Well, the idea I had in mind was that a drummer in a band has a non-specific collection of drums and cymbals that he has assembled according to his style, tastes, budget, and the practicality associated with hauling it from gig to gig. In that sense it is a “generic” drum set, rather than, say, the specific ensemble that a particular drummer may employ at a particular session. An important observation is that, to the extent that any drum set is ever specific rather than generic, there is rarely - if ever - any good reason to want to capture that specificity within MusicBrainz. It seems to me that some of the discussion in this thread seems to imply this type of distinction. My idea was that the use of the term “drums (generic drum set)” might account for any remaining ambiguity, if such a thing would be considered desirable.
I think adding “generic” makes it more confusing rather than less, but maybe that’s just me.
2 Likes
My personal first reaction, when I first encountered “drums (drum set)” on MB was to wonder what it was supposed to mean. Some strange but deep meaning must be hidden behind that odd syntax. Of course, now I understand the backstory.
In that context, I find that “drums (generic drum set)” conveys a more informative meaning, with less opportunity for confusion. It is amusing that one rational person can find a thing intuitive, where another finds it counter-intuitive 
.
But like I said, I don’t lose sleep over it.
2 Likes