How to Get Focused on Your Drumming

How to Get Focused on Your Drumming

by Daniel N. Brown

Remember the times when you knew you should practice your
drums, but just didn't feel like messing with it? It's at
those times you lacked focus.

There was a time when I had a studio session to attend to
lay down some drum tracks and I simply was not in the mood
at all. Hey, I was tired! It was friday afternoon, it was a
long, hard week, and I was done! While driving to the studio
that day my mind was consumed with pretty much just wanting
to watch television.

Anyway, I remember driving up to the drum studio and
thinking, "Man, I don't want to be doing this right now."
But, I decided I better get focused on my drumming because
time is money in the studio. If you have ever bought studio
time you know what I mean.

Well, on the way to the drum studio I began thinking about
the songs I was about to lay down the drum tracks for. I
also began thinking about the fact that my drum tracks will
be permanent. People will hear them and I want my tracks to
be as close to perfection as I can get them. I knew I had to
somehow get focused and get in the mood - right NOW!

So many people will use any excuse for not doing something
because they are simply not in the mood. When it comes to
responsibility, whether a person is in the mood or not, it
doesn't matter. If you have booked studio drum time and paid
good money for it you better be in the mood, or at least get
in the mood!

The best way I have found to change my mood at any given
time about something is to simply begin thinking in a
different manner. Feelings follow thoughts, and given that
fact, I basically just changed my thinking.

I decided to clear my mind of all the noise in my head and
only mentally listen to the songs I was laying drum tracks
for. I tapped on my steering wheel as I drove along, and
honestly, it wasn't even just a few short minutes until I
was starting to "feel it." By the time I arrived at the drum
studio I was more than ready to play my drums.

The next time you have an appointment with your drum set,
but just don't feel like drumming, you are not focused. Just
know you can change your focus at any given time. Because
your feelings follow your thoughts, you can change your
thinking and automatically change your mood.