So you are an up and coming drummer that is looking for work. The question you may be asking yourself is how does a drummer get gigs? There are a lot of things a self employed drummer can do to better themselves in the music scene. Learning to get gigs as a drummer is the best thing you can do for yourself. This article will teach you how to land rock gigs, how to get jazz gigs, and how to find Latin and big band gigs. You cannot just be a great drummer and expect gigs and jobs to find you; you have to be pro active with this. So let me share some insight on this topic!

The first thing you must do as a drummer is broaden your horizons. This is the biggest thing that you must do FIRST! Most drummers begin playing rock. This is not a bad thing; however, you need to learn more styles. Most rock gigs already have drummers lined up, meaning it’s hard to find rock and roll jobs. If you learn other styles like Jazz and Latin, you are much more likely to find gigs. When someone is looking for a drummer, they look for influences and styles. If you come to the table and only offer rock drumming, you probably won’t be accepted. If you come bringing a large variety of drumming knowledge and styles, you are more likely to land the job!

You do not have to be a master at all these styles; just have an understanding of them. Learning Jazz and Latin will increase every aspect of your drumming. Every professional rock drummer starts out with Jazz, so it is definitely something every drummer should learn. To get a grasp on these styles, you can check out the Jazz Drumming System, or the Latin Drumming System. These are great products designed to teach you every aspect of these drumming styles. With these under your belt, you can look for a lot more drumming gigs.

The second part to finding gigs as a drummer is being pro-active. This means you have to be looking. You cannot sit back and expect calls. Once you have a number of gigs under you belt, your name will be out there and you will get called. However, your name is not out there yet! To do this, look online, in local music stores, and in your local news paper for gigs and performances looking for drummers. There are a number of classifieds online that have postings for drummers, so make sure you check those out. Also, your local music store will have sheets posted looking for all different sorts of musicians. These are the best places to start looking.

To further your chances of getting gigs, you may want to create a media package of yourself. This is a huge advantage to have, since then people can see your image, and drumming style right away. You can easily do this by taking a few pictures of yourself, and your drum set. Take a microphone and place it in your drum room. Record yourself (either on video or audio) playing a number of different groves and solos. You can either post this on a website like myspace, or have it on a Data cd to hand out.

Following these few steps is a sure way to land more professional gigs and jobs as a drummer. In the end, every drummer wants to play more, so this cannot hurt to try! Keep your options open, when you are starting off you do not want to say no to any show. You may have to play a lot of shows you don’t want to before you start playing shows you do! Have fun with this and good luck

Dave Atkinson