Inside the mind of a drummer - Think Like A Musician
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Date: 2025-10-11
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Comments and reviews: 20
ted_ed
I've played for 55 years now and don't plan to ever stop. It's just something that's part of who I am as a person.
Early on when I was very young, my parents bought my first drum at Sears & Roebuck and I grew up playing in
the school band from 7th grade through college where I majored in music and became a high school band director.
I've had the privilege to teach hundreds of drummers though the years and even got to play professionally for a
season in a resort area of east Tennessee. My role model growing up was the late great Buddy Rich. His mastery
of technique and feel for a song is unmatched to this day. I also loved Chicago and anything Motown although
my parents were country music fans so I listened to that as well filtering out what I didn't like. The drummer's
brain is definitely a different animal and we see things from a different perspective. Many of us are OCD with a
bent for rhythmic precision and integrity. We link up with the bass player to form the foundation for the rest of
the band to do their thing. Without us there is no band. Without the beat music does not exist.
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I've played for 55 years now and don't plan to ever stop. It's just something that's part of who I am as a person.
Early on when I was very young, my parents bought my first drum at Sears & Roebuck and I grew up playing in
the school band from 7th grade through college where I majored in music and became a high school band director.
I've had the privilege to teach hundreds of drummers though the years and even got to play professionally for a
season in a resort area of east Tennessee. My role model growing up was the late great Buddy Rich. His mastery
of technique and feel for a song is unmatched to this day. I also loved Chicago and anything Motown although
my parents were country music fans so I listened to that as well filtering out what I didn't like. The drummer's
brain is definitely a different animal and we see things from a different perspective. Many of us are OCD with a
bent for rhythmic precision and integrity. We link up with the bass player to form the foundation for the rest of
the band to do their thing. Without us there is no band. Without the beat music does not exist.
reply
ZennExile
This is all nonsense. What it is, is exactly the same sense of flow you get from any other high-focus reward loop. It doesn't matter if you are a drummer, a fighter pilot, or an online gamer. The sensation of not having to directly inform your actions for them to follow a trained routine. Your mind is filtering out the constant sound and feeling of your heart rate. That's the feeling people get when they listen to music. A syncing of rhythm to heartbeat. Like a slightly wet toothbrush on a cat's head. You formed in sync with your mother's heartbeat. No need for all the wooWoo.
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This is all nonsense. What it is, is exactly the same sense of flow you get from any other high-focus reward loop. It doesn't matter if you are a drummer, a fighter pilot, or an online gamer. The sensation of not having to directly inform your actions for them to follow a trained routine. Your mind is filtering out the constant sound and feeling of your heart rate. That's the feeling people get when they listen to music. A syncing of rhythm to heartbeat. Like a slightly wet toothbrush on a cat's head. You formed in sync with your mother's heartbeat. No need for all the wooWoo.
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Electric_Funeral
I used to live half a block from the hippie drum circle in Venice Beach for years and I noticed that in the beginning there would be two or three guys with congas or djembes and they would jam and sound pretty good, pretty improvisational. Then as more and more people came it always degenerated into the same monotonous, repetitive beat: BUM-bum BUM-bum, bum-bum-BUM! BUM-bum BUM-bum, bum-bum-BUM! It drove me crazy
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I used to live half a block from the hippie drum circle in Venice Beach for years and I noticed that in the beginning there would be two or three guys with congas or djembes and they would jam and sound pretty good, pretty improvisational. Then as more and more people came it always degenerated into the same monotonous, repetitive beat: BUM-bum BUM-bum, bum-bum-BUM! BUM-bum BUM-bum, bum-bum-BUM! It drove me crazy
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cindymaguire9887
I really wish they'd brought on drummers with experience in other kinds of drums (the more indigenous kind. I've always liked hand drums because of the level of engagement you can have with the instrument, like using the different parts of your hands (knuckles, palms, fist, finger tips, and so much more) and even elbows! It just makes you one with the instrument in ways the Western drumset does not.
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I really wish they'd brought on drummers with experience in other kinds of drums (the more indigenous kind. I've always liked hand drums because of the level of engagement you can have with the instrument, like using the different parts of your hands (knuckles, palms, fist, finger tips, and so much more) and even elbows! It just makes you one with the instrument in ways the Western drumset does not.
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HindsightLore
This is a fascinating breakdown. The description of the drummer as the bedrock and spinal cord is a powerful metaphor for servant leadership. They aren't always the most visible member, but they create the stable foundation upon which the rest of the band can truly innovate and shine. It speaks volumes about the kind of quiet, foundational strength that holds any successful group together.
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This is a fascinating breakdown. The description of the drummer as the bedrock and spinal cord is a powerful metaphor for servant leadership. They aren't always the most visible member, but they create the stable foundation upon which the rest of the band can truly innovate and shine. It speaks volumes about the kind of quiet, foundational strength that holds any successful group together.
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ted_ed
My drum school didn’t use metronome much, at least in my classes, but COUNTING was mandatory. Timing became second nature for me that way. One of my singing teachers actually remarked that my timing was like a metronome. When I pick up drumming again I will use a metronome but it just goes to show that developing good timing is not just using a metronome.
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My drum school didn’t use metronome much, at least in my classes, but COUNTING was mandatory. Timing became second nature for me that way. One of my singing teachers actually remarked that my timing was like a metronome. When I pick up drumming again I will use a metronome but it just goes to show that developing good timing is not just using a metronome.
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_justnick
summary of the video: if you were lucky enough to be born in a musical family or with an obsession with music at 3 years old, then you got good chances of being talented.
Thanks, i knew it, and it's why i gave up on arts, you either start early or might as well not even try and save time to use on less talent-requiring skills.
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summary of the video: if you were lucky enough to be born in a musical family or with an obsession with music at 3 years old, then you got good chances of being talented.
Thanks, i knew it, and it's why i gave up on arts, you either start early or might as well not even try and save time to use on less talent-requiring skills.
reply
AuDHD_Mom
My husband has such an incredible internal timer that when he's in the studio, the professionals there can't believe how well he can nail every beat. Our oldest kiddo inherited that, and they play beatbox together. We need to get my oldest drum lessons, but we don't have room in our home for a drum kit.
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My husband has such an incredible internal timer that when he's in the studio, the professionals there can't believe how well he can nail every beat. Our oldest kiddo inherited that, and they play beatbox together. We need to get my oldest drum lessons, but we don't have room in our home for a drum kit.
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BurmanTales
Day 2 of asking for a video about the Toungoo Empire (The Largest Southeast Asian Empire)
and Bayinnaung (The Greatest Conqueror of Southeast Asia.
And about the Sino-Burmese Wars,
when the Konbaung kingdom of Burma repelled Four Invasions in a row from the Qing Empire of China.
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Day 2 of asking for a video about the Toungoo Empire (The Largest Southeast Asian Empire)
and Bayinnaung (The Greatest Conqueror of Southeast Asia.
And about the Sino-Burmese Wars,
when the Konbaung kingdom of Burma repelled Four Invasions in a row from the Qing Empire of China.
reply
ObsidianDrums
Thank you for showing the world all the beauty and power we want to bring to it! We must never forget that our purpose would be incredibly narrow if we didn't have other musicians around us creating melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that move our hearts. Watching this made me very happy.
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Thank you for showing the world all the beauty and power we want to bring to it! We must never forget that our purpose would be incredibly narrow if we didn't have other musicians around us creating melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that move our hearts. Watching this made me very happy.
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8Phoenix8
Yall should ask Tracy Silverman on how to be a modern string player. It will be VERY similar to thinking like a drummer he uses Strum bowing. And Casey Driessen is a Drummer with a violin, check out his Chop Notation Glossary it’s AMAZING for drumming
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Yall should ask Tracy Silverman on how to be a modern string player. It will be VERY similar to thinking like a drummer he uses Strum bowing. And Casey Driessen is a Drummer with a violin, check out his Chop Notation Glossary it’s AMAZING for drumming
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tannereustace
I conducted a literature review in college to explore the relationship between music involvement and executive functioning, and sure enough, it does seem to be causal! Music really does empirically-measurable wonders for the mind and body: )
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I conducted a literature review in college to explore the relationship between music involvement and executive functioning, and sure enough, it does seem to be causal! Music really does empirically-measurable wonders for the mind and body: )
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1Willum1
I've been playing since 2001. However, I've barely played at all the last 3 years since having our kids. I'm currently repurposing one of our large sheds into a studio with soundproof walls so I can get back at it.
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I've been playing since 2001. However, I've barely played at all the last 3 years since having our kids. I'm currently repurposing one of our large sheds into a studio with soundproof walls so I can get back at it.
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jevinday
I love that you're talking about music, I am all for music being accessible to everyone, but why is the editing like this It's just a bunch of random anecdotes from musicians without any real organization
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I love that you're talking about music, I am all for music being accessible to everyone, but why is the editing like this It's just a bunch of random anecdotes from musicians without any real organization
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WhitePointerGaming
My bandmates used to call me the human metronome. Being consistent is the most important thing, then you can work in the flashy stuff, so long as it doesn't throw you off your beat.
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My bandmates used to call me the human metronome. Being consistent is the most important thing, then you can work in the flashy stuff, so long as it doesn't throw you off your beat.
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JacobSnover
You'll probably never accidentally play something you haven't heard before. I had students that loved to play Green Day, and they never accidentally played latin jazz.
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You'll probably never accidentally play something you haven't heard before. I had students that loved to play Green Day, and they never accidentally played latin jazz.
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kenm9
This felt kind of rushed. Concepts are mentioned and one example is given. Drums parts are mentioned but the sounds of each aren't explained, and nothing about cymbals.
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This felt kind of rushed. Concepts are mentioned and one example is given. Drums parts are mentioned but the sounds of each aren't explained, and nothing about cymbals.
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lindsofficial33
I gained my drumming skills by beating tables at school when I tested the real drum kit it was actually easy for me being a girl drummer is awesome
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I gained my drumming skills by beating tables at school when I tested the real drum kit it was actually easy for me being a girl drummer is awesome
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boldstardex
Thank You for this content. I'll be the drummer for our gig tonight and this video just gave me more inspiration to play play play.
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Thank You for this content. I'll be the drummer for our gig tonight and this video just gave me more inspiration to play play play.
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prodrbeats
I'm a boom bap producer and this video is rlly important for those who wanna understand the process behind making drum breaks
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I'm a boom bap producer and this video is rlly important for those who wanna understand the process behind making drum breaks
reply
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