DRUMMER CAFE

I'm in the studio again this month recording high energy blues (think Johnny Lang, SRV, Kenny Wayne, etc.)  As usual I am working hard to keep the energy up in what can be a slow and numbing recording process.

I am pretty good at doing this with other types of music, but am struggling more this time.

I have no were near the studio experience of Bart and others on the forum.

Any thoughts?

I have found that being the studio all-day is far more draining (to me) than being on the road or playing a 4 hour live show ... outdoors even. I think the reason is the amount of concentration, energy, creative ideas, etc., that are being used that it just wears you out. It's not just physical work, but mental as well ... if not more.

My suggestions are to stay warm and relaxed. Stay hydrated (drink lots of water), eat well and relax. When the tape isn't rolling, get out from behind the kit. Go sit in the control room and relax. Try not to talk a lot; your brain can use the rest. Don't sit around too much either. Get up and walk around. Stretch, walk outside once in awhile ... get the blood flowing.

Something I've noticed, which really surprized me actually, is the number of players (even drummers) who are fairly slim in stature throughout their playing career ... until they start doing sessions more than playing live. The blimp out and put on a lot of weight. Perhaps it's due to the fact that they no longer haul their own gear (they have cartage company for session gear), and are sitting around a lot. Sitting around and eating VERY well ... and by "very" I don't mean healthy foods ... just a lot of food. The metabolism slows as we get older I guess. Anyway ... it's an interesting observation and has me curious. Then again, I've put on weight when I was touring a lot. Eating bad food, not getting exercise and riding in a bus day after day ... same porky results as doing sessions all the time.

In summary ... eat well, meaning good food ... drink plenty of water ... rest when you can but keep the blood circulating so you don't get sleepy/tired. Eating a bunch of sweets will also make you tired; you get the surge of energy, then BAM!

I'm sure some others will chime in with their experiences and suggestions ... so be sure to consider it all and find what works for you.

I will only add relaxation, we have a PS2 in the studio and I play it from time to time just so that I can relax and not over concentrate on the drumming.  Don't forget to have fun, don't make it too stressful on yourself.