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. 🙂
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,
- 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.
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 blog post is about my opinion.
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,
PS:
What’s the hardest part of being a drummer in your opinion?
