10 Reasons Why It Rocks To Be A Drummer

Why You’d Also Want To Be One

Being a drummer is no mean feat. Others think that it’s all about keeping time and maintaining a tempo. That may be part of it but that alone doesn’t make you deserving of a spot in a band. Check out rock’s kings of slam – John Bonham, Neil Peart, Keith Moon, and Ginger Baker. They were ahead of everyone else. More than consistency, they had that raw talent – something, if we’re totally honest, not everyone has.

And as a tribute to these percussionists, here are reasons why they’re the best.

10. Drumming is a fantastic way to relieve aggression, frustration, and stress.

Ever wanted to hit something when you’re angry? That’s kind of how it is with drummers. They get a rush of happy hormones when they slam away while performing and it takes away their stress too. And we’re not even making this up, this is backed by science. Researchers wrote on the Evolutionary Psychology:

“it is the active performance of music that generates the endorphin high, not the music itself.”

9. They can work out without hitting the gym.

They burn 170-250 calories for every hour-long performance. Of course that still depends on what kind of songs they’re playing. When it’s rock or heavy metal, they get to burn more calories than that. Besides, carrying around the most gear is almost like weight training. A standard 5-piece kit can weigh around 65 pounds and extra hardware means it could easily go to about 100.

8. They can show off… easily

Over the years, we’ve seen drummers take their performances to the next level – e.g. Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee playing upside-down, Slipknot’s Joey Jordison playing vertically, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich running to his second drum kit mid-performance, The Who’s Keith Moon adding explosives to his drums, the list goes on and on.

7. They can play anywhere, anytime because they don’t need juice.

Singers need their microphone, guitarists need to plug in their guitars and the same thing goes for other members of the band. The drummers? They don’t rely on electricity so even if the power goes out, they can still rock out.

6. They don’t need a drum kit to play.

Got pots and pans? Coffee cans? Chopsticks? Pencils? Any flat surface? Drummers can pretty much start playing on anything. (tokyosmyrna.com) And it’s not even the same as air-guitar because they actually something to play on.

5. They can add more toys to their kit.

For Rush’s R40 Live, Neil Peart used almost a dozen drums and 13 cymbals plus a double bass drum pedal and hi-hat. So yeah, drummers buy more drums for their existing drums.

4. They can singlehandedly elevate the whole music experience with a drum solo.

“Tom Sawyer”, “Moby Dick”, “YYZ”, and “In The Air Tonight” – what do these timeless classics have in common? A jaw-dropping drum solo. It’s time for the skin-hitters to shine.

3. They determine the speed.

They basically dictate the whole groove of the song. The thing is, when drummers start speeding up, the rest of the band keeps up and follows almost unconsciously.

2. They’re the band’s backbone.

They can affect the whole mood of the song. Think of Led Zeppelin – would their musical masterpieces sound the way they did sans John Bonham’s epic drumming? Nope.

1. They have the best seat in the house.

They overlook everything – literally. From their bandmates to the audience, it’s like they’re sitting on a throne watching all the craziness unfold.