Are drummers some of the happiest people?

bearblastbeats

Senior Member
Every drummer I meet seems to always glow with happiness. Especially the ones I see on Instagram and Facebook. Obviously the ones on the internet are established and are doing what they love for work, but even us not so established or professional just seem to get on well.

I read an article a while back about how drumming releases those same chemicals that runners (or other athletes) get because we are so physical.

Even the community here, everyone is very helpful and not egotistical it seems. You get a couple of guitar players in the room and then its just hell sometimes. I'm not ripping on guitar players, I know a few who are pretty OK, but there are definitely some hard to work with people out there.

Drumming is a brotherhood.

Happy Monday drumheads!
 
Physical excercise, playing, and brain activity tend to take ones mind off of things that tend to be stressful, mundane, or bothersome. Happy things. My views anyway.
 
If I am so "happy" why do I have this violent urge to hit things?

(Lol)
 
Some days I feel like I'd be happier if I only had to haul a harmonica around town.
 
I think the majority of drummers have the attitude that they are there to support the music as opposed to being a "star." I believe that a little dose of humility goes a long way when it comes to personal happiness.
 
I think the majority of drummers have the attitude that they are there to support the music as opposed to being a "star." I believe that a little dose of humility goes a long way when it comes to personal happiness.


This probably the main thing right here as long as we let the young amateur thing, the base of most drummers jokes slide.

There shouldn't really be any difference regardless of instruments, but when things start getting serious the drummers are the first ones to get it. I see this a lot when teaching. No rules without exceptions, though.
 
Maybe. The physicality of playing helps me exorcise the demons inside and I'm a pretty calm guy afterwards. But I wouldn't say I'm "happy".

The humility factor is a definite truth though. I have no desire to be up front & noticed by others. Just let me hide in the back, serve the songs then pack up and leave.

I wear a cap that says, "Leave Me Alone" on it. I'm pretty unapproachable after the show & I'm fine with that.
 
I don't think that drummers are necessarily happier than any other group of people (and I personally am not a fan of the terms "happy" or "happiness"). But I do think that drummers are in a very good position to claim a lot of balance and satisfaction in their lives compared to most other musicians.

Our instrument is kind of the interface between the science and the art of music. The epitome of this statement is the old "chops vs. groove" argument. But a true student of the instrument develops perhaps the best expression of both rhythmic theory and rhythmic feel.

Our instrument is more physical than all others to play, and more physically involving than most to move around, set up, and tear down. We get a workout every time we play and gig. We should therefore be generally fitter than most other musicians (at least in theory).

Our instrument, more than any other, is infinitely modifiable and customizable. Everything from the sticks that hit the heads, to the size/shape/layout of our kit, is personalized to our specific tastes. We can play exactly what we want and need.

Our role in the band is visually stimulating and sonically unique, but ultimately we are the key supporting player in the band's sound.

Just food for thought.
 
I see people every day who walk around looking like they want to hit things.

We don't look like that because we hit things quite often.
 
I honestly never thought about it...Very good question. Would be to cool to have some science behind this x).
 
Drummers are happy because they're to stupid to know better.
 
“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”

― Ernest Hemingway


Some could say that drummers, especially the proggy ones like Danny Carey, Bill Bruford, Alan white..

It takes a level of intellect to be able to split their brains to play some of there parts.

It could fall under skill, something learned over time. Talent, a god's(?) given gift. Or aptitude, ability (I guess this goes with talent?).

I read in an interview with Bill Bruford that when he was to join King Crimson, instead of given tracks to learn, they gave him books to read. A little pretentious but I get that you want your players in the same mindset as you. Especially for bands like KC. I'm sure his rebuttal was something along the lines of "C'mon, I was in YES!"
 
I don't think drummers are the happiest people by any means, but I do think that drummers (we) are the most stable bunch of people out there. While everyone has the inevitable ebb and flow of good and bad things happening in their life, I think that we deal with things better, or at least, on a different level. Maybe it's the way we're wired. We play music that lays the foundation upon which others create. We need to be reliable, constant, dare I say... predictable. To others this would be boring and mundane, but to us, this is what gets our blood pumping and our synapses firing. Even when I feel in a blue mood (not being happy), there's nothing that lifts me out of a funk faster than laying down a beat.
 
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