How to warmup before a gig?

[lovemysonors]

I'd like to get some input as to how to warmup before a show. Typically, I haven't, I stretch my hands and wrists before soundcheck, drink a beer or two, chat with friends and then play 2-3hours later. As a result if I'm nervous, my hand can cramp up during a heavier song and remain cramped for the rest of the set.

Any tips for warming up and avoiding cramped hands?

[remnantdrummer]

my advice would be to play rudiments... slowly at first and then gradually build up speed... don't drink beer, stretch more... warmup with everyone else by playing easy songs then going into the harder stuff to play...

[KCDrummer]

Don't put so much time between your warm up and show time. Also, take it easy for the first couple of tunes, don't go all out until the blood has a chance to get moving through your muscles and your brain.

[Chip]

I usually do about 10-20 minutes of 60bpm 1/4 note full free strokes before playing anything demanding. Then perhaps 80bpm of the most basic 4/4 pattern for 5 minutes or so.

[yamaha drumer]

Hmmm.... Sounds like your either playing too fast, or trying to play loud....
i do double stroke drumrolls going up and down the drumms, than play some beats...

[Drummer Karl]

The things you do are already cool, chat with friends, getting relaxed, drinking maybe a beer, that is okay.
For the hand warm-up, just play some doubles on your leg or on a pad, a few rudiments, not too fast and hard but just to let your blood wake up. :-D
Also what I can recommend is to do one handed rolls, so not just singles or doubles, also try to play 4 strokes in one hand and for the brain, maybe 5 or six in one hand over 4. Just a sudden idea.

Karl

[samthebeat]

I just have a bunch a beers, and have a few fights. Best to keep active I think

[TheSteve]

The thing is, "warming up" isn't quite as important as we all think. Yes, keeping your hands loose before you play is important but actually sitting down before a gig and playing some rudiments or doing other exercises that will chop you out isn't something you actually HAVE to do to warm up. The reason is, sometimes you won't have time to sit down and play, that's life and we've all been there, then what do you do? It's best is to find something quick and simple and you can do while say walking to your drums from backstage, or getting out of your car or walking into the gig.

I play a lot of musicals as a pit drummer which consists of over 3 hours of constant drumming. What I do to warm up my hands usually takes place walking to my drums from backstage and that is shaking my hands as if I'm trying to get water off of them, I keep my hands as loose as possible and move from the wrists. The other warm up is rotating left and right from the wrist while keeping my hands relaxed and my fingers slightly spread out from each other. This rotation should be a somewhat slow rotation so you can really feel your muscles stretching out but obviously don't over extend.

Warm ups like this are very affective and will keep you playing painfree for hours. Try it out sometime.