Inside your head while playing...

Interesting topic.

I have also a few questions:

If you (or anybody) create a random fill when surfing in wave, how do you think it before it appears in reality? I think this part is still quite missing, even many good words has been said.

Lets say we create a random fill RLRR RRR LLL RL RL RLLRRL - in my inner "lanquage" it is OAOO OOO AAA OA OA OAAOOA. Gentlemen - select your drums and play.

How do you think that fill in your mind, because there has to be some kind of intentional thought behind a planned fill? At least I think so, because I'm thinking when doing a planned fill.

There are that free surfing part (where I just try to keep harmony with melody etc.) and then there are that intentional playing part, where has to be some kind on intelligent thought behind a planned fill, when that normal free surfing is just what name says it is. It is just floating in the wave, and natural, inner sensing where it goes, and playing with time, expanding and reducing it.

Do you visualize (where to hit and so on) performance before wanted fill in mind, few bars before?

I try to visualize action before, and sometimes I also manage action itself, but usually things comes pretty random, and I only sense my thinking behind action and how my limbs move compared to my thoughs. Do they what I think, or are they doing something else? Looking for errors in flesh compared clear thought patterns.

I know there must be lot of inner lanquages behind play, and I believe most familiar in these days are that DUDADU DADUDA-based thinking, where it usually goes when brain try to make sense about those RLRR-consonants and try to speed up thinking process.

Then there are that "Trrr Prrr AAA OOO UUU Tsss ATan Katsupadutsakaa".

Any other similar?

And back to main theme: "RLRR RRR LLL RL RL RLLRRL"...

So, is that fill "DUDADUDU DUDUDU DADADA DUDA DUDA DADUDU DADADU" or vice versa, or complete something different?
 
I don't know what you're talking about, as far as your inner language, but I don't think of the fill's notes before their time. I usually know which fill I'm gonna pull out, but I don't "open up that box" until it's time. My mind is mostly in the present, immersed in what's happening right now, even though I know what's coming up. I try and feel fully what is happening right now, as the logical part of my brain is loading the next part coming up "in the chute", and when the time comes, I try and fully feel that part as it's happening, while my logical brain is loading the next part "in the chute".
 
I don't know what you're talking about, as far as your inner language, but I don't think of the fill's notes before their time. I usually know which fill I'm gonna pull out, but I don't "open up that box" until it's time. My mind is mostly in the present, immersed in what's happening right now, even though I know what's coming up. I try and feel fully what is happening right now, as the logical part of my brain is loading the next part coming up "in the chute", and when the time comes, I try and fully feel that part as it's happening, while my logical brain is loading the next part "in the chute".

Interesting.

I have always thought that mostly drummers thinks quite same way when they play, even I have realized that there could be still much personal differences.

I have written with two drummers about this thinking issue behind play, one graduated from conservatory, and my another example about thinking is from him. That TrrrPrrr... etc.

When he send it to me long time ago, I understand it right away - it was very clear rthythmic thought pattern. I haven't never seen that kind pattern before, but it was familiar anyway. First time, when I realized that those things even exist, (it's a way to explain how some part was played), I met that DuDaDu-thinking from John Densmore's book, where he explains one fill with it.

"Katsupadutsak Kaa"

So it will be "DuuDaDuDadDud Daa". Quite worn out for ending. :)

So, there is something, and - due to my believes - it's interesting to read that there are so much differences after all, and now even the whole consept what I'm talking about is unfamiliar to you.

Here is a little example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9PThVoBVUc

Song is played first time, and there are that AOAAOAOO-based thinking behind in every note, and as someone can see and hear (more important), whole song is just different fills after another different fills, and those crashes are so predictable:

Shall we continue later about this issue, I think this is very interesting?

I have thinked for years some certain parts about drumming - usually just that thinking part, because it's more remarkable than anything else. Dave Weckl has said that 85 procent about drumming happens in mind. I think it's more, but don't have time or will to argue because essential has been said anyway.

I have thinked thinking. How to think effectively and create a random, harmonic fills in a random songs, and so on. Not to familiar and practised, it's completely different world, it's already planned, which I try to avoid. I have never practised any song, just play random songs and surf in wave, and try to maintain harmony, avoid overplaying (I have strong tendencies to overplay) and try to make some moves, easy moves and listening to everybody or tricky moves to feel who lucky I am this time.

And sometimes wonder - where the h... that came from? And can I repeat it?.
 
My mind is always on what I am hearing from the other musicians.
I like to just let go of conscious thought from there.

In fact my best playing happens when my mind is on nothing but
enjoying the music I am hearing myself and the band play.

If I think about anything - I think about relaxing without slowing down...LOL
 
thanks that thread is great, just what i was looking for. i think its just been my mental state lately thats been screwing me up.

Anxiety is the jinx. Not feeling light enough to just go for it and get the drums doing what they're supposed to do - add some extra zip and sizzle.

When I'm anxious (be it about my playing or anything else) I plod because I feel distracted, always running behind, playing catchup - the groove is there but it lacks any feeling of excitement or inspiration. On better days I'm just having fun leading the charge and couldn't care less if I drop a beat here or there because I know everything will be grooving again just fine in a split second.

Agree with GrooveBlaster, if the band is in the groove that's about as good as it gets for me.
 
I keep my eyes wide open and constantly looking at all the band members. You never know what could happen during a live situation. A guitar player may forget a verse and I feel the end of the song coming and the bass player will look at me and we realize the end is here. How about the guitar forgetting to stop or goes past the ending into a jam or extra verses, you go with it, I can feel it happing and I get the others attention and cover the song. Or when a section of the song is coming up and the keyboards are supposed to do a 8 measure solo, but its obvious to me that the guitar player forgot about it and I will get his attention and he then remembers. Playing takes concentration for the performance.
 
I'll count the intro down but after that I just depend on the sense of time that has evolved after years of practice. It's more fun to play just a little outside of the beat. Usually I'm listening to the other people on stage trying to figure out where they're going next so that I can meet them there. Outside of that it's fun to get the ladies up and dancing. That's when the gig gets good.
 
As far as eye contact with the audience, I don't think I've seen a whole lot of drummers really do that.

Stanton Moore and I vibed back and forth for an entire Galactic show on Jan. 5 of this year. As soon as I approached him after the show he invited me to a bar with him. I'd say it matters!!
 
Stanton Moore and I vibed back and forth for an entire Galactic show on Jan. 5 of this year. As soon as I approached him after the show he invited me to a bar with him. I'd say it matters!!


it matters because he invited you to a bar?
 
What goes around in my head while playing with my buddy on the bass is mostly a bad trip, rethinking some recent fuck ups and at the same time glancing the audience to see if there is a girl smiling at me! The story goes that women like drummers and i like to think this is true! :D
 
it matters because he invited you to a bar?

It matters because as an audience member (and huge fan), it was really cool to be able to interact with him and the band a little bit and mutually enjoy the music. Stanton didn't have to invite a stranger to come hang out after he got off work, and he might not have had we not had those little interactions.

(I'm 19 and therefore couldn't come along, by the way, or I would have a way cooler Stanton Moore story)
 
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