Being a drummer is more than just a hobby; it is a lifestyle – one that takes a lot of commitment and diligence to succeed at. The payout; however, is immense. Being a drummer can be one of the most fulfilling things someone can do in their life. But how do you get to that level of musicianship? There is definitely a difference between a drummer who plays for a hobby, and a drummer who plays for a lifestyle. The big difference is attitude and practice habits. Having the self control and commitment to practice regularly is the only way you will improve as a drummer. There are a few tips that I have developed over the years of drumming that will help any drummer out immensely; tips that will speed up your learning curve and make practicing the drums a fun experience and not a chore. So read on to learn a few common practice tips developed to enhance your drumming. Make Time To Practice and Play One of the biggest errors a drummer can make is failing to make time for practice as well as time to jam. Believe it or not, there is a big difference here. Practice time is a chance to work on your stick control, drumming beats, skills, and other techniques that you may want to learn. Jam time is a chance to apply your newly learned skills to real applications. Most drummers allot a time to “practice / jam” and end up just playing to a few of their favorite bands. Now this is not a bad thing; however you never really get that focused practice time alone. So, my first tip is to schedule a time in your week to practice, and a time to jam. This way you can sit down and focus on developing your independence, speed, and control of your feet and sticks without getting distracted. For some great ideas on practicing the drums, check out the play-along section of FreeDrumLessons.com; there you will find tons of songs that you can download and take to your kit! Use A Practice Pad This is an obvious tip for drum practicing; however it goes a little deeper than that. When you practice, you should spend half of your time practicing on the full drum set. And the other half of the time on a practice pad. This is something that most drummers know to do, but rarely do it. The benefit to using a practice pad is you are forced to develop your stick control. When you play on a full drum set, you have a lot of distractions in front of you, making it easy to play around the kit instead of focusing on one technique. A pair of sticks, a metronome, and a practice pad is all you need to improve your speed, control and creativity on the drums. Set A Goal For Each Practice Session
One tip most drummers fail to do is set goals for their practice sessions. This does not have to be an unreasonable goal, just a very basic reachable goal. Make it challenging and sensible at the same time. The reason for this is you are more focused on the time you are practicing. If you go into a practice session with no goals, then you will have no drive to learn anything! A very common goal I like to set is tempos in which I play my essential drum rudiments at. For example, I may set a goal to play a double stroke roll at 180 bpm one session, and 185 bpm the next. So as you can see, this is just to give yourself some guidelines for your time spent practicing. Surround Yourself With Challenging Music A really important tip I will share is to surround yourself in challenging music and drumming. If you want to learn how to play the double bass drum, then surround yourself in music that incorporates the double bass drum. The same goes for all styles of music; you will not learn jazz by listening to rock. When you are constantly listening to advanced beats and odd time signatures, you are sub-consciously implementing it into your brain. You will be challenged much more, and have a much greater creative edge this way. So try and find some music that challenges you a little. Have Fun The last tip is another given – have fun no matter what you are playing. This means even if you are practicing rudiments, try and find a way to make it fun. When you're having fun, you'll learn much more. So play what you want to play, and practice what you want to practice! Drumming is supposed to be a way to express yourself in a good and positive way, so make sure you are having fun! Stephan Longo
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The links below are for parents and drum lesson students, providing you with some useful guidance to brands of drums and cymbals. For beginners, note that each of the drum and cymbal manufacturers offer entry level options that are much more affordable. Take a look and I hope you find these links helpful.
DRUM BRANDS Tama Drums - Tama makes great drums for sure. Read up on the history of Tama drums. From Starclassic to Stagestar, Tama has a wide array of kits. Learn all the different kits Tama makes! Pearl Drums - Pearl is one of the oldest drum comapnies around. Read up on the history of Pearl drums. From Masterworks to Pearl Forum drums, Pearl has a wide array of kits. Learn about all the different kits Pearl makes! Yamaha Drums - Yamaha makes soo many different things, that its hard to believe their musical instruments are superior. Read up on the history of Yamaha drums and learn why they are leading the way in drum manufacturing. DW Drums (Drum Workshop) - DW drums are USA's number 1 manufacturer of drum hardware. Read up on the history of DW, and learn why the DW custom kits are a must have! Ludwig Drums - With such a classic name as Ludwig, you would think they have been around forever. Read up on the history of Lugwig drums, and learn of all the many kits Ludgwig Makes. CYMBAL BRANDS Sabain Cymbals - One of the largest cymbal manufacturers. Sabian has been making cymbals for years now, and with hundreds of drummers endorsing them, theres no wonder why they are so popular! Zildjian Cymbals - One of the longest running percussion businesses to date, Zildjian is by far the largest cymbal manufacturer being around since the 1600's. Stephan Longo |
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