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Many drummers suffer from the “if a tree falls in the woods” conundrum.
Sound great by ourselves, then turn a camera on, or take the stage, and…we can’t find it.
Beyond the fact that this is normal, and not a sign you’re a “bad drummer” - indeed, “good in private” is a necessary first step before “good in public”…
…it’s also something we can use in the practice room.
There’s something I jokingly call the “3am test” with my students. Sometimes people will ask “when do I know when I’ve truly mastered this exercise?”
The answer: “when you can play it at 3am, fresh out of bed, in the rain.”
The experience of finding our performance lacking in public or on camera can be a tool we take back to the practice room, to inform the level our playing needs to reach. Which is why it’s so important, in my opinion, that drummers seek opportunities to perform in public, or on camera.
Onstage, not only are “people watching”, but acoustics are weird, setups feel different, and umpteen little factors all add up to take us out of our element.
Our favorite “pros”, obviously, don’t suffer the same falloff of their performance as we do. Beyond “making our best so great that 80% of it is still good”, there are things we can do to make sure the public performances are 80%, instead of 50 or 60. Then 90. Then 101.
Sure, there’s no substitute for raw experience. But “experience” doesn’t mean on tour with your favorite band. It can mean coffee shop performances, or jam sessions. It can even mean recording yourself and posting it on Instagram. Or, for the more industrious with fewer local ordinances, busking in a local park or square.
Finally, I share some experience from my past in which I’ve had that “in public falloff” of my playing, and how I moved on from it.
Hope you enjoy!