I am not a drummer

Today we did three music videos in which Ziggy had to drum. I have discovered that I am an inept drummer. I suck. Badly. I can make it look like he’s drumming, but can’t actually do that and stay on the beat. It is infuriating. Especially when someone who can keep a different beat in each hand says, “Look, you’re just counting to eight in this hand and to four in this one. With this syncopation thing thrown on the sixth beat.” Ah hahahaha. Right.

Let me explain. I played violin. Single melody, single rhythm. This whole splitting of the brain works fine unless I’m supposed to keep a steady beat–two steady beats. Thank heavens we didn’t have to have the kick drum active as well.

I think we did these videos from 2:30 till 7:00. I’m exhausted. All the puppeteers are.

We went to the pool after work and soaked in the hot, hot water. More of the same tomorrow.

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4 thoughts on “I am not a drummer”

  1. That sounds like a horrible beat to keep in any case. But then again, I can’t split my brain either (guitar’s not very good for the splitting brain thingy).

    Good luck on the drumming bits !

  2. Sounds like a job for two non-split brain puppeteers. One doing the hand in 8 and one doing the hand in 4 with someone else in the back punching you on beat 6.

  3. Mary Robinette Kowal

    Ha! If there were space for that many people to hide behind a drumset that might be an option.

  4. Hey, it sounded like a good idea to me too.

    Worst time I had learning the piano was when I hit my first (and only) Beethoven sonata and was expected to play a two-against-three rythm for a page or two. That took more practice and lesson time than any other four or five pages combined. And I’m still not convinced I ever really got it quite right.

    Good luck with that, though.

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