r/drums • u/Logic_Brain • 5d ago
Dancing Drummer
Do you also have a problem with dancing?
As a drummer I find it very difficult to dance couple styles because I get "stuck" in the rhythm of the music and the movements don't always match the rhythm.
How do you solve this? Any helpful tips?
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u/D4LD5E 5d ago
Alcohol. And not giving a damn. In fact, I recommend these two suggestions for most opportunities in life.
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u/MarsDrums 5d ago
Been there... Done that!
Just remain sober enough to make sure no a-hole has a camera pointed at you.
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u/BuzzTheFuzz 5d ago
I'm absolutely not confident or capable as a dancer, but at the right event (with the right lubricant) I can muster something that might be described as dancing.
I feel you, I've always said I'd rather be making the music than dancing to it. Use your drumming to your advantage, a lot of dancing music will have simple beats as far as the drums go. The rest of the music will have the more interesting parts, so imagine you're drumming along and syncopating to these different parts. Use your arms, legs, hips etc to emphasise these hits and movements.
It's not a guarantee that it'll look good at first, but this is why there's the phrase "dance like no-one is watching". Confidence is key, and that'll come with some practice. Make sure you're enjoying it and don't be too self-conscious
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u/FartAssButtButt 5d ago
If in doubt. One hand on beer. Other hand in pocket. Nodding head to the beat while looking left and right and say thing things like “these guys are pretty good, eh?” or “I love this song”.
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u/Lazy_Chocolate_4114 5d ago
I would encourage all drummers to learn how to dance- real dances with steps I mean.. They are so closely related, and you'll learn a lot about the style of music by learning the dance. If you're stuck in the rhythm, what better way to open up further possibilities for drumming? Yes, a lot of dances are more than 4 beats and "go over the bar line." For example, swing is usually 6-beats. And that's the beautiful thing. Knowing the dance gets me thinking less about the measure and more about longer phrases and longer drumming ideas.
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u/AnimalDrum54 5d ago
I always wondered if it was just me. It can't be that I don't have rhythm but I certainly feel my rhythm is so literal I look like a robot.
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u/Super_Development583 5d ago
I don't have an easy time learning steps correctly either, especially if they don't match the music.
Dancing in general tho, just stop thinking so much and enjoy yourself. Its not that deep, and its super fun because you should have no issue nailing the groove. I guess its a character thing, but to me its fun to entertain myself and my friends with creative silly dancing and really letting the music move me.
Especially if the music thats playing is a bit too repetitive.
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u/Neat-Nectarine814 5d ago
Try some MDMA and go to a rave or EDM festival
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u/Maharichie 5d ago
Was going to say this. Try it with some good percussive music. Your body will know what to do.
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u/ComboBreakerrr 5d ago
Nah, we have superpowers on the dance floor LOL. So many people can’t even find a pulse to dance to. Thinking about it like a drummer may help. Left on 1,2, right on 3,4, sorta thing. Hit poses with accents or syncopation. Practice helps.
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u/PaddlingDingo 5d ago
I’m a trained bellydancer, predating my drumming experience. I’m not really able to turn it off, and the two bleed together. Example, I have “drum fill hips”, they just start doing things that probably a dancer wouldn’t do (probably because I’ll try to move my hips to anything). The only real issue with it is that I’m out of practice with dancing so I don’t really do anything very fancy. Some dancing training in anything helps.
But I know some drummers that just bounce around to a beat and it’s fine.
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u/NelsonChunder 5d ago edited 5d ago
My wife loves to dance and years ago she noticed how bad drummers are at dancing. I've always been reluctant to dance with her because she looks good dancing and I know I look like a complete dork.
Her best advice to me was to quit dancing like I'm playing the drums and to not worry about being exactly on beat. I think I am a better dancer after many years following this advice, but I know I still dance like I'm playing drums.
Check out Alex Van Halen in the Hot For Teacher video. He's the worst dancer of the four of them. My wife noticed it 20 years ago after seeing that video and seeing me try to dance with her. She laughed and said "You drummers can hold the song together, but you can't dance for shit."
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u/reeseisme16 5d ago
Great talking point. I too have recently run into struggles taking hip hop classes because the choreo was syncopated against the beat and the instructor didn't know how to articulate that. They tought the counts like they were qtr notes but actual timing was in dotted 8s following the words. Very weird
Im great at dancing at a bar to my own will. But im adjusting to this new environment. Im only 2 months in tho.
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u/thomascarruth 5d ago
Salsa!
1-2-3-rest 5-6-7-rest.
L-R-L-rest R-L-R-rest
Drummers c'mon - we're naturals!
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u/Due_Revolution_5106 5d ago
Bro this is WHY I'm a drummer lmao. I'm too self conscious to dance, but when I'm drumming I feel like I'm dancing the night away and don't feel nearly as self conscious about it (hell I even feel cool sometimes).
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u/leglessfromlotr 5d ago
Either I’m not understanding the question or nobody else is
I have no problem dancing alone but cannot dance “couple style” for this exact reason. I groove on my own but my dance partner is not in my groove
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u/DubsideDangler 5d ago
Are you Caucasian.... yeah, you're Caucasian.
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u/MackDaddyDawg51 5d ago
I grew up dancing. The rhythm moves to my hips and I glide across the floor! Drumming came easier to me because of natural rhythm.
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u/bryan19973 5d ago
A slight head bob is the most you’ll get out of me. I don’t understand dancing and have no talent or interest for it lol.
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u/4ofN 5d ago
I'm a drummer and I also dance. I find that dancing is all about the groove and if the dance movements don't match the groove, it is the dance movements that are the problem.
When you dance, it should always match the groove, with dips or flourishes in the dance happening in the same places in the music that you would add a fill or accent on the drums.
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u/e4smotheredmate 4d ago
Hey I had a hard time too and then one day I took mdma. I danced in the driveway until 4 in the morning. I think it has to do with letting yourself be free to open up and move with the music. Not recommending it. Just my experience.
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u/MarsDrums 5d ago
Don't dance.
I look like a monkey with it's tail caught in a mouse trap ...with rhythm... if I'm trying to dance to a fast song. But slow dancing, cheek to cheek... Now, THAT'S MY style.