MusicRadar

3. DO listen to the music

"If you're going to play well in a band, you have to listen to the music and be part of a team," says White.

"That means you have to really listen to the music and think about the song as a whole. Don't get too hung up on your fancy fills and what kind of flash moves you can impress everybody with. Chances are, the band is going to tell you to cool it, that you're overplaying.

"Remember, you're playing the drums, but more important, you're playing MUSIC. A drummer's prime responsibility is to keep the beat and drive the band and make the whole song sing. If you're not in tune with the song, you're going to wreck it - and the band might be looking for another drummer.

"One more thing: pay attention to the lyrics too. When we were cutting the Imagine album, John Lennon would always give me the words to each song. First off, that was a tremendous honor, but it also helped me immensely with my parts. I felt an emotional connection to what it was he was trying to achieve, and because of that, I didn't overplay."