Drum nation

Most Common Drum Questions You Need

Who likes reading google search pages or reaching out to musicians?

Yeah I didn't think so... I put together a list of common questions I've heard along my journey. Bookmark it and send to any drummers you know for a little motivation.

-How do you practice time keeping? Simple, metronome.
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Rushing tends to be a more common issue opposed to dragging, so make sure to practice your grooves at a slower tempo, like 40bpm. This will train your muscle memory and help you internalize the rhythm, while enabling you to play faster in the long run.

-When should I practice?

Everyday! Beginners should start at 30 minutes a day while pros should be at 1 hour a day. Obviously, the more practice the better.

-Which drums should I be hitting?

You MUST be a good listener. Learn drum beats and fills that are commonly used in the genre you're performing in by listening to instrumentals and going to live performances. You could learn to read music too. It takes skill to make good fills, but tune your drum heads to your liking and pay attention the beats in every song.

-How are you not deaf?

Whether you're playing drums (over 100 decibels, or dB), rehearsing with other musicians (guitar amps can reach 120 dB), or hitting up a concert (rock shows can be 110+ dB), you should be wearing earplugs. Repeated exposure above just 85 dB can cause hearing loss. Custom headphone/plug combinations can be bought for a higher price. I use noise cancelling Beats over the ear headphones.

-How did you speed up your hands?

Basically practice and exercise. Grip strength training, finger tapping, wrist taps, are a few of the methods you can use to get those fast hands.

-How long till I'm a pro?

That depends on you. I know some musicians that practiced hours everyday and it took not even a year to be way above the average player. It also depends on your style, some are easier to learn and play than others. All together I'd say with determination, 3 months to learn the basics, 6 months to start playing songs fully, and no less than 3 years to be suited for a band candidate.

-Do you still make mistakes?

Of course! Don't we all. Once you've gained enough experience you'll be able to turn those mistakes into small fills. A majority of the time, unless your listeners are highly musically inclined, they won't notice the missed or double hits.

-Do your hands hurt?

Numbness, tingling, and even weakness of the hands are unfortunately all too familiar in drummers, especially later on in life. It will take time to build up a thick layer of skin on your hands and train the muscles to be able to handle repeated drumming.

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I hope these questions helped you further your drum skills! Always keep searching for knowledge. I post more tips and hacks on our socials posted below whenever you're ready to succeed.

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Keep it musical fam,

G. Sidebottom

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406 W 34th St. #711, Kansas City, Missouri 64111
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