubbish if the drums are out of tune. 🙂 Seriously of course everyone gets the joke. F demented… ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/69 "2024-07-29T16:28:59Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > And to bring the thread full-circle: that’s what a good drummer can do for a band’s sound – monstrous, but still tight. Jimmy Chamberlain is an incredible drummer! Unbelievably good. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491/70 "2024-08-07T12:34:16Z")
Now that we’ve discussed Mo Tucker a few times…may I share a minor hijack? I enjoy VU a great deal. I’ve always wondered what it would have been like to date one of Mo Tucker’s kids (there were five) when they were teens. You would have probably known her as “Mrs. Tucker” or even “Maureen.” She seems like a pretty average person, maybe a bit too conservative for me, but basically a Georgia mom. Then one day you notice a picture on the wall and say, “Wait a minute! Your MOM is Mo Tucker? _The_ Mo Tucker?!?” I’m pretty sure her kid would roll eyes and say, “Yeah, I guess.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-almost-impossible-for-a-band-to-sound-good-with-a-bad-drummer/1004491.md?page=3)