How do i get my drummer more excited?

mjsbassist · #1 05-17-2006, 08:23 PM

I'm 14 and have a band and we are extemely good for our age. Our drummer is insane and is the best in town but he doesnt seem to get excited while playing. I just want to try to get him more into it. Don't get me wrong he's awesome but I'd like him to get more excited. Any ideas?

tZer · #2 05-17-2006, 08:32 PM

Be excited yourself. I think the best way to bring people up is to be up. Have fun! Love what you do! Be energetic and alive! People like being around that kind of vibe and unless your drummer has other forces driving his mood down, he will feel that vibe too.

You cannot control other people, so trying to figure out how you can "make" your drummer do anything is energy spent in the wrong place. Put a big old smile on your face and make it obvious to anyone how much fun you are having and it will hopfully be infectious.

BasStefan · #3 05-17-2006, 08:42 PM

i like to interact with my drummer a lot. really get into it, and he will too.

DGbass70 · #4 05-18-2006, 07:15 AM

give him redbull........just kidding,have you asked him what the problem is? Maybe there is something bothering him(band member,type of music,he feels he doesn't have enough input on the band or maybe he feels he's doing to much and someone else is not)
maybe he has family problems, you name it it could be many things.Try to talk to him and see what the problem is.(remember everytime you put a lot of people together there's to many egos flying around)

Turock · #5 05-18-2006, 07:22 AM

Rub his thigh.

Toasted · #6 05-18-2006, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turock

Rub his thigh.

I was going to make a comedy post in this thread, but Turock's right here is definitely better than what I was going to write. So, for the sake of fairness here it is quoted.

Clorenzo · #7 05-18-2006, 08:37 AM

As the bassist, you're key to that. First of all, make sure he can hear the bass loud and clear. Second, *lots* of eye contact. You two guys are almost like a single instrument, so constant communication between you is essential, and the excitement will just flow from one to the other. As tZer said, a smile of acknowledgement after a nice break goes a long way. "Talk" to him musically. Say he does some triplelets. Quick look at him, a nod and a smile. Be prepared for the next time he does it and join in with your bass. On the other hand, sometimes it works better to leave him some space, so for the next break go easier on the bass and really look at him and listen to what he does. It works both ways: fill some of his spaces with a busier line, then look at him as if to request his acknowledgement.

It takes time, but, from my own experience with my band's drummer, you will end up almost reading each other's minds and not just while playing, very often we finish each other's sentences! That's when it's real fun playing together and the excitement just happens naturally.