TIPS FOR OVERCOMING DRUMMER PRE-SHOW JITTERS

Tips for Overcoming Drummer Pre-Show Jitters
Pre-show jitters are a very common aspect of performing, and all musicians experience them to varying degrees. They are a manifestation of processes occurring in the body which prepare it for action -- the “fight or flight” response. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is the part of the body responsible for the symptoms that a musician experiences, and epinephrine (“adrenalin”) is one of several hormones released into the bloodstream. The goal of this nervous system activation is to help the body achieve peak performance and is a survival mechanism.

Some of the specifics of the SNS response include improved reflexes, enhanced memory, regulation of blood flow, and a switch to a catabolic state.

The downside of SNS activation is that it causes a series of annoying symptoms. Diarrhea, intestinal cramping, tremors (“shakes”), sweating, palpitations, nervousness and irritability are some of the distractions that an musician may face. Sometimes these symptoms may become so great that they go beyond the nuisance stage and performance suffers as a result.

SNS activation is important part of performing well (with energy and emotion), but too much can cause a decrease in performance. Ultimately, the goal is to reach a middle ground. This will maximize performance, but keep the adverse symptoms to a minimum. There are mechanisms musicians can use to regulate their degree of SNS activation -- as well as some things to avoid -- and these are vital to achieving consistency.
       

               Tips for Conquering Pre-Show Jitters
1. Establish a routine. The day-of-show routine starts when you wake up, and ends when the show starts. A few of the components in the routine are calorie intake, fluids, travel time to show location, warm-up, stretching, gear check, mental exercises, etc.... Some components will vary depending upon the type of show, but the basic framework will remain consistent. Every time you perform it is different, but developing a consistent routine will provide a familiar base from which to launch your routine. It will also give you confidence that you know you are ready to play.

2. Mental exercises. You will often see top musicians close their eyes and engage in seemingly strange behavior, appearing either catatonic or moving to some unseen rhythm. They are rehearsing all the elements required in the performance. This mental imagery can help you focus and plan each stage of your show. This takes the over-energized concept of “PERFORM”, and changes it into a series of steps, calmly planned and executed. Sometimes music (via headphones) is useful but it must not be distracting nor result in the wrong mood.

3. Breathing exercises and progressive muscular relaxation are other techniques that can alter your level of SNS activation and reduce unwanted muscular tension. Ultimately this will relax you, and should be done right before show time.

4. Monitor your body. Look for, and pay attention to, the signals your body provides. This will give you feedback as to the state of your SNS. Pulse rate, respiration rate, sweat rate, tremor and other clues give you a way to see where you are, and how effective your modulating techniques are.

5. Be well practiced. The more you rehearse the performance material - the less more relaxed you will be when it's show time. Having a few tricks up your sleeve, like the heel-toe or freehand technique, for a possible drum solo is also a great way to be prepared. This way you will be confident that you can win the crowd over.

6. Work together with others. Try to build your routine with others in the band. Have simple pre-show rituals or group exercises that help calm the group down as a whole. Some ideas include: a quick game of hacky sack (or footbag), a simple acoustic guitar warm-up, or perhaps a brief prayer (especially for a religious group).

Also, try not to work against each other. Practicing rudiments on a practice pad, or strumming recklessly on a guitar in the same room as all of your band mates may relax you while irritating the rest of the group.

HOW TO PLAY DRUM FILLS

        Learn How to Play Drum Fills and Breaks

Drum Fills (also known as drum breaks). These are one of the most rewarding things a drummer can play. It gives them a chance to express themselves, and emphasize the song. Drum fills are played in all styles of music, rock, Latin, jazz, and punk. There is a lot to learn about drum fills, something that most beginner drummers do not learn until they have been playing for a while. So how do you perform a proper drum fill? Is it the same thing as a solo? These are all questions that beginner and advanced drummers still struggle with. So let’s learn how to play drum fills and drum breaks.

A drum fill can be very complex, or very simple. It does not need to be overly fast or technical to be named a drum fill. All it is is a space in time that you literally “fill” in with whatever you would like. It is a chance to change things up a bit, and adds some spice to the beat. Drum fills are usually used for transitions into different parts of a song, (like a chorus or bridge). One big misunderstanding beginner and advanced drummers have is drum fills needing to be loud and fast. As soon as they get their chance to play a fill, they will play a loud roll on the toms followed by a loud crash. This is not the right way to go about things. Not only will you change the dynamics in a song, a lot of drummers will actually speed up the song, ruining the tempo.

To counter this, take a few moments before hand to get a feel for the song. If it is a slower song you may only want to play a small cymbal fill. If the song is a louder song, then you may want to build the volume and dynamics of the song with a crescendo effect fill. There is a lot to keep in mind when playing fills. Transitional fills (which are the most common) can go both ways, transitioning from soft verse to loud chorus, or loud chorus back to soft verse. A drummer’s job is to accent these changes with appropriate drum fills. This can be done easily by bringing up and lowering the dynamics of the drum beat.

Like I mentioned above, a drum fill is basically a section of time that you get to fill in with drum rolls and other hits. However, you do not need to play anything at all. This next example is a drum fill with very little to it at all. You will see only 2 bass drum hit with cymbals. You may think this is a bland fill, however it can be very effective. Try it out the next time you drum:

This next example is a bit heavier of a drum fill. There are triplets and 16th notes, played with you bass drum and cymbals. This example is meant to bring up the dynamics in a song and add speed and energy. Try this one in a heavy rock song:

Whatever the song style you are playing, express yourself the way you want. That is what sets you apart from all the other drummers out there! Make sure your fill fits the song that you are playing to. Remember that you do not need to wait for certain transitions to throw in fill. If you are daring, you can throw in a fill at any point of the song; just make sure it fits well!