excitement level

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
I'm interested in knowing at what excitement level does everyone play at? I find the more "detached" I am, the more command I have. Not that I'm always like that, but when I become excited, I crash harder, play louder. I don't like it. I have to make a conscious effort to not get excited, and it's hard sometimes.
 
I'm interested in knowing at what excitement level does everyone play at? I find the more "detached" I am, the more command I have. Not that I'm always like that, but when I become excited, I crash harder, play louder. I don't like it. I have to make a conscious effort to not get excited, and it's hard sometimes.

I'm an emotion driven drummer. I agree with you. Sometimes it's hard to keep it in check. When I get excited I play harder, but with that said, music is an emotional experience.

Let the feeling flow.
 
Yes it can be a really heavy emotional experience, but I know from listening to myself play that the more I "get into it" the worse I sound ha ha.
 
heh Larry we're exact opposites. If im too conscious of what the heck im doing, i try to do stuff thats too complicated, then i mess up, then lose time. As i force myself to lighten up and HAVE FUN! I just get so much more groovy and awesome.
 
I'm an emotion driven drummer. I agree with you. Sometimes it's hard to keep it in check. When I get excited I play harder, but with that said, music is an emotional experience.

Let the feeling flow.

Oh yeah I know exactly what you mean. When I'm playing along to zeppelin I get all intense and feel like I'm the reincarnate bonzo. I throw in more flashy licks and crash cymbals more. It gets a little way when you need to play tastefully but that whole driving feeling can be great for the music at times. But like fred said emotion is part of music, so don't be a robot either!
 
I'm interested in knowing at what excitement level does everyone play at? I find the more "detached" I am, the more command I have. Not that I'm always like that, but when I become excited, I crash harder, play louder. I don't like it. I have to make a conscious effort to not get excited, and it's hard sometimes.


Interesting thread. I jammed last night and the band seems to have fallen together rather nicely recently. Whilst I'm always excited to be playing I felt a lot more relaxed last night and I was doing things I wouldn't normally do and without trying. I really relaxed into it and almost didn't think about what I was doing and it was wicked. I got excited when we finished a song because I knew it had gone really well but while I was playing it I felt calm and just went with it.
 
I remember reading something about Steve Gadd...he was recording a track, getting into it, and it wasn't working, and the producer was telling him to calm it down, and Steve protested saying something to the effect of, but I'm really feeling it, and if I can't play it like that, I feel like a robot, but ultimately that's what he ended up doing to make the track work. I can totally relate. I have to practice a certain amount of restraint for my drumming to come out the way I want it to.
 
I think I'm way too anal to relax and let a lot of emotions flow. I've just been with this current group about 1 month and I literally only hear the songs maybe 2 or 3 times before we play in front of a congregation so I don't have a lot of time to really relax and be creative on fills, etc.

I'm sure that with playing and rehearsing more I'll come looser and start to relax a bit. I'm chalking this "anal" time up to maybe lack of experience? Or I could just be very anal by nature...not sure...maybe I just need female companionship......
 
Back
Top