Okay I'm a bass player....but...come on ....everyone's a drummer at heart!! I LOVE playing drums! Whether the Drum Kit or playing percussion instruments like Timpani, Xylophone, bells, cymbals, whatever! I didn't need the credit but I joined Dave Shepard's percussion ensemble and had a blast!
I think it's essential for any musican...ESPECIALLY any bassist to have some functioning understanding of percussion...it is however those beats, those rhythms from those percussion instruments that serve to compliment the notes we play on the bass! I even had a timbale solo for once concert! wicked!