My Opinion On What’s The Hardest Part Of Being A Drummer

Whats The Hardest Part Of Being A Drummer Personal Thoughts

What’s the hardest part of being a drummer?

That’s a fantastic question.

And that’s why I’m going to share my personal opinion today.

What do you think?

What’s the hardest part of being a drummer in your opinion?

Share your thoughts down in the comments as well.

The Hardest Part Of Being A Drummer? For Me, It’s All About …

  • Limb independence is demanding.
  • It’s a challenge to build advanced coordination around the drum set.
  • Establishing an accomplished hand or foot technique takes its time as well.

And let’s not forget about learning to play the drums in

  • various volumes,
  • different paces and
  • in flexible musical settings and styles.

You could also say:

Mastering the art of playing the drums is an overall challenge.

And sure:

We all adore it, that’s why we’re here today. πŸ™‚

Or maybe we even love drumming for the many challenges it provides us with?

Still, a fierce passion for playing the drum set is one thing.

The hardest part of being a drummer is another.

And for me, it is made of three aspects:

  • Keep going when times are rough.
  • Learn to deal with inner and outer critics.
  • Owning your personal voice as a drummer.

Let’s take a look at each part individually, shall we?

1) Keep Going When Times Are Rough

Ever felt like throwing your drum sticks away, and never touch them again?

If you haven’t:

Congrats.

If not:

You’re definitely not alone.

That’s because hard times come in different varieties for drummers, including

  • health or financial issues,
  • struggling with self-doubt or envy,
  • having to shoulder too many daily duties
  • or the unexpected loss of one’s rehearsal room.

Also, you can have a hard time making progress.

I’ve you’ve ever felt like practicing on end without noticing any difference in your playing, you know what I mean.

That’s the first hardest part of being a drummer:

Finding the strength to keep going.

Sometimes over and over again.

And sure:

There are times when it’s the best decision

  • to quit,
  • take a break
  • or to put a project to a temporary rest.

Making tough decision for this reason also is a part of getting through rough times (not only) as a drummer.

2) Learning To Deal With Criticism: The Second-Hardest Part Of Being A Drummer

Do you know your inner critic?

That’s the voice in your head constantly nagging about your drumming skills:

“You’re definitely not grooving hard enough. You will never play like drummer XY, that’s for sure.”

“Actually, you should really be able to play this by now. You obviously just don’t have what it takes.”

“Have you heard about this awesome drummer!? Why haven’t you achieved what she/he has. You’ve been drumming way longer, remember?”

Sounds harsh?

Yes.

Still, the inner critic of many drummers sounds exactly like this.

It’s the voice in your head telling you that you’re just not good enough and will never be.

Of course, that’s bullshit.

But the inner critic simply doesn’t know better.

And sure, I know its main goal is to protect you from

  • loss,
  • failure
  • and disappointments.

Nice goals, but still not helpful.

After all, nobody can predict the future.

Can your inner critic really know what’s going to happen 100 %?

No, that’s impossible.

And that’s also the second-hardest part of being a drummer:

Learning to deal with your inner critic in a healthy and helpful way.

But wait!

What about being criticized by other people as a drummer?

That’s another noteworthy challenge.

However, the inner critic mostly is WAY harsher than other people could possibly be.

In addition, professional critic is worth paying good money for.

Being criticized as a drummer might hurt, but you simply can’t avoid it.

There’s no way to be liked by everybody, so it’s a good idea to learn how to deal with being criticized.

Playing The Drums Hardest Part Opinion

3) Owning Your Personal Drumming Voice

Nobody plays the drums like you.

If you learn to own this fact, it can become your most precious asset.

However, it’s not easy to own it.

Yet to appreciate your drumming as a unique experience you create.

Have you heard your drum teacher say something like

It’s not so much about what you play. It’s more about HOW you play it.

That’s the third aspect when talking about the hardest part of being a drummer:

Owning everything you play on the drum set the way only you can do it.

No matter if it’s highly complex or simpler stuff.

Finding your personal voice as a drummer is something you will do over time.

Being satisfied with it is a whole different story.

Are certain

  • drumming styles,
  • techniques or
  • an unbelievable groove

not so hard to reach, then?

As I said, this drumming guide is highly opinion-based.

And of course:

Playing like a top-notch drummer is extremely hard.

After all, reaching this level demands A LOT

  • dedication,
  • practice time
  • and resilience.

You don’t become state of the art by accident.

But there’s more to playing the drums like a pro than what meets the eyes.

Let’s also not forget that.

Cheers,

Drumming mindset tips

PS:

What’s the hardest part of being a drummer in your opinion?

Feel free to share your thoughts!

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Author: Manu Holmer

Hi, I'm Manu Holmer, nice to meet you! As a professional drummer and drum teacher, my vision is to help others transform their lives with the power of music. Let's not only play the drums. Feel the rhythm & and walk to our own beats!

6 thoughts on “My Opinion On What’s The Hardest Part Of Being A Drummer”

  1. My friend, Tony, is the best drummer I’ve ever heard. I beat him out at the junior high official tryouts, probably because I had a super steady beat, but Tony was inventive which I could never be. He constantly amazed me with his talent. And his dedication. He still plays and is still fabulous. God loves a great drummer, they can’t be replaced.

    1. Hi Anita,

      Tony sounds like a great drummer, thanks for sharing your story! πŸ™‚

  2. my top three:
    1. inner voice fo sho. but I love “It’s the voice in your head telling you that you’re just not good enough and will never be.

    Of course, that’s bullshit.”-thank you for that. I needed the chuckle and the boost πŸ™πŸΌ

    2. routine. it’s hard enough to find time, but the real killer for me is establishing a routine to begin with. Time is inevitably a part of this in my opinion, because even if I have it I’m inconsistent.

    3. self doubt AGAIN *sigh* πŸ˜…

    Great article πŸ‘πŸΌ

    1. Hi Mo, you’re totally welcome! πŸ™‚

      Yeah, many drummers struggle with self-doubt and a lack of time. :-/

      I know this firsthand.

      What helped me in terms of self-doubt are baby steps:

      Achieving smaller goals over a long period of time.

      Huge goals can be terrifying and they are also less often achieved, due to their size.

      Maybe you can add one small and achievable drumming challenge each time you’re practicing?

      And in terms of a routine:

      If it’s a killer for you, don’t hesitate to go smaller.

      You don’t need to start with a “full” routine.

      Establish one good drumming habit and then add one or two, depending on what works for you.

      By doing so, you’ll be able to build up your routine over time.

      All the best to you, Mo!

      Keep on rocking. πŸ™‚

      1. I think spending quality time practicing like 10 hours a day practicing and breaking down sections in songs getting musical and not just practicing chops chops are great to learn also but putting time in to be tasteful along with chops added will be next level and practice all genres of music too also is really important #GoHigher #AndTakeYourDrums #ToAnotherLevelπŸ₯πŸ₯πŸ™πŸΏπŸ™πŸΏπŸ™πŸΏπŸ™πŸΏ

        1. Hi Damien, thanks for your comment! πŸ™‚

          Yes, chops are great fun, but never forget the music over it.

          It simply has to fit, right?

          I also think it’s a good idea to practice more than one or two genres of music.

          However, I can also understand why some drummers prefer to specialize on one genre.

          I guess every approach has its up- and downsides.

          Anyway, thank you and have a wonderful day! πŸ™‚
          Manu

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