It’s no coincidence that a handful of drummers become top drummers with great technique. While a lot of drummers have to give up midway because of the complexity of the rhythm, there are still many people who spend time practicing with the desire to develop their unique playing style. Here we offer “How to be a Successful Drummer“. Please follow the article because there will be some useful information for you.
What are Drums?
Drums are an essential instrument in percussion, helping to keep the beat in an orchestra. There are many different types of drums, most of which are large and round. A basic drum has three parts: face, body, and base. You can use your hands or an awl to make a sound. Drums are considered the most popular musical instrument in the world.
Basic Types of Drums
– Jazz drums
Jazz drums are a combination of bass drums, timpani, snare drums, and cymbal components. Through the process of improvement and development, today’s standard jazz drums have additional drum types including Hi-hat, Floor tom, big cymbal, middle cymbal (crash cymbal), and one or more sub cymbals (splash cymbal).
Jazz drums provide a realistic, lively sound, acoustic drums attract listeners.
– Electronic drums
The electronic drum kit has sounds generated from electronic devices, simulated from a jazz drum kit. Compact size can be folded, folded, or moved easily. Electronic drums also have the great advantage of being easier to record than other types of drums.
– Cajon Drums
Cajon drums look quite like boxes or small enclosures. Usually made of thin plywood over the face, players use their hands and fingers to strike the drum surface to create sound. The advantage of this type of drum is that it is very compact, and players can move everywhere to exchange music with people. Cajon drums are often used with guitars.
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– Bongo-Conga Drums
Bongo-Conga drums are played by hand. Bongo-Conga can be found in large orchestras playing a variety of genres. A basic Bongo-Conga set usually consists of 1 pair of 6”-8” Bongo and 2 9”-10” Conga drums.
– Tambourine Drums
The Tambourine drum, also known as the Luc Lac drum, is designed as a small drum with round metal rings attached to the rim. Players will use their hands to knock on the surface of the drum, shake the drum to create a chime, or drag the metal ring to create a funny sound. Tambourine has many designs and shapes, but the most popular is round.
– Djembe Drums
This is a type of drum from Africa, the design is relatively simple. This type of drum mostly plays music that favors rustic sounds. Djembe drums come in many sizes, usually from 7”-14”, and each size will produce a different sound.
Is it difficult to learn to play drums on your own?
It is not easy to judge a professional artist playing a drum song on stage. Or find it difficult to learn to play drums on your own when you are just starting to learn the theories of how to play the drums.
All success must be based on perseverance, effort, and passion. Self-taught drumming can be difficult for those who do not have the determination to pursue it, but it will be easy if you have passion. Keep learning, practicing, and improving every day so that you can play inspirational music.
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The benefits of learning to play drums
#1. Learning to play drums makes you happier
According to studies, when playing drums, the player’s brain will release endorphins, enkephalin combined with alpha waves in the brain, this will create a feeling of happiness.
#2. Help you relax
When you focus to learn to play drums, it will help you reduce stress and fatigue significantly.
#3. Learn to play drums to boost your immune system
Some studies have shown that playing the drums naturally increases T cells. This is a cell that helps the body fight cancer and some other viruses, thereby helping the player’s immune system be strengthened.
#4. Helps release negative emotions
The drumming moves when learning to play drums professionally helps you to express the emotions that you have pent up in your heart through powerful movements when playing the drums.
#5. Learning to play the drums will help bring people together
Joining empty classes will deepen your soul connection and make it easier to connect with people.
#6. Learning to play the drums helps to improve yourself
Learning to play the drums will help you express your creativity, a tool for you to explore your inner self as well as expand your awareness.
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Steps to improve drumming skills
#1. Grasp the basics
Practice and master the basic components of drums such as single stroke roll (RLRL LRLR).
Incorporate these basics into your daily practice schedule because perfecting the basics will be the key to mastering complex beats and playing them easily.
Many drummers got impatient in playing complex rhythms because they didn’t spend enough time practicing the basics. As a result, they never get the technique right and often look unprofessional despite playing the drums for many years.
#2. Distinguish between practice time and improvisation time
During practice you need to focus, solo gives you space and freedom to experiment with rhythms.
Most drummers spend their time on improvisations and hardly any time in intensive practice sessions. Therefore, in the schedule, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between practice sessions and improvisation sessions. This will help you focus on developing your independent style, with better control of your feet and club.
#3. Track your progress
There should be a list of metrics focused on the things that will help you measure and track your progress. When you practice a technique many times or struggle with a problem, you will find it extremely boring and lose focus. However, if you always keep a set of parameters by which you can measure your progress, it will help you stay focused and listen to the sound to master consistency.
#4. Understanding the ‘feeling’, not just feeling the music
When first learning the swinging beat, the player knows the basic blues triplet format. This technique was later extended to continuous eight-note patterns to create a more classic rock ballad-like vibration. However, to understand the ‘feel’ of a shake, you should try to feel the vibration in ¼-note impulses.
Skilled drummers can often control this feeling and play their groove a little ahead of the beat to make the song seem more controlled, or play right after the pulse to slow the beat down.
#5. Get enough rest
Sleep is just as important as exercise. Resting for 7-9 hours each night helps your body recover and your brain recharges with the information you gather each day. Recharging is especially important when you have a gig the next day.
#6. Play slow
Playing the drums at a fast pace will stimulate your spirit with vibrant, burning beats.
The solution is to practice fast music with a slower tempo. Practicing well to hit the right rhythm and gradually increase the tempo will help you gradually achieve high speed while still correct technique.
*** Read more: How To Play Cymbals Properly: A Simple Guide for Beginners
Conclusion
Above are our shares on “How to become a professional drummer“. Hope they will bring a lot of useful information to you. Remember, it takes effort and effort to improve. Drums are physically demanding but also mentally satisfying.
