What drumming advice would you give to a younger you?

[Push pull stroke]

I would tell myself that it’s not a career choice, and to do it for personal growth, and for the fun of it. Just enjoy the process along the way.
But I’m not as big on giving my younger self advice as I used to be.

 

[8Mile]

1. Get out and play. Don't sit at home, trying to get great/perfect in your bedroom, before getting out there. Like it's possible to become fully formed by working independently. You can only develop so much playing by yourself. The learning experience of playing and failing and fixing and improving while playing music IS the whole thing.

2. When you think you've FINALLY understood what groove is, what good time is... you still don't understand it. It doesn't mean just not playing busy or leaving out fills. It's the last thing you'll "get," but the most important thing.

 

[MrInsanePolack]

Death metal doesn't pay the bills. Most metal doesn't for that matter. Stop worrying about trying to make music your career. Get a real job and buy a house and car. Stay away from credit cards. If you do this, your house can be paid off by 40. Then all you have is utilities. You can work 20 hours a week for minimum wage and still pay your bills. Then you will be home more and can drum as much as you please.

That's what I'd tell myself 25-30 years ago. And use the pad more. Yeah, that too.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

Death metal doesn't pay the bills. Most metal doesn't for that matter. Stop worrying about trying to make music your career. Get a real job and buy a house and car. Stay away from credit cards. If you do this, your house can be paid off by 40. Then all you have is utilities. You can work 20 hours a week for minimum wage and still pay your bills. Then you will be home more and can drum as much as you please.

That's what I'd tell myself 25-30 years ago. And use the pad more. Yeah, that too.

hmm...the 50 year old metal head in me would disagree with a lot of this...and is glad that the 20 year old me was not worried about the mainstream definition of success. I have managed to make a "real job" out of music, and playing metal has been some of that. For the past 30 years, I have been getting payed to play the drums every day as a band director/percussion instructor. For a while, I was also playing in a working/touring band - which made for some long nights-into-days during the week, but it was also a blast. Play a gig in X City, drive back home, change in the car in the parking lot, and head to class for 8 hours....I loved those days. 24 hours of music in all forms etc...

I think what a lot of people need to do is not fall into the mainstream definition of "success"...which is very small, narrowly defined space. Success is what makes you genuinely happy, at least to me. Not what someone else is telling me to be...and it never did, or never ever will have to do with the amount of money I have.

I 100% agree with the credit card thing, and carry only one right now, with a $1000 limit.

 

[thebarak]

I would tell the much younger me that I was hitting too hard, gripping too tight, tuning all wrong, playing the wrong kit, setting it up wrong, and working in a less than ideal genre for my own tastes. Worse than all of that, I was too big-headed to take advice or lessons. I did everything wrong despite achieving some success and undeserved respect. But it all makes my old age sweeter as I have corrected most of these errors. This forum has helped considerably.

 

[MrInsanePolack]

hmm...the 50 year old metal head in me would disagree with a lot of this...and is glad that the 20 year old me was not worried about the mainstream definition of success. I have managed to make a "real job" out of music, and playing metal has been some of that. For the past 30 years, I have been getting payed to play the drums every day as a band director/percussion instructor. For a while, I was also playing in a working/touring band - which made for some long nights-into-days during the week, but it was also a blast. Play a gig in X City, drive back home, change in the car in the parking lot, and head to class for 8 hours....I loved those days. 24 hours of music in all forms etc...

I think what a lot of people need to do is not fall into the mainstream definition of "success"...which is very small, narrowly defined space. Success is what makes you genuinely happy, at least to me. Not what someone else is telling me to be...and it never did, or never ever will have to do with the amount of money I have.

I 100% agree with the credit card thing, and carry only one right now, with a $1000 limit.

These are all just things I learned along the way. And yeah, it won't work for everybody. I don't like being in a band. It took me 8 years to figure that out. I like the writing, that's about it. Everything else I can do without.

I'm 44 now. I don't really have to work if I don't want. I'm not rich, quite the opposite. But by minimilizing my lifestyle, the things I have are paid for. I don't have a mortgage. I don't have a car payment. I don't have credit card debt. I get to stay home, play drums, and do basically whatever I want. That's freedom.

 

[Darth Vater]

Move to where the music is being made. In my case that would have been England in the 70's. Give it everything you've got until you're in your early 30s. You should know by then if playing pro is going to be worthwhile career. I managed a pretty good career having not the done the first part but did the 2nd. My non-drumming advice would be to take up the flute. It's a lot easier to carry to gigs.

 

[BonsaiMagpie]

Play Drums, not World of Warcraft, you virgin!

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

These are all just things I learned along the way. And yeah, it won't work for everybody. I don't like being in a band. It took me 8 years to figure that out. I like the writing, that's about it. Everything else I can do without.

I'm 44 now. I don't really have to work if I don't want. I'm not rich, quite the opposite. But by minimilizing my lifestyle, the things I have are paid for. I don't have a mortgage. I don't have a car payment. I don't have credit card debt. I get to stay home, play drums, and do basically whatever I want. That's freedom.

You are lucky to be that way at 44!!!

I hope to be that way by 54!! In the next 10 years, I also hope to make it so that I can live without much debt worries, and want to reduce down to the point where if I have to move, I can do it in one trip with a 20' truck, and can move every thing by myself.

 

[Benthedrummer]

My advice to my younger self?

1) DON'T smoke cigarettes!

2) Be nice to your neighbours AND your mother.

3) DON'T set your snare level with your knees or your bollocks.......get it up to your navel!

4) You DON'T need a truck to transport your drums.......a hatchback will suffice.

5) Work on the 3 basic rudiments SLOWLY and lead with your LEFT hand too.

6) Marry a woman who encourages you to go to your drum shop and buy stuff.......or just don't get bloody married at all.

7) Forget expensive drum shells, spend your samolians on cymbals, a good throne, a good snare, pedal and EAR PROTECTION.

8) DON'T shave your head by yourself on the night of a gig.

9) Do cross-sticks with the butt end of the stick.

10) DON'T eat mentos and drink coke together on the night of a big gig.

 

[RockNGrohl]

Older me: "Do you REALLY have to play that big fill there?"
Younger me: "But there's enough space right there to go 'bippidabippidabippidabippidabippida' at light speed! It will sound awesome!!!!"
Older me: "No it won't"
Younger me: "But it will look awesome!"
Older me: "No it won't! You'll clack a rim and it will be all over! Can you hit that fill and get back to the hi hat in time? Try ba da ba do.. snare, snare, rack, floor.. that's all you need. You'll thank me later kid! And loosen those wing nuts! You'll strip 'em! Cheap metal and they don't need to be that tight. Dad will kill ya if you break the drums he payed for good money for you to have!"

 

[WallyY]

I'd learn to write charts and read them, so I could learn faster.

I would play more music with more people who are better and worse musicians and keep in contact with them.

I would tell everyone I played music with, how much I enjoyed playing with them.