Game face

I think if you try and look relaxed and enjoy yourself, do it right and you'll start to feel more relaxed and enjoy yourself more as well.
I reckon a lot of drumming is mental, even getting insane chop and stuff; we have the same human bodies as all the professionals, we just have to use our brains in the right way to make our wrists play that kind of impressive stuff. Mind over matter, self-belief, free your mind neo, all that jazz. It's not the only thing to rely on, but it sure helps if you have your mental aspect covered. I reckon that believing in your mind that you are relaxed and that you can play this gig, play this solo .etc comes off in your playing.
And then you can look all relaxed and cool when you're playing, and then when all the drum magazines come and interview be like "It is mind over matter, ancient wisdom kung fu woo" which is personally, I believe, the reason Billy Cobham sometimes wears his ninja headband.

Of course if you look all tense because you're playing stuff that really is far too fast for you to play but you don't care and you're playing it anyway, then people will be like OHMAGAWD YOU'RE SO PASSIONATE AND INTO THE DRUMS YOU'RE A MASTER or some nonsense like that. :)
 
I am told by people at work all of the time, to smile. They tell me the old adage, "It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile" I tell them it takes even fewer muscles to do neither. I would not spend time nor energy worrying about smiling. If relaxed is your normal state then so be it. If your band will let you move your drum set to the front of the stage then smile, if not, then relaxed it is.
 
I am told by people at work all of the time, to smile. They tell me the old adage, "It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile" I tell them it takes even fewer muscles to do neither. I would not spend time nor energy worrying about smiling. If relaxed is your normal state then so be it. If your band will let you move your drum set to the front of the stage then smile, if not, then relaxed it is.

Ruthless efficiency. I like it.
 
I've always struggled with this, I think partly because it's often hard to get into the band vibe sitting in the back behind a drum set. Most players tend to forget you're there. So there's a tendency to check out.
 
I think partly because it's often hard to get into the band vibe sitting in the back behind a drum set. Most players tend to forget you're there. So there's a tendency to check out.

sounds like you are playing with the wrong cats
 
... it looks like I'm mad

This is because deep down you really ARE mad...

I never guessed I actually influenced Larry that much, lol :)

Guilty as charge for "funny faces" at the kit, from looking "angry" to "in pain" to "difficult" to "in the zone". I guess it's what's natural as a player that's important, pulling faces and body language are part of what we do, sometimes it looks cool and sometimes it doesn't :)
 
I've been guilty of all of the above over the years. As hard as you try to stay conscious of what your face is doing, and keep it arranged in some sort of pleasant expression, your mind is going to wander sooner or later (probably sooner!) and your face is going to fall back into its habitual position.

The solution for me is to just chew gum while I play. It's hard for your face to assume any set position when you're chomping on a big wad of Double-Bubble. Plus it makes you look cool and nonchalant, like you're such a great drummer and it all comes so easy for you. Try it and see!

The only real downside to chewing gum is drinking beer with it. Mmmm... Spearmint-flavored Stella.
 
Not sure if it's a game face...but I just smile when I play though sometimes I just stone at the audience hahaha
 
The only real downside to chewing gum is drinking beer with it. Mmmm... Spearmint-flavored Stella.

LOL!! maybe you should switch to whiskey?

Game face....hmmm. Mine looks like I'm reading a book, real thoughtfully. Actually sometimes I catch myself subconsciously sucking my lips over my teeth into my mouth.

I like Bernard Purdie's videos. He's very animated!
 
I have a variety of different faces. When I'm playing fast 2/2 punk beat, I tend to stick my tongue out the corner of my mouth and slightly bite down on it. That's the most common.

I also tend to squint a lot because sweat gets in my eyes.

Another major thing is twitching. My hair will get in my eyes, so a lot of times after a fill, I'll violently twitch to change its position.
 
I don't like to think about anything but the music when I'm "up there", so if that means I have funny faces but sound good, so be it I suppose.
 
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