Energy

[Drumskull]

8:30-5:30 Monday-Friday. On the weekends I'm fine.

[dum-dum-soc]

This is not a strange question at all. I played college basketball for 4 years, and highschool ball for 4 years, and grade school ball. All while continuing to play drums. The point is that being a drummer is like being a pro athlete. I am glad to hear that you are working all the time now it is time to condition your body and mind. First, try to eat good. As a gigging drummer it's hard to find good meals from the drive throuh window. I hate to say it but.... Try to eat more subway (damn you Jarret). Start taking vitimins, the ones that contain all the daily requirements. Also throw in a healthy dose of ginseng which will give you energy and STAMINA [img]wink.gif[/img] . Eat more vege's and fruits. Take a bannana to the gig as well as a orange. This will be quick enegy boost that will come in handy later on. It will take 2 weeks for your body to adjust but trust me it will. Also if you have a rigorous practice schedule, I suggest that you cut it down quite a bit. Drumming is more physical than any other musical istrument. Don't wear yourself out trying to "blushda" at 166bpm. Another good thing is to exercise to build up you muscles, wind and stamina. Try to jog and lift light weights (consult a trainer) but nothing to rough that will have you too sore to play(I've done that before) Now let's talk about mental preparation. If you have any free time, try to spend it on any other activity. Video games, movies, women, food, women [img]biggrin.gif[/img] . But remeber if you are dating and do have a girlfriend or whatever, no sex before big gigs. Nothing is more draining (no pun intended) than to loose all of your happy juice, plus sex is like working out. And you don't want that to take away from your 21/16 solo.......... The emphasis here is that you have to take care of your body. Your a pro athlete now. Get plenty of rest and hang in there....

[peter c]

So you're not gigging
some of the nights?

Well, then you should
be fine, if you're get-
ting whatever you re-
quire for sleep.

Try not to eat too much
sugar or lots of carbo-
hydrates or use too much
caffiene. Don't eat too
late at night.

Get and stay in a good
routine. It'll keep you.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

[blake1]

LOL ! Dum-dum-sock

Yes, sugar and caffiene will get you by the end of the gig.
Girls, no problem, unless you play dbl bass.
Remember "Rocky". His trainer (Burgess Merideth) said they make your legs weak.
Not mine. I'm chasin them all the time : )

[blake1]

BTW,
All of the greatest drummers had/have that extra energy. It's an incredibly difficult instrument to keep up with and as drummers age we have to become more aware of our physiology and nutrition.
Food is fuel and it's good to really monitor what goes in how it affects you.
Some people just have that extra "oomph" but I believe it can be developed to a great degree.

Hang in there ! And keep goingggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg ggggggg ...

[FuseU1]

Good post, dds...cept 4 da part about women & food [OK, proper food in moderate amts - women as well?! [img]wink.gif[/img] ]...
blake, the REAL trick is gettin em to chase US [img]wink.gif[/img] ...[for longer than a few wks]...sometimes it's like VC/DW/VD polyrhthmic & superimposed metric modulation [& that's BEFORE u actually "get" em]...i know, i know, right about now any "post-modern" ladies perusin' this board have taken offense to the smell of chauv-testosterone...[but they REALLY like it, deep down, DON'T they?! [img]wink.gif[/img] -again]...
awright...dont one of u ladies make me go & EDIT my post, now....[ [img]wink.gif[/img] yet again]

...jes call me "Wink" Martindale...dohhh....

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 13, 2003 04:12 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[dum-dum-soc]

Hey Fuse, something will always suffer when it comes to our craft. Either you get the hour long solo with great technique. Or the coors light "TWINS". All of us want both, and if we get both we will be SPENT for the next gig. I don't have a 9 to 5 so both are possible [img]biggrin.gif[/img] . Those who have to work in the real world get to be chewed out for comming in late and wearing womens underwear.(because that's how wild the night got. I pray that I find a woman like Sheila E. I meet her through a friend of mine and let me say......... [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] ......She has to be one of the finest and most gifted girls ever. Can you believe she is forty.... She looks like she's in her late 20's.......

[buga]

What I do is take a cymbal stand and a Metropad and work on "Master Studies", starting with a *wrist workout*/Moeller Stroke, and then working on *finger control itself* and letting the rebound do the work, Weckl's "How To Develop Technique" is a great visual reference for that.

But that's my approach, since i'm watching TV i'm not really worrying about mechanics and it seems as tho when that happens i'm generally more "fluid" and not so tense or stiff, the execution of the stroke is better in turn

[Drumskull]

Hey, guys-

I've waited so long and paid my dues for so long, I am, now, FINALLY gigging constantly. I'm getting calls ALL the time. Here is my dilemma...

I'm tired. At work, I stare at a computer all day long, it's draining my energy. Then, I feel, I don't play up to par or play as good as I could, as if I woke up and went to the session. I'm kind of worried about this. I'm going to bed the night before, a little earlier, I'm taking naps during the day, but it's not doing much good. I've waited so long to be busy drumming, now it's happening and I'm out of energy once I get to the gig. What helps? Vitamins? Exercise? Hypnosis? [img]wink.gif[/img] . Very strange and kind of stupid question, I know, but I can't figure out how to get more energy on my own.

[peter c]

What exactly is your
schedule over the 5-7
day period?

[img]cool.gif[/img]