By Shane Standifur
Hello fellow drummers! Today I have spare time from the shop and I wanted to give some words of wisdom to the noobs of the drum world. From my years of playing live, being in bands, and working in studio. I have learned a lot about not only the music business but drumming. Here are my top 10 tips for drumming!
1. Always Go Into A Practice Routine With A Plan. So before you sit down at your drums, plan out exactly what you are going to do. If you want to just play around for a bit, then at least plan that (not what you’re going to do, but the fact that you’re just going to experiment for a while). The point of this isn’t to make your practice routine ultra-rigid, (you can still be spontaneous if you’re feeling inspired), but you need to be more intentional with what you want to accomplish with your time spent behind the kit.
2. Have A Balance Of Technique And Musicality. One big mistake I made, and still sometimes make to this day, is that I don’t balance my practice enough between technique and musicality. What point is having good technique if you have nowhere to apply it? So for me, I need to be very intentional about playing music and becoming a better musician. Practicing technique won’t make you a better musician. Playing music will make you a better musician. Technique is easy and fun to practice because it’s quantifiable, but it’s not the end with drumming. No musical director cares how fast you can play, or how good your medium full stroke roll is. So try to balance your practice between technique and musicality.
3. Practice Drums Every Day. Whether you are active listening to music, tapping on your legs, or just playing on the practice pad – do something every day. Even if it’s just 10 minutes each time, it’s better than nothing. There are no excuses for not practicing. Don’t get into the mind-set that the stars have to be aligned for you to practice on the kit. Just do something.
4. Learn to Keep Time. Just as the clock on your laptop keeps the time, it’s your responsibility to keep the time for the songs you play. Try using headphones and synchronizing them with your laptop so you can have the click in your ear. Practice keeping time with the songs you hear on the radio. This is a great way to learn because the work is already done for you by more experienced drummers.
5. Master the Basics Before You Develop Your Style. Study different genres: pop, rock, jazz, Latin, classical, etc. Pick your favorite drummer from each genre and focus on what you love about the way they play. Once you master the basics, try to incorporate your own style.
6. Start Slow. Pick easy songs that you love to play. One drummer I met told me he played only Beatles songs for five years because he loved Ringo Starr’s style. Eventually, he started using his own ideas, and his band naturally went from playing cover tunes to original songs.
7. Develop Muscle Memory. Don’t take the basics for granted; make sure you learn your paradiddles (basic beat drum patterns). Play with your eyes open for 20 minutes, and then close your eyes and get your snare drum hand in sync with your metronome or click. Visualize your kit in your mind, and think of it as an extension of your arms and legs. When you practice with your eyes closed, you develop muscle memory in your arms, legs, feet and hands. Once you have locked in with the metronome, try to play by feel. You can play on the front of the beat like most drummers, or you can be like Ringo Starr and play on the back of the beat.
8. Develop Your Quality of Sound. After tempo, the next step is to focus on the quality of sound. Being able to do your drum technique exercises at any dynamic will make you more adaptable to different situations. Remember to practice playing softly! You can always add volume later, but if you don’t practice soft, then you will never play softly.
9. Get Creative. Fully engaging your brain by using abstractions can produce creative licks and grooves. Abstract thought may seem unrealistic to drummers who play mostly backbeats for a living. However, if you open yourself up to this possibility, you will be pleased by the result.
10. Mix and Match. Rules and traditions are made to be broken. Combining grooves or licks across genres and morphing these elements into something new is an important tool in becoming a creative drummer.
I hope some of these tips help beginners and maybe a brush up for more experienced drummers. I plan on opening my shop soon. It will be called Shane’s Drum Shop. I will gladly help you out! Also, Christmas is around the corner, so make sure to replace them old drum heads and buy some new cymbals!
Here are some videos of some great drummers!
Buddy Rich- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8zrhbJ5dTQ
Thomas Lang- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g0MGRaF1oM
Chad Smith- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NSFNYYRtqU
John Bonham- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC3f19zrMg8
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