MonkeysFly
Junior Member
Hello everyone. I’m new here and had a question (and rant) for all of you.
So what do you do when you have been playing for 32 years, practiced with a metronome off and on and practiced to records in that time frame and yet, you STILL cannot keep good time?? Over the years you are still told to “slow down” or “dude, learn to keep a beat” when playing with people.
Maybe my problem is that I don’t sit with head phones on ALL DAY LONG listening to 1,000 different music genres?? Or is it that some people just “have it” and others don’t- no matter what they do?? IMHO, I really don’t feel you can “teach” time keeping. I feel that you either have that inner clock in you or you just have limited degrees. I feel some people CAN improve slightly but it all depends on just “how much” of that inner clock they were born with. Frankly, I’m not feeling it. So I’m just totally baffled. I’m so frustrated with myself and my confidence just isn’t there anymore. In fact, I pretty much think of myself now as being just someone who “loves to play the drums”, as opposed to calling myself, an actual “drummer”.
I do not currently play in a band and I do not know any musician (reputable and reliable musician that is) that isn’t already in a band. Instead, over the last 10 years, I end up resorting to either playing with half-assers, and/or searching Craig’s List. And what joy that has been over the years, IF you can even find people into what you’re into and that are reliable. (did I mention that word before?) The last ten years I was in four cover bands, two were from Craig’s List, but all 4 were half assed. Either they were drunks, or they never personally practiced, or never wanted to practice with the band, or they didn’t know dynamics or they wanted to be SRV or Eddie VanHalen, or some other flashy guitar player, etc. And in addition to this, my time keeping, or lack thereof, didn’t help in any of these situations either. But I stuck it out in hopes that “we” as a band and myself, would eventually get better. But if I had a dime for every time I heard from someone at a gig, “Dude, you’re going way too fast” or “Tempos, tempos, tempos!!” or “I think you’re speeding up there” or “Slowwwwww down!” etc, I’d be rich beyond my wildest dreams. Don’t get me wrong. In years past, like 20 years ago, I did manage to have a few good experiences in other bands, but aside from hearing the occasional comments about my time keeping. The difference back then was that I was young, had confidence and didn’t care as much. But my last 10 years of playing in bands have been extremely stale and the time keeping comments seem to be more common.
Ya know, at this point in my life, I’m convinced that there are two kinds of drummers. One, that has natural talent and the second, that has natural athleticism. In my eyes, a big difference. I appear to be the second. I have all of the coordination and independence to play, but my time keeping and creativeness have always lacked heavily. I took private lessons for 8 years when I started, played in various bands (original and cover) but over the years, I never improved much in these two basic areas no matter how much time and ways I spent listening or watching. Yet, I’ve known drummers over the years that NEVER took lessons, (or very few lessons) only practiced randomly, but they keep solid time and some even display rhythm that I flat out, just do not posses.
Every musician I know in my area is currently with a working band; they have rehearsal space and sound equipment, playing great rooms, have followings, are having a great time, gaining more and more playing experience, etc. You name it. They’re enjoying playing while I’ve only managed to play on a sub-par level with sub-par people. Currently, I sit in my garage by myself practicing my rudiments- etc, going on You Tube, playing along to music and pulling my hair out as I try to STILL play along with a click. But I STILL weave in and out of time. I have no confidence left to get up the balls and continue to look for bands. Yet what’s funny about my buddies and their bands, is that some of these guys I’ve known for years and they have only put half the time in that I have, nor, were ever as dedicated to their instrument over the years. Yet, situations just fell into their laps. One minute they are talking to someone at a party and are asked to join their band, and the next minute I see, their band wins some radio contest and they play the Wing Bowl in Philly. Or some of the other musician friends I know, know other people and they piggy back with their bands playing local clubs, get big followings and within three years are playing the jersey shore clubs or casinos, New’s Years Eve parties, local annual festivals, etc…. Are you f—king kidding me? Am I jealous? Yes, sorry to say but I will admit I am. Because they’re all doing what I feel, I can only dream about. I really think that if I had only been able to keep good time, I’d have the confidence and maybe I would’ve ended up in one of these bands too, but who’s to say…..
So I’m not sure what to do. I really don’t want to quit, but I’m tired of banging my head against the wall. I’ve gotten myself so overwhelmed, I have no confidence anymore and what goals I had seem so far out of touch, they seem impossible. The only thoughts that go thru my mind now are negative, “why am I still even doing this to myself?” and “Gee, by the time I can get into a situation even remotely similar to what I want to achieve, I’ll be too old to enjoy any of the perks that go along with being in a good band and being a good drummer and it won’t be self gratifying or rewarding as it normally would be.”
So what do you do when you have been playing for 32 years, practiced with a metronome off and on and practiced to records in that time frame and yet, you STILL cannot keep good time?? Over the years you are still told to “slow down” or “dude, learn to keep a beat” when playing with people.
Maybe my problem is that I don’t sit with head phones on ALL DAY LONG listening to 1,000 different music genres?? Or is it that some people just “have it” and others don’t- no matter what they do?? IMHO, I really don’t feel you can “teach” time keeping. I feel that you either have that inner clock in you or you just have limited degrees. I feel some people CAN improve slightly but it all depends on just “how much” of that inner clock they were born with. Frankly, I’m not feeling it. So I’m just totally baffled. I’m so frustrated with myself and my confidence just isn’t there anymore. In fact, I pretty much think of myself now as being just someone who “loves to play the drums”, as opposed to calling myself, an actual “drummer”.
I do not currently play in a band and I do not know any musician (reputable and reliable musician that is) that isn’t already in a band. Instead, over the last 10 years, I end up resorting to either playing with half-assers, and/or searching Craig’s List. And what joy that has been over the years, IF you can even find people into what you’re into and that are reliable. (did I mention that word before?) The last ten years I was in four cover bands, two were from Craig’s List, but all 4 were half assed. Either they were drunks, or they never personally practiced, or never wanted to practice with the band, or they didn’t know dynamics or they wanted to be SRV or Eddie VanHalen, or some other flashy guitar player, etc. And in addition to this, my time keeping, or lack thereof, didn’t help in any of these situations either. But I stuck it out in hopes that “we” as a band and myself, would eventually get better. But if I had a dime for every time I heard from someone at a gig, “Dude, you’re going way too fast” or “Tempos, tempos, tempos!!” or “I think you’re speeding up there” or “Slowwwwww down!” etc, I’d be rich beyond my wildest dreams. Don’t get me wrong. In years past, like 20 years ago, I did manage to have a few good experiences in other bands, but aside from hearing the occasional comments about my time keeping. The difference back then was that I was young, had confidence and didn’t care as much. But my last 10 years of playing in bands have been extremely stale and the time keeping comments seem to be more common.
Ya know, at this point in my life, I’m convinced that there are two kinds of drummers. One, that has natural talent and the second, that has natural athleticism. In my eyes, a big difference. I appear to be the second. I have all of the coordination and independence to play, but my time keeping and creativeness have always lacked heavily. I took private lessons for 8 years when I started, played in various bands (original and cover) but over the years, I never improved much in these two basic areas no matter how much time and ways I spent listening or watching. Yet, I’ve known drummers over the years that NEVER took lessons, (or very few lessons) only practiced randomly, but they keep solid time and some even display rhythm that I flat out, just do not posses.
Every musician I know in my area is currently with a working band; they have rehearsal space and sound equipment, playing great rooms, have followings, are having a great time, gaining more and more playing experience, etc. You name it. They’re enjoying playing while I’ve only managed to play on a sub-par level with sub-par people. Currently, I sit in my garage by myself practicing my rudiments- etc, going on You Tube, playing along to music and pulling my hair out as I try to STILL play along with a click. But I STILL weave in and out of time. I have no confidence left to get up the balls and continue to look for bands. Yet what’s funny about my buddies and their bands, is that some of these guys I’ve known for years and they have only put half the time in that I have, nor, were ever as dedicated to their instrument over the years. Yet, situations just fell into their laps. One minute they are talking to someone at a party and are asked to join their band, and the next minute I see, their band wins some radio contest and they play the Wing Bowl in Philly. Or some of the other musician friends I know, know other people and they piggy back with their bands playing local clubs, get big followings and within three years are playing the jersey shore clubs or casinos, New’s Years Eve parties, local annual festivals, etc…. Are you f—king kidding me? Am I jealous? Yes, sorry to say but I will admit I am. Because they’re all doing what I feel, I can only dream about. I really think that if I had only been able to keep good time, I’d have the confidence and maybe I would’ve ended up in one of these bands too, but who’s to say…..
So I’m not sure what to do. I really don’t want to quit, but I’m tired of banging my head against the wall. I’ve gotten myself so overwhelmed, I have no confidence anymore and what goals I had seem so far out of touch, they seem impossible. The only thoughts that go thru my mind now are negative, “why am I still even doing this to myself?” and “Gee, by the time I can get into a situation even remotely similar to what I want to achieve, I’ll be too old to enjoy any of the perks that go along with being in a good band and being a good drummer and it won’t be self gratifying or rewarding as it normally would be.”