Balance

The Question of Balance

Since playing the drum set requires us to use four limbs, the way we balance ourselves at the drums is very important. Being balanced at your kit lets you relax, and makes you play better. This allows your body the freedom of movement to more easily execute your ideas. Finding the point where you feel centered at the drum set can take some time, and staying centered when playing four different rhythms together can take even longer. It's usually easier to feel balanced when playing simpler exercises. Grooves that require complex counterlines and polyrhythms can make you feel as if you're going to fall over.

One important step in becoming consistent in your playing is finding your center of gravity, and keeping it stable, no matter what you're trying to play. Practitioners of the martial arts know how critical focusing on your center point can be, since it not only allows you to keep your balance, but can also give you more power. Drummers who use a heel-down technique usually don't have as many problems balancing, since their heels are resting on the pedals. Their feet act as a stabilizer. This also seems to give them a lower center of gravity. Heel-up players can run into balance problems because of this lack of a stabilizer. If you play this way it's important to really feel your center point as low as possible, usually a few inches below your naval. Doing this and finding a comfortable position and height on your seat, can give you the stability you need to execute difficult rhythms.

There are a couple of other things that can mess up your balance. One of them is when the individual limbs are playing counterlines, and one or more of the limbs gets out of sync with the others, either because a limb can't keep up, or maybe you haven't trained your limbs to quite land together when they're supposed to. This can also happen on silent notes.

Injuries can also interfere with your balance.

When we play drums, one thing we're doing is transferring energy from one limb to another. Good time and flow come from the uninterrupted passage of this energy, allowing your limbs to respond instantly to your ideas. Being balanced, breathing normally, and having a comfortable posture are all critical to a good performance. Being aware of these things when you practice should help you in having a lot more of those great nights.