Five Methods of Improving Your Drumming Skills
Playing the drums is like playing any other instrument, it requires you to work hard and try your best to continually develop those skills. No matter how long you have been playing, there is always room to improve. But there are some basics that will help even the most practiced drummer to hone their skills.
Many people assume that playing the drums is no more than getting into the rhythm of a piece and hitting the skins. Yet, there is so much more to it than that. Listening to the piece you want to play can help you get its flow, but being able to read music will make a big difference to how you interrupt the piece. Though it seems odd to many whom picture reading music only for those playing the stringed or wind instruments, if you read music, then your drumming will be much better. The feeling among musicians is that if a drummer does not read music, and many do not, then their playing will never be more than the bland replaying of the most basic rhythms. Further, if you dream of playing in recording sessions, you must be able to read music to understand what will be expected of you during the session.
When learning to play the drums, the first steps are always the most difficult and sometimes the most boring. The player must be able to learn the basics first. There are four essential types of drum strokes that the drummer must become familiar, comfortable and proficient with. These are called the full stroke, control stroke, up stroke and tap stroke. Each of these must be learned and become second nature to the drummer who must know when to use each technique. The first step in being a good drummer is mastering these basic strokes. You can learn them on your drum set or by using a practice pad. Either way this is your starting point.
Although, not as important as learning to read music, learning to write music can also improve your drumming skills. This is not so you can write your own pieces, though that may one day be something you can do, but so you can get the right flow of the music you may want to play. If there is a piece you would like to learn, writing out the melody in musical notes can help you play it.
Along with this point is being able to listen to music and hear more than what the average person hears. You need to understand when the other instruments come in and know where your instrument comes in and why. You will also need to learn how the vocals are going to come in. Listening to some of the great drummers will also be useful and help you to define your own style. If you hear something you like, try to write it out and see if you can play the piece. This uses your ears and your eyes to improve you drumming skills.
Finally, the most important way to improve your drumming skills is to practice. That may sound like a suggestion that you have heard way too many times, but it is a fact. The more you practice the more comfortable you become playing the instrument, this is true of any instrument, and the more your skills will improve. You must make sure that life never gets too busy to put in practice time. This is time that is spent not playing with your band, or your friends, but just the drummer and his sticks working on their strokes at least two or three times weekly.