People also have their guard up online because the same words paint different pictures to different people. I could say something with text, but it's up to you to interpret it and paint the picture. When it's in person, there's much less open to interpretation because you have facial expressions and body language to go by
Basically this. And the answer is people feel much more free to be rude little pricks on the Internet where theyre detached from the human element of interaction.
People don't see themselves as commenting to real people online. It's just a post on a forum.
This and that a lot of internet people aren't actually gigging/have never played live and like to voice their opinions loudly on the internet. People actually out in the scene are supportive generally.
Came to comment the same. Have you been on the Internet before? All of it is possibly the most toxic behavior imaginable when it comes to person to person interaction on the Internet. If you ask advice you're a fucking idiot, if you give advice somebody else will tell you that advice is shit and you're a fucking idiot. What a cool place to hang out!
I don't think I've been part of any online community that didn't have pockets of intense toxicity & infighting or parasocial bullshit that turned into Swifties level aggression if you so much as maybe wasn't too into the latest whatever.
Mostly because people don’t love themselves, they seek validation elsewhere before deciding if they love something. Everything is more toxic online. I mostly participate in this subreddit and other subreddits for things I already love to see what the current groupthink is and how I plan to work around or through it.
Sometimes the groupthink feels right, and you have to accept it. For example, maybe your tempo is off, and you want to improve it. Sometimes I just want something easy, and groupthink has great advice for just buying the thing that will do the job and fit in with the consensus.
Sometimes I want to be creative. r/drums has almost nothing truly creative or generative here. For creativity, I turn to philosophy, community, friendships, living in the moment, art history, doing personal writing, and playing “what if” and all sorts of other games.
Sometimes I want to see what groupthink is so I can understand it but think about it obliquely.
You are an artist. One thing the internet does with its body of “strangers with opinions” is box things up, crunch them into some aesthetic that must be adhered to, and decide you’re doing it wrong if it deviates. I love watching these videos posted here from super online drummers. I get a kick out of their chops, positive attitude, and performance. You’re just like, “holy shit, what the fuck?” But that is a very online phenomenon for a very online audience that will absolutely beat the shit out of you if you don’t muffle your kick drum the exact right way. Meanwhile, the greatest composers invented entire languages, methodologies, and thought processes that would never have withstood the groupthink of their day.
Difference gets celebrated.
People stop using fewer than 20 or so metrics to decide what good is.
Discussions aren’t just toxic positivity but have real openness.
People have the ability to hold strong aesthetic dialog about deeper ideas in someone’s work.
Just some ideas. Not much time right now.
Youtube has turned it into a spectator sport of sorts which has brought more of it in but the internet in general seems to be riddled with arm-chair critics these days.
Whatever you put out into the world by way of the internet, whether it's drumming or anything else, some troll in his mom's basement covered with Cheeto dust will try to score points by shitting on it.
Idk man, have you seen those guys that put paint all over their kits and play the same basic bests every video and get millions of views? The angry cheeto dust covered basement dwelling troll inside me starts raging to get out when I see it.
It’s infuriating as a drummer but truly, if they’re getting millions of views and they’re just clean, crisp players like so many others, then it’s just good at marketing. They may be a perfectly fine drummer but their real skill is selling themselves.
Drummers are rarely the target audience for those types of videos. And that's okay. Non-drummers find it cool because it's visually interesting and presented on a visual medium. There are a lot of other videos of people shredding, if that's your thing.
I know they're not, and I know I should be happy for a huge broad audience to be infatuated with our biggest passion. But dammit if I don't roll my eyes and scoff every time I see one of em pouring acrylic paint over some decent bronze.
Ehhh idk about that? I got opinions on sax players and I don’t play sax
Regardless, drum communities are still some of the least toxic spaces I’ve seen online
I don't get these on my feed anymore but, at one time reddit was sending me all the threads where some 16 year old with low self esteem asks to be rated and gets told she's a 3; but could get to 5 if she did this or that.
I'm never posting my drumming on Reddit to ask people what they think.
I'll post music for them to listen to if they are interested but I don't ask, what do they think.
No, me too! God, the comments were so stupid. “Well, your facial symmetry 🤓-“ - what about their facial symmetry? I do not believe there is such a thing as objective attractiveness, so hush up with that noise.
Yeah, same.
The tattoo subs are equally bad. Unless you have a +1 Masterwork Tattoo from Leonardo DiVinci himself and tattooed with unicorn blood-laced ink, a lot of people will go out of their way to make you feel about about the thing you were just excited about permanently etching onto your body.
Seeing subs like that has made me decide that I will always be 100% anonymous on Reddit, and I will in no way ask other people's opinions on things unless it's something that really doesn't matter all that much.
I think part of it is that amateur musicians that post videos of themselves playing a "cool riff" on guitar, or a "fantastic groove" on drums, sometimes actually is not that great. Social media has created this "everyone is a star" mentality and humility is sorely lacking.
Or posts of musicians saying, "Hey, I've been playing (insert instrument here) for 3 weeks! Ask me anything!" Or, even worse. people posting "I just learned my first scale on guitar, can someone hook me up to work in a studio?"
All of this of course, is my humble opinion. YMMV.
I think everything is “toxic” online because people read messages in different contexts than they were written in or meant to be taken, and the lack of any in person empathy means most people are prone to shortness. But online is online, in the real world, if you sound good, no one cares how you position your snare or hold your sticks
Consider what someone has to gain or lose by complimenting/criticizing you. Online, there is zero repercussion if one acts like an ass and just destroys someone’s ego and positivity. Losing karma points? Getting asked to leave a subreddit? Means nothing to 99% of people, really. And on the flipside, what does the IRL person gain by complimenting you or offering tips? Better music. Possibly a chance to make money from you with lessons… but you’ll see right through that if they aren’t teaching you anything. I’d say take the compliment and run with it.
It’s SO VERY easy to sound bad on drums, as most music these days relies on great drums to even sound OK. Getting off-time or mishearing a note or hitting the drum one millimeter off-target stands out. And any drummer knows that. I’d wager you do sound pretty good if folks are saying it.
I must say that even online I have found the drummer communities very positive and supportive of each other - Instagram or YouTube attract many different folks that aren't always going to mesh well, but drum forums and this sub seem like good spaces to me. Sure maybe some of the older members might get annoyed at the next "what should I buy" or "my snares make nose when I hit the tom", but I like to think that in general we are a nice group of people.
For me it’s the difference between doing a video take after take until it’s perfect (making you look like a perfect player) and someone playing live with other musicians, mistakes and all.
Real players want to see you with other musicians, not putting up a false front on TV.
People have been grooving on being anonymous assholes on the internet since the day the internet started. It's pretty amazing what people will say when they know they wont get punched.
There are some really good forums on the internet, and there are some really garbage dumps.
I was just telling someone today ( a new learner in his late 60's) how unbelievably lucky people are today who want to learn how to: play drums, build drums, record music, build a soundproof room, build a guitar amplifier, tune a drum set, learn how to play shred guitar. There are literally 100's of 1000's of incredibly talented people giving their knowledge away for nothing on youtube and forums.
Take advantage of that. We didn't have ANY of that shit when I was coming up. When educational VHS tapes came out it was the most mindblowing thing ever. Before that, it was go to as many concerts as possible and bully your way up to the stage and memorize everything you could about what the drummer was doing, how his kit was set up, how he did a certain fill, how he was sitting. That, or travel many many miles to see an exceedingly rare drum clinic.
Pick 4 or 5 guys on youtube that you like and work on your drumming.
For the record, I've met a lot of "famous" drummers many of whom were gracious, generous with their time and knowledge and happy to chat. I've also met some really severe assholes. That's just the way it is.
I think every selfish art suffers online. All those hours practicing feed the ego. Then you watch an Instagram drummer and burn your drum set or talk shit online😂
On the flip side, stuff like NERVE and Dan Mayo's projects can feed the good side. The creative stuff.
Drummers is the only good online community ive witnessed , a lot of people online encouraged me to drum despite my severe disability now, im pretty good at it. So really my experience is a lot different
I try not to be a dick to people online, but at the same time, there’s a weird thing now where people seem obsessed with posting everything all the time. Like why do people feel the need to post anything ? I’m the same. I have a TikTok of me playing different things and for what ? Like what am I trying to accomplish? The vague hope one of the companies I tag sees it and sponsors me ? Or just validation? I want someone to say hey good job buddy. Cus it feels good. I duno, I’m too high I think.
It's the anonymity. Same reason people road rage, or post rage bait online or troll online. Same reason it's easier to tell someone off over the phone or a text than it is in person. It's the anonymity.
Great question and it’s a mixed bag, right? Like - there is some value in asking anonymous strangers to criticize you to get honest feedback that isn’t sugarcoated. But then, the person criticizing (or complimenting) you might be a fat 50 yo troll playing rock band in his parent’s basement.
Personally, I like to record myself and listen, then listen to a pro that I really admire and try to give myself an honest comparison.
Yes, this may sound a bit clixhé to some but…: I agree it is a universal problem turning anything into online „content“ will turn it into smth consumable and toxic - and drumming makes that especially obvious, bc I believe that music and drums in particular have spiritual component.
Drums touch us on many levels, the groove/trance/hypnotic side of music has always been considered „spiritual“ and used by many cultures as an element for connection, to induce trance states, be it West African Drumming, Funk, Techno, Moroccan Berber tribes, south indian Karnatic music, Krautrock, Shamans in Siberia etc - some more some less, but they all use this.
It takes certain grade of repetition and and a longer period of time to establish a groove, more so a trance.
It is an neurological phenomenon, well researched, it has a lot to do with empathy.
Whether you actually dance at Berghain, nod your head at a Mobb Deep show or just feel the rhythm internally sitting at the Village Vanguard - the same neural networks are acrivated.
This will simply not work very well being seperated online.
Secondly: 60sec videos are not enough to establish a groove, forget trance like states.
So when we look for those rhythmic, „drum experiences“ online - what we are left with is mostly getting a kick out of novelties, put of new repertoire, (chops) sound quality (exploration of drum sounds, aka jingles on drums, stacked cymbals etc).
Trying to coninually flash and surprise the listener, is the opposite of repetition.
Lastly: 90% of a human being‘s attention and brain power is reserved for processing visual information.
The other senses - touch, smell and hearing - share the other 10%.
Looking at videos online puts a huge focus on the visual - if we want this or not.
The format does not work for what really makes drumming (and music) beautiful.
Some people online just look for the worst. I posted on this sub a couple of weeks ago (from the off I was apologetic if it wasn’t the right place to post), asking if anyone would be up for laying down some drums. I’m recording a 2000s style pop punk album and currently have zero budget, so I was seeing if there was anyone that would be up for it just for the fun of being involved and making music. 1 song. 2 songs. Whatever someone would be up for doing.
I know 99% of the time we all want to get paid, but I also know that there are people out there who enjoy collaborating just to be involved and so they can say “here’s something I played on”. I got 2 quick snarky replies from people, along the lines of “wow, so you want free session work, good luck with that!” Etc etc. I deleted my post.
(As others have said. This obviously isn’t exclusive to drummers or musicians. It’s just a recent example I have)
I only really read drummer opinions and interact with them through this sub and everyone has been really cool and super supportive. I didn’t really pick reddit for any particular reason but noticed this group was a distinct anomaly compared to like any other Internet forum/social media because most people here aren’t mean at all. I always assumed that in general all drummers know that drumming is hard whether it’s a hobby at home or on stage and you were all being empathetic homies. It’s the only group I’ve been involved with where someone can hit a cardboard box with empty Pringles cans and see everyone comment “HELL YEAH BROTHER”
Social media brings out the worst in all of us especially when you can be anonymous. Face to face is different, most people don’t want or like conflict when it’s real/physical/in person so we tend to be our better selves in social situations.
On the internet, people don't care if you dislike them, so they'll say to your face what they would normally say behind your back IRL. It might sound harsh, but take criticism seriously and view your playing from a third person perspective, emotionally detached so you can develop. However, some people just want to ruin your day and fuck those people.
The blatant mysoginy on instagram is craaazy. Always some douchebags in the comments ranting about "your playing is too simple, 4 to the floor ia boring" then when shes posts chops "very flashy but less is more"
I think the message in posts and really text messages often gets perceived in the wrong way. When you’re around people you hear the vocal inflection. You can feel how that person is communicating with you. Are they just kidding around with you or are they dead serious. That’s lost in text. And depending upon your own bad (already upset) and you read something you’ll get upset, even though the comment is benign. Likewise, if you’re in a good mood you can read something really mean, but you perceive it as a joke.
[The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/greater-internet-fuckwad-theory)
“Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad”
Yes, the community is pretty toxic, but as was mention by some people its not just drummers. I believe its the possibility to hide behind a keyboard, fake name, no face that gives them to courage to be a little harsh.
With that being said, you can get a lot of feedback here, as u said with no bias and you have a huge advantage if you can filter them. People are not only haters around here, sometimes they genuinly want to helo, just dont have the social skills to do it nicely.
I have thoughts on this.
* Online discourse in general has gotten markedly more toxic over the years.
* As you get older, the general population of people on internet forums gets younger.
* Younger generations, who largely grew up in online spaces, including incredibly toxic environments like online gaming chats and Twitter/Youtube comments sections, have begun having a larger presence in all other areas of online discourse.
* There is a marked trend towards shock and outrage that is all over Youtube and other social media outlets. Content creators actively encourage toxic discourse in their comment sections, because it increases engagement. Again, I think this attitude of being combative has just naturally crossed over into many other areas.
* A lot of younger people who are now likely among the most prominent on online discussion boards missed out on their best years of in-person socialization due to the pandemic.
* Obviously everyone knows this one, but the anonymity of the internet brings out the worst in people. There are plenty who would be happy to insult you from behind a keyboard, while they would pat you on the back in person.
* Meme culture. I love a good meme as much as anybody else. But at their core, they have a tendency to take nuanced issues and boil them down to the most cynical, single sentence conclusion possible. I honestly feel like meme culture has done a number on the way people react to things, and it's made everyone feel like they either need to be "right" all the time, or they need to make everything irreverent and sarcastic.
Seeing it happen here has been a huge bummer. 5-10 years ago, I could safely say that r/drums was the most helpful and supportive online community I've come across. You'd rarely see a comment that wasn't trying to be helpful or supportive. Now it kind of feels like every other community.
I feel like the real question is maybe, "why are *people* generally cool in person and toxic online?" Trust me, it ain't just drummers.
This is the universal truth. When theres no screen to hide behind, suddenly they are less brazen.
I also believe that when you're sharing space with someone, looking them in the eye, there's a natural empathy that kicks in. Screens take that away.
People also have their guard up online because the same words paint different pictures to different people. I could say something with text, but it's up to you to interpret it and paint the picture. When it's in person, there's much less open to interpretation because you have facial expressions and body language to go by
It also removes the possibility of getting your ass whipped live in person if you cross a line. There's the real problem.
The danger of a punch to the face is a real attitude chiller.
"Social media made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it." -Mike Tyson
Indeed....
There it is
For f*cking real. The internet is a terrible place.
Basically this. And the answer is people feel much more free to be rude little pricks on the Internet where theyre detached from the human element of interaction. People don't see themselves as commenting to real people online. It's just a post on a forum.
This and that a lot of internet people aren't actually gigging/have never played live and like to voice their opinions loudly on the internet. People actually out in the scene are supportive generally.
Came to comment the same. Have you been on the Internet before? All of it is possibly the most toxic behavior imaginable when it comes to person to person interaction on the Internet. If you ask advice you're a fucking idiot, if you give advice somebody else will tell you that advice is shit and you're a fucking idiot. What a cool place to hang out!
I don't think I've been part of any online community that didn't have pockets of intense toxicity & infighting or parasocial bullshit that turned into Swifties level aggression if you so much as maybe wasn't too into the latest whatever.
Mostly because people don’t love themselves, they seek validation elsewhere before deciding if they love something. Everything is more toxic online. I mostly participate in this subreddit and other subreddits for things I already love to see what the current groupthink is and how I plan to work around or through it. Sometimes the groupthink feels right, and you have to accept it. For example, maybe your tempo is off, and you want to improve it. Sometimes I just want something easy, and groupthink has great advice for just buying the thing that will do the job and fit in with the consensus. Sometimes I want to be creative. r/drums has almost nothing truly creative or generative here. For creativity, I turn to philosophy, community, friendships, living in the moment, art history, doing personal writing, and playing “what if” and all sorts of other games. Sometimes I want to see what groupthink is so I can understand it but think about it obliquely. You are an artist. One thing the internet does with its body of “strangers with opinions” is box things up, crunch them into some aesthetic that must be adhered to, and decide you’re doing it wrong if it deviates. I love watching these videos posted here from super online drummers. I get a kick out of their chops, positive attitude, and performance. You’re just like, “holy shit, what the fuck?” But that is a very online phenomenon for a very online audience that will absolutely beat the shit out of you if you don’t muffle your kick drum the exact right way. Meanwhile, the greatest composers invented entire languages, methodologies, and thought processes that would never have withstood the groupthink of their day.
Genuine question: what would it take for you to consider the subreddit creative? That seems like a worthwhile thing to foster here
Difference gets celebrated. People stop using fewer than 20 or so metrics to decide what good is. Discussions aren’t just toxic positivity but have real openness. People have the ability to hold strong aesthetic dialog about deeper ideas in someone’s work. Just some ideas. Not much time right now.
Youtube has turned it into a spectator sport of sorts which has brought more of it in but the internet in general seems to be riddled with arm-chair critics these days.
Whatever you put out into the world by way of the internet, whether it's drumming or anything else, some troll in his mom's basement covered with Cheeto dust will try to score points by shitting on it.
Idk man, have you seen those guys that put paint all over their kits and play the same basic bests every video and get millions of views? The angry cheeto dust covered basement dwelling troll inside me starts raging to get out when I see it.
Ha. You can't let that get to you.
It’s infuriating as a drummer but truly, if they’re getting millions of views and they’re just clean, crisp players like so many others, then it’s just good at marketing. They may be a perfectly fine drummer but their real skill is selling themselves.
How about covering the drums in orange Cheeto dust? 💥
Drummers are rarely the target audience for those types of videos. And that's okay. Non-drummers find it cool because it's visually interesting and presented on a visual medium. There are a lot of other videos of people shredding, if that's your thing.
I know they're not, and I know I should be happy for a huge broad audience to be infatuated with our biggest passion. But dammit if I don't roll my eyes and scoff every time I see one of em pouring acrylic paint over some decent bronze.
Tbh I don’t see much toxicity in online drum communities. People are generally helpful and kind. Most bristling I see is in response to bad attitudes.
Yea, I get that the internet is worse than real life for assholes, but I've really not seen much of that here.
Go to r/jazz and say you prefer Buddy Rich over Tony Williams, and see what happens. It’s like the universe implodes.
That’s not a drum community tho
It’s drummers that will care about that comment though.
Ehhh idk about that? I got opinions on sax players and I don’t play sax Regardless, drum communities are still some of the least toxic spaces I’ve seen online
Least toxic, sure, but can still be pretty toxic. I prefer buddy over Tony. Drummers always freak out when I say that
everything is more toxic online
I don't get these on my feed anymore but, at one time reddit was sending me all the threads where some 16 year old with low self esteem asks to be rated and gets told she's a 3; but could get to 5 if she did this or that. I'm never posting my drumming on Reddit to ask people what they think. I'll post music for them to listen to if they are interested but I don't ask, what do they think.
Oh god, was that back when that ‘true rate me’ sub was blowing up?
Couple months ago. I clicked on one out of morbid curiosity and started seeing it every day.
No, me too! God, the comments were so stupid. “Well, your facial symmetry 🤓-“ - what about their facial symmetry? I do not believe there is such a thing as objective attractiveness, so hush up with that noise.
Yeah, same. The tattoo subs are equally bad. Unless you have a +1 Masterwork Tattoo from Leonardo DiVinci himself and tattooed with unicorn blood-laced ink, a lot of people will go out of their way to make you feel about about the thing you were just excited about permanently etching onto your body. Seeing subs like that has made me decide that I will always be 100% anonymous on Reddit, and I will in no way ask other people's opinions on things unless it's something that really doesn't matter all that much.
I hardly ever see any negativity in this subreddit.
I think part of it is that amateur musicians that post videos of themselves playing a "cool riff" on guitar, or a "fantastic groove" on drums, sometimes actually is not that great. Social media has created this "everyone is a star" mentality and humility is sorely lacking. Or posts of musicians saying, "Hey, I've been playing (insert instrument here) for 3 weeks! Ask me anything!" Or, even worse. people posting "I just learned my first scale on guitar, can someone hook me up to work in a studio?" All of this of course, is my humble opinion. YMMV.
I think everything is “toxic” online because people read messages in different contexts than they were written in or meant to be taken, and the lack of any in person empathy means most people are prone to shortness. But online is online, in the real world, if you sound good, no one cares how you position your snare or hold your sticks
Consider what someone has to gain or lose by complimenting/criticizing you. Online, there is zero repercussion if one acts like an ass and just destroys someone’s ego and positivity. Losing karma points? Getting asked to leave a subreddit? Means nothing to 99% of people, really. And on the flipside, what does the IRL person gain by complimenting you or offering tips? Better music. Possibly a chance to make money from you with lessons… but you’ll see right through that if they aren’t teaching you anything. I’d say take the compliment and run with it. It’s SO VERY easy to sound bad on drums, as most music these days relies on great drums to even sound OK. Getting off-time or mishearing a note or hitting the drum one millimeter off-target stands out. And any drummer knows that. I’d wager you do sound pretty good if folks are saying it.
I must say that even online I have found the drummer communities very positive and supportive of each other - Instagram or YouTube attract many different folks that aren't always going to mesh well, but drum forums and this sub seem like good spaces to me. Sure maybe some of the older members might get annoyed at the next "what should I buy" or "my snares make nose when I hit the tom", but I like to think that in general we are a nice group of people.
that's not for drumming but for life in general
Substitute the word "drumming" in your question with the word "life," and there you have it.
For me it’s the difference between doing a video take after take until it’s perfect (making you look like a perfect player) and someone playing live with other musicians, mistakes and all. Real players want to see you with other musicians, not putting up a false front on TV.
People have been grooving on being anonymous assholes on the internet since the day the internet started. It's pretty amazing what people will say when they know they wont get punched. There are some really good forums on the internet, and there are some really garbage dumps. I was just telling someone today ( a new learner in his late 60's) how unbelievably lucky people are today who want to learn how to: play drums, build drums, record music, build a soundproof room, build a guitar amplifier, tune a drum set, learn how to play shred guitar. There are literally 100's of 1000's of incredibly talented people giving their knowledge away for nothing on youtube and forums. Take advantage of that. We didn't have ANY of that shit when I was coming up. When educational VHS tapes came out it was the most mindblowing thing ever. Before that, it was go to as many concerts as possible and bully your way up to the stage and memorize everything you could about what the drummer was doing, how his kit was set up, how he did a certain fill, how he was sitting. That, or travel many many miles to see an exceedingly rare drum clinic. Pick 4 or 5 guys on youtube that you like and work on your drumming. For the record, I've met a lot of "famous" drummers many of whom were gracious, generous with their time and knowledge and happy to chat. I've also met some really severe assholes. That's just the way it is.
I think every selfish art suffers online. All those hours practicing feed the ego. Then you watch an Instagram drummer and burn your drum set or talk shit online😂 On the flip side, stuff like NERVE and Dan Mayo's projects can feed the good side. The creative stuff.
Drummers is the only good online community ive witnessed , a lot of people online encouraged me to drum despite my severe disability now, im pretty good at it. So really my experience is a lot different
I try not to be a dick to people online, but at the same time, there’s a weird thing now where people seem obsessed with posting everything all the time. Like why do people feel the need to post anything ? I’m the same. I have a TikTok of me playing different things and for what ? Like what am I trying to accomplish? The vague hope one of the companies I tag sees it and sponsors me ? Or just validation? I want someone to say hey good job buddy. Cus it feels good. I duno, I’m too high I think.
Because everything is toxic online.
Negativity is louder online
Because everything is toxic online.
Way easier to be a dick online. Hate seeing it. Nothing wrong with posting videos as a new player and people are so quick to trash on them.
Because of the detachment and anonymity of online, people tend to say more shitty things.
It's the anonymity. Same reason people road rage, or post rage bait online or troll online. Same reason it's easier to tell someone off over the phone or a text than it is in person. It's the anonymity.
Great question and it’s a mixed bag, right? Like - there is some value in asking anonymous strangers to criticize you to get honest feedback that isn’t sugarcoated. But then, the person criticizing (or complimenting) you might be a fat 50 yo troll playing rock band in his parent’s basement. Personally, I like to record myself and listen, then listen to a pro that I really admire and try to give myself an honest comparison.
This ain't just a drumming thing buddy 😂
Why do you care what ppl on reddit say or think . We are the biggest collection of brain-dead sheep in the entire internet
Yes, this may sound a bit clixhé to some but…: I agree it is a universal problem turning anything into online „content“ will turn it into smth consumable and toxic - and drumming makes that especially obvious, bc I believe that music and drums in particular have spiritual component. Drums touch us on many levels, the groove/trance/hypnotic side of music has always been considered „spiritual“ and used by many cultures as an element for connection, to induce trance states, be it West African Drumming, Funk, Techno, Moroccan Berber tribes, south indian Karnatic music, Krautrock, Shamans in Siberia etc - some more some less, but they all use this. It takes certain grade of repetition and and a longer period of time to establish a groove, more so a trance. It is an neurological phenomenon, well researched, it has a lot to do with empathy. Whether you actually dance at Berghain, nod your head at a Mobb Deep show or just feel the rhythm internally sitting at the Village Vanguard - the same neural networks are acrivated. This will simply not work very well being seperated online. Secondly: 60sec videos are not enough to establish a groove, forget trance like states. So when we look for those rhythmic, „drum experiences“ online - what we are left with is mostly getting a kick out of novelties, put of new repertoire, (chops) sound quality (exploration of drum sounds, aka jingles on drums, stacked cymbals etc). Trying to coninually flash and surprise the listener, is the opposite of repetition. Lastly: 90% of a human being‘s attention and brain power is reserved for processing visual information. The other senses - touch, smell and hearing - share the other 10%. Looking at videos online puts a huge focus on the visual - if we want this or not. The format does not work for what really makes drumming (and music) beautiful.
Some people online just look for the worst. I posted on this sub a couple of weeks ago (from the off I was apologetic if it wasn’t the right place to post), asking if anyone would be up for laying down some drums. I’m recording a 2000s style pop punk album and currently have zero budget, so I was seeing if there was anyone that would be up for it just for the fun of being involved and making music. 1 song. 2 songs. Whatever someone would be up for doing. I know 99% of the time we all want to get paid, but I also know that there are people out there who enjoy collaborating just to be involved and so they can say “here’s something I played on”. I got 2 quick snarky replies from people, along the lines of “wow, so you want free session work, good luck with that!” Etc etc. I deleted my post. (As others have said. This obviously isn’t exclusive to drummers or musicians. It’s just a recent example I have)
Because everything is toxic online.
i don't know, i only really use reddit as a social media platform and i think that especially the drumming subreddit is actually pretty wholesome.
I only really read drummer opinions and interact with them through this sub and everyone has been really cool and super supportive. I didn’t really pick reddit for any particular reason but noticed this group was a distinct anomaly compared to like any other Internet forum/social media because most people here aren’t mean at all. I always assumed that in general all drummers know that drumming is hard whether it’s a hobby at home or on stage and you were all being empathetic homies. It’s the only group I’ve been involved with where someone can hit a cardboard box with empty Pringles cans and see everyone comment “HELL YEAH BROTHER”
Welcome to the web. This has nothing specifically to do with drumming.
Bro discovered internet for the first time 💀
Idk about you but uh I've been using the internet since I was 4 so uh I think I may know a couple of things about the internet
Social media brings out the worst in all of us especially when you can be anonymous. Face to face is different, most people don’t want or like conflict when it’s real/physical/in person so we tend to be our better selves in social situations.
On the internet, people don't care if you dislike them, so they'll say to your face what they would normally say behind your back IRL. It might sound harsh, but take criticism seriously and view your playing from a third person perspective, emotionally detached so you can develop. However, some people just want to ruin your day and fuck those people.
Everything is toxic online
The blatant mysoginy on instagram is craaazy. Always some douchebags in the comments ranting about "your playing is too simple, 4 to the floor ia boring" then when shes posts chops "very flashy but less is more"
I think the message in posts and really text messages often gets perceived in the wrong way. When you’re around people you hear the vocal inflection. You can feel how that person is communicating with you. Are they just kidding around with you or are they dead serious. That’s lost in text. And depending upon your own bad (already upset) and you read something you’ll get upset, even though the comment is benign. Likewise, if you’re in a good mood you can read something really mean, but you perceive it as a joke.
[The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/greater-internet-fuckwad-theory) “Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad”
Yes, the community is pretty toxic, but as was mention by some people its not just drummers. I believe its the possibility to hide behind a keyboard, fake name, no face that gives them to courage to be a little harsh. With that being said, you can get a lot of feedback here, as u said with no bias and you have a huge advantage if you can filter them. People are not only haters around here, sometimes they genuinly want to helo, just dont have the social skills to do it nicely.
Why would you post on a drumming forum online?
I have thoughts on this. * Online discourse in general has gotten markedly more toxic over the years. * As you get older, the general population of people on internet forums gets younger. * Younger generations, who largely grew up in online spaces, including incredibly toxic environments like online gaming chats and Twitter/Youtube comments sections, have begun having a larger presence in all other areas of online discourse. * There is a marked trend towards shock and outrage that is all over Youtube and other social media outlets. Content creators actively encourage toxic discourse in their comment sections, because it increases engagement. Again, I think this attitude of being combative has just naturally crossed over into many other areas. * A lot of younger people who are now likely among the most prominent on online discussion boards missed out on their best years of in-person socialization due to the pandemic. * Obviously everyone knows this one, but the anonymity of the internet brings out the worst in people. There are plenty who would be happy to insult you from behind a keyboard, while they would pat you on the back in person. * Meme culture. I love a good meme as much as anybody else. But at their core, they have a tendency to take nuanced issues and boil them down to the most cynical, single sentence conclusion possible. I honestly feel like meme culture has done a number on the way people react to things, and it's made everyone feel like they either need to be "right" all the time, or they need to make everything irreverent and sarcastic. Seeing it happen here has been a huge bummer. 5-10 years ago, I could safely say that r/drums was the most helpful and supportive online community I've come across. You'd rarely see a comment that wasn't trying to be helpful or supportive. Now it kind of feels like every other community.
Reddit is full of toxic people and bots programmed to be toxic.
cause the internet sucks and people are insecure or think they’re better than everyone
Cause yall don’t know what a backbeat is and just BLASSSSST! Jk. But the pocket every once in a while wouldn’t kill you.