Have you ever heard about the various non-music related benefits of playing drums? If you play drums to express your musical emotions, you should know that you are also exercising your mind, getting your heart and muscles pumping, and enhancing your “coolness” factor!
If you haven’t played drums before, you might not have a drum kit. Don’t worry! There are some foundations to learn without even needing a drum kit. Importantly, start tapping on your legs. See if you can tap along with any music you hear in time. You will soon instinctively find yourself tapping constantly – this is a classic characteristic of drummers, something that my friends often end up yelling at me to stop! It becomes addictive after a very short time, so accept that you’ll be told to “Stop tapping!” at some point too!
There are some great exercises that you can start on right away. Just tapping with your hands – R, L, R, L, R, R, L, L (this is called “Sticking” when written R, L, etc.) and repeating this over and over until you can increase speed and eventually tap away at super speed! You should also reverse this, starting with the left hand first.
There are numerous online books and downloadable guides you can use to learn the basics up to advanced drumming techniques.
Below are 3 basic simple exercises that should be as familiar to you as walking.
You should play these evenly, building up speed as you become more comfortable:
- Single Stroke rolls: Sticking is R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, etc.
- Double Stroke rolls: R, R, L, L, R, R, L, L, R, R, L, L, etc.
- Paradiddles: R, L, R, R, L, R, L, L, R, L, R, R, L, R, L, L, etc.
The next stage of learning to play drums is to get yourself a pair of drumsticks! There are different types of drumsticks in terms of the materials they are made from, and there are hundreds of different models. There are wooden body sticks, plastic sticks, and carbon body sticks. I would only recommend wooden sticks as they give you the best feel and weight when playing. They also affect the sound you get from a drum set. In addition, the tip of the stick is crucial.
You can get wooden or “nylon” tips, which are essentially a plastic tip. I’m not a fan of nylon tips as they are too bright in sound and don’t quite sound natural. I much prefer wooden tips, and especially like the small pea-sized tips. There are many different models of tips, though, and it really depends on what you want. The longer teardrop tip provides a more generic sound, while the pea-sized tip offers more definition for those who want to play intricate patterns on the cymbals. However, that’s much further down the line!
For now, I would simply recommend that you pick up a pair of 5A size sticks. I use DW’s drumsticks, although there are many manufacturers available, such as Vic Firth, Pro Mark, Zildjian, and so on.
Initially, you should have:
1 – A pair of drumsticks
2 – Material to practice from. There are some excellent books available. A basic beginner book is fine.
3 – A Practice Pad – This is a rubber pad designed to provide a similar feel and rebound to that of a drum kit, but with significantly less noise. I always have one set up in my room, which I use on and off throughout the day. You can sit in front of the TV while tapping away (better when you’re alone!) and it’s great for helping you improve your speed. These pads are also quite affordable.
4 – A Metronome – This is crucial because, fundamentally, drumming is about maintaining rhythm, so you must start by using a metronome. This device produces a clicking sound at user-defined speeds, which helps you internalize your timekeeping skills.
Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME