To get better at drums, it is very important to practice regularly, and the drummers who make the most improvements to their playing are the ones who have a decent practice routine.
This can feel a bit daunting, or like it is a chore, but it is very fun and rewarding when you learn something new on the drums that you previously found difficult, and once you start experiencing these breakthroughs with being able to play new things, you might find that you get more enjoyment out of practicing.
Have a Practice Routine
It can be helpful to have a set time when you practice drumming so that you get into a routine with it, and having small ‘rituals’ can help with this to get you in the right headspace e.g., have a cup of tea or can of juice ready at the start of your practice session, maybe watch a clip of your favourite drummer or band before you start, and then at the end of the practice session reward yourself with your favourite snack or TV show etc.
In terms of what your practice routine should consist of, this will vary over time (and I will write more on this in a separate post), but as a rough guide I’d recommend breaking it up with a few different things in one session, rather than just doing one thing the whole time. For example, you could spend a bit of time on learning new things from written resources and/or recapping what you learnt from these previously (such as drum books or graded material), then a bit of time on sharpening your technique (e.g., practicing drum rudiments to a metronome), and then finish off with a bit of time spent improvising and trying out some new ideas.
There is no set rule for what your practice routine should include, so try experimenting with a few different approaches to see what yields good results for you as a drummer.
How long should you practice for?
Again, there is no set guide for how long you should practice drumming for regularly, and everyone is different. I personally practice for approximately 1 – 1.5 hours per day Monday to Friday on a usual week, but don’t stress if this isn’t possible for you, and you will still see improvements by doing 20-30 minutes of good focused practice a few days a week.
It depends on what your goals as a drummer are and how quickly you want to get there. For this, I generally advocate having smaller short-term achievable goals and enjoying each step of the way (rather than putting unhealthy pressure on yourself about achieving long-term aims as quickly as possible), but everyone is different, and over time you’ll get a sense of what a decent and appropriate amount of practice time is for you as an individual.
Obviously if you have the time then doing more drum practice will result in greater improvements in a shorter space of time, but I think it’s very important that you don’t burn out mentally, and even more importantly that you don’t injure yourself! A general rule of thumb I use is that if I start losing concentration after a while then that’s probably a good time to come away from the drums and have a rest.
Enjoy Playing the Drums
Enjoy yourself! It can be hard practicing new things on the drums that take a while to learn properly, but it can also be fun, and it’s a great feeling when you get over a hurdle and can do something difficult that you couldn’t do before. Don’t stress or beat yourself up, as it takes time to learn new things on the drum kit, and by picking up the sticks and practicing, you are on the right track 👍
If you’re interested in having drum lessons in Brighton with me, you can find my prices here.