I stunk up the place....

rogue_drummer

Gold Member
I'm over this now, but man yesterday I was reeling. My third Sunday to play in our church's praise and worship band. The pastor found out I played drums and rather begged me, so I said I would since I'm between bands right now.

Yesterday was the third Sunday we've not held a weekday practice. We haven't since I've been "in the band", so to speak. We've only rehearsed for 1 hour before the service the three or four songs we've had to play since the band leader has been busy with her other church functions. And as usual no music, chord charts for me. I've had to google the lyrics and cut and paste into MS Word.

So yesterday we practice our usual 1 hour before the service the three new songs for us. I was comfortble since I had listened to them a few days before and what I did seemed to fit into place.

When it comes time for the worship service and us to play, I sucked. Big time. Or so I thought I did. I lost the beat a few measures of a song when it bridged, then had to gradually come in when I felt the beat, then I ended a fill early, and on and on. Sorta crappy playing.

By the fourth song I was so po'd by my playing I wanted to quit. I got back to my seat and whispered in my wife's ear that I sucked and she replied it sounded ok to her, no rushing or dragging or clear mistakes, and certainly no "lost beat". Then on the way home she playfully chided me on "being my own worst critic". I think what I'm most embarrassed about is I'm the second oldest one in this band (I turn 50 in July), and they came after me to play. So I felt I let them down, let the congregation down, etc.

I'm finding I love drumming, but it don't always love me back....
 
What a bugger! Sorry to hear that - life has its uppers and downers, we must learn from it.

By the way, I will borrow this one shamelessly: I love drumming, but it don't always love me back....
 
HaHa Thanks Ian! I too "borrowed" that phrase from the Billy Bob Thornton movie Bad News Bears. "You may love baseball, but it may not love you back". I simply replaced baseball with drumming. Yeah, I'm original. LOL
 
I play just about every Sunday at my church and I mess up a lot more than I care to admit. Part of my problem is I can't see the worship leader from my vantage point. I'm off to the side in a kind of pit and I have to listen for musical cues instead of visual ones. Sometimes we don't have a chance to practice a song or two and I'm forced to wing it. I do alright most of the time, but there are always those times when I stop when I should keep going and keep going when I should stop etc. You know how it is. But most people really don't care. Many of them really don't notice. They think we're just being "creative."
 
Sorry to hear about the off day. We all have them. And yes, we are our own worst critics too.

I also play drums (of course) in my church band. There are some days I think I stink up the place too, but my wife assures me that it nevers sounds as bad as I think.

I think it's important to remember who we are drumming for. Especially in a worship setting. You clearly felt led to become a part of the band (no rehearsals and all) and you have been faithful to that. Your audience of one is probably pleased to see your devotion to service.

Drum on.
 
how can you blame yourself when you weren´t rehearsed properly ?

to play songs you aren´t familiar with is like driving the Baja 5000 at 200mph without a map.

you don´t know where the turns are.

it could get dangerous.

you should be commended for stepping up...

...and for keeping it in the road.
 
Take care brother! you have a pack of rascals, watching after you! ;-)
 
Oh man Rogue you're right! You did stink that place up! I happened to be in the congregation that day and saw you! Wow were you bad! They shouldn't allow you to have sticks!

There, your own worst fears confirmed. Of course I jest, but I can guarantee you nobody thought this. A monumental mistake on your part is a blip on the screen to everyone there. The thing is, the more "mistakes" you make, the more experience you have. Mistakes are a growth node, if you are the type who improves. I know quite a few musicians who don't improve even though they keep on playing.

But I can relate to how you feel....
You'll make up for it next time.
 
Hang in there.. Dont get down on your self... I am 59 and it seems harder all the time to get my ego up. Seems like I lost my confidence???
 
When I read the heading of this I was reminded of a time at rehearsal back in the 70s when our bassist did a bad fart. A very bad fart. We ended up running for safety outside, apart from our guitarist who was trashed and continued sitting on a stool playing (he usually played all through the breaks - a true obsessive).

I realised that I'd left my cigs in the studio and ran in, covering my nose, and on the way out I asked our guitarist "How can you stand it?". He smiled and said, "It ain't easy" and kept on playing. Later on in the evening he threw up - no doubt from sulphur poisoning!

Sorry about the digression - old people tend to go on with their war stories.

Anyway Rogue, Larry's right. Like the rest of the world you are capable of having off days and now it's time to work out why.

Sounds to me like you were either tense or the sound was so bad you couldn't hear the one. These things are always the reason for a slow recovery. Recovery from a blunder will almost always happen pretty well immediately if you're relaxed and can hear everything clearly.

At least one of these things is fixable - it might be worth checking out Larry's Confidence thread in General Discussion for some ideas.
 
I think it's important to remember who we are drumming for. Especially in a worship setting. You clearly felt led to become a part of the band (no rehearsals and all) and you have been faithful to that. Your audience of one is probably pleased to see your devotion to service.

Drum on.

This is it right here. We always want to give our best and sound our best. This doesn't always happen no matter where we play. What matters is, you are using your talents for that which music was created for. Stay encouraged brother, I know exactly how you feel.
 
Sorry to hear about the off day. We all have them. And yes, we are our own worst critics too.
I also play drums (of course) in my church band. There are some days I think I stink up the place too, but my wife assures me that it nevers sounds as bad as I think.
I think it's important to remember who we are drumming for. Especially in a worship setting. You clearly felt led to become a part of the band (no rehearsals and all) and you have been faithful to that. Your audience of one is probably pleased to see your devotion to service. Drum on.

I agree with brady, its about playing from the heart to please that one being that gave you the talent to play in the first place. I too play on Sundays with the church band. Compared to my rock band, I definitely play more spiritually and with purpose. To me, its actually a form of prayer. Just remember that we all mess up from time to time. The next time you do, just pay no attention and keep on playing. Rock on !
 
Rogue, I had to laugh when I read this because I can't tell you how many times I have done the exact same thing! Especially, sitting down next to my wife and saying, "Well, that sucked!" And my wife, too, never seems to "notice".

I've even gone as far to apologize to the other members of the praise band afterwards and they never seem to notice either. I agree that we are usually our own worst critics. I think playing in that setting helps in these situations because the congregation is focused on praise and not so much on being "entertained".

Lack of practice time, last minute song lists, lack of sheet music- all part of the church playing experience!

Keep rockin'!
 
Been there done that many times. Half the time I believe I'm just winging it at church. The lead singer and guitarist talk amongst themselves up front and I can't hear a word they are saying where I am back there. I'm lucky if I know what song they are playing. Fortunately I have been doing this for 15 years and know many of the songs cold, but sometimes I still screw up by forgetting how a song breaks or changes.

In my rock band, our last gig was a nightmare for me, as I felt like I could not hear the rest of the band and I was in my own bubble and not playing in synch with anything. Ugh.

Hang in there - it gets better!
 
Thank you, Jason. These past two weeks have gone a lot smoother. We have actually rehearsed the songs and we're beginning to jell.
 
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