10 Tips Every Drummer Should Remember
Drummers are one of the most amazing breeds of musicians. They’re the beat, the timekeepers of bands and the givers of rhythm. Here is a drummer tip for everyone.
Drummer Tip 1: Play With Other People
Playing with other people is not only some of the most fun you will have, but it will improve you as a drummer. Playing with other people stimulates creativity and as most musicians will tell you, this is where their skills grew rapidly.
Drummer Tip 2: Understand Your Gear
Look after your kit and your kit will look after you. The relationship you have with your gear is an important one. Make sure you take the time to familiarise yourself with your gear. Learn how it works and the correct maintenance needed. In live environments, changeovers between bands can be stressful. Get used to setting up and tearing down your kit quickly to help combat this.
Drummer Tip 3: Like Your Mum Alway Said “Practice Makes Perfect”
There is no way to sugarcoat this one. Practice makes perfect. You need to put in the hours to get good. Just like learning to walk as a child, it’s not something you will get right overnight. Plus, not to mention the better you get the more fun you will have.
Drummer Tip 4: Enjoy It
One of the most important bits of advice is to enjoy your drumming. It should never be a chore to sit behind your drum kit. Enjoy every single strike, rimshot and kick! Enjoy drumming and the journey of becoming better each time you pick up your sticks.
Drummer Tip 5: Explore Different Styles
Many drummers get stuck in a style rut. “I can’t or won’t play that because I’m a Rock/R&B/Jazz/insert any genre drummer.” Whilst we all have our preferences, don’t be scared to explore different styles. Move out of your comfort zone, there is so much to learn from different styles of music.
Drummer Tip 6: Learn The Basics And Do The Basics Well
This might seem like an obvious one, but so many drummers skip important steps in the name of progressing faster. Learn and practice your drum basics. They should become second nature to you. Skipping this stage in your development, as a drummer will hamper your playing and writing ability later.
Drummer Tip 7: Practice With A Metronome
One of the most important things for a drummer is timing. In a band, you’re the timekeeper, without you things would fall apart. Experimenting with different time signatures may also open up new avenues of creativity for you. Practising with a metronome is crucial to fine tune your timing and fluency.
Drummer Tip 8: Warm Up Your Body
Before a show or practice make sure you stretch your body! As any drummer will tell you, yes you’re sitting down, but drumming is a full on work out! To get scientific about it, loose muscle fibres will give you faster reactions and give you more endurance ( plus no one likes to be stiff the next day).
Drummer Tip 9: Always Be Protected
You’ve only got one pair of ears in life so look after them. The general rule, whenever you have drumsticks in your hands you should have a pair of earplugs in.
Drummer Tip 10: Learn From Fellow Drummers
You can always learn something from another drummer. Network with other drummers. Shows offer a great opportunity to talk to other drummers. Perhaps go compliment them after a show about that cool drum fill he/she did in the verse of the third track. Ask them what they think about the brand of hardware or drums they’re using. Network, network and network! Drum videos on the internet can also be a great source of knowledge too. Surround yourself with drummers and all things drums.
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*Photo credit: Laura McCullagh– Texx and The City
