Could use some help...

[chris perra]

One other thing is that your body learns coordination while you sleep. To maximize what you are working on make sure you go really slow. Which you already know.. But it's not so you can get it at the time.. It's so your body can work out the stuff in your sleep. Make sure your 8 hours a day doesn't cut into proper sleep. It's weird.. but true haha..

[Pocketplayer]

Begin with the end in mind...
You have most likely ONE player you respect the most...someone who is THERE now.
Unpack that personality...HOW did he get there? This is ONLY a template...Paul and
others said it well, you cannot NOT be you. God, imo, makes us all similar (how the
brain works) but hardwired uniquely. IMO, one must draw out the unique stamp.

I don't always dig Virgil's stuff, but one thing I respect more than anything, the man
knows himself and plays what he likes and is willing to deal with the consequences
(not every guitar player digs him or...).

In the end, you bring yourself to the table...if we really grab our balls, we choose
to move from the safe gigs (wedding, classic rock cover band) to what where our souls
direct us. Steve Smith does this with his Indian influence despite many wanting him
back in his Journey glory...he AIN'T that man anymore...good for him!

Along the road we use feedback...recordings, what band members say (great insight
from Paul)...reminds me of the saying from a group leader in a men's group after one of
those deep spiritual bonding weekend..."If you HAVE to tell your wife you changed, you
probably didn't...don't say anything...she'll know it if she sees and feels it!"

This might sound a little different, but go back to when you sat behind the computer and
posted this thread asking for "help..." What did you really want? Call this an awareness exercise,
but there was a core "want" you had...whatever that is, it is a core motivation as well...
and this is usually where I get called "too deep"...but I've worked with too many men to not
share it, usually the core motivation has a shadow behind it.
--just an example:
"I really need approval of my practice routine" --shadow is fear
The fear has a shadow...my dad never gave approval of my playing so I seek it elsewhere.
Approval has a shadow...I seek the approval in my playing therefore I play what I think others
want to hear or I coin licks from others who are safe and approved "the hero".

All of this blocks us from being US...and we can spend A LOT of time motivated by shadows
until we burn out or just quit or...in other words, we don't experience freedom, but live under
pressure.

Toss the above if it doesn't fit.

[Julián Fernández]

Thanks everyone for chiming in...

So true about learning songs... I think that what makes a musician better than the rest is, in many cases, how many songs they know and can play. In jazz this is specially true imo.

Deep stuff, Pocket... I did stated on my first post that this whole thing is at the same time fascinating and frightening. And the whole idea or having a log is cause I´m not sure what I´m gonna find along the way.
I think we all work for different reasons, and at some point, for approval. That´s how we´re taught.

Regarding finding your voice and letting it come out, it´s a process (that may include a "kill your idols" phase) that I think comes from spending tons of hours with your instrument.

Right now I´m compiling stuff that I wanna to work on and trying not to worry that much about it... Again, I appreciate all the comments. Feel free to keep sharing your thoughts.

[Julián Fernández]

Quick update: First day. 6 hours after I´m beyond excited. My lower back needs a rest, my left thumb too and my jaw also! What a nice way to find that I was holding tension on my jaw!
I´m tired but really excited... I feel it´s gonna be quite a journey...

[john lamb]

I wish you the best with it! I also wish I had the time to do that... I could use it

Some great advice around here - I'd like to second a few things... starting with working on songs. Transcribe a ton... this will help to take some of the pressure off.

Sleep. Very important. It isn't just coordination that is learned while you sleep, it is everything. If you go a month without sleep, when you wake up you think it was a month ago. If your sleep gets interrupted, then whatever it was that you were consolidating into memory gets wasted and you have to relearn it. During consolidation, you will mentally rehearse your new experiences thousands and thousands of times, so you can and should actually count your sleep as practice time. At least in spirit. You might consider including naps into your routine as that is shown to increase learning.

Injury.... something you'll need to watch out for with this level of activity. it is another reason to focus on transcribing and piano - they will give your body a break. Piano can injure you too if your technique sucks, so get some lessons if your technique is closer to Monk than Hancock. Also, work on physical issue first. If your lower back needs a rest already, it is almost certainly due to the way you are sitting. It'll just get worse over time, not better, unless you adjust your sitting technique. Are you sitting evenly - weight distributing evenly into the throne through both sides? Are your ears stacked over your lumbar spine (exactly halfway between your bellybutton and the small of your back) over your hips? Most drummers want to collapse their lower back because they feel it gives them better foot freedom, but it is't necessary and comes with a painful price.

[bclarkio]

Lots of good advice here. I think the 'sideways' points that Pocketplayer and John Lamb made are good to remember.

Why are you doing this? What are you going for? Your brain might not really know, and your heart doesn't know how to tell you. If you can find out, you can go directly for it, instead of wasting time circling around it.

The people that are where you want to be, what is it that appeals to you? What are their daily lives like, and is that how you want to live? What are their dreams, desires, worries, etc.; that's how you might feel when you get there.

If you are going to spend that much time on the kit, it is worth taking time to make sure your body is up to it. If you run into problems, it might be a good idea to think of the time spent correcting them as part of your practice hours.

In the same vein, you might want to think of personal growth as part of your drumming progress. I think what will separate you from the rest is your connection to all us, your ability to express what it is to be human.

Watching a beautiful sunset, holding a baby in your arms, losing a loved one, experiencing these moments with purpose and intent will pay benefits.

if your enthusiasm flags, and keeping up those hours on the kit becomes arduous, you can think of these other things as a valuable part of the process.

[Kurtis]

Hope all goes well