Anyone just play drums for themselves only?

Fun thread. I've been dabbling on drums for 30+ years and only briefly in a band with no significant performance experience. I'm now putting in serious practice time with no intention or plans to perform. I'm enjoying trying to build chops and technique that I never put in the time to develop before. Just having something to work on and get better at is its own reward. Maybe some day if I build a level of confidence, I'll go looking for people to jam with...

Having said that, I openly acknowledge that I'm on the path to being a chops guy without great musicality. You can only get so much of that playing along to records. I'm okay with that for now.
 
I play drums for myself in the dojo, and play to recorded music. Was over the band ego bs long ago.
 
I'm fairly new to playing drums seriously though Ive always been able to play a bit......Im 58 and played bass all my life but quit this year cause Id just had enough.

Maybe one day I'll find a band but I get such a huge kick out of playing straight grooves to my fav old pop tunes.....I can't do any solos or create any fireworks, but spend hours working on getting hats, snare and BD steady and tight...I just find it so therapeutic and satisfying and I don't miss gigging one bit.
 
I'm fairly new to playing drums seriously though Ive always been able to play a bit......Im 58 and played bass all my life but quit this year cause Id just had enough.

Maybe one day I'll find a band but I get such a huge kick out of playing straight grooves to my fav old pop tunes.....I can't do any solos or create any fireworks, but spend hours working on getting hats, snare and BD steady and tight...I just find it so therapeutic and satisfying and I don't miss gigging one bit.

Welcome! You and I are in almost the exact same circumstances, and I’ll tell you it only gets better the longer you do it.
 
I play for my own enjoyment. Had a band back in high school and that was it. Spent a few years without playing and got back to it last year. It's nice because now I was able to dedicate a whole room to my music. Bought and put together the big kit that I have and it never moves from where it's at. I can't imagine today having to lug around drum equipment to play gigs, it sounds exhausting. It has taken me months to perfectly set everything up where it's at so thinking about moving my kit gives me anxiety. Nice to sit down and play and have everything in the same exact position that you last had it in. Don't get me wrong, playing for a crowd is fun but when you get older (at least for me), it's wonderful to just come home from work and de-stress playing the drums to no audience.
 
I live in a small town and have no desire to live someplace where breathing is the same as smoking 3 packs a day and the water comes out of the tap the color of newsprint at best....so i play for myself and make much more money in the I.T. industry than I ever would drumming and for lots less effort.

Bonus; I play what I want when I want not what a money waving producer dictates.

I'm past wanting mass approval especially in light of my better understanding of mortality as I have aged.
 
Well at the ripe old age of 58 I decide I needed to learn something new! So I'm about a year and a half into it I'm having a blast! I take online lessons, practice and play classic rock songs. I can't see myself ever playing with others but if the opportunity comes about ,I'm down with it!
Its very satisfying to get better at something while realizing you are only scratching the surface. I recorded myself today for the first time, playing CCR "Have You Ever Seen the Rain". My wife thought it sounded like the record! Her hearing went years ago,Lol, but she is super supportive of my drumming!

Also, I read this forum all the time and there seems to be a great bunch of people with lots of experience here! Its been a great help to a newbie like myself.
 
the whole reason I got the set I have is for my own enjoyment. I have no intentions of playing doing any gigs. and I really don't see any issue with it personally. its something new for me to learn.
 
I play in 2 bands. I love it, but I also love jamming solo. no tracks, sometimes a click sometimes not. just grooving out..

I enjoy working on exercises and just messing about soloing on the kit.. I could play drums for 4 hours with no music. It's therapeutic..

If I end up in no bands playing for me would be just fine.
 
Welcome! You and I are in almost the exact same circumstances, and I’ll tell you it only gets better the longer you do it.

It's great isn't it and I've also started to realise that I'm actually a better drummer than bass player as the other thing that playing drums has driven home to me is just how much its all about the groove.....not the fills, not the solos....but playing to the song and keeping it musical.
 
I play drums in a band. If the band folded, the drums would be sold within days.

But, the joy of being human beings with independent thought is people can do what the hell they like and if they get a kick out of drumming alone at home, then to coin a phrase 'whatever floats your boat'.
 
I'll answer that a bit differently.

There's a pretty big gap between what I practice and I generally get to play.

Shouldn't be that way really, but my opportunity to play and record my own stuff was taken away for a while.
 
I'll answer that a bit differently.

There's a pretty big gap between what I practice and I generally get to play.

Shouldn't be that way really, but my opportunity to play and record my own stuff was taken away for a while.


I thing this is pretty normal. The stuff I practice is stuff I DON"T always get to play in my bands. I love practicing solos, chops, beat displacement and modulation.. Most music doesn't call or need this. It makes me better, but my band would hate me if I was displacing stuff every other bar and playing mind bending odd stuff. This is how we get better though. Playing the same thing all the time will only get you far.

I think playing a genera outside of your normal goto or band really helps. I even enjoy independence exercises that aren't musical.

That is a bit of a side track from the title though. If I was in zero bands, and had no way of playing a backing track, I would still play drums every day.
 
I relish every moment and session I immerse myself in being the private aficionado that I am. I put in my younger years carting around equipment, jamming, and performing at gigs, and I'm done with those days.

I live a rich life with many other interests that trump the drum world, so being able to pick up my sticks when it suits me, is where it's at.

Pure enjoyment, no pressure.

in my world, no other interest trump the drum world!
 
I play to thousands every night... in my basement... for about 30-60 minutes.

I did get back into drumming some years ago, rehearsing with bands... and more rehearsing... and groan... more rehearsing. Never gigging. This obviously wore thin on me.

I’m 60 now and just enjoy jumping on my kit anytime I want and focusing on different song styles with better precision. If the right opportunity arose, I would consider getting in a band. But no one is knocking my door down.

It is therapeutic, and I love playing.
 
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I very much look forward to the day I can retire to some remote place in the mountains of Costa Rica, within a few hours of the beach, and just play my fricken drums for myself at whatever hour I choose. So what if I'll be 70 years old when that happens. ;)
 
Hey. 70 is great. I'm not in Costa Rica, but Florida, and I can play almost as much as I want.
 
Yes of course, when I'm not gigging that is. I do prefer playing gigs though. I've worked on this enough over the years that I feel it would be a waste if I didn't share what I can do with others, which is make music feel good.

Playing for myself...feels good, but not as good as playing for others in my book.
 
I wasn't playing at all for years. Then I got an e-kit and started playing along again, for myself. Then I went and saw some buddies play. Then I got called to come play. Then I got the call back. Now I play for myself AND with an ensemble.

I read about this happening to several people over the years here. Just get out there, it could happen. I read the testimonial and hoped. Then I got off my arse and went out and things happened.

YOU CAN TOO, if thats something you want and youve put in the time to get your thing together.

Im loving it, and always cant wait for the next practice, they are usually about 4 hours and I never want it to end, always one more one more!

Its good to be back!
 
Another saturday.. brain full of orange sunshine and time for 5 or so hours on the kit :) Hope you guys are having a great night.
 
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