YOUR BETTER AT BECAUSE OF DRUMS

Bluekit

Member
Was wondering how has playing drums helped you become better at doing,,,,??
Something in every day life,,not drum related
 
Hmmmm . . . that's an interesting question.

I'm afraid that the only thing I can think of is that playing the drums makes my ears ring better . . . that is, much louder!

Or, maybe my incessant drumming on the dinner table is much more interesting - to me, that is.

GeeDeeEmm
 
I'm better at ignoring most other important aspects of my life, all because of the drums.

It's really a miracle how helpful it is.
 
As weird as this might sound, being a drummer improved my trumpet playing in ways that I didn't expect. It made me much more aware of phrasing and inflection, and I'm not altogether sure why.

It could be that drumming taps into a different part of my brain. As a trumpet player, I don't really improvise ever. Everything I play is off of the page. I don't approach drumming that way. With drums, it's more about getting the general blocking for a song in my head, but it's much more free-form and I don't read charts other than the rare shorthand chart I put together if I get a praise band tune with a song form that's complex to the point where I need some help with the roadmap.

In any case, all I know is that when I started getting really involved in drumming to the point where I was taking it seriously and working hard on it, my trumpet playing became better. Keep in mind, I wasn't bad on the horn to begin with, but I think I'm a much more musical player now.
 
As weird as this might sound, being a drummer improved my trumpet playing in ways that I didn't expect. It made me much more aware of phrasing and inflection, and I'm not altogether sure why.

In the other direction, I had a few brief years as a string player before I ever picked up drumsticks. First guitar then bass a bit more. I'm fairly certain this did help shape my understanding of how music works and what I like to hear.
 
In the other direction, I had a few brief years as a string player before I ever picked up drumsticks. First guitar then bass a bit more. I'm fairly certain this did help shape my understanding of how music works and what I like to hear.
I was a trumpet player first. I didn't get into drumming until I was 33, and by that point I was already established on trumpet.

I think drums, due to being a very physical instrument that involves coordination of 4 body parts, along with everything that it entails mentally and intellectually, is a very difficult instrument to play well. I emphasize that because it's not terribly difficult to sit down behind drums and crank out a passable beat - we have yahoos at the National Guard band I'm in who do this all the time, but what they play never feels very good because they are horribly inconsistent, and they wouldn't be functional as a drummer in an ensemble. They simply aren't good enough.
 
This is such an interesting concept, and one that I'm very familiar with - I believe drumming has helped me immeasurably with my work life.

I'm a graphic designer, and I've noticed over the years a parallel evolution between my drumming and designing. It's all been very conceptual, so it's probably something that only makes sense to me, but it's been very real in my development nonetheless. And it'something that works both ways - just as my drumming has informed my designing, insights gained in design have influenced my choices in drumming.

Early on I was an illustrator, given to very detailed, overly-ornate drawings - just as a drummer, I was given to very busy, fill-laded playing. As I figured out how powerful simplicity could be in drawing - how much emotion and information can be expressed with a single line, if it's the RIGHT line - that epiphany began to seep into my drumming, and the understanding that one note can be devastating, if it's played right.

This is just one example. I feel it branches into multiple areas of each undertaking: preparation, study, practice, self-evaluation, etc. When I advance some aspect of designing, that aspect does seem to carry over to drumming. And vice-versa.

Further, I think that this give-and-take between disciplines has allowed me to develop each beyond what I'd have been able to do if I was only involved in one. I'm at a point in my life where both my drumming and my designing are better than ever, and I'm convinced it's the lessons that crossed over - 'cross pollinated' - between each discipline that have provided fuel for constant improvement.

So in short: Yeah. Drumming has made me better at other stuff.
 
I was a trumpet player first. I didn't get into drumming until I was 33, and by that point I was already established on trumpet.

I think drums, due to being a very physical instrument that involves coordination of 4 body parts, along with everything that it entails mentally and intellectually, is a very difficult instrument to play well. I emphasize that because it's not terribly difficult to sit down behind drums and crank out a passable beat - we have yahoos at the National Guard band I'm in who do this all the time, but what they play never feels very good because they are horribly inconsistent, and they wouldn't be functional as a drummer in an ensemble. They simply aren't good enough.

Interesting, your thoughts mirror my own. I can't get any of the guitar players around here to agree, though.

To me, guitar felt "easier" in some respects. As you mention, it can often be somewhat less "taxing" to the brain as you're not dealing with quite so much mental math while also organizing 4 limbs doing different things and also listening at the same time.

To me they were actually sort of similar in that I was able to pick up both and within a few minutes make something that felt vaguely musical.

Still jealous that drummers can't just make music on their own though.
 
I always thought drums would be helpful in boxing,fight,,,after all what’s the difference between a head,,and a head,,lol.
Anyway the little scuffles I got into,,years ago,,made me thank drums for the help,,one of the best comments I ever received was,,his left hand is so fast you can’t even see it,,,,so if you need to protect yourself or family,,,just start practicing ,,,,
 
Interesting, your thoughts mirror my own. I can't get any of the guitar players around here to agree, though.
Of course they aren't going to agree - they really don't understand just how much falls on the shoulders of the drummer, and how difficult it is to be effective at doing it. I know that in hindsight, I took quite a few really good drummers for granted because I didn't understand the scope of that job in a band until I was in the hot seat myself.
 
I ally myself fully with Tony's statement about money.

But on a more serious note, drumming (and music in general) has given me motivation to be less introverted, and more self-confident and outgoing.
 
Very interesting topic!

Some years ago I stumbled upon the chance to write some music for a movie (a direct to DVD low budget thing, nothing super fancy).

And even though the music itself had no drums, being a drummer really helped because I'm used to serving what is best. I.E. in a band, I'm used to coming up the best beat for the riff, the best fill for the vocal line, playing less where less makes sense and more where more makes sense. Writing background music for the video was similar, because the scene is set, and the timing is set, the vibe is set, and I have to just do what is the best fit to support what is already established.

On a completely different note...

4 and 1/2 years ago I started my own business, which has nothing to do with music. But holy cow, the crossover between being a drummer, and self-employed are crazy similar. And spending time with my friends who are working/touring drummers and seeing how they handle various situations has had an immense impact on me running my business. At the core, if it, both drumming and being self -employed outside of music are convincing people who need my services to hire me for my services. If I hadn't been a drummer and didn't have so many drummer friends, I don't know if I would have the skills to keep my non-drumming business going all this time.
 
Well it takes "some level" of motor skills and hand-eye coordination to play drums. I use to do lots of hands on "timed" assays and vascular research so operated through microscopes (on chick embryos, arterioles in hamster cheek pouch, etc) , which takes a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination. I like art and drums, and I believe both helped in my hand eye coordination to do it. Still got the coordination but I can't keep my hands as steady under a scope now-dammit (like watching an earthquake lol)
 
On a somewhat separate note...

I've been playing drums since I was 7 (now almost 40). So I don't really remember a time when I didn't understand rhythm. It's always a trip to me when I play a gig and see people dancing/clapping "along to the music", yet completely out of time/sync. And they have no idea!

My band used to have a tambourine on stage for my singer to use every once in a while. Oftentimes, when he wasn't using it, some random audience member would grab it off the stage and start playing along... COMPLETELY OUT OF RHYTHM... We quickly stopped bringing the tambourine to gigs. I really don't get it. I can't put myself in their shoes really. It's just baffling to me how little rhythm awareness people have naturally. Not making fun. It's just so weird to me.

So, at the very least, drumming will teach you how to not be oblivious to rhythm.

https://youtu.be/DY_DF2Af3LM


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Learning to play the drums at a very early age has helped my coordination a great deal. It helped me in all sports.
It helped me not get hurt when I fell down. I have never broken any bones. Better body coordination has many many benefits.


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