[chaser334]

i was wondering if any of you hum, sing, or make any kind of noise like that while playing drums, and i ask this because, apparently i do. the night before last two friends of mine came over and they were watching me play my electronic kit. while i was playing they stoped me mutiple times telling me to stop humming which i never knew i did. i never noticted it unless they stoped me and i for some reason coulden't control it. anyone have any thoughts i am very confused???

[butter]

The guitarist for the first band I was in used to make funny movements with his lips when he played. Obviously there are very animated guitarists who make insane expressions with their faces when they play, but this guy was different. I was more like he was making the motions of a person making sound effects for a racecar shifting gears with each strum.
It was really bad...

I would say if you are humming, it isn't a problem unless you are going to sing if you are in a band. It may be odd, but it doesn't really matter. Sounds like you forgot to separate your vocals when you practiced limb separation

[Tainojim]

I've seen lots of big band and jazz drummers humming their riffs here and there while playing drums.

I tend to do it at times but not noticing it till some one else tells me.

I'd call it rudiment humming. It does help with your timing.

[TheYuckyDuck]

That's not a bad thing at all. Were you by any chance playing along with a backing track? I would guess you were. If not, don't sweat it. I do it all the time. If I'm playing guitar especially, I'm humming bass parts and drum grooves while I work stuff out. If I'm doing session work, I take the sheet music and hum through it a few times before tracking. If I'm playing along with a bass player and the guitarist is doing some weird over-the-bar phrasing or something, I'll often try to hum what he's doing in relation to us, then once I've got it, I'll jump out the pattern I';m playing sporadically and mimic what the guitar is doing then jump back. You're Melodies have to come from somewhere man, unless Dude... you're Mike Portonoy and don't believe in them

Don't sweat it.... If you're humming melody, you're even ahead of the game.

	Ahead Drumsticks Shop for Ahead Drumsticks at Musician's Friend

[slingerland59]

Originally Posted by TheYuckyDuck

.... If you're humming melody, you're even ahead of the game.

Ya, and that's true if you're humming the drum parts, as Tainojim was referring to. Humming or singing the drum beats is a good practice tip. Sometimes when you make your voice play the parts (boom boom chick) then your limbs play them without thinking. If I've got a fast cymbal pattern going (ride and hi-hat) then I sometimes "sing" the left hand, right foot pattern to reinforce the work of the limbs.

I don't know about you but it also feels good to growl when you're doing a super fast tom roll around the set. It's all about the energy and the passion. Drummers aren't supposed to be timid and quiet!

	Ahead Drumsticks Shop for Ahead Drumsticks at Musician's Friend

[chaser334]

Well id like to think i was doing it to help my time or remember melody, but i was dong it with even knowing i was doing it, id just be playin my drums with one of my friends watchin real close and he kept stoppin me telling me im humming and id be like "really?"

[Der Trommler]

Humming is ok, but if you start humming and drooling at the same time I would say you have a problem.

Seriously, I don't see it as a problem unless you are singing backups.

[xxvenom13xx]

Oh, dude, everyone has their own thing that they do. I either start singing the lyrics (in a very horrible pitch) or make beat box noises to go along with the drumset part. That's where it starts. Ha

But all in all humming isn't a problem. Better than singing the lyrics in a bad pitch(: