How To Not Suck At Drums: 4 Quick Tips
I’ve always found it interesting how the little things are what make a great drummer, such as mastering a style of drumming, playing in time, good technique, and a balanced sound. This article is going to address these four elements, which will help you become a better drummer.
This article is based on a concepts in my book How To Not Suck At Drums: 50 Tips To Be An Awesome Drummer. Here is a link to the book, if you want to give it a read: https://link.amazon/B0ha12i5V
Also, here is a YouTube video I made that talks about these concepts.
Let’s get to it.
Start With Songs You Love
Think about your favorite tunes? Do you know what the drums sound like? I’ll bet you do. So, start with the songs you like the most. Think about it, you have already been listening to the songs and know the grooves, fills, and form. Now you just need to learn the technical parts. Of course, if it is a difficult song, I suggest learning the basic groove, but starting with the songs you know and love will keep you fired up to drum and put you ahead because you already know a little of the song.
Go find your favorite tune and try to play along.
Play In Time
Nothing is worse than a drummer (or any musician) that has bad time. I played a jazz gig with a pianist that sounded awesome when he played by himself, but he was not able to play in time with others. That was the longest gig of my life. Don’t be the drummer with a crappy sense of time.
To get good at keeping steady time do these three things. (1) Play with recordings of the music you are trying to learn; (2) Practice with a metronome; (3) Jam with other musicians. Playing with recording will help you keep time and it is fun. Working with the metronome can be boring, but learning how to play with and without it is important (this is discussed in a short chapter in my book). Making music with others is an awesome way to get better time, as you have to be very aware of what you're playing and the pressure from others is guaranteed to make you better.
Get Good Technique
Everything you will try to do on the drums will center around your technique? Do you want to play faster? Well, you will need good technique. Do you want to drum with more finesse? Guess what, you need excellent technique. This takes time and focused effort to master, but taking the time to get excellent drum technique is essential to not sucking on the drums.
Balance Your Drums
One of the biggest mistakes I see drummers make is not spending time on balancing their drum mix. I’m not talking about mixing in the studio, I’m talking about the natural mix that happens when you play the drums. Basically, some parts are more important than others.
In rock drumming, the bass and snare drums should be the dominant voice; yet, the hi-hat supports the groove. In jazz, the ride and hi-hat are the primary voice, but the snare and bass are a light accompaniment. Basically, it is important to balance your sound by knowing what it is you want the audience to focus on. So, know what parts should pop and what should not.
Conclusion
That is just a few tips, but if you want more, check out my book that is loaded with 50 tips to make you an awesome drummer. Give these four drumming tips a try, spend the time needed to get good at them, and you will see your playing improve. Good luck and keep drumming.
Get More
Check out all of John’s drumming books at https://tacticaldrumming.com or you can find How to Not Suck At Drums at https://link.amazon/B0ha12i5V.
By John Owens, Ph.D (Author, Drummer Educator). For John's bio go to https://tacticaldrumming.com
Comments