Are drums the easiest instrument?

Being a jazz musician is a strange experience. It is strange to tell random people what you study in school, and to see their faces change, maybe even hear their chuckle. It's something that one could either rejoice in or feel condescended by. People will almost always either think that you’re courageous and brave, or that it’s cute. Then to proceed to say, “yeah, drums. I’m a jazz drummer.”

As a woman, you see their faces change again, from indifference or condescension to perverted interest. Sometimes you see genuine admiration and appreciation, but there's always an initial “really?!” before they can believe you, because no one would ever assume. 

But this is not to talk about the plight of women in jazz. This is to answer a question I've been asked and been witness to countless times, with an answer I've flip-flopped on for a while : compared to other instruments in jazz, aren’t drums the easiest? 

First, let's establish what it means to be an “easy” instrument or a “hard” instrument. Most instruments fall into certain categories, mainly being melodic, harmonic, rhythmic. Each of these categories come with their roles and responsibilities in order to play a song. Melodic  instruments must carry the melody and then solo, therefore they must learn the form and the changes as well as the melody. Harmonic instruments must learn the changes and the form, while also being apt at comping. Rhythmic instruments, mainly just the drums or auxiliary percussion, must keep the time and learn the form, but it is not necessary for them to know/play the melody or have the changes memorized. 

Looking at it in this objective and almost scientific manner points to a clear answer: within the jazz context, playing the drums is the easiest load to bear. 

I’ll concede that I have often gone to jam sessions and played on tunes I didn’t really know. All it takes is asking “32 bars, AABA?” and any apt drummer will be able to sound half-decent. Is this being a good musician, though? Is this honoring the art of jazz? Absolutely not. When I play tunes I know very well, well enough to sing the melody accurately, I sound far better (of course). Many of the best drummers will in fact take it upon themselves to bear the load of the other categories, learning the melody and the harmony before saying “yeah, let’s do that one, I know it”. Almost anyone can tell when a piano player doesn’t really know the tune, but usually only musicians can tell when a drummer is faking it. So, maybe drums aren’t the easiest, because in order to sound really good you must learn the tune inside and out the way every other instrument does. But being a drummer, and being taught that you only have to care about bar numbers, makes it very easy to be lazy, therefore it might be the instrument that requires some of the most dedication and discipline. 

Technically speaking, many people revere drummers for their prowess. This is certainly due to all four limbs being employed, the musicians needing complete isolation of each in order to play proficiently. Drumming (as well as upright bass playing and larger horn playing) also proves to be a more physical playing experience, where physical endurance becomes part of the equation (Think Neiman playing until his hands bleed and until he's covered head to toe in sweat). But all instruments should be thought of as physical extensions of the body, so I do not believe people consider the physical aspect of playing when they argue that drumming is the easiest. 

When I was in Cegep, I had a conversation (surprisingly) with a guitarist about progressing as a musician in different instruments. What he said was that “ it is easy to be an average drummer, but extremely difficult to be amazing. For guitarists, it's hard to be average, but once you're there, the road to excellence is not as steep”. I’ve thought about this a lot through the years, and although we weren't talking strictly about jazz, I think it's important to consider the different roles of instruments before we compare “easiness”. In a way, drums are the easiest instrument to “fake” in jazz, but that can only last you so long in any self-respecting scene. So when I tell people that I study jazz, yes, I am a drummer, and they ask “isn’t that the easiest one?” I say “not if you're good.”

If you are a drummer, maybe focusing on melodies and harmonic forms rather than chops will be the key to take your playing to the next level. If you are not a drummer, tell your drummer you love them and give them a hug. They all need one.