I’ve been playing the drums regularly since I was about 14 (on and off before that). I always thought the drummers were cool. It’s a fun instrument.

And as a drummer, my most crucial job is to keep the beat.

Ringo Starr (drummer for The Beatles and one of the best) says, “You don’t have to do anything fancy — keep it simple.”

But anyone who’s watched Blink-182’s Travis Barker knows it can get more complex.

You have fills, solos, different counts, and timing. Sometimes I sing (poorly).

But sometimes I sit down at my drum set and know I’m not feeling it that day.

When I feel out of step, it makes playing the drums hard. I feel like I can’t keep up, even on songs I’ve played dozens of times.

So I start to simplify.

I stop singing. I cut out fills, starting with the harder ones.

And if I’m really just off the rails, I’ll reset.