This article will discuss why do drummers make weird faces when drumming. Please stop judging your drumming when the drummer faces the audience.
Let’s face it, drummers are judged first, then they are judged by themselves. Or at least they should be.
Over the years, drummers have developed an expression when they play. This expression is the look they are known for.
Why are they known for it? Let’s find out why in this article.
Face recognition
The first thing we need to know is what happens in human brains when someone recognizes a face. Some people can recognize faces instantly, while others take some time to get the right reaction from the face, either seeing, hearing or just visually.
Human brains are equipped with powerful sensors, and when one of those sensors is damaged, it results in incomplete paralysis. In case your brain loses the ability to recognize faces, it leads to brain damage.
Humans, in general can, identify a face, whether it is in a photo or face that is shown in person. These are some of the basic features that are easily recognized.
Eyes
The eyes make the eyes the most important part of the face, and there are at least two types of eyes. Human eyes contain some special shapes and sizes.
One of them is the pupil. A human eye’s pupil is a shape of a small circle, while a cat’s pupil is a small oval shape.
The pupil makes your eyes adjust to the light of the environment. This also gives you access to different levels of light.
The other way that the human eye can be recognized is by the size of the iris. In fact, you can estimate a person’s age just by the shape of their eyes.
The color of the iris can give you an idea of whether a person is male or female, but it is not something we can control. Icons are a good example of this, and they are straightforward to tell apart even when the color changes from person to person.
The eyebrows are the defining feature of the face, and the face is more than just the eyes. The shape and length of the eyebrows also make the person more attractive.
If you can’t control your eyebrows or they are too plucked, then your face becomes an unpleasant sight to look at. The eyes are enough.
The nose
The nose is also of the first things that you see when you look at a human face. It is the symbol of a face.
Since it is the first thing that you see, it is the first thing that people think of when they hear the name of a face. Think about it, who remembers a face without the nose?
The nose is such a common thing that it can easily be remembered.
Since the nose is also the symbol of the face, it is probably the most important part. Most people who have learned about facial recognition said that it is easier to remember a face with a nose and eye.
Interestingly, it is also possible to describe a face without any of these elements. With this approach, you can take advantage of the fact that humans don’t think about the nose and use it for other features like the shape, the length, and the color of the nose.
Lips
The lips are the final aspect of the face that can express emotions. It is the gateway to a person’s personality and the way they feel about themselves.
Lips shape the rest of the face. And it is true; if you don’t have a beautiful smile, your entire face will not look attractive to the rest of the world.
Lips are used to show emotions. This is why we have expressions like “surprised,” “smiling,” “angry,” “laughing,” etc.
Some people use them to show their emotion, while others use them just for lip-syncing and pretending to be someone else.
Face
Some people think that you can only recognize a face after looking at it for some time. But this is definitely not true.
We can remember faces well after the first time we see them. Most people remember the faces of close people very well.
A face is basically a series of complex features that are combined to form a whole. The features are measured to create the appearance of a face and the expression of a face.
Couples and friends
If you speak of a couple or a group of people, many human-centric expressions would be typical. The three most common expressions would be eyes open, eyes closed, and mouth open and closed.
Open eyes would express inner stimulation, and a closed eye would express inner relaxation and harmony. These expressions are used primarily to indicate closeness and intimacy.
This expression is very in tune with many kinds of music. The rhythmic engagement of closed eyes creates a different effect and yet conveys a similar idea.
This expression is very expressive and should be highly emphasized. The drummer would show very little or no open eye movement when he/she is looking for inspiration.
The body position and leg position in the average time period would be open with the legs spread apart and the thighs slightly raised to facilitate entry into the highest tones and an upright or slightly arched neck.
Some players adopt a more exotic position to indicate a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. For example, the knees would be closer together, and the head would be inclined to the right.
This position is also most often used for the funeral march and some classical and more traditional pieces. This position is the opposite of the time period mentioned above.
Singing
Many drummers act as singers. The process is not the same as singing, but they tend to release pent-up energy in the form of vocalism.
Voice is used to add a human element to the beat, and drummers rely on their own instruments to express their vocal quality. I am not here to describe a musical voice but a non-musical vocal expression.
Releasing energy is another common expression. While many people are singing, drummers are tapping or finger-pushing.
The head would often be turned around to show that the performer controls his/her singing technique. Here I am referring to a musician who controls his/her vocal and physical energy.
Sympathetic expressions
The next expression would be a facial expression of sympathy and/or empathy. This could be a facial grimace that takes the place of a smile or even a tear running down one eye.
This would usually be used when the drummer is giving emotional expression. It is common for a drummer to sob at the thought of a horrible tragedy, such as a soldier or concert-goer being injured or killed in a war.
This expression is a combination of eyes close, closed mouth, and twisted head. The head may appear to be stuck in the toes’ direction, or the chin may be up, or it may be upside down or on its side.
It can express both tension and anger, especially when the emotion comes from someone else. It also may be used to indicate that there is an immediate time change in the drummer’s emotion.
It could be a moment in time that the player must release.
These expressions are rarely performed by one player or only by the bass player. The facial expressions are usually seen in the hands, shoulders, and hands of the bassist.
The drummer may look downward when his/her hands start to move, or he/she may pull the bow across the strings when he/she is slowing down the tempo. Either way, there is a facial expression associated with this slowing down of the tempo.
Rattling the sticks or banging the drums can be a highly emotional response. The drummer grabs the stick in frustration, cradles it, and shakes it while releasing a great deal of energy in the form of vibrato.
This can sometimes sound like a little child being raised from a nap. The banging can be fast and hard or slow and soft.
If the drummer’s timing is off, and he/she wants to compensate by slowing down the tempo, he/she will place the hands on the drum for a few seconds, nodding his/her head slightly move the hands away. The opposite is true if he/she is racing to keep up with the tempo, and he/she will go faster and louder, then he/she will bring his/her hands to a halt and leave them there.
These expressions of emotion are some of the most common emotional responses that the drummer will express.
If the drums are shaking in an unrelenting manner, then the vibrations travel to the head and neck. The player may close his/her eyes, open them wide, shake the head, and hum at the top of his/her lungs.
When a drum solo is about to be finished, this is a common expression. Drummers do not realize it at first, but they are doing an exercise for the mind, body, and soul.
