Just like with any other instrument, learning how to play drums is an exciting and challenging endeavor that requires dedication and discipline. It takes time and patience to find your drumming style and to get to that level, staying consistent in your practice and developing different skills will ensure you keep progressing.
That’s why today we’ll talk about the importance of consistency in your drumming practice, as well as the ways you can work on your sense of timing. Mastering these fundamentals will help you become a confident drummer and play easily with other musicians, should you choose to become a part of a band. Here are some effective strategies that can help you on that path.
Find a Routine That Works for You
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Every new habit starts with finding a routine that fits nicely in your life and then incorporating it into your daily schedule The same goes for learning how to play drums – it needs to be one of your daily priorities because repetition is the mother of learning and consistency is right next to it.
Building continuity in your practice could help you develop muscle memory, work on your dexterity, and internalize different rhythms. It’s a good idea to play to your strengths and set clear goals for every practice session so you don’t get overwhelmed by so many things to learn. Having a clear goal, be it improving your timing or working on a specific rudiment will help you stay focused. Remember to do your warm-ups to loosen your limbs and get ready to play.
If you don’t have drums at home, but would still like to practice every day, you can always use a practice pad without the added noise of a drum kit. Using a practice pad could do a world of good for your stick control and rudiment practice.
Make the Most of Your Metronome to Improve Timing
Whether you’re a seasoned drummer or an enthusiastic beginner, a metronome is your best friend. Having an impeccable sense of timing is a skill every drummer hones throughout their career, and the metronome is a great little helper in achieving this goal.
Here are a couple of quick tips on how to use it:
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A slow tempo goes a long way: While it may be tempting to rush into the fast and furious beats because they’re so fun to play, playing them at a slow tempo is a game changer. When you play slow, your accuracy and control need to be on point so that the beat sounds right. Use your metronome to perfect slow playing and you can grow from there.
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Play around with rhythmic versatility: Playing drums is layered and complex, and you want to develop rhythmic versatility to support your learning. That’s why it’s important to learn how to play triplets, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes, and the metronome is excellent for this purpose.
- Change up the tempo: Once you become confident in your slow beats, it’s time to increase BPM (beats per minute) to make everything faster and more challenging. As you get faster, practice playing at different tempos because that will allow you to become a more adaptable drummer.
Making good use of the metronome can help you a lot in the long run, and as you grow as a player, it’s important that your drum kit grows with you. When you’re a beginner, a practice pad is a great substitute, but as you become more skilled, you’ll want a kit that you can curate to your preferences.
Be it a complete cymbal bundle for drum kits or finding the perfect drum throne and double bass pedal, assembling an instrument that will cater to your playing style will be a turning point. And wherever you go to play, both your kit and your metronome go with you!
Subdivision Exercise Can Help You Hone Your Internal Timing
We already mentioned that there are many components that come into drumming, but your internal timing is one of the most important ones. This is where subdivision exercises come in, as they can help you keep your timing even when you’re playing without a metronome. These are some simple, yet powerful things you can try:
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Practice Your Polyrhythms. This is one of the more demanding practices that also brings excellent results and will boost your limb dexterity. Experiment with playing different rhythms simultaneously and see how you fare. If it seems complex, it’s because it is, but your coordination and sense of timing will benefit tremendously from the effort.
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Don’t Be Shy to Count Out Loud. If you don’t have a metronome, you can also count out loud your beats and subdivisions (for example “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” for eighth notes).
- Embrace Ghost Notes. These soft notes on the snare or hi-hat are there to add rhythm to your playing and texture to your beats, and they’re excellent for improving your internal timing.
Practice Drumming to Your Favorite Songs
Learning how to play your favorite songs is not only fun, but it also will help you stay consistent in your practice and work on your timing because you want to learn to play what you love to listen to. An additional perk to this approach is that playing along with songs will also help you learn how to stay in time with other instruments.
Be sure to match your skill levels of the song you’re playing, so that you don’t get overwhelmed if things are moving slowly. Practicing like this could also do wonders for your groove and feel of the music you’re playing, so you’ve got a win-win situation.
Conclusion
Building consistency in your drumming practice and using it to improve your timing is the foundation of your becoming a strong drummer. Work on finding your routine, make the most of your metronome and subdivision exercises, and both your skill and your love of the instrument will only grow over time.
