Wow...Has this ever happened to anyone?

[acq1]

Over the past week it seems like I am a whole new drummer. I have been taking lessons for about 2 months now, but have been dabbling for about a year and a half or so. For some reason over the past week everything just feels natural and not forced. My fills have feeling, and my independecnce seems effortless. I always wanted to play the half time shuffle in the "Fool in the rain" style that Bonham used. I listened to the song, watched a video or two and bam. I went downstairs and cranked it out. Not sure what happened. Maybe I just stepped up a notch. While I was learning guitar years ago it was more of a gradual progression. I don't know is this a common phenomena in drumming. Every once in a while does a light go off kind of like an ah ha moment? I'm even holding my sticks more gently and my movements are fluid. I can go on but...I still have a long long long long long long way to go. It is just encouraging to see my efforts paying off. Even if just a little...

[DLDante]

It happens. I literally went from struggling with fills to flying around the kit overnight. Now, I had many nights of sucking at fills, but then from one day to the next it all just came together in one shot. It is exciting indeed.

[nio]

Acq1, you were in the ZONE, Bro ! You were feeling the groove ... and in my opinion, its all a matter of how you approach the song....my guess is that it was playing in your head, and all you had to do is let it flow through your playing. This is why we all love playing the drums ! When its clicking, there is nothing like it. Rock On !

[itchie]

congrats, you just got out of a nasty plateau

[cole1paul]

Yep, it's usually that way with most skill-based things, the rises and plateaus. Recently I've stepped it way up with my double strokes (especially my left hand) and have been dabbling in some mild gospel chops stuff.

[Gretschhead]

Purdie Shuffle (Fool in the Rain) has got to be one of the coolest beats of all time!

[gonefishin]

Congrats.....it makes the lessons and practicing all worth while when that happens.

[defcon235]

Yea, its an awesome feeling when everything comes together like that.

[pastor_bob]

Congrats acq1! A lot of things just come along at their own pace, but then there are the moments like you describe, where it just suddenly comes together. Our dear departed member and friend, Frank Iacovassi, would probably say you had a bit of "luck" - skill and opportunity coming together. Once you've experienced it, there's no going back!

[yohin]

Yup...that happened to me about six or eight months ago. My overall skill just shot way up in just a few weeks. Unfortunately after that my progress seems to be leveling off a little and I sometimes feel like I'm getting no where. But I'm sure another burst will come soon enough.

[late8]

That's a great story you shared acq1. Keeps me motivated. Thanks for sharing.

[Frippi]

Yuuup, That´s how the most "drum-persons" would experience, and I describe´s
this learning-curve as a stair case. You will always be on one, and some times,
can find You´r self "stepping down" a level, but don´t dispaire!! Just practice, and
the "muscle-memory" & simultan capacaty (does it spells like that?) will be at Your side..
Sorry, but English isn´t my mother-lingua,, ha-ha..

Regard´s Bengt

[Full-Force]

I had a similar experience. I think its mostly muscle memory.

[Russ]

i have found that it feels better when i take a day or so break than come back to it. even though my playing suffered an absence, it just comes out great for some reason

[Catfish]

Sounds like a "Drumming Epiphany"! Grats man!

[Quadcam79]

yep, it's a great feeling when you take another step up. struggle, struggle, struggle and then one day it just hits you and everything clicks. I just had that with the Bossa Nova...I couldnt get all four limbs to work independently, I'd get 3 of the 4 and as soon as i added one more thing it all fell apart and then all of a sudden it all came together.

get used to it, especially if you're new because it's going to happen a lot

[KISSFan300]

I had one of those the other day. I was jamming with my friend and all of a sudden BAM. I didn't know I could some of the things I was doing. I love playing music with other people

[atomcorr2]

way to go bud , the next step will feel even better..nice..

[DaSoul]

Happened to me too,in about 4 months of playing.One of the best days i ever had,felt great :D

[robert alderman]

I've been playing a year and a half and am self taught so I know exactly where you're coming from.I gauge my progress by going back to songs I had no idea how to play a few months later and try again.There is nothing more gratifying than playing a song that a few months earlier you could'nt touch.

[nucjd]

Yep, part and parcel of learning that happens everyday in what we do. Everyone has chimed in with good points and the ebb and flow of the learning curve will make you feel great one day and make you mad the next. C'est la vie, c'est la guerre, c'est la pomme de terre.

[Nomad]

Gives me something to look forward to.

[13drummer]

To me this happens alot. Some days when i play i just feel like i can't do things i normally can, other days i can't wait to pick up sticks and get playing. I think Nio said it best, it's just the ZONE.

[Roo]

I always wanted to play the half time shuffle in the "Fool in the rain" style that Bonham used. I listened to the song, watched a video or two and bam. I went downstairs and cranked it out. Not sure what happened.

Visualization is proven to be a very powerful learning tool... especially in sports. Maybe it played a part. ...maybe the percussion part?

[JohnDiFrancesco]

Congratulations on your breakthrough!

I've just started going through the classic "4-Way Coordination" book. I'm only just finishing up the second page, but I told myself there was no rush and I was going to take as much time as each line needed until I could play it at least ten times through at 120 bpm.

There have been several evenings where I've given up on a particular piece in frustration, but then when I went back the next night to try again, I got it in no time. The last one I did was so frustrating I thought I'd never get it. I must have tried for four nights in a row. Tonight, it finally clicked. What a relief!

I think it's a combination of muscle memory and building new coordination pathways in the brain. Taking a night off and coming back to it seems to be very helpful, at least for me.