Bad Days

Jonn151

Junior Member
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to know if anyone else has bad days behind the drums
Im really annoyed right now because i just can't get into anything i play and can't play to my normal standard.
Anyone else have this problem?
 
All the time. Drumming is like anything else in life. You will have good days, bad days, and totally killer days that make you want to never get off the kit.

Doctors, lawyers, dentists, accountants, brick layers, postal workers, etc. etc. etc. all have good days and bad days. Musicians are no exception. You'll have good and bad days. The difference is how you handle the bad days. Don't get discouraged!
 
All the time. Drumming is like anything else in life. You will have good days, bad days, and totally killer days that make you want to never get off the kit.

Doctors, lawyers, dentists, accountants, brick layers, postal workers, etc. etc. etc. all have good days and bad days. Musicians are no exception. You'll have good and bad days. The difference is how you handle the bad days. Don't get discouraged!

What he said.

They happen all the time.
 
All the time. Drumming is like anything else in life. You will have good days, bad days, and totally killer days that make you want to never get off the kit.

Doctors, lawyers, dentists, accountants, brick layers, postal workers, etc. etc. etc. all have good days and bad days. Musicians are no exception. You'll have good and bad days. The difference is how you handle the bad days. Don't get discouraged!

Thanks man, i might have been coming down a bit hard on myself
 
Being too hard on yourself is understandable but counter productive. Do like Kenny Werner instructs in Effortless Mastery. Recognize when your being hard on yourself, and at that time say, "I am Master, I am Master" over and over. You are the driver of your car. Pick a good destination.
 
As larry said, being too harsh is counter productive however we are all guilty of it. I too have bad days and sometimes it can really put me on a downer but on the other hand sometimes I have really good days and other days are just amazing and I start doing stuff I didn't even know I could do! Its all part of being a drummer.

Sometimes its beneficial to be self-critical because thats how you learn where you are going wrong and what you need to improve but remember the bad days will only happen occassionly and you just need to put them behind you and focus on how you are going to make your next practice/gig/whatever a hell of a lot better.

Cheers

Ant :)
 
it happens to every single musician and u just gotta take a brake. i had a bad day a few days ago when i was a bit sick and just not enthusiastic or energetic. they always end up brushing away when u have a killer practice sesh, just don't let it get to you is my advice.
 
The more crative you are behind your drums the more the other stuff in your life affect your playing. You should play through the rollercoaster though, so that you CAN play when you aren't feeling 100% good. The alternative is that you only can play good when you are feeling well, it'll be the road to become a diva. I feel worse if I take a day off than what I would feel if I played through the bad day.
 
I have bad days at work, I have bad days on the golf course, I have bad days in my marriage and I certainly have bad days on the drums. Fear not my friend....you are as human as the rest of us.
 
Last Thurs was the second time I've played on kit since Nov last year (health reasons) and I stunk.

The week before I could ride the wave of freshness and I've found that the second time I do something (not just drums) it's usually lame because the lack of practice is there but the freshness of the first time isn't. One thing I know is that if I try to replicate a previous good performance when I was in good form there is no way it will happen. Each performance, even when you are playing exactly the same notes, must be unique. I also find that I tend to play better on a Sat than a Thurs night after a day at work.

What I'd like to know is, when you're having an off day, how do you turn things around?

I remember the feeling last Thurs of trying to get settled on the instrument but I simply couldn't focus properly, no matter how I tried. Things would come together in spots but was generally sloppy. I tried to simplify to get things on track but then it sounded ponderous. The whole band played worse than they have for maybe six months. I'm not sure the others realised it but if I play badly the whole band makes blunders they would otherwise not do. They seem to need that solid, clear base from the kit to settle into their parts.

Does anyone have a trick for turning things around when the muse isn't with you?
 
If I have a bad day, it means that I'm still alive...thanks to heaven.
Are Haitians having bad days?
 
I can't tell you how many times I've sat down at the kit and been dissatisfied with my playing. I only know for sure that the good times must far outnumber them, or I might have quit long ago.

This is where you can do something different to spice things up and fall back in love with drumming. Take lessons. Get into a new genre of music. Buy something new to incorporate into your kit (or even just buy new heads). Go see some bands play live. Go join a drumming circle. Go backpacking for a week.

A lot of us start having bad days because something feels stale. So in my mind, the trick is to change it up!
 
Hey Crew,

Wow, wow, wow!

I just looked at the calendar. It will be 6 years ago on the 24th that my house in Woodland Hills caught fire. (Hint- arson) I rolled the hell out of bed, crawled down the hallway, got outside and trained a garden hose on the fire, and the F.D. showed up and did their job.

Here's the "funny" part. I did a "walk through" with the arson investigator, and pointed to the smoke stains on the walls, starting about 3' up from the floor, saying I was "lucky" that I got out when I did, maybe escaping death by 2-3 minutes.

He corrected me. He said that at that time (2:15 AM) MOST people sit up gasping when they hear the smoke alarm, and that's it- LAST BREATH. He said that I must have been "lucky" that I rolled out of bed, crawled, and got outside. Why? He said I had about 20-30 SECONDS to get out without dying. The smoke stains weren't the killer- seems a superheated toxic (clear) cloud rests 12"-16" BELOW the smoke line!!!

Fast forward a bit, and I had to do all the work myself (NO INSURANCE) I had to work 2 construction jobs just to make ends meet, then worked 4-9 hours a day on my home AFTER work, and live in my motorhome for 27 days before I could re-occupy my home.
I never forgot the "20-30 seconds" thing, EVER.

I came to a conclusion that I live by since that day:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "SHITTY" DAY--If you are ALIVE to have a "shitty day" that actually makes it a GREAT DAY!

So, have a great day!
C. P.
 
Does anyone have a trick for turning things around when the muse isn't with you?

Like Polly mentioned, if I'm having an "bad" day, I'll just try to simplify my playing. Skip the over the top killer licks and fills, and just keep it as simple and tasteful as possible and focus on laying down a groove that will put me "in the zone".

Also, if it's a rehearsal, call out a tune that you know you will nail every time. That can help settle you in. Sometimes even an impromptu jam can have the same effect.

And remember...(look below at my signature)
 
Like Polly mentioned, if I'm having an "bad" day, I'll just try to simplify my playing. Skip the over the top killer licks and fills, and just keep it as simple and tasteful as possible and focus on laying down a groove that will put me "in the zone".

Also, if it's a rehearsal, call out a tune that you know you will nail every time. That can help settle you in. Sometimes even an impromptu jam can have the same effect.

And remember...(look below at my signature)

Yes, simplifying helps but if the zip isn't there then a simplified groove by a drummer who's feeling ungroovy just plods.

Al, I agree that mixing things up is good but I'm thinking more short term - when you're sitting behind the kit and the vibe isn't there.

Maybe Brundlefly's suggestion - the time-honoured approach of rock stars down the ages - is the only other way to go? :)
 
Because we are human, each day we are a bit different; sometimes better, and sometimes not so good. Don't sweat it. Listen to some inspiring or your favorite music. Do something nice for yourself and someone else.

GJS
 
Yeah I have them all the time... the other day i was really in the wrong space to be playing, but i did, and i was absolutely rubbish. Made me question why ive spent almost £1000 getting back into the whole thing, and i was angry at myself, thinking id wasted my time and money.

But the next day, after a good nights sleep, all was well, much better day, and things push on forward. Its sometimes hard to concentrate on the now, rather than seeing how far you have to go, or where you want to be.
 
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