The "We Just Don't Have a Drummer..." Problem

When you're in a band, you hear this line dozens of times. I've said it dozens of times myself.

"We've got almost all our members, but we just can't find a drummer." "If you know any good drummers, please introduce them." "If we just had a drummer, we could start gigging..."

Drummer shortage. This has been a problem discussed for years in Japan's band scene. But are drummers really the only ones in short supply? What about bassists? Vocalists? Keyboard players?

I've been in bands continuously since my twenties, meeting various members at different venues like Mandala in Kichijoji and UZU in Fussa. Since turning 50, I've been applying to member recruitment sites left and right, experiencing many encounters and partings.

In this article, based on that experience, I'll honestly write about the reality of member recruitment by instrument part and what to do when you can't find members.

The Reality of Member Recruitment by Part

First, let's take a realistic look at the "supply and demand balance" for each instrument part. This is based on my personal experience and observations of posting trends on major member recruitment sites.

Part	Recruitment Frequency	Application Frequency	Supply-Demand Balance
Drums	Very High	Low	Severely Short
Bass	High	Somewhat Low	Chronically Short
Keyboard	High	Low	Short (Especially in Rock)
Vocals	High	High	Numbers Exist but Few "Compatible" People
Guitar	Low	Very High	Oversupplied

Everyone can feel that guitarists are oversupplied. Looking at recruitment sites, guitar applicants are 2-3 times more numerous than other parts. Meanwhile, applications for drum positions are about one-fifth by my estimation.

But what I want you to notice is that bass and keyboard are actually also quite short in supply. While drummer shortage gets all the attention, bassist recruitment is also substantial with few applicants. For keyboards, it's not uncommon for bands to be in a state of "no candidates at all."

Why Are There So Few Drummers?

The reason for the drummer shortage is actually simple. The barrier to starting drums is overwhelmingly higher than other instruments.

1. Noise Issues

Guitar can be practiced acoustically without an amp. Bass can be played at any hour with headphone amps. Piano can be completely silent with electronic keyboards.

Drums? Hit them and they make noise. Quite loudly too. While electronic drums are an option, the vibration from hitting pads still transmits to floors below, and kick pedal vibrations can't be completely eliminated even with sound-absorbing mats. In apartments and condos, drums are the top instrument you simply can't practice properly.

2. Cost and Space

First, there's nowhere to put a drum set at home. Practice requires renting a studio every time. Even for individual practice, it's 500-1,000 yen per hour. Going twice a week costs 4,000-8,000 yen monthly. A guitarist can practice at home daily for free.

While the instrument cost isn't much different from guitars or basses, the physical problems of "can't transport" and "no place to put it" are huge.

3. Few Opportunities to Start

What instrument do students first pick up in middle school or high school light music clubs? Guitar, bass, keyboard — drums often end up being "what the remaining person plays." This means the proportion of people who "started because they love drums" versus "started because no one else would" is surprisingly high. Consequently, many quit drums when their bands disband.

4. Parts Easy vs. Difficult to Multi-Band

Skilled drummers are in high demand. They often don't settle for one band and juggle 2-3 bands. While this is natural, it further reduces "free drummers." Conversely, guitarists are oversupplied, so most stick to one band exclusively.

The Reality of "Missing Parts" Beyond Just Drummers

While drummer shortage is commonly discussed, other parts also have serious issues.

Bassists — Quietly, Constantly Short

Bass carries the image of being an "unnoticed instrument." While undoubtedly the backbone of a band, few people initially aspire to "become a bassist!" Most are guitarists who converted or started "because the band needed bass."

However, once people discover bass's appeal, they tend to continue long-term. The problem is the "first step" barrier.

Keyboard Players — Particularly Serious in Rock/Pop Bands

There are many piano-experienced people in Japan. But surprisingly few want to "play keyboard in a band." For classically-trained people, band studios are uncharted territory. "No sheet music," "playing by chords," "improvising together" — these fears prevent them from taking the first step.

Jazz and fusion scenes have relatively deep keyboard player pools. Finding keyboard players for rock or pop bands is the most challenging.

Vocalists — Numbers Exist, But Few "Compatible" Ones

Vocal applicants are numerous on recruitment sites. The issue is "compatibility." Voice quality, range, musical taste, personality — finding a vocalist who matches everything might be harder than finding a drummer in some ways.

As mentioned in common traits of people who can't find members, "standards too high" is the most common trap when searching for vocalists.

Guitar — Oversupplied, But "Compatible Guitarists" Are Another Story

Guitarists are indeed plentiful. But there are many "technically skilled but doesn't fit the band," "good but lacks teamwork," "can only play distorted guitar" cases. With high numbers comes high mismatch rates.

How to Find Members by Part

Now for the main point. Here's how to efficiently search "where" and "how" for each part, based on my concrete experience.

How to Find Drummers

Go to session bars. This is the best method. Posting "seeking drummer" on recruitment sites rarely gets responses. But session bars have many "want to join a band but won't search themselves" type drummers. Go to session bars in Kichijoji, Shimokitazawa, Shibuya with your instrument, play together, and if you click, ask "want to join our band?" This route has the highest success rate.

Target music school recitals. Drum school recitals and workshops have many "taking lessons but no band experience" people. They admire bands but lack opportunity. Approaching them with "beginner OK, want to play together?" gets surprisingly positive responses.

Approach DTM drummers. Recently, "DTM drummers" who program drums on computers are increasing. They have trained rhythm sense and understand song structure. While they say "I can't play real drums," when you let them try electronic drums, they're often surprisingly good. Try broadening your criteria.

How to Find Bassists

Target guitarist converts. The oversupply of guitarists is actually an opportunity. Propose "want to try bass?" to "applied as guitarist but can't get in a band" people. With guitar foundations, bass conversion is relatively smooth. Many great bassists are actually guitar-originated.

Welcome beginners and broaden access. Conditions like "3+ years bass experience" or "can play original songs" further reduce candidates. Simply writing "beginners welcome, let's grow together" doubles applications. With serious practice, bass reaches band-rehearsal level in 3 months.

How to Find Vocalists

Approach singer-songwriters. Street performers and open mic singer-songwriters often secretly think "I want to do this with a band." Solo performers have strong band aspirations. Go to live bar open mics and ask interesting singers "want to do a band?"

Ask karaoke-loving friends. Sounds like a joke, but I'm serious. Good karaoke singers just lack stage experience but have potential. "Want to try being a band vocalist?" — this one line actually changes lives.

How to Find Keyboard Players

Share band joy with classical-trained people. There are many people in Japan with 10+ years piano experience. It's important to convey "bands are this much fun!" Take them to a studio once and make music together with simple blues progressions. That "first time making music together in a band" emotion resonates especially powerfully with classical-trained people.

Also approach synth and DTM people. People who mess with synthesizers and DTM at home may lack band performance experience, but have solid musical foundations. The approach "want to try live band instead of programming?" works well.

How to Find Guitarists

Honestly, finding guitarists is easiest. Post recruitment and applications come. The issue is choosing "compatible guitarists." Selecting purely on technique leads to failure. "Can I spend 3 hours in a studio with this person?" — that feeling matters more.

As written in starting bands in spring, new life periods are perfect timing for member searching. Not just guitarists, but targeting seasons when many people feel "I want to start something new" is one strategy.

Experience Story: Searched 3 Months for a Drummer, Met at a Session Bar

A few years ago, we had about 10 original songs completed and members gathered. Only drums missing. Posted on recruitment sites, called out on social media. In 3 months, only 2 applications. One had completely incompatible musical direction. The other didn't show up to the first studio session.

When I was half-resigned thinking "maybe we'll just do live shows with a drum machine..." I happened to go to a session bar in Kichijoji. While drinking at the counter listening to sessions, an unknown drummer was playing. Not just skilled — the rhythm's "feel-good factor" was on another level.

I approached him during the break: "That drumming was amazing. We're actually looking for a drummer for our band. Are you interested?"

He thought briefly and said, "If you let me hear your music, I'll consider it." I sent demo recordings the next day. Reply came 3 days later: "Sounds interesting. Let's try a studio session."

That studio session was incredible. The drummer we couldn't find in 3 months of recruitment sites was found in one night at a session bar.

Two lessons: Don't rely only on recruitment sites. And directly approach people making good sounds. Simple, but most reliable.

Writing Recruitment Posts — Different Points Resonate by Part

Member recruitment messages have different "compelling points" by instrument part. Here's what I've tried that got good responses.

Tips for Drummer Recruitment Posts

• Clearly state "studio costs split among all members." Drummers pay studio costs for individual practice too. Band practice adding more expenses hurts. Give financial reassurance
• Write "songs are simple" and "don't need fancy fills." Writing "seeking extreme technique" instantly alienates 90% of drummers. A stance of "comfortable 8-beat is enough" gets more applications
• Specify practice frequency. Be concrete like "twice monthly, Saturday afternoons." For multi-band drummers, schedule predictability is top priority

Tips for Bassist Recruitment Posts

• "Beginners welcome" is a magic phrase. If bass population is small, you must broaden the entrance. Show that you value "desire to play together" over experience
• Attach band audio or demos. Bassists want to imagine "what kind of lines can I play." Audio lowers application barriers

Tips for Vocalist Recruitment Posts

• Write specific genres and influenced artists. Vocalists most worry about "does my voice suit this band." Not just "rock style" but specific like "Mr. Children to BUMP OF CHICKEN style Japanese rock"
• Clearly state "stage experience not required." This pushes the backs of "I only have karaoke experience but..." people

Tips for Keyboard Player Recruitment Posts

• Write "chord playing OK." Classical-trained people most fear "improvisation" and "ad-libbing." Convey that chord playing is sufficient initially
• Write "keyboard bringing unnecessary." If you can use studio keyboards, state that clearly. Heavy keyboard transport is a high barrier

Recruitment posts on Membo get translated to 8 languages. Just writing in Japanese reaches foreign musicians living in Japan. If drummers are short, expanding search range makes sense.

Summary: Change Your Search Method and Encounters Will Come

Drummer shortage is real. Bassist shortage and keyboard player shortage are also real. But it's not "impossible because they don't exist."

Change your search method and encounters will definitely come.

Don't just post on recruitment sites and wait. Go to session bars. Check out music school recitals. Ask DTM-doing friends. Propose "how about bass?" to guitarists. Open doors to foreign musicians too.

Just changing where and how you search transforms your world.

Even now in my 60s, I continue searching for members. I want to keep doing sessions and bands where nationality, gender, age don't matter — where we connect through music alone — until the end of my life. For that, instead of lamenting "missing parts," I have to take action myself.

I hope this article provides some hints for your member search.

• Find Members on Membo — Part-specific search filters let you find drummers and bassists precisely
• Register for Free — Posting recruitment and applying are both free. 8-language support reaches foreign musicians too
• 5 Common Traits of People Who Can't Find Members and Solutions — If you're "searching but can't find," maybe it's time to reconsider your search method

Good member encounters always come from unexpected places — they might be next to you at your next studio session.