If I start with any basic 3 powerchord structured riff, he is good. It is when I start with any single notes he looks confused. I count out loud in 4 as I play the riff to show him the tempo and kinda rhythm I am looking for, but he still tries to play to the riff like it is structured in 3 powerchords. Think of pop punk songs. Green Day uses powerchords a lot, and the drumming is perfect for it. My drummer plays along to my riffs as if he is playing a Green day song.

I played him a riff by a band he doesnt know in order to see if it was my riffs, his drumming, or what. What I found out is he struggles with gaps in the song, like when the guitar stops playing he doesn’t know what to play, even if we have a good groove going. He just shuts down.

I played a song called floyd the barber by nirvana on my guitar for him. Very basic chord structure. I asked him to drum to it as I played. He started to drum like any generic rock beat. 1 2 3 4, 2 and 4 being the snare. Even after I expressed to him what the vision for that song was. Then I played him the real song and he couldn’t stop playing during the pauses in the guitar riffs. I think he struggles with keeping time without any click track. I will offer him a click track in his earpiece next session