There was a recent post on a social networking site wondering if certain drummers had lost some ability over the years. The author was reminiscing about music from the 1970’s that was high-energy and recorded with some great drummers. These drummers are still around and don’t seem to play quite the same way at this point, and the author was wondering if they had lost some of their “chops” over the years.
The term “chops” can mean different things to everyone, however most musicians use it when referring to being able to execute difficult musical passages (which often includes playing fast). If a drummer can play a fast single stroke roll, he/she could be referred to as “having some nice chops,” e.g.
My take on the subject is that the drummers in question (Gadd, Erskine, and others) seem to choose other types of music to play these days, generally. I think that any of these guys could play most of us under the table if that’s what they wanted to do. I believe that the “chops” that are allowing these famous drummers to play differently now, is called being musical. For me, they all seem to be playing the right thing for the music — much the same way they did for the music from forty years ago. The music has changed.
I believe that Vinnie Colaiuta summed it up nicely in an Modern Drummer 2007 interview. Check it out and let me know your thoughts on drummers and chops!
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