OCD or normal jacking around?

I generally won't adjust things too much, because I make sure that nothing is able to move around or go out of adjustment, but... I'll start to tune one drum and then it turns into tuning EVERYTHING on the kit, and pretty soon I've wasted an hour or so.

Rarely I'll change up my whole kit to a different configuration if I feel it will be more ergonomic or suite the genre I'm playing better.
 
BacteriumFendYoke said:
It's not OCD. OCD is an anxiety disorder characterised by feelings of extreme danger to yourself others if things aren't 'just so'.

It's being picky. That's entirely different.
Click to expand...

Yeah... That's right Dunc... and I'm pretty picky... not just with the drums though, with most things, it can be a quality in a person, but it can be a pain in the neck too, it's ok to be picky for your things but it can be very annoying for those around you :)

On topic: When I had some back trouble some years ago, I moved things around until I had the perfect ergonomic set up, it took quite a while and it's also the main reason for scaling down to a 4 piece kit and giving up double bass drumming and some cymbals, very picky, but for a good reason, the back doesn't hurt anymore.
 
I know it was mentioned a couple times but tuning is my pet peve.. if I go down the basement to play it usually ends up 66% playing and 33% tuning.. most of it is snare drums.. high to low and fat then back to high. Have done this for years!
 
I don't see any issue. It's important to adjust things if they feel out of place. Sometimes we change our playing technique over time. Sometimes we realize we've been playing the wrong setup for way too long.

And sometimes the hardware fails and things move on you. If you have OCD, I recommend using zoom cymbal stands - adjusted at 90 deg - that let you adjust height separate from angle.

God help you if you play a gig on a slanted stage or parking lot.
 
Funny! I read my post (# 10) from almost 6 years ago. Now-a-days, I don't move anything. I'm not sure if everything is in the *right* place or if I just don't care anymore. My best guess is that when I go downstairs to play (I'm a basement dweller), I just want to play and not bother fussing with equipment. A couple mm or a couple of degrees don't seem to make much difference anymore. To be honest, I'll scoot the throne a bit, but the rest of the kit stays put.

Thanks for digging up an old thread - it was fun reading posts from the *old folks.*
 
The SunDog said:
My question was (is) does drumming make us become obsessive, or does being obsessive make us become drummers.
Click to expand...
I don 't think there is a correlation. I l,ook mat some drum room photos and it's obvious that some drummers don't care at all. Someone with OCD wouldn't have dirty laundry lying about the set.
 
I find almost all the 'reasons' apply to me in some degree, or at some point. Interesting.
One thing I didn't see mentioned yet is:
I'll move something to suit how MY BODY is feeling / acting that day.

I ache and pop and creak and groan in different places all the time. No big deal, but sometimes jeez. Especially if my back or ankles are cranky.
 
Magenta said:
By drummer standards, I think I'm pretty relaxed. As long as I can get things to sound the way I want - and as long as I can reach them - I generally work around them. Except for my hi hat, which is absolutely NEVER in the right place.



You certainly are! In these parts, you'd be as mad as a box of frogs. You really say "weird"?
Click to expand...
I think you mean heavy as a bag of hammers ...weird..
 
SmoothOperator said:
I go through phases. Though I have wondered how much time other drummers actually spend working on their sound vs technique vs other gear.

Studies show that ratio is 1:1:2.

For me where things are don't matter as much, because I have long arms. The same room?? :ROFLMAO:

I like to play with my eyes closed, so having things in the same place is good.
Click to expand...
Seriously now...what type of music and what size kit do you play blind? I don’t think I have ever tried this but now after reading this I have no choice.
 
I do same thing. I think it's unnatural to be able to sit and not adjust something even if it's just moving snare a hair this way or that, or shift hats a just a bit. Once I get my crash cymbal and ride in the right place and my toms I rarely touch those.


rogue_drummer said:
Forgive me, but I carried this thought over from another post.

It feels a lot like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, but danged if most everytime I sit at the kit and start to practice about 5 minute into it I start adjusting something from the way it was set last time I played the kit. Maybe a cymbal stand needs moving 1/4" over, the rack tom needs adjusted down or up or angled just a bit more or less, or the 2 floor toms need moving 1/16" of an inch over to the "sweet spot".

I play with the new positions then danged if I'm not moving them back again to their original spot before I moved them. So at the end of the practice I'm left wondering why I ever jacked with the set up in the first place.

Is this some twisted OCD or is it common drummer stuff we all go thru? I just can't sit down and start playing, I gotta mess with something. Ha!
Click to expand...
 
Normal.
 
I play with my eyes closed a lot. Or I turn off room lights and play with no light. I also sometimes close my eyes and play a solo and then stop on left or right hand on snare then rack then floor just to make sure I'm hitting in center of heads.

SomeBadDrummer said:
Seriously now...what type of music and what size kit do you play blind? I don’t think I have ever tried this but now after reading this I have no choice.
Click to expand...
 
SomeBadDrummer said:
Seriously now...what type of music and what size kit do you play blind? I don’t think I have ever tried this but now after reading this I have no choice.
Click to expand...
Try playing on a stage filled with smoke and a strobe light going. Closing ones eyes is a necessity or you get dizzy.
 
MrInsanePolack said:
Try playing on a stage filled with smoke and a strobe light going. Closing ones eyes is a necessity or you get dizzy.
Click to expand...
1. Please find me said stage, and
2. I don’t mind dizzy under the right circumstances especially the ones you describe :unsure: :ROFLMAO: (y) :unsure:
 
SomeBadDrummer said:
1. Please find me said stage, and
2. I don’t mind dizzy under the right circumstances especially the ones you describe :unsure: :ROFLMAO: (y) :unsure:
Click to expand...
It's tough. You are sitting there playing, the drums are moving all over the place. I would put my head down and close my eyes, occasionally taking a peek just to see if it has stopped yet.
 
I play and practice with my eyes closed as well. Not all the time of course but quite a bit. I find that it helps me focus on the music more and I memorize where the drums are. So, I don't like even minute changes in my setup. On jam night I just go with it and do the best I can with setting up, plus I play left handed. Listen to Stevie Wonder on some of his drum tracks, amazing drummer.
 
I think that's normal. Espeically if you are newer to the instrument. I was always tweeking things when I was younger because I was always working on my technique and trying new stuff. That gave me lots of reasons to try this, that or the other ting. Now that I'm 58 and have been playing for 45 years, I don't do as much tweeking. That said, just recently I have been messing around with different positions of cymbals and have played with my floor tom heights. And I've been experimenting with slightly different tom configurations. I don't think you ever stop tinkering. I figure it's a sign that I'm not bored with the instrument.
 
Sounds to me like your not enjoying playing and getting distracted. Try clicking on a favourite tune and then get into it....you'll soon forget about the kit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top