As two of us in Autorotation are drummers (working as touring and session musicians), let us give you some advice on how to graduate from being a good drummer to being an excellent, in-demand one.
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Yeah, technical skills are important. Do practice your styles, patterns and separation, but in our opinion, these are things that will make you stand out:
- practice dynamics: play fast but quietly, play slowly but loudly
- practice with a metronome. Even if you don't use it for live shows, practicing with a click will greatly increase your accuracy
- learn to play another instrument. Maybe even jam with another drummer while playing the guitar or keys or just singing. This will make you understand what other musicians need from you.
- listen to the songs and other band mates while you play. Listen to what they're doing and support them.
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Bashing on the drums can be real fun, but learn how to "play music" with other people and your skills will soon be in demand.
Hope this helps someone. Thanks for reading.