There are many ways to get different meanings from the same sentence. A simple four word introduction, for example, can be changed by accenting any one of the words. "MY name is Steve." conveys a different meaning than "My NAME is Steve." And you can also accent the other words to get two more meanings still. Now repeat the words in a quick, chopped manner. Then slowly with a drawl. Every different way you can get the words out will change the way your sentence is interpreted, and this is an important concept for drummers because - just as your body language and speaking voice convey your moods when you talk - so does the placement and volume of your notes when you drum. The "feel" you use will accentuate the lyrics, help the band groove more deeper, and often define the mood of the song. The right feel will create an easier connection between the musicians and a more intense experience for the listening audience.

So what is feel exactly and how can you practice it? To better understand feel, start by playing a mid tempo rock beat. Now play it again, only sadder. Normally when someone is asked to play a beat "sadder" they will play it slower. Slower might be sadder but not necessarily. Sometimes slow beats are triumphant, or heavy, or sinister, etc. 

So, what, besides tempo, can make a beat sad? To answer this question, think of how you convey sadness when you speak? When you're sad you might talk softer, with bigger gaps between phrases. Your voice may tail off at the end of a sentence, or slow to a halt before you even finish the sentence. Try acting sad and your voice will naturally take on these manifestations. Now try playing sad. How does it sound? How does sadness affect the parts you choose and the way you play them? What tones do you choose? What volume? Where do you hit the snare and with what do you hit it?

Then there are other emotions. What does excitement sound like? (Remember, you can't just play faster!) For this feel, imagine your best friend just won a million dollars and you get to be the one to tell him. Imagine the feeling you'd have between the time you saw your friend's face and the time you got the news out. Now, with that same feeling, play a groove at 105 beats per minute. How does the feeling affect your energy level? How does it affect your parts and your playing?

Sad and Happy are two examples but there are as many different feels as there are emotions. Take "Love songs" alone and you've got lots of intense feelings. New love, lost love, spurned love, breaking up, making up, moving in, kicking out, moving on (reluctantly, defiantly, sneakily) etc. There are many ways to approach a song.

It's important that the feel you choose match the songwriter's notion of what the song is about. Most songs are pretty easy to figure out but if you still aren't sure after considering the lyric, tempo, and chord progression, ask the songwriter what the song means to them. Not only will the information help you play the song more appropriately, but you'll be appreciated for asking.

Besides common moods like happy, sad, angry, confident, etc., it's also possible to mix and match characteristics of different moods to create deeper and more interesting feels. One feel I love to sink into is inspired by a Hunter S. Thompson novel called "The Rum Diary". In the book the lead character is a young, cocky journalist who spends most of his time drinking Rum at a tropical hamburger stand in San Juan. He is a lush and a genius, successful despite a self destructive nature. 

You can imagine what it would it sound like if the band called this character up to play a tune. His playing would be simple and a little stilted because he's not a drummer, yet confident and loud because that's who he is. He would be a little reckless because of the booze, and a little lazy because of the sun and sand, but ultimately he would hold it together because of an intense vanity that would never allow him to make a fool of himself. Now take this character and add a little sadness? Or excitement? Maybe the character is also feeling nervous, vengeful, sick, sullen, or guilty? What do you get then?

After you have decided upon the appropriate feel (or character), it is important that it remain consistent for the duration of the song and that you not let anything push or pull you out of the feel you've established. Sometimes a dynamic change will cause a novice player to forget the mood they've created and slide out of the feel. This can also happen after a big fill or a long break. But consistency is vital, because to unintentionally switch the feel will take the band members out of the spell you've created and will confuse the listeners, both parties who have not only recognized your mood, but allowed themselves to be taken in by it, and if you switch the feel you have to win everyone back all over again. Good luck.

One trick to staying with the feel is to imagine what your character would look like if they felt a certain way. Would they be hunched over? Sitting up proudly? Holding the sticks backwards or with an improper grip? Try it. Not only will a physical difference remind you to "stay in character" but it may add something to the sound or timing of the feel. Don't worry about how it looks. Successful players glorify the music and put the song's needs over their own. 

Passion without order is just noise, and technique without heart is just math and excercise. What makes a drummer really great is his/her ability to play with an appropriate and consistent feel. Good feel creates a deeper, more satisfying experience for everyone involved.