Motivation

Do something else! Learn another instrument! You shouldn't have to force yourself to do something unless you're required to do so. If you want to play, then play... If you don't then come back to it when you want to!
 
Agreed with the Dr., if you don't want to play, don't feel weird about it. You should only play if you really want to, not because you think you have to for any reason. Don't feel that you need to prove anything to yourself or anyone else about drumming. Do it because you like it, don't talk youself into it.

Bermuda
 
The thing is that I've seem to have lost motivation in more things besides drumming so I don't actually know which one affected the other..
I seem to find myself doing nothing for too long.
 
Lopierdis said:
The thing is that I've seem to have lost motivation in more things besides drumming so I don't actually know which one affected the other..
I seem to find myself doing nothing for too long.
Click to expand...

Sounds like it may not just be the drumming then ???
I gave up the fags 5 years ago and it coincided with totally loosing interest in my work but I found other things to occupy my mind one of which was drumming and totally immersed myself in it.
Maybe you've just got bored and need something new to stimulate you, maybe it was just your drumming routine and what you were practicing????
I learnt from a teacher how little I actually knew and how much there was to learn which made me realise I could never get bored with drumming.
This was having played for many years untaught and at that time I did find it became incredibly repetative as I was always doing the same thing as opposed to learning new things which is interesting and challenging and in turn then provides motivation especially as you see improvement.
 
I'd like to rekindle this thread, as it's a very important topic. If you are ever lacking motivation and all you're doing is watching television, playing video games, or wasting your time in some other fashion, remember this:

People are defined and remembered by their actions and the influence they have on those around them. You will never be remembered for the amount of hours you log watching television or playing video games. These mindless activities are entirely unfulfilling and they cloud your creativity and sense of self accomplishment. Now, get mad. Think about all the time you've wasted doing these things when you could have been honing your craft. Accept the fact that this wasted time is gone forever. Now forgive yourself for getting sidetracked; this sort of thing happens to everyone at some point. No one is perfect.

Now that you've come to terms with your situation, consider this: most individuals who have achieved greatness are a product of the 10,000 hour concept. If you are unfamiliar with this idea, I recommend reading the book 'Outliers' by Malcolm Gladwell. This basically translates into the fact that you need to put in 2.75 hours a day of uninterrupted, focused practice for 10 years straight to be considered a master of your craft. Don't let this discourage you - instead, start making a list of goals that will eventually lead to you devoting this much of your time to practice. Keep track of these goals and begin keeping a journal of your progress with each one. Start prioritizing your daily activities and reevaluate your time management. When you're not practicing, make a habit of asking yourself if the importance of what you're doing outweighs your drum practice.

I hope these ideas help you guys. I'm eager to hear some other thoughts on this topic.
 
Last edited:
Agree with all the above however if you normally like to play and are maybe just going through a lull (for all kinds of reasons) then it might be good to force yourself to put in an hour
a day until you are back to being motivated. It does sound like you have given up interest though.
 
When I don't feel motivated, I don't play, plain and simple. The hard part is not feeling guilty about it. Guilt is a useless emotion in my mind. So if I would rather be on DW than practice, so be it. I just accept it as totally normal. Beating yourself up over not practicing makes it worse.

I want drums to be a source of pleasure, not guilt. I will practice when I really want to practice. I am usually up to play with others, but sometimes I'm not in the mind space to practice by myself, So I come here instead. I think being here is the next best thing to practice. My thoughts are still with drumming.

I go in cycles, I can recognize where in the cycle I am, and I accept it when I am in a down part of the cycle. I don't try and force anything when I don't feel it. Maybe some do, that's OK. I'd rather hold out and wait for my desire to return. It's just much more fulfilling to me. I don't like being a Nazi to myself and forcing myself to practice when I don't feel the urge.
 
GBaslDrums said:
I'd like to rekindle this thread, as it's a very important topic. If you are ever lacking motivation and all you're doing is watching television, playing video games, or wasting your time in some other fashion, remember this:

People are defined and remembered by their actions and the influence they have on those around them. You will never be remembered for the amount of hours you log watching television or playing video games. These mindless activities are entirely unfulfilling and they cloud your creativity and sense of self accomplishment. Now, get mad. Think about all the time you've wasted doing these things when you could have been honing your craft. Accept the fact that this wasted time is gone forever. Now forgive yourself for getting sidetracked; this sort of thing happens to everyone at some point. No one is perfect.

Now that you've come to terms with your situation, consider this: most individuals who have achieved greatness are a product of the 10,000 hour concept. If you are unfamiliar with this idea, I recommend reading the book 'Outliers' by Malcolm Gladwell. This basically translates into the fact that you need to put in 2.75 hours a day of uninterrupted, focused practice for 10 years straight to be considered a master of your craft. Don't let this discourage you - instead, start making a list of goals that will eventually lead to you devoting this much of your time to practice. Keep track of these goals and begin keeping a journal of your progress with each one. Start prioritizing your daily activities and reevaluate your time management. When you're not practicing, make a habit of asking yourself if the importance of what you're doing outweighs your drum practice.

I hope these ideas help you guys. I'm eager to hear some other thoughts on this topic.
Click to expand...

A desire "to be remembered for something" strikes me as very narcissistic.

I have no desire to be remembered for anything other than the decent job I did in bringing my kids up, and a fairly decent fellow to be around (I hope).

Why the almost single-minded desire to 'be remembered'?

There is absolutely zero wrong in watching TV, or playing video games....I do both. Enjoy both as part of a fairly rounded social life.

Why that would be a problem for anyone else, and why anyone would feel the need to preach about it as if my watching The Sopranoes was some kind of social disease, is curious to me.
 
People are social creatures. If you are finding a lack of motivation in playing by yourself, its because most things suck to do by yourself. I would recommend finding an open mic, or inviting people over to jam, or joining a band. These become social activities that make playing the drums fun. I generally dislike woodshedding by myself in my basement, but I love my band rehersals. The joy of the rehersals coupled with the abject fear of screwing up on stage, make the practice time I put in more enjoyable.

In short, go find other people. You will be a generally happier person.
 
eclipseownzu said:
People are social creatures. If you are finding a lack of motivation in playing by yourself, its because most things suck to do by yourself. I would recommend finding an open mic, or inviting people over to jam, or joining a band. These become social activities that make playing the drums fun. I generally dislike woodshedding by myself in my basement, but I love my band rehersals. The joy of the rehersals coupled with the abject fear of screwing up on stage, make the practice time I put in more enjoyable.

In short, go find other people. You will be a generally happier person.
Click to expand...

Oh god this. When I was in high school I loved Marching Band rehearsals, I ended up trying to join as many of the band related stuff as possible because it was fun.

Now that I'm out of high school though I find it hard to find the motivation to practice, what sucks is that I can't really find anyone to play with around here.
 
SquadLeader,

I think you're taking my post the wrong way...

You: A desire "to be remembered for something" strikes me as very narcissistic.

Me: I was brought up to be a contributing member of society. I'd simply like to be remembered as someone who did some good and maybe changed someone's life for the better, that's all. I'm not trying to sound narcissistic like Buddy Rich...

You: I have no desire to be remembered for anything other than the decent job I did in bringing my kids up, and a fairly decent fellow to be around (I hope). Why the almost single-minded desire to 'be remembered'?

Me: I'm a teacher and take great pride in it. If I spent my day watching television or playing video games, as opposed to practicing and learning new things, I'd feel like I was not only shortchanging myself, but also my students. Again, when I say I'd like to be remembered, I don't mean "to go down in history as the all-time legend", but rather as a positive role model. I should hope you'd like to be remembered as a positive role model as well. Don't sell yourself short because I'm sure you will be remembered for much more than what you listed here.

You: There is absolutely zero wrong in watching TV, or playing video games....I do both. Enjoy both as part of a fairly rounded social life. Why that would be a problem for anyone else, and why anyone would feel the need to preach about it as if my watching The Sopranoes was some kind of social disease, is curious to me.

Me: I wouldn't say zero. I'm not about to sit here and preach that I never do these activities and forgive me if I came off this way. When I do, it's with my fiance as a way to spend time together. Moderation is the key and it is often easily lost in today's youth. Do I feel a need to preach about it? Absolutely, and so should you. Is it a social disease? Take a look at the laziness and obesity of the U.S. society and you tell me.
 
GBaslDrums said:
SquadLeader,

I think you're taking my post the wrong way...

You: A desire "to be remembered for something" strikes me as very narcissistic.

Me: I was brought up to be a contributing member of society. I'd simply like to be remembered as someone who did some good and maybe changed someone's life for the better, that's all. I'm not trying to sound narcissistic like Buddy Rich...

You: I have no desire to be remembered for anything other than the decent job I did in bringing my kids up, and a fairly decent fellow to be around (I hope). Why the almost single-minded desire to 'be remembered'?

Me: I'm a teacher and take great pride in it. If I spent my day watching television or playing video games, as opposed to practicing and learning new things, I'd feel like I was not only shortchanging myself, but also my students. Again, when I say I'd like to be remembered, I don't mean "to go down in history as the all-time legend", but rather as a positive role model. I should hope you'd like to be remembered as a positive role model as well. Don't sell yourself short because I'm sure you will be remembered for much more than what you listed here.

You: There is absolutely zero wrong in watching TV, or playing video games....I do both. Enjoy both as part of a fairly rounded social life. Why that would be a problem for anyone else, and why anyone would feel the need to preach about it as if my watching The Sopranoes was some kind of social disease, is curious to me.

Me: I wouldn't say zero. I'm not about to sit here and preach that I never do these activities and forgive me if I came off this way. When I do, it's with my fiance as a way to spend time together. Moderation is the key and it is often easily lost in today's youth. Do I feel a need to preach about it? Absolutely, and so should you. Is it a social disease? Take a look at the laziness and obesity of the U.S. society and you tell me.
Click to expand...

Yeah fair enough pal.
 
One thing that I've noticed over many decades is that when I keep on practicing (at the
times when I feel less motivated)....those are usually the times I make real headway and
advance in a way I never expected. Whatever works for you, do it.
 
I like to practice to keep my skill level current and my hands feet and mind strong and to learn new skills. For me personally, I view practice in the same way i view working out at the gym. I workout to maintain my current level of fitness and to become stronger and faster over longer periods of time. I don't workout everyday because my body needs rest to recuperate. Same with drumming practice. Sometimes I can push hard and sometimes I need to back off to let it sink in a little. I don't like to go more than two days off, personally. Other than that I can't fret over it.

I'm just glad to be playing again after a ten year lay off. In those ten years I made every excuse I could find for why I wasn't playing anymore. They were all lies to justify "sacrifice" or "compromise". It took those ten depressing years to finally understand who I am and that the real passion in my life is music. Brutal lesson, but in my case it was a very necessary learning experience.

I have learned now that in life there are somethings that you can sacrifice and compromise on, but you should never fully sacrifice what you are passionate about. You may lose your identity as a person.
 
When it comes to motivation I suggest you ask yourself why you are playing drums. What are your dreams and goals with this instrument? Then you must ask yourself; is it worth putting in the time necessary to reach those goals. If yes - there you have your motivation.

/Richard Sandström
 
MANY variables can bring about loss of motivation. For me, my love for music gets me through many rough patches...of course, second only to love of family, friends, life...

Understand that everyone goes through patches of "wanting to give up" on something. Remember why you fell in love with drums in the first place. Your expectation should be only that...to rediscover the magic.

Three years ago I took a gig with a local blues band. We played a lot of really nice events and I felt privileged to play with cats of this particular bands' caliber. Then two of them got an offer to play in a higher profile, "do-it-by-route" band that got booked more. The keyboardist and I were handed a line of crap of the why, when the truth would've been appreciated.

Suffice to say, I "lost my motivation" for playing out with musicians for a while. I donated my gigging drums to a school music program and stepped away for a while. I still practiced on my practice kit and continued to listen to music and write music.

I decided that I was going to write music for the sole purpose of creating it. No expectations. No demands. It was through that process that I remembered the importance of it all. To create. To express.

Then I was asked to teach at a music school. Seeing the light radiate from beginners as they deliver their first paradiddle or C chord offered another avenue of inspiration.

Whatever feeds your soul is still there...it might be hidden. Strip away the debris and get back to the heart of the magic. Listen to songs that bring tears to your eyes.

If you're meant to do anything in life; that thing won't leave you alone for long.

Peace & Best To You On Your Journey...MT
 
sandstrom said:
When it comes to motivation I suggest you ask yourself why you are playing drums. What are your dreams and goals with this instrument? Then you must ask yourself; is it worth putting in the time necessary to reach those goals. If yes - there you have your motivation.

/Richard Sandström
Click to expand...

I think if you have to ask yourself this, you should go find something you like to do more for a while. I don't need goals to want to play, I just want to play. Dreams aside, I just want to play.
 
+1
If you feel like you have to find arguments to convince yourself why you should be drumming, that means it's high time to leave the kit alone for a few weeks! After that you should either feel like drumming again or put it up on ebay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top