Dying spark from drumming for too long?

PorkPieGuy said:
I'm glad @Duck Tape brought this up.

As far as drumming itself, I've not really lost any "spark," but as I've gotten better over the years, there is quite a bit of demystifying that has happened over time (if that makes sense).

While drumming hasn't lost its spark, I don't like many of this situations that drumming has brought me into. I've travelled to places and played venues I would never even consider visiting had it not been for playing drums. I've associated with people that have caused me a lot of frustration, anger, and even fear, all in the name of "playing music." I've played nasty bars and crazy churches. I've had too many "Why am I even here?" thoughts from behind the kit to even count. I've given thanks to God for many gigs, but I've prayed, "Sweet Jesus, get me out of here!" more than I like to admit.

These situations has definitely dulled what was once bright and exciting, but for some stupid reason, I keep going.
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I have only been offered one gig that I refused because I knew how those parties went,
There is a wedding, so the band plays all night it is on a private property away from any big city, and the majority of the men at the wedding are armed with guns. (No not a Narco Wedding but I imagine those are even worse), then the band gets to take very little breaks, and the party lasts for 3 days, sometimes longer, and they expect the band to play the whole time. A lot of those bands are held at gun point to continue playing. I'm sorry but I don't give a S*&t how many guns you point at me, I would not play under duress, so I guess they would have to shoot me. So, to avoid that, I declined the gig stating I had other things lined up. Other than that I have no regrets about playing.
 
cbphoto said:
...when I sense a lack of momentum and direction on my part, my attention to practicing and rehearsing certain rudiments needed for a set list declines. And when I’m not in a band it really declines cuz I tend to play to a more narrow range of music.
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For those periods where you're not playing regularly with a band, you could find some like-minded players and just jam. Sometimes an unstructured environment sparks creativity and a fresh perspective. You can stretch out a bit further than you would when you're "on the job" with an organized group.
 
Very interesting responses, thanks, some that really resonate with me, and I am amazed that some of you have this unwaveringly positive relationship with playing, I am envious.

Someone suggested I stop playing.

Well no, almost 1/2 of my income is from playing. I could stop practicing and then I wouldn’t perform at the level that I need to on the gig and I’d maybe be fired and then have to pick up a full time day job again (then I would be really miserable). It’s true that I get burned out, I practice for hours every day and give drumming the majority of my energy in life.

I found my way out of my slump anyway, I think it was the post gig blues or bipolar someone mentioned.
 
Duck Tape said:
Could there be a spark in drummers that dies the more we play?

No matter how many thousands of hours of deliberate practice, vocabulary we pick up, experience on gigs etc, could it be that our groove loses enthusiasm and perhaps bounce or consistency over time because it's just not as new and exciting?
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For me it was leaving a group where the chemistry was all wrong. Gigging with them was a chore and I didn’t look forward to the next one.

As such, I didn’t have a desire to play for a good while after I left. The ringer I was put through made me feel like all I’ve done to be a good player was in vain.

I took a break and it helped a little, but forcing myself to sit down and “get with the program” was the only way to beat the blues and prove to myself that I can still (and want) to do this.
 
2 hit wonder said:
The bass player smokes enough, so I don't have to. But the cigs are more the issue. He just sets his bass down and walks out during practice to smoke without discussing anything.
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Yeah, I'm done with the loiterers.

A lot of people like to schedule rehearsal, rent space, pick up their guitars, and then just stand around pretending to be musicians, rather than actually playing or practicing. That's just too boring for me.

There's a difference, though, between losing enthusiasm for drumming, and losing enthusiasm for a particular band, or losing enthusiasm for the bar scene.
Duck Tape said:
I've been noodling with jazz and trying new styles in the hopes that I will rekindle the spark in the more uncharted areas of my playing but it's hard going, because they're hard styles to study/learn too.
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I've done the same thing. What I've found is that I'm never going to be a Jazz drummer, but noodling with Jazz makes my Pop/Rock drumming more lively and expressive, so it's definitely worth it. If I play nothing but Rock, especially with a click track, it's easy to start plodding along with a rather bored and boring sound.
 
I didn't think it would ever happen to me. Then all my stuff got stolen during the height of the pandemic when we couldn't play any gigs and most bands weren't even practicing. It was a sort of music depression I guess and motivating myself was a challenge... I'm just now starting to get back into swing enough that I'm confident again.

Other things in life took over a bit and it was relatively easy to let music slide, but it never went anywhere. I always wanted to play it was just that extra effort hassle and heartbreak that got in the way.

Like any spark you're trying to light a campfire with, it takes a bit of effort to keep that little bit of flame going. For me, it took a bit of time and a few steps back. Jam night and seeking out new music, slowly re-building the sounds from my stolen gear... Re-adjusting and remembering that full fire we keep going back to find.

I hope you get yours back, and soon! It's there!
 
I find that if I am chasing my own musical expectations I am fine...its when I have to chase the musical expectations of others that burn-out sets in.

Nothing like having to deal with others projecting their unhappiness on you to send you another direction.
 
What is going on here? Mass malaise?

I love playing drums. I have never not loved playing drums. It's what I was put on earth to do. I like playing with lots of people. Every gig is an adventure.

I think some of you guys need to explore why you're feeling this way. Maybe there are outside stresses and negative influences going on. I hope you get to the bottom of whatever is ailing you.
 
I think I finally hit my wall a month or so ago. Haven't been ain a band for a while. Pretty tired of everything I play and can't seem to get all that interested in anything new. Been on mesh heads and L80s for several years now and while I was constantly learning new stuff, like independence, etc. It just suddenly seems pointless. Every day after work I would play for 40 minutes or more just to blow off some steam and relax, but that seems like too much work!

I need to find something interesting to do with them. Sitting home playing quietly, even with my EAD10 just seems so boring at the moment. Maybe the time off will help, but I haven't even been lurking around here as much. It's a phase I'm sure. These phases used to scare the hell out of me years back, but this time......meh....

I may well just be burnt out at the moment. Band ops don't look promising, so the whole premise of practicing to get better, just seems pointless too. Hope its just another phase, but as I've gotten older, I have been thinking more and more of the day I'll just have to hang it up. Not nearly as fast as I once was and arthritis keeps staring at me, so either way, it's a matter of time.

We'll see where I land next, but no drastic changes for a long time...
 
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Al Strange said:
There’s an intangible authority and confidence that grows stronger with each passing year…I remember watching my late great teacher sit in on a rock song at college to demonstrate a point to another student. I was 18 and he was an experienced pro in his 50’s. It really struck me that whilst I could play the notes he was playing, the chasm between his time/feel/vibe/presence and mine was gargantuan! I’m still chasing the dragon on a never ending mission to improve so I don’t see the spark dying for me anytime soon! :) (y)
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Same here - still trying to 'catch' my two primary private instructors who both studied at Berklee under Alan Dawson.
 
I was in a malaise period with bass that I’m just coming out of, and playing drums again is actually helping. I wonder if taking up another instrument might help some of you? I started on drums when I was 6, got into other instruments around age 11, and I know that the more I learned about other instruments, the more I understood about drumming (and all the other instruments and their special qualities), and when you finally assemble the puzzle pieces, it’s almost like a superpower that you can use to annoy anyone at any time ;)
 
Yes. I get bored with drumming sometimes. I've even packed my stuff away for years on end, but I always come back with a renewed vigor and enthusiasm. I don't try to fight the feeling. If I don't feel like playing, I just don't.

Years ago I was in a band that practiced and gigged a lot. We had to take a 2-month break because I was going to be out of town for work. When we finally got back together, we sounded great! We sounded better than before we took the break. At that time, we all decided that you can practice too much and sometimes a little break will actually make you better.

Music is our hobby, not our careers. It needs to be fun or it becomes work.
 
bermuda said:
For those periods where you're not playing regularly with a band, you could find some like-minded players and just jam. Sometimes an unstructured environment sparks creativity and a fresh perspective. You can stretch out a bit further than you would when you're "on the job" with an organized group.
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Yes what Bermuda said. Take an ad out on Craigslist offer to host a jam at your place.
 
Take another tangent - if you're the kind of person who likes to collect things, start collecting snares of a particular vintage or make/model. Or vintage sticks. I know when I get bored I spend more time on Reverb. I buy something. It arrives I set it up I get excited I play it.
 
Depends on the situation for me.
If I'm in a band that's not fun to be in, I don't have the spark to practice and do better. I tend to slip into the funk of "doing just enough to get by" and that's not the real me. I find an exit to that project if it gets like that.

Sometimes if I've been doing a heavy gig rotation and I get a longer break, I won't touch the kit. The spark is still there, but I just don't have the drive to play because I was just playing a lot.
 
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