I play with my eyes closed a lot.
FWIW...I used to look left (I'm right handed). Ithink it's a bad habit that should be addressed. I felt that I was favoring one side of my brain by looking to one side. I don't know if there's any basis in fact to that, it just feels more right to me. My goal was equal capability with both hands. I tried everything I could think of to fight the tendency to rely on my strong side the most. Which in my mind, included looking off to one side. Anyway, I found that looking straight ahead...at least psychologically, I felt I was more "present" if you will. I felt I was using both halves of my brain more equally. Then I started looking right to counter balance my left looking tendencies. I don't look right or left anymore. I try and look straight ahead and up, and zone out instead. It's the little things that all have to be considered. It's a constant polishing process.My "resting" drumming position is looking left, almost over my left shoulder - to the extent people wonder what I'm looking at. One venue I play I'm set back in bay window, and people thought something interesting was happening outside.
I'm actively trying to break this habit as it's very disengaging from the band and audience!
*Edit* Just for further clarity, this is only when gigging - not when practising or rehearsing
Ever notice that your sticks rotate in opposite directions? Mine do.I catch myself watching the stick logo rotate a lot. I read somewhere once that if the logo doesn't rotate, you are holding the sticks wrong or too tight. That was like 20-25 years ago, but for some reason I still watch.
Ever notice that your sticks rotate in opposite directions? Mine do.
- I will designate a "cymbal" stick in my RH and a "drum" stick in my left on the first use, and then they have to be the same stick in the same hand every time I play...
- I can not work the pedals with shoes on. I play barefoot at every gig whether it is a wedding, outdoors, dive bar etc.
- for the past 35 years, the song I warm up to - in any situation - is Subdivisions by Rush
- I will not eat 24 hours before a gig; my nerves get my stomach to fired up
- I ALWAYS have White Castles after a gig to break the above mentioned fast...that started after my first gig in 79
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I assign sticks to hands also. It's an OCD thing for me, there is a thread about that here somewhere.
No shoes either, I like socks.
No food? That seems crazy to me. Do you have anxiety issues? (I do, it's stress related and sucks bad)
I am a "counter" - I count stairs as I go up them, tiles or bricks in a wall as I pass by etc...
My "resting" drumming position is looking left, almost over my left shoulder - to the extent people wonder what I'm looking at. One venue I play I'm set back in bay window, and people thought something interesting was happening outside.
I'm actively trying to break this habit as it's very disengaging from the band and audience!
*Edit* Just for further clarity, this is only when gigging - not when practising or rehearsing
FWIW...I used to look left (I'm right handed). Ithink it's a bad habit that should be addressed. I felt that I was favoring one side of my brain by looking to one side. I don't know if there's any basis in fact to that, it just feels more right to me. My goal was equal capability with both hands. I tried everything I could think of to fight the tendency to rely on my strong side the most. Which in my mind, included looking off to one side. Anyway, I found that looking straight ahead...at least psychologically, I felt I was more "present" if you will. I felt I was using both halves of my brain more equally. Then I started looking right to counter balance my left looking tendencies. I don't look right or left anymore. I try and look straight ahead and up, and zone out instead. It's the little things that all have to be considered. It's a constant polishing process.
My weird thing is cranking my head as far to my left as it will go as if I'm trying to see if I can make it do a 180. It's totally subconscious, terrible for my posture/ergonomics, and if it goes on for too long without me realizing I actually will almost be in in pain from it. I know it sounds stupid and like an easy thing to 'just not do' but it's at it's worst when I play live so if I really get into a groove I won't even realize I'm doing it. For some reason it is a natural (un)comfort zone that my body just slips into. Years ago I used to hunch forward really bad, and sometimes still do, but the more aware I became of that and trying to stop it... The more it turned into a head cock.