This article is about the best studio drummers available, in your area and nationally, and what criteria go into determining who are the best studio and session drummers.
And, who better to provide this information than Kip Allen, Drum Workshop Artist, and one of the best studio drummers/session drummers in all of Nashville, the Music Capital of the U.S.? Call Kip the next time your gig demands the best drummer available.
Who determines the best studio drummers in an area?
It is such a subjective determination, the best of anything, isn’t it? There are so many talented drummers on the national and local music scenes. Who is to say who is the best? It’s like lists of the Best Rock Bands of All-time . . . those lists inevitably always have the same bands somewhere in the Top Fifty, but the Top Five will change depending upon who makes the list.
And then we have the matter of music genres. The best studio drummers in rock might be different from the best studio drummers in country/western, or jazz, or blues.
Bottom line: it comes down to your budget and what you are looking for.
It really does come down to budget and what you are looking for. What can you afford? Good studio drummers might cost a couple hundred bucks for a session. Great studio drummers might cost between $5000-$10,000 per session.
What can you afford to pay?
And then, what are you looking for? What is your style of play? Two equally-talented drummers may be available, but one matches perfectly your style, while the other, although very talented, never quite matches the style you are looking for.
How to find the best studio drummers in your area
Finding good studio drummers, or a talented percussion player, in your area is as simple as asking around the local music scene, or attending the local gigs in your area. Trust your ear. After all, you are the only one who knows what you are looking for. And nationally? Finding a list of the best session drummers, and the best studio drummers, is as easy as going online and doing a little research. But the bottom line is this: You will know when you hear the best for your situation. Then, it becomes a matter of whether you can afford to pay the best, or will you have to settle for a little less than the best?
A final word about Kip Allen
Kip Allen has paid his dues and worked his way up through the ranks, first pounding a beat in his home, then working local gigs for tips, finally moving to Nashville in 2008 and doing whatever he needed to do to be heard. Fast-forward to 2022, and Kip Allen is a trusted name as a songwriter, music producer, session drummer, studio drummer, and tour musician, having worked with some of the biggest names, not only in Nashville, but the music industry, spanning many genres along the way. One thing is absolutely certain: any list of the best studio drummers in Nashville will have the name Kip Allen somewhere on that list, and that speaks volumes about the kind of talent you will find in Kip Allen.
