i find when i do it at least recreationally it invokes the same feelings of exercise, of a sort, that sort of runner’s high feeling, especially when you actually play and know you’re killing the part.
if i try to work on a part, i don’t, because i feel like a total fraud for even trying it. like, it feels dumb and kooky versus extremely cool and suave on a real kit (to those with the eyes to see…) which prevents me from wanting to do it for too long.
but i legitimately think it could help because it’s many of the arm motions, at least arm/wrist wise, and hands if you use sticks.
First of all hello fediverse (again, exiled from kbin as it no longer works!)
It’s been almost 22 years since I got to play a real drum set for the first time. yet because of third world reasons I’ve never owned a kit, and I so wish I did. I have some pairs of sticks which I use to “practice” almost every day on a wooden stool with an old mousepad on top, though. Or sometimes over pillows because, you know, Dennis Chambers said it. Mom says when I was a kid I used to hit kitchenware stuff with spoons. So with all of this in mind and despite this being now two months old with no answers I’m taking the bait because I think I can have some say in this matter.
The main job for us drummers is time keeping - and you can’t deny air drumming puts you in that mindset, even when you’re hitting things that exist in your imagination. Being conscious about the pulse, the rythm and rythm changes, how each surface sounds and being able to recreate all of that in your mind is definitely some drum practice. I can recall there was some sort of device that turned air drumming into “actual” drumming (but am too lazy to look up for that at the moment). So even if your air drumming timing is off I guess it’s great because you’re putting an effort into hearing the rythm and trying to recreate that.
Granted, with some sticks you can confront yourself to a certain degree and check if you actually sound as good as your imagination tells you. But maybe you don’t air drum because you want to be the next Colaiuta, but just because its fun!