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Have you ever asked the question, What should I be practicing to truly improve as a drummer? In this post, I’m going to give you a clear roadmap for building your drumming skills, whether you’re just starting out or looking to break through to the next level. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to structure your practice for maximum progress. And as before, this is primarily aimed at beginners, but also applies to drummers who are developing their skills, after having some initial experience on the drums.
One of the most common mistakes drummers make is focusing only on what they already know. Sure, it’s fun to play familiar beats, but if you’re serious about improving, you need to challenge yourself. In this post, we’ll dive into the discipline of practicing the unfamiliar, exploring rudiments, independence exercises, and progressive learning strategies that will elevate your current playing level.
Self-discipline is non-negotiable for becoming a great drummer. It’s what separates the good from the great. This is true, not just in drumming but in any area or skill. Self-discipline means consistently practicing things you can’t play yet. This is how you grow. Focus on what’s new or difficult for you—whether it’s a new rudiment, a challenging fill, or a coordination exercise book.
When you start these kinds of practice endeavors, you’re in the learning phase, figuring out the motions and timing. Once your muscle memory kicks in, you move into the practice phase, refining what you’ve learned until it’s second nature.
All of this constant self-created struggle to learn the things you don’t know doesn’t give instant gratification, in most cases. But it later delivers gratification when you play something you learned before, and discover that what you previously learned or practiced had improved. In other words, you practice exercises two, three, and four, because by doing so you improve exercises one, two, and three. Put another way, what you practice today, improves what you practiced yesterday. Or what you already know. In one way or another. You are, as it were, stacking your level of skill.
Master The Basics:
For beginners, I recommend starting with the basics. Practice the main rudiments: singles, doubles, paradiddles, triplets, flams, and drags. These are foundational to drumming and are incorporated progressively throughout the Drumming Foundation Series, which you can find on Amazon or your favorite bookstore. Each of the mentioned rudiments helps to improve control, technique, and to a degree, coordination. All of which are essential as you develop.
You can then move on to various drum rolls. The five-stroke roll, seven-stroke roll, nine-stroke roll, and so on. At which point you would want to take a look at the 40 rudiments, and beyond.
Once you’re comfortable with rudiments, add reading exercises and eventually, song charts to your routine. By reading exercises, I am referring to jazz and rock style coordination and development books.
Being able to read drum music opens up new possibilities, allowing you to tackle more complex pieces and better understand the structure of songs.
Balance:
As you progress, it’s essential to balance learning as well as practicing. You learn new things and then practice the things you learn until you feel they have been programmed into your repertoire of drumming abilities. Spend time mastering a challenging exercise, or book of exercises before moving on. This approach ensures you’re always building on a solid foundation rather than rushing through concepts and bypassing others. And don’t forget to revisit previous exercises occasionally to keep them fresh and polished. Refining them as you develop.
In the next post, we’ll tackle another critical question: Do you need to read music to play the drums? This is a hot topic among drummers, and I’ll break down why reading music, or drum charts, might be the game-changer you didn’t know you needed. Click the next post to read it now!
