When I started the drums I did not know where to start. I had an idea of
kind of music that I wanted to play, I bought my drums, but I really did not know what to do other than a “poum-poum-chak” on my drums.
After a year of more or less successful debut, here are the 5 tips that I wanted to have from the beginning, and have radically improved my game since
1. Take classes
It sounds obvious, but many are beginners (like me) who at first want to save money. It is true that after buying our dear battery, it is difficult to go out (15-20 € per lesson). But the advantages of taking drumming lessons with a teacher are so huge, that on all forums, all the drummers I know told me the same thing: “Magalie, take classes! ”
With a teacher,
- We quickly learn the basics we would take months to learn alone.
- We learn straight away good habits , while it’s so complicated to get rid of bad habits.
- We have someone to correct us , we discover all the palettes of the battery and different styles .
2. Learn rhythmic theory
Tablatures, it’s good, to play by ear is good too. But knowing how to read a drum score opens up new horizons! It allows to see a structure of rhythm, to draw in the immensity of the partitions available on the net. It also allows you to record your own songs when playing in a group.
The rhythmic music theory is a bit like English for drummers, with that t veryone comes almost to understand
3. Register
If there is a council that pays, that’s it! When you practice, you have to register
It’s so hard to have a perspective on what we’re playing. And when registering we notice right away if we are regular , if the accents fall in the right place, what are the parts of the pieces that hang and need to rework.Sometimes when registering we notice that parts pass better we did not think so, while others are really not top while we thought to master this part!
And to register . It’s quite easy (yes, even with an acoustic!)
4. Playing with a metronome
The metronome is the best friend of the drummerand his most faithful companion. And that’s the advice for me the hardest thing to follow! It’s so forbidding. But soon I saw tremendous progress in my regularity . And the day I managed to play on the ‘click’ (so we do not hear it anymore!), Frankly, it’s pretty awesome as feeling. But it must be a habit, like to wear shoes in the morning.
And finally, it’s really cool to be able to say: this song I can play at 90, 100, 120, 130 beats per minute without problem.
5. Take a good posture
That also the old people of the old insist a lot! It is in the long term , after 10-15-20 years of practice that one pays the errors of posture , with a stuck back, a beautiful scoliosis, tendinitis on the wrists.
And a good posture can play better . Take good habits to sit in front of the drums, hold chopsticks, these are “good practices” that no drummer ever regrets!
There is nothing to do with holding chopsticks : a flexible hold allows you to play faster and longer . How do you think the pros can send 180 bpm for 2 hours in concert?