Game face

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
When I play drums, my face naturally wants to relax. And.. that doesn't look so hot, you know what I mean. I am becoming more conscious of trying to not let my face go all liquidy, even though I really want to relax it. I'm talking just my face. The rest of me is relaxed, and my face wants to follow suit. Which like I said, doesn't look so hot. Anyway Geez, what a headache I have from trying to counter that dopey look.

Any thoughts on your particular game face?
 
I have to remember to smile when gigging. Not that that's especially appealing, but it's better than my two auto default faces 1: concentration 2: eyes closed & in the zone.

Of course, I'm told I pull a range of drummer faces at certain points too, but apparently that's amusing, so therefore counts as smiling/looking happy.

I'm thankful I'm not in a "boy band".
 
I suffer from the opposite problem. I have a tendency to show the work on my face when I'm playing. It makes for interesting pictures sometimes, although mostly it looks like I'm having fits.
 
I purse my lips in and out, like "puckering up" - in and out, in and out, in and out. It looks awful. I do it even when I'm perfectly relaxed. I used to be really embarrassed about it, but I decided to forget it as I don't seem to be able to stop doing it.
 
I make all kinds of silly facial expressions and to be honest it's so annoying to me. What I'm trying to make a concerted effort is though is to ensure I'm not holding tension there. Not sure if that makes sense or not....
 
I pout quite a bit. My bandmates used to take the p*** a lot but they're used to it now.

At other times I do a s*x face, either a grimace-y one or a blissed one

I'm figuring I can't do much about any of it
 
You're a drummer. Passionate drummers make faces. Not sure anyone worries much, although you wouldn't want to be grinning during a melancholy blues. Unless you're David Garibaldi, who looks as though someone stuck a stone henge on his shoulders.
 
Unless you're David Garibaldi, who looks as though someone stuck a stone henge on his shoulders.
Hahaha, yes, David can look a bit like that :) Of course, there's probably a talent bar beyond which such aesthetics are excused. Regrettably most of us bottom feeders have to appease the entertainment expectations of the grovelling masses ;)
 
Some people are acutely aware of how they look at all times, I'm not so much. In this age of YouTube, I really have to start to be more conscious of it. Plus, when I'm relaxed, it looks like I'm mad, because gravity makes my mouth turn down at the corners...I don't want to look mad when I'm playing. I have conditioned myself to keep my mouth closed already, now I have to condition myself so I look interested and involved, because relaxed, I don't, even though I am.
 
I once played timpani for Also Sprach Zarathustra, google it, it's like the most fun timpani piece ever and I was having the time of my life.

I watched the video back, and I looked like a miserable git.
 
I think the biggest hump I had to get over was keeping my mouth closed. I've got that down now. I don't wear a constant smile because I don't think that would look right on me, but I do try to be visually responsive to the music. If there's a great musical moment happening, I'll exchange a smile with a bandmate. If I'm playing something difficult, I know I make some drumming faces.

In my case, I think the more I try to force something unnatural, the worse it looks. So, I kind of go with it. Except for the mouth open thing. That's the real deal-breaker. You just can't do that.
 
Yea Lar the open mouth thing embarasses the fam. I'm not trying to force smile, but at the same time, I'm trying not to look sad or mad, I'm trying to go more for the look of....

No pasted on smile but also not sad or mad lol.

Interested and involved, how's that?
 
I tend to look like I'm in pain and moan and groan and make all kinds of strange grunt noises

nothing I can do about it or want to do about it..... cause it's me

and audiences seem to get enjoyment out of my completely natural horrible expressions....so...

I often talk to people after shows who mention it to me as if I am doing it on purpose

I never bother explaining that I have no idea that it is happening ....I just say thank you and move on
 
I tend to look like I'm in pain and moan and groan and make all kinds of strange grunt noises

Actually Anthony, that's the audience that's in pain and groaning.

Bam!

Sorry you left yourself wide open for that lol.

Buzinga!
 
I have some terrible habits I constantly am trying to work on. I tend to clench my jaw when I'm concentrating, and I often find myself humming along with the melody as I drum. I lock a stare on my hi-hat and forget to look up from what I'm doing. Too much time in the practice shed is causing all this, I'm sure.... I need to get out and play more again.

My wife has been on my case for years to smile more when I play. "You look like you're having fun when you play bass. You look like you're working when you're drumming." My last gig helped a bit with that, there was a lot of interplay between the band members, and I made it a point to try and be a bit of a clown for that gig. I can tell the difference... I feel more relaxed and like I'm having fun. But you know those days when the monitor mix is horrible and the rhythm guitarist just wants to drag or rush? That's when it becomes work, and all smiles are off.
 
Plus, when I'm relaxed, it looks like I'm mad, because gravity makes my mouth turn down at the corners...

This is because deep down you really ARE mad (as in angry) - having to do electrical work for money, state taxes, traffic jams, rude motorists, intrusive laws, widening pay gap, environment ... the anger is coming out when you're relaxed ...? /kidding

Drummers who lack animation bore me unless they play like David Garibaldi.

Flycatcher, The Groper, Bitter Lemon, I Need to Fart, Not the Dentist! and Goldfish. Someone else said they had a Prostate Exam face. People love it. But you have the option of being coolly slick instead ...
 
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