Am I drumming for the wrong reasons?

Never thought about it-it was just my nature. My Dad bought a nice Ludwig kit and I was 8 years old and jumped on it. The music of the times (60s) wasn't that challenging (except "wipe out" was tiring as some Beach boy tunes)-hey even a third grader could do it lol. Never thought about what I was playing more so listening and emulating others-or just finding what sounded good for the music being made at the moment. Never had an interest in the "technical aspects" of drumming (just wanted to enhance and blend in with the music) till I started visiting here, which I now admit was a weakness needing addressing. However still my nature is to jump on the drums and react to the music-it drives me I don't drive it. I know suppose to be other way around. I play cause I its my nature and I enjoy it-this April it will be 54 years. Have had lots of "hobbies" come and go but I've always come back to drumming-played solid from 8-23 then 16 years off more than on, and finally the last 23 pretty much play every day. I just enjoying playing, plan to play as long as I can, and even though I may suck-I don't really care nor see what that has to do with it. But hey I do have my moments-the caveat being even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once and a while.
 
Dizeee said:
I would happily play with others and take part in a band... but I'm more interested in the solo side of performance... playing for say 10 minutes and moving the audience through a sequence of varying patterns and techniques whilst maintaining their interest and balancing the discipline of musicianship over showmanship. This must be a drummer thing as when I have shown friends good drum solos on YouTube thy don't seem very interested.
Click to expand...

Yeah, only drummers are going to watch a solo on YouTube, unless there are other factors involved. Even then, there's no shortage of drum solos there, so any solo had better be ridiculously good. Like it or not, it's music, played by attractive and interesting performers, that interests most people. Also, don't look down on showmanship; it's been part of the drum set since its birth. If your audience is small, or nonexistent, try to understand why.

What we're also learning is that you have, except for drums, almost zero music education. Drummers, for the most part, can appreciate Jungle; at its core it's James Brown grooves sped up (Clyde Stubblefield just passed, btw). Where's your education in melody and harmony? You wonder why you're not interested in making music, and it's probably because you don't know very much about what goes into it.

You can (and should) explore the technical aspects of drumming, but ultimately, there's really no separating the drum set from music. Even clinicians will play along to tracks in order to demonstrate the context of their playing. Do you think you can just practice a lot for a few years, and eventually have more to offer on technique than Jojo Mayer, who has been performing regularly since he could barely walk? Benny Greb sings and plays other instruments on his records; Gregg Bissonette can easily get gigs as a trumpet player; Chick Corea is a nasty jazz drummer in addition to being a world class pianist/composer/improviser; Dave Weckl and Steve Jordan both play bass well enough to record tracks if needed.

If you gain a ton of facility and skill, but you package it in a way that doesn't resonate with other drummers or musicians, what have you really achieved? Possibly, you will have invented your own language that no one cares to understand.

Get some piano or guitar lessons, and learn some songs! Appreciate music from a perspective other than drumming. I don't want to extinguish what passion you have for the instrument, but certain reasons for playing last longer than others.
 
No wrong reasons, no wrong goals, no wrong application. It will do you good to play, mentally and physically and if it also is something you enjoy, no matter how you do it, go for it!
 
Bonzo_CR said:
I agree, all good reasons!

As a digression, I wonder what you would think of Jojo Mayer's band 'Nerve'. They do a great job of combining live drums with experimental electronic music. Sounds a bit like EDM at times, but it's all played live. It's not to everyone's taste, but it does combine those two different worlds with an interesting outcome. If you're interested, start with the latest album 'Ghosts of Tomorrow' which is the most accessible IMO.
Click to expand...

Was hoping someone would bring this up. Interestingly, Jojo freely admits that he learned to play not by studying EDM, but jazz. From his DVD: "It's a way for me to play things that I've learned over the last 20 years or so, that no one wants to hear at a jazz concert anymore."
 
I could sit in the house and just play for enjoyment, but my "Playing just for enjoyment" would be playing along to music I love for hour after hour. The mechanics of drumming hold no interest for me they are merely a by product of making music with others, or playing along to music.
 
My reason for drumming (again) is that after many years (somewhere around 15 years I guess) I suddenly missed playing. After years of playing bass guitar mostly, one day in February of 2016 I woke up and just decided to get back into it. As I started played drums as a child of 3-4 years old, it was odd that I suddenly stopped.

Now I've discovered that I own far too many basses and actually sold a few of my most coveted ones. So, I've pretty much recovered the $$$ spent on the new drum obsession along with related things such as studio gear.

I must admit, its been fun. Even for a grumpy 56 year old Jersey Guy such as myself.
 
mikyok said:
Drumming is a journey to become the best player you can be.
Click to expand...

That struck a chord. That's exactly what I am doing, and I am purposefully seeking out stuff that is hard, technical and probably not that nice to listen to on it's own. More than just "playing to music". I know I can do that already, maybe not to a huge range of styles, but, I can still play convincingly to pretty much anything. Whether its as good as I want it to be is a different story.

Why seek out hard stuff? - because - when I then sit down and play freestyle, that effort and work should come through and enhance what I play.
 
brentcn said:
Yeah, only drummers are going to watch a solo on YouTube, unless there are other factors involved. Even then, there's no shortage of drum solos there, so any solo had better be ridiculously good. Like it or not, it's music, played by attractive and interesting performers, that interests most people. Also, don't look down on showmanship; it's been part of the drum set since its birth. If your audience is small, or nonexistent, try to understand why.

What we're also learning is that you have, except for drums, almost zero music education. Drummers, for the most part, can appreciate Jungle; at its core it's James Brown grooves sped up (Clyde Stubblefield just passed, btw). Where's your education in melody and harmony? You wonder why you're not interested in making music, and it's probably because you don't know very much about what goes into it.

You can (and should) explore the technical aspects of drumming, but ultimately, there's really no separating the drum set from music. Even clinicians will play along to tracks in order to demonstrate the context of their playing. Do you think you can just practice a lot for a few years, and eventually have more to offer on technique than Jojo Mayer, who has been performing regularly since he could barely walk? Benny Greb sings and plays other instruments on his records; Gregg Bissonette can easily get gigs as a trumpet player; Chick Corea is a nasty jazz drummer in addition to being a world class pianist/composer/improviser; Dave Weckl and Steve Jordan both play bass well enough to record tracks if needed.

If you gain a ton of facility and skill, but you package it in a way that doesn't resonate with other drummers or musicians, what have you really achieved? Possibly, you will have invented your own language that no one cares to understand.

Get some piano or guitar lessons, and learn some songs! Appreciate music from a perspective other than drumming. I don't want to extinguish what passion you have for the instrument, but certain reasons for playing last longer than others.
Click to expand...

(Insert clap smiley here)

Totally and utterly where I am at. Everything you say is on the money.
 
Dizeee said:
...
I would happily play with others and take part in a band... but I'm more interested in the solo side of performance... playing for say 10 minutes and moving the audience through a sequence of varying patterns and techniques whilst maintaining their interest ...
Click to expand...

Playing music with others is what it's all about.

Don't get me wrong: If you get your rocks off playing solo patterns while moving through a sequence of varying patterns and techniques, fill your boots.

Real music, whether it be supposedly simple (AC/DC have already been mentioned in this thread, and they're a good example) or intellectually mathy prog stuff, is all about the whole being more than the sum of the parts.

I'm not even remotely surprised that your friends aren't interested in watching YT vids of drum solos. I'm a drummer, and I'd rather stick knitting needles up my nose than watch drum solos, live or on YT.

There is something utterly wonderful that happens when a bunch of peeps go into a room and music happens. It's the second best thing in the world, and definitely the most fun you can have with your trousers on.

But if you find you're getting something else out of drumming, go for your life!
 
I was thinking about this the other day. For some reason people feel they have to validate why and how well they play an instrument. Why? If someone enjoys building models, they don't have to justify their enjoyment or skill level of their passtime. If someone is an avid movie-goer, they don't have to prove how well they can critique movies. But when it comes to music, it's different. Weird.
 
Ghostnote said:
I was thinking about this the other day. For some reason people feel they have to validate why and how well they play an instrument. Why? If someone enjoys building models, they don't have to justify their enjoyment or skill level of their passtime. If someone is an avid movie-goer, they don't have to prove how well they can critique movies. But when it comes to music, it's different. Weird.
Click to expand...

It is weird. I think because we feel that music and how we play is closer to who we are inside. It's universal and people have heard enough of it to have a more informed opinion than for model building and the like.

It's also said that most people believe they are better than average at driving and sex, which are also fairly universal.
 
Anon La Ply said:
It's also said that most people believe they are better than average at driving and sex, which are also fairly universal.
Click to expand...

Yup, everyone thinks they're great at it until they're driving down the road at 60 miles an hour and realize how hard it is to take off your pants while you steer.
 
Average person... drum solo....

That requires Tommy Lee, Chip Ritter, Steve Moore and stuff like that.

When I play, what's entertaining except the groove is eventual different percussion toys I might use.

In the right jazzy setting, with a live audience, sure then the crowd came there for that, but even then.

I love myself some of the Vinnie stuff, but Mr. Lang pretty mauch has me yawning. The average person wouldn't hear the difference between the two. They'd feel the difference when they're driving a band, though.

It's the weekend now. Most Norwegians are watching skiing. I couldn't really care less. I got myself some similar snacks, but traded the TV for for some Wilcoxon.
 
Hey OP, you are drumming for exactly the right reasons. IMO, there is no such thing as a real drummer, or an authentic drummer, or a correct reason for drumming, or real music for that matter. Your value system is yours, and somebody else's is theirs. They are both valid. If somebody insists that what they believe or enjoy is more believable or enjoyable than what you believe and enjoy, they're merely revealing an insecurity and are attempting to dominate you to somehow legitimize their value system. Just my opinion. It's how I see things. It's just this type of behaviour that might make you feel like a weirdo.

JustJames said:
Playing music with others is what it's all about.

Don't get me wrong: If you get your rocks off playing solo patterns while moving through a sequence of varying patterns and techniques, fill your boots.

Real music, whether it be supposedly simple (AC/DC have already been mentioned in this thread, and they're a good example) or intellectually mathy prog stuff, is all about the whole being more than the sum of the parts.

I'm not even remotely surprised that your friends aren't interested in watching YT vids of drum solos. I'm a drummer, and I'd rather stick knitting needles up my nose than watch drum solos, live or on YT.

There is something utterly wonderful that happens when a bunch of peeps go into a room and music happens. It's the second best thing in the world, and definitely the most fun you can have with your trousers on.

But if you find you're getting something else out of drumming, go for your life!
Click to expand...
 
Bit late in this thread, but so good to read the story of another "weirdo" !

The mechanics of drumming was what interested me when I started. How do they move their hands that quickly? How do they make that sound? How do you get two hits on the bass drum that fast, with just one foot?

My first teacher asked me the same questions:

"Which drummers do you like?" At the time I only knew the names of two, John Bonham and Keith Moon.

"What sort of music do you listen to?" I didn't, much. Still don't, much. I'm not one of those that always has music playing, and I rarely go to gigs/concerts.

"Do you want to play in a band?" Yeah, right. I was 55 at the time (although I have played in bands since, but discovered I am not cut out to perform).

I didn't consider myself as musical, and regarded the whole thing as an exercise in seeing how far I could get starting from scratch ate in life with zero talent. Still, I have enjoyed it.
 
Just getting back to the OP, I was in the "muso ego" digression last post :)

Dizeee said:
So why am I bothering then - am I sounding like I am a weirdo and possibly taking up playing again is not suitable for me?
Click to expand...

I quit playing in bands a couple of years ago. I'm over gigging these days but not over playing drums. Back in the day a friend's mum used to play piano at home. Not to anyone, just because she enjoyed it. I feel similarly these days. Plus a little jamming and home recording for sihts and giggles.
 
I'm getting to the point where I just want to create my own music and drum to it instead of joining another band. I can use my GarageBand app on my phone and create something cool in less than an hour.
 
Whether they're 5 or 55, I ask nearly every single one of my students the same question when we have our first lesson. I preface it by saying that there are no wrong answers. I ask,

"Why do you want to play drums? Why not piano or saxaphone or football or tiddlywinks?"

I tell them that they may have to return to that question periodically and answer it for themselves and it can be good to remember the reasons you started in the first place.

Periodically, if I see one of them flagging or seeming to lose interest, I'll ask them again. Often I'll tell them that I don't even want them to tell me the answer and that whether they have one or not immediately, to just let the question percolate in their brains for awhile and see what happens.

We have to have a reason, because the fire has to come from somewhere. But your reasons might not be my reasons and that's okay. But know your reasons and shape your aims accordingly.
 
Boomka said:
Whether they're 5 or 55, I ask nearly every single one of my students the same question when we have our first lesson. I preface it by saying that there are no wrong answers. I ask,

"Why do you want to play drums? Why not piano or saxaphone or football or tiddlywinks?"

I tell them that they may have to return to that question periodically and answer it for themselves and it can be good to remember the reasons you started in the first place.

Periodically, if I see one of them flagging or seeming to lose interest, I'll ask them again. Often I'll tell them that I don't even want them to tell me the answer and that whether they have one or not immediately, to just let the question percolate in their brains for awhile and see what happens.

We have to have a reason, because the fire has to come from somewhere. But your reasons might not be my reasons and that's okay. But know your reasons and shape your aims accordingly.
Click to expand...

I have never had to ask myself that question. I started playing cos I was always tapping on things. If music was playing I was mentally playing it or tapping out the rhythm. Playing with others and making music was the ONLY goal, ever.

I may be a drummer but I am a musician first. To me drums on there own mean nothing, as the driving force behind a song they are crucial.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top