Become a Drummer
Drumming is a good activity for those who love to listen and create music while concentrating on rhythm.
Steps
- Listen to music that has great drumming. This will help you understand what you have the potential to be.
- Reproduce the song. It will give you a place to start and help you get better at learning beats, as well as what is essential to making your own beats.
- Search well-known drummers to better understand how many types of drumming are out there.
- Learn how to keep a steady rhythm, nothing fancy, unless a solo. This is important if you are looking to be in a band, a steady beat is what everyone loves in a drummer. You may also want to brush on solo skills. Sometimes a solo may be just a new improved kick beat. It could be Neal Peart's YYZ or another marching solo.
- Use metronomes. They will save your life. As more and more bands follow metronomes, you will need it more. If you can play along with a metronome, even if it is only a simple beat, that will get you farther than you can imagine.
- Get into drum solos. These are also important because it gives you a chance to show your skills and gain Rep. You would want to make these simple, but not too simple. Solos need to be fast but do not give the impression that you are just hitting drums without structure. A good place to start is to alternate hitting the toms back and forth while hitting the bass drum. Also, try loosely holding the sticks when you hit the snare a high-hat. When hitting the high-hat in a solo take your foot off the pedal in coalition with your foot hitting the bass pedal. If loosely follow these rules and be creative you will be amazed of what you can accomplish.
- Follow a measure. In a four-beat measure try hitting any cymbal for all four beats, then hit the snare on any beat you want, you can even hit the snare twice in the same measure, also try to incorporate the bass drum on all, two, three, or even one, and try changing the bass beat from one measure to another. The possibilities are endless.
- Have Fun. Just let your creativity flow.
- Relax. Always remember to be relaxed, but not too relaxed, behind the metronome, but not late. Take it easy on your joints - stretch before drumming.
- Try practicing single stroke rolls into a pillow. It will improve your speed a lot. Practice with a metronome.
Tips
- Practice. The only way to get better is to sit down, and practice drumming every day for about 15-30 minutes.
- Surround yourself with more experienced musicians
- Be a visual drummer - this is only learned from experience and watching others. By exaggerating movements or moving in ways that is not expected makes your performance even more entertaining and enjoyable for yourself and for your audience
- As always when playing drums, wear protection such as ear plugs. Snares in particular were designed to be loud (to carry across entire battlefields), but are played very near YOUR head and ears. You want still to be able to hear music and conversations when you are 80! Many drummers start noticing hearing loss in their 50s and belatedly start wearing protection then. Do not let this happen to you!
- Read drumming books and watch videos that can help you learn
- Lessons are a great idea.
- Visit DrummerWorld.com & YouTube to watch drumming videos
- Are you in school? Join the school band and make musical friends. They will help you along. You might even form a band.
- To help you get motivated, surround yourself with better musicians, even if they don't play drums. Also, watch videos of some of the greats, like Neil Peart, Thomas Lang, Buddy Rich, John Bonham, Mike Portnoy, etc.
Warnings
- Practice with hearing protection (such as earplugs) to avoid irreversible hearing loss.
- Make sure your kit is on a mat or padded surface, otherwise the materials will move around.
- Make sure that when your practicing use proper stick holding method.
Things You'll Need
- A drum kit
- Sticks
- Practice Pad(optional)
- A mat or carpet
- A beat sheet given by a teacher (optional)
- Metronome(optional)
- Ear protection! (optional)
