Thursday, March 5, 2020
Tips for Teaching Yourself the Drums
Tips for Teaching Yourself the Drums 12 Tips for Learning to Play the Drums ChaptersAdopt the Right PostureHolding the DrumsticksRecording and Filming YourselfPlay with a MetronomeBe PatientPractise RegularlyRelaxLearn the RudimentsLearn Rhythm TheoryPlay Anywhere and EverywhereJoin a BandDrumming DefinitionsâTo be a drummer you also have to be a musician.â - Ian PaiceAccording to American neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, music uses all parts of the brain and the Triune brain, in particular, which is responsible for our fundamental and difficult-to-control emotions.Learning to play the drums is a great way to improve your memory and coordination. Check out the best books to learn the drums.So how can you learn to play the drums on your own?Can you learn to play drums without taking drum lessons?While the drums are thought of as being easier and different from other musical instruments, is this really the case? SerbanDrum Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyDrum Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutor s RussellDrum Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JamesDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StephenDrum Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeteDrum Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OllieDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsAdopt the Right PostureYou have to sit properly if youâre playing the drums. If you teach yourself to play the drums, you mightnât pay attention to your posture.Are you sitting comfortably? (Source: krlosrocha)However, a bad posture can result in back problems and tendonitis. Furthermore, a good posture will help you improve your speed and dexterity on the snare drum, toms, and cymbals.Playing in front of a mirror can help you adopt the right posture, effectively making you both the student and the teacher.Your Position on the Drum ThroneY ou need to be sitting towards the edge of the stool so that you can free up your thighs. The angle between your thighs and calves will be greater than 90 °.The snare drum should be between your knees and slightly higher than your thighs.Hi-hat and Snare PositionYour arms should be crossed.Your right hand will be over your left hand so that you can hit the edge of the hi-hat.The left hand is positioned to hit the snare drum directly in the centre. The angle between your two drumsticks should be just under 90 °.Youâll adopt the same positions for the toms as you would the snare drum.Bass drum PositionThere are several possible positions. Iâm going to start with the most logical and the quickest.Place your foot as far up the pedal as possible and lift your heel.Youâll move your entire leg when you hit the bass drum as well as feeling it in your thigh.Cymbal positionWith the ride, your right hand will be perpendicular to the floor. Youâll hit it with the tip of the stick.If you play the bell, youâll hit is with the thicker part of the stick to the left of the screw.Itâs the same for the crash cymbal except that youâll only play using the thicker part of the stick.Holding the DrumsticksUnfortunately, itâs not as easy as you might think!Just like religion and politics, everyone has an opinion on the matter.There are two main ways to hold the drumsticks.However, in reality, you can hold the drumsticks in four different ways.Traditional Grip: This is the oldest way to hold the drumsticks and is commonly used in jazz drumming. You donât hold each stick in exactly the same way. Your non-dominant hand holds the stick under the palm whereas your dominant hand will hold the stick similarly to how youâd hold a pen. Have a look at how Buddy Rich does it.Matched Grips:French grip: you hold the sticks towards one another. You use your fingers to create the movement in the sticks.German grip: the sticks are moved by the wrists and your palms are parallel to the ground. This method is used to generate power.American grip: This is a mix of the two previous grips and is difficult to get right. You use both your fingers and your wrists in order to give you more versatility.The toms that you see on drum kits nowadays were once war drums. (Source: skeeze)No grip is better or worse than another. Each one has its pros and cons depending on the style of music youâre playing.Recording and Filming YourselfIf youâre not getting music or drum tutorials, it can be difficult to correct errors. Itâs a good idea to record or film yourself with a camera.Sit in front of your computer and film yourself.Not only will you be able to see yourself getting better, but youâll also be able to check your posture and any techniques youâre wanting to get better at.Play with a MetronomeWhether youâre teaching yourself to drum or learning with a teacher, the metronome will quickly become your best friend.A drummerâs job is to keep time. To make sure yo uâre perfect at it, thereâs nothing better than a metronome.A drumbeat helps the electric guitar, bass, saxophone, etc., to stay in time.It may seem dull, but you have to keep time correctly. Itâs also a good idea to start slowly at around 60 beats per minute before moving up to 90 and then 120.Be PatientWhether youâre learning a binary or ternary rhythm, it can take some time, especially if youâre teaching yourself.Be patient!Youâre not going to learn any quicker by skipping important steps. Playing drums is a mentally demanding activity as you need to have coordination and be able to operate your limbs independently of one another. You also need to give your brain time to remember things.Playing slowly at first will allow your brain to understand and remember each technique. You canât play quickly if you canât play slowly. SerbanDrum Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyDrum Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RussellDrum Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JamesDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StephenDrum Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeteDrum Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OllieDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexDrum Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsPractise RegularlyLearning how to play drums requires regular practice and training.If you want to get better at the drums, you'll have to practise. (Source: StockSnap)Itâs better to practise for 15 minutes every day than to practice for 2 hours once a week.Itâs a good idea to work around your schedule and fill the smaller gaps with a bit of drumming practice.Make sure that drumming becomes a habit, something that you do without even thinking about it. Above all, make sure that you concentrate when you practise. Turn off the TV, set yo ur phone to silent, and disconnect from the internet so that nothing stands in the way of your progress.RelaxTo get better at playing the drums, regardless of the genre, you need to relax.Playing while tense will make your playing less fluid. Furthermore, if youâre tense, you also run the risk of doing yourself an injury.Think about doing some breathing exercises and stretching before you start practising: especially your neck, back, wrists, and heels.You should breathe naturally as you practise. If you notice that youâre holding your breath, stop the exercise and bring your breathing back to normal.Learn the RudimentsThe three main rudiments are:Single stroke roll: RLRL RLRLDouble stroke roll: RRLL RRLLParadiddle: RLRR LRLLThese three rudiments are essential for drummers and are great for getting you started. Theyâre also really useful for drum breaks.Of course, there are plenty of others. The Percussive Arts Society has 40 of them for you to check out.Learn Rhythm TheoryWhil e music theory can be complicated, rhythm theory is a little easier to learn. It would be a shame to not make use of it.This will open a lot of doors for you, especially when it comes to understanding sheet music for drums. Youâll also be able to communicate with different musicians more easily as well as read sheet music.Play Anywhere and EverywherePlaying the drums as often as possible is a great idea but you wonât always have a drum kit with you. It doesnât matter!Buying a drum kit isnât necessarily the first thing you need to do. You can practise with the drumsticks before you get your first kit.Cushions, your thighs, electronic pads, and even a chair can become a musical instrument! Even air drums can help you practise before you buy an electronic or acoustic drum kit.That said, even if you have a drum kit, thereâs nothing stopping you from practising a few rudiments on your lunch break.Enjoy Yourself! Donât forget that playing a musical instrument is fun.Of cour se, youâll need to practise in order to acquire new techniques or become a professional drummer.However, playing for fun is a great way to improve your creativity and thatâs why we often want to learn to play a musical instrument!Make the most of it by playing a song you like or just improvising.Join a BandWhether with friends or by placing an ad for other musicians, playing in a band is a great way to get better quickly.Joining a band is a great way to practise playing the drums with other musicians. (Source: Pexels)Youâll learn how to work with others and lead a group of musicians.Youâll also develop your ear for both drums and other instruments.So why not start composing your own pieces?Drumming DefinitionsSingle-stroke rollOne of the essential drumming rudiments.ParadiddleAnother of the essential drumming rudiments.
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