This is Chris Roberts
Technique matters. Experience does too. But I’ve always believed that serving the music as a professional drummer and percussionist matters more. I try to keep my ego out of it because can undermine the emotion of the song.
To me, the best drum part often feels inevitable, like this part is the only way it could be. Sometimes that means keeping things simple and staying out of the way. Other times it means helping shape the arrangement with texture, dynamics, or a well-placed fill. The right answer is different for every song, every artist, and every style.
That’s how I approach every project. Rather than asking, “What can I play here?” I try to ask, “What does this song need?” The answer usually comes from listening to the music, the artist’s and producer’s vision, and speaking the vocabulary of the style. If the part helps tell the story without calling unnecessary attention to itself, then it’s doing its job.
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