MIM 6: Why Musicians Need To Be Actors

Some of you know that for several years, I hosted a podcast called the Daniel Glass Show, which aired on the Drummers Resource network. I created more than 60 episodes, covering a variety of topics related to drumming, music history, and being a musician in general. I've decided to rebroadcast some of those episodes here, and will be creating some new ones that delve into similar territory.

So, here's today's topic: A colleague of mine recently wrote to me, "There’s a young girl in my advanced drum set class, and I can't get her to play any louder than mp (mezzo-piano). Right now we’re working on 'You Got to Funkifize' by Tower Of Power. She plays the material correctly, but it’s too soft. She just won’t dig in! I don’t know if she’s intimidated by the other kids, but I’m trying to find a fun way to encourage her to get past her shyness. What can I do?"

While some of us may be polite, shy or soft-spoken in our regular lives, as drummers we must have a different agenda. When you’re on stage, your main goal MUST be to “put a boot up the ass“ of the rest of the band.

This means you have to lay down the time-feel with a clear sense of assertiveness and confidence. It’s what our fellow musicians and the audience EXPECT from us, and if we don’t give it to them, they will lose “trust” in us as timekeepers. Ultimately, an inability to claim that mantle of assertiveness will make you less “employable” (meaning, fewer people will want to play with you). 

Adapting a more assertive approach doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to play louder (although that’s sometimes part of it). Nor does it require you to change your personality in some forced or uncomfortable way. 

A great example of someone who is soft spoken in “real life,” but becomes an absolute BEAST on stage is the great drummer Steve Gadd. When you watch Gadd on video, he presents as an intense, serious figure who looks like he’s ready to CUT anyone who looks at him sideways. But when you meet Steve in person (as I’ve had the good fortune to do on a few occasions), you realize just how mild-mannered and affable he is.

So, how can drummers who are polite or shy in their regular lives become more assertive when they’re behind a drum set?

Here’s my answer. They need to become ACTORS. 

The idea is pretty simple: When sitting down to play a song by a particular drummer, literally pretend you are that person. Take on their physical characteristics, imagine what they might be feeling, or how they would move around the drums.

If you’re playing a Led Zeppelin song, for example, pretend you’re a big, burly fellow from the midlands of England (John Bonham). How do you imagine such a person might approach the drums?

If it’s a James Brown tune, try to imagine how Clyde Stubblefield would have to move in order to successfully produce those syncopated lines and lightning quick ghost notes.

If you’re playing “She Loves You” by the Beatles, try to physically manufacture the bouncy, washy flow of hi hat notes the way Ringo Starr did.

Beyond the actual playing, think about how you might copy the ATTITUDE that these drummers presented in order to successfully “sell” their music. For example, what kind of energy would Bonham have to produce to play music that was louder and heavier than anything that had come before it? How would Stubblefield have to “dance” behind the drums in order to support the super-showmanship demanded by the “hardest working man in show business”? What choices would Ringo make knowing that (at least in the early years of the Beatles) his goal was to create the world’s biggest and happiest teen dance party?

At the start, going outside your own skin and pretending to be somebody else might feel a little uncomfortable. Sometimes, I have to be very direct with my students and demand that they push themselves further into the role. That’s not exactly comfortable for me to do, but if I want them to be more assertive, I have to demonstrate the assertiveness about which I am speaking.

That said, playing a character behind the drums can also be really fun. It takes the pressure off of feeling that the only way to be successful as a drummer is to totally “change” your natural personality. By adopting this approach, many of my students have experienced incredible breakthroughs.

Over time, your goal as a “musician actor” should be to develop a large repertoire of “characters,” allowing you to bring different ones to the fore depending on what the music requires. Ultimately, these characters will be so ingrained in your memory (both mental and physical) that they will become a natural extension of who you are as a musician. They will help you find your voice.

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