Drumming up universal understanding

The drummer looks at me, his face screwed up in confusion. I'm trying to explain the arrangement of the pre-chorus in a song I've written. He doesn't get it.

After almost 20 years of playing in bands, most recently here in Beijing, I've heard all the jokes about drummers.

For those who aren't musicians, drummers are often unfairly maligned as the guy or gal who "just likes to hit stuff with sticks".