# Is playing the drums and singing at the same time particularly difficult?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-playing-the-drums-and-singing-at-the-same-time-particularly-difficult/680219>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 31, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-playing-the-drums-and-singing-at-the-same-time-particularly-difficult/680219 "2014-01-31T18:01:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![grama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@grama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grama)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-playing-the-drums-and-singing-at-the-same-time-particularly-difficult/680219/21 "2014-02-01T12:14:11Z")

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I know nothing about music, but FWIW I’ve been told by musician friends that playing drums and singing is particularly difficult, more so than playing other instruments and singing… they explained it to me but I didn’t really understand 🙂

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**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-playing-the-drums-and-singing-at-the-same-time-particularly-difficult/680219/22 "2014-02-01T13:12:25Z")

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> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> Many bands have a “front(wo)man” who is often but not always the singer, and is the center of attention. The drummer usually sits at the back of the stage and is often near-invisible. Thus except for certain bands, there is an impetus to have someone besides the drummer sing (even the bassist!), which might explain a lack of seeing them, technical issues aside.

This is one reason that Genesis toured with a second drummer (originally Bill Bruford, later Chester Thompson) after Phil Collins took over lead vocal duties\*. Phil played drums on a few songs but would mostly be up front.

- Interesting side note - Phil did not become the lead vocalist automatically after Peter Gabriel left. The band auditioned a number of replacement vocalists, and Phil would often provide some vocal guidance as to what they were looking for. After a while everyone in the band realized that Phil sounded much better than all the singers they were auditioning.

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