#2 Less is (Not) More

is an unambitious, reductionist notion that dictates the default drum part should be as simple as possible regardless of context.  It's a rationale to stifle one's creative instinct or enthusiasm for fear of rejection.   "Less is more" is smattered all over drummer forums and I fear too many eat it up.

   Like the folly of collectivism, it boasts "mediocrity is brilliance" but of course it is not.  Enter a minority of musicians who wish they had some capacity to play in busier, more complicated fashions and instead of recognizing their perceived shortcoming and applying themselves accordingly, they opt to dissuade others from seeking to do better themselves.

   Content drummers not infected with self-directed disdain play less or more based on their musical or creative inclinations as well as the dictates of the musical environment.   Would it not be better to say when you are trying too hard to be creative you may find playing less than you think you ought to can do far more for the effort?  To not over-reach your capacity when in doubt of the musical situation?  We could have just said "don't try so hard" and called it a day.  People would get it.

   So why is it only ever meaning less playing? How does obsessing over limiting the number of notes in spite of the other factors that affect "complexity" like: tempo, dynamics, texture, phrasing or feel solve this riddle? Less Is More puts a morality on numbers.  It's proponents smugly profess one-liners like “I don't think about it”, “I just play for the song” or “I don't need all those drums” but imagine applying such low-brow reductionism to any other industry or activity: Would a dancer brag about only applying hop steps?   A mechanic reduce themselves to using only pliers?   A CPA boast about his trusty abacus?   You get the point. Then againt remember they berated Mozart and Beethoven in their own time over the same!   So what would have become of Bluegrass, BeBop and Heavy Metal if playing the least amount possible became the standard?  There is absolutely nothing wrong with the simple drum part if it is what comes naturally or as an approach until you understand the musical situation. So the "why" does matter!

   All great composers/bands that warrant intrigue with their art feature busy-ness or complicated arrangements as a symptom of their muse and not the other way around.  Blindly reducing drum parts to the point of bare bones pulse architecture because you're afraid someone might be offended is bloody-minded.  You're just going to have to learn to trust yourself if you are going to enjoy this venture in music.  I've never seen or heard a drummer who was happy with their playing ever start an argument over less versus more.  And neither will you.

   Think for yourself.  Creative experiences can be painful because ideas can't always be pre-calculated - you just have to see when you get there.  But you can't have valuable experiences or learn to trust your instincts if you are constantly self-monitoring.  Learning to face the challenge of each moment without a safety net is the very thing that makes being a musician a special experience.

   Ultimately, less is less and more is more - more or less!  :-)

   Here is another article on this topic by drummer Mat Marucci that I really enjoyed.

   Thoughts? Comments? Criticisms? I'm open to read your thoughts!