What's your favorite...

[drummer]

What's your favorite thing about drumming? Is it advancing as a player or just being a part of a band (the social element) or is it the girls (or guys) or do you just like to have an activity to keep busy or what?

[inthpktplayer]

For me, my favorite thing about drumming is that I have fun doing it.

[Mottster]

This a tough question! I love the sound of drums, I love that they can be used to enhance the sound of other instruments, or they can sound great all by themselves.

I just love rhythm and everything about it. My hands feel empty without a pair of sticks and some surface to pull music out of.

[xweasel]

Playing once difficult things with little to no effort.

[G-man]

It's a total mental and emotional escape from the job stress - and there's a lot of that.

[-bongos-]

While I enjoy playing solo, my favorite thing about drumming is playing in a group setting. Either with my band, or in the drum circles that I attended, there is something very special about creating something that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. And being a part of the conversation of rhythm and melodies is truly magical.

[markthechuck]

i enjoy playing in a band and gigging the most, we have such a laugh in the band and getting people up singing/dancing and having a great time does it for me.

[Texdrumr]

i enjoy playing in a band and gigging the most, we have such a laugh in the band and getting people up singing/dancing and having a great time does it for me.

Ditto

[Pearl MCX Man]

Gives me something to do when I have nothing else to do.

[N2Bluz]

Playing live music. When you get totally lost in the song (metaphorically speaking) and everything else in the world just melts away. It's like a drug. Even if we didn't gig, I get as much enjoyment out of jamming at practice. But, it has to be with a band. I can't just sit down and play by myself....it needs that human interaction. If I had to play music by myself, it would be guitar and not drums.

[rickthedrummer]

So that's what I did for all those years and the reasons for it.

Now I know that those nightmares I had about dealing with guitar players that acted like they didn't speak a known language, was not nightmares at all,


IT REALLY HAPPENED!!!!!

[SpazApproved]

I like showing off and hitting things hard lol j/k

[kay-gee]

Playing live music. When you get totally lost in the song (metaphorically speaking) and everything else in the world just melts away. It's like a drug. Even if we didn't gig, I get as much enjoyment out of jamming at practice. But, it has to be with a band. I can't just sit down and play by myself....it needs that human interaction. If I had to play music by myself, it would be guitar and not drums.

It's a very good question and one that's difficult to answer in a nutshell, but N2Bluz probably hits it as close to my feelings as it can get.

[Ricardo]

What's your favorite thing about drumming? Is it advancing as a player or just being a part of a band (the social element) or is it the girls (or guys) or do you just like to have an activity to keep busy or what?

Advancing as an individual player and being a member of a band that is also advancing as a group.
I get satisfaction of playing a gig where the song comes off as well as the entire band can play it.
All the work pays off !

Playing live music. When you get totally lost in the song (metaphorically speaking) and everything else in the world just melts away. It's like a drug.

Playing drums is not what I do; it is a place I can go.

[NewTricks]

I just love the experience of playing music with a band.

I like being a part of several people playing/singing their individual parts and hearing/feeling the results.

I don't try to push myself or be the most technical drummer in the world or even in the room I'm confident enough to find my place in the song and do my job.

[slinky]

I like being part of a band, recording, playing live and looking at gear.

If I had to pick one it would probably be recording

[N2Bluz]

I just love the experience of playing music with a band.

I like being a part of several people playing/singing their individual parts and hearing/feeling the results.

I don't try to push myself or be the most technical drummer in the world or even in the room I'm confident enough to find my place in the song and do my job.

That's the thing that's hard to explain to someone who doesn't play in a band. There's a "collective awareness"....an energy that flows between musicians....when everyone is in the groove. The hair on your arms stands up and you get goosebumps. The song becomes its own entity and you are no longer separate individuals, but one.

[noreastbob]

Yes N2Bluz, it is the closest thing to magic I have ever experienced. When everything is working perfectly almost by itself and the band is almost floating as one.
Too rare.

[itchie]

genuinely its entertaining and when someone comes up to the stage at then end of a show and tells me how much they enjoyed my playing

[drummer5359]

This is a great question Tom!


Drums are my primary instrument, but whether I am playing drums, bass or hand percussion, the joy for me is in performing. I love getting people up and dancing and making them forget their troubles for three or four minutes at a time.

I'm proud to be a drummer, but I especially enjoy being an entertainer.

[NPYYZ]

After 42 years playing I'd say my favorite thing now is just sitting behind my kit in my basement all by myself and just playing what ever comes to mind. No music, just me and the kit. It's just an exploration of everything I've learned over the years. It's quite relaxing.

[Johnny G]

That's the thing that's hard to explain to someone who doesn't play in a band. There's a "collective awareness"....an energy that flows between musicians....when everyone is in the groove. The hair on your arms stands up and you get goosebumps. The song becomes its own entity and you are no longer separate individuals, but one.

This this this!!! Perfectly phrased. When a band is really hitting it as a unit, it's like nothing else. I think it's a healing energy that keeps guys like Keith Richards alive.

That being said, I also love that drums are so physical. Without drumming, I would hardly get any cardio workout at all. Can't stand to do anything else, bicycling, swimming, etc, for any length of time. I get too bored.
But drumming! Now that I can do till I sweat out every toxin hiding in my body. I miss those days in my 20's of three, three-hour rehearsals a week and gigging on the weekends. I was in great shape! Hauling the kit around was like half the workout, too.

[Olimpass]

When everyone's riding the groove and the band soars.
It's much more than that too. I love practicing styles of famous drummers and asking the band, "How would (fill in the blank) band do this?" (or just the drummer)
I've found myself collecting different drums/kits also. It's fun to play on different kits, sizes..etc. Cymbals, that's a whole other story in itself.
It seems to go on and on where there's always more to learn and feel great once it's accomplished!

[Ricardo]

I miss those days in my 20's of three, three-hour rehearsals a week and gigging on the weekends.

Isn't it the truth !

In my first band (I lived in the practice house), the other three guys would show up at my door every Saturday at 11am-ish and we would practice/jam until 7pm...........then go out and check out the other bands.

Repeat the next day.

[late8]

Drums are my only constant in life. Bands, friends, family and jobs come and go but the drums are always there.