Be dynamic; don't limit yourself to one style of music. Learn all types. For example, even if you want to be a metal drummer, learn jazz; many other styles can be altered to fit your needs.

It's important to develop your own personal style. Most drummers, when they start, model their style after someone famous (I modeled mine after Gene Krupa), and it can help you develop your own percussion panache. Just be sure that you develop a style, and not imitate.

Rob Fox

If you wanna play better, listen every kind of drummer and let yourself be influenced by them..one by one. Having an idol is one of the best ways to improve your beat.

@z13

If you can't play it fast, play it slower and work your way up to it

He who cannot play slow, will tick like a clock by playing it fast.

Maverick of the Eastside Fury

Never go to a gig without an extra drum key in your stick bag.

If you don't have a drum key, or you can't find it, keep a Craftsman RoboGrip in your stick bag. Don't leave home without it, since its strong grip works very well on drum hardware.

Rob Fox

If you want to get your left hand (or right) to be faster and kind of even with the other one, practice sixteenth notes on a pillow then switch to a hard surface like concrete or wood. You'll see the difference when you do this for a couple of days.

Frank Lugo

As an inspiration for practicing, try setting simple achievable goals in the short term. i.e. " I will practice and try to perfect my left handed paradiddle today"

I find it easy to become overwhelmed by the enormity of trying to play like my heroes. "I'll never be able to do that so why bother". I know this is a common cry of the struggling artist. Don't despair, 'slowly, slowly catch the monkey'.

Take it one step at a time, remember your grip, posture and breathing.

If you're like me you'll still have moments of frustration and momentary despair. Accept them, honour your feelings and then get back to enjoying yourself, these are all components of the artists lot.

Take a break occasionally, sometimes NOT playing can achieve a lot, it gives your lessons a chance to assimilate into your long term memory.

Nick Harrison

Rob Fox

"Burying your head in the music" is a common practice for a lot of percussionists, both young and old.

In any performance or rehearsal situation, always keep an eye on the conductor whether he/she is the drum major on the field, the band director, or the guitarist/bassist. If you are reading charts, use your peripheral vision to maintain visual verification of tempo and from time to time, look directly at the conductor just in case. In marching situations, you will probably have to memorize the music anyway, so keep your eyes on the drum major at all times if possible.

Your job is to "keep the beat", but remember that the conductor sets, maintains, and changes tempo.

Terry Reilley

When I first purchased a double bass drum pedal, I found that my left foot was really weak, so I tried air drumming along to some music. As I was doing so, playing my double bass pedal into a propped up pillow. It seemed to work and now I do it every time I am practicing rudiments on a pad or just foolin' around.

Also, try using a few pillows to make a makeshift kit. It is very quiet when you fancy playing along to records and all the surfaces have no rebound so it works your muscles harder!

Ste Arands

When playing a gig, if you don't have a stick bag that attaches to your floor tom, keep an extra stick on top of the bass drum, between the two mounted toms. If you break or drop a stick in the middle of a song, it's in easy reach of your hand without missing a beat.

Simplicity is the key to success. Use only what you need, and not what may just look good. If you only use 4 drums when performing, don't lug around a 9-piece set with all kinds of cymbals and accessories. Only use what's necessary.

Rob Fox

Listen!!!!!.....Musicianship begins with listening. Try to leave a gap between the thumb and index finger. Technique is relative, find one that suits you. I play with thumbs down, and can achieve great speed by throwing the thumbs into the drum.....always stay relaxed.

Repetition is the key, practice slowly, methodically, and repeat singles, doubles, parradiddles etc...concentrating on accuracy.

Tim Burcham

One of the best ways to become a better player/writer is to watch and listen all the time!

The best thing for me was when I was 16-17 years old, watching drumcorps day in and day out trying to emulate what the corps were doing, Even if it was the wrong part! I watched 82/83 Blue Devils a thousand times (at least) and 87 SCV a thousand more, Just trying to hang! ( I'm pretty sure most of the guys remember doing that) that helped me more than anything. I also listened to how the corps were arranging the percussion parts, Pit and Battery, so don't stop listening and watching, it helps.

Michael Davis
Director of percussion
Parkway West High School, Ballwin Missouri

Controlled speed, finesse, and innovative use of your set is the best way to get the applause, not how hard you can hit the drum. Don't limit yourself to what you can and can't do. Always set your goals high, so when you reach them, you'll be skilled and dynamic, and that's what serious musicians seek when looking for drummers.

Rob Fox

Ben Sumlin

Ben Sumlin

Learn to read notes. It'll help you if you ever have to sight-read, or if you want to learn orchestral percussion.

For those of us who hate when a cymbal crescendo rings too much, keep an old pair of soft timpani mallets in your stick bag; if your stick bag doesn't attach to your set and allow quick access, keep the mallets on top of the bass drum, between the two mounted toms (they should sit right next to your extra drumstick). When the song ends, put your drumsticks on top of the floor tom and grab the mallets; they make a much cleaner sound for a crescendo.

Rob Fox

IF you want to break the monotony of practice with a metronome, try practicing rudiments or exercises to a CD of your favorite songs. They will provide you with different feels, styles, tempos, and will help to put your drumming in a more "musical" setting and allow you to be more creative with your practice time.

Jim Bailey

Cut an old mouse pad to make a circle about the size of a mug. Then you can practice with a homemade pad.

Robbie Currie

In place of an old blanket or towel, I use a roll of foam rubber inside my bass drum. It's lighter and easier to carry around, and can be cut quickly to fit your needs.

To improve your bass drum and hi-hat speed, practice without shoes or socks; it helps you develop better technique, and helps you get a better feel for the pedals.

When you buy a new pair of sticks, wrap electrical tape around the stick about 1/2" beneath the tip; it prevents the stick from cracking and chipping, and makes the stick's life much longer.

Rob Focks

For drumset players a good way to build up the left hand is to play eighth notes on the ride cymbal with your right hand, quarter notes on the bass drum, hi-hat on 2 and 4, and then play sixteenth notes with your left hand. This can also be turned around to work your right hand. Also, when you are doing this, be sure to let your stick and fingers do the work and not your wrist.

Neil Adams

Try every type of stick you can get your hands on. You'll like different ones for different situations and sounds. Do some research into to every piece of equipment you buy so you know what it's designed for and that way you'll know the different things you can do with it...That goes for sticks too...

Anonymous

Build up your weak hand. It 's hard at first but you'll be thankful when you will have to play left- handed (or right-handed for all us lefties) on any drum that you play.

Anonymous

No matter what you practice, use proper technique. Palms parallel to the ground, gap between thumb and pointer is closed. Fingers guiding each stroke of the stick, make sure the stick does not hit under your wrist. And move the stick straight up and down. I suggest drawing a dot the size of a quarter on your practice pad or drum head and hitting the dot, 16 on a hand, and then alternating. Try with different rudiments or anything really. Practice in front of a mirror to make sure your stick goes straight up and down and make sure youÍre not slicing. Record yourself (video & audio). Make sure each stroke is consistent.

Squeak

If your front bass drum head is a power head (a power head doesn't have a hole in it) and you like powerless (powerless heads have a hole in the head), put the head flat on the ground, put a small cup or bowl on top, and cut around it. It makes the hole much cleaner.

If you have trouble with your drums ringing and your drums don't have built-in mufflers, you can muffle them by putting small strips of electrical or duct tape around the edges.

If your group plays a large variety of music styles and sounds, keep several bass drum beaters in your stick bag: hard, soft, and power.

Robbie Fox

You can't just sit down right away in the morning and expect to play everything flawlessly and at blazing speeds. You need to start slow. VERY slow. No matter how good you think you are, the best always do a very relaxed warm-up first, and then gradually develop a faster tempo. Keyword: gradually. Trying to play things too fast before a proper warm-up will most likely lead to tension in the wrists, making you work harder to play faster. Keep it slow and keep it even, and keep it up for a long time. Chops should improve.

D. Trier

Practice snare drum, snare drum and snare drum - orchestral and also rudimental. I come from Austria so I was only used to playing orchestral, and when I came here to America I learned to play rudiments. Now I love it. It really makes you a much better drummer. The pillow-trick does the same! I like playing on my waterbed better than on a pillow. Once you can play all the rudiments really well, try to include them in different rhythms and play them on all the drums, including your bass-drum(s). Paradiddle with a double pedal can be fun! Latin patterns help you becoming a much better drummer. But I cannot recommend them for beginners. Have a lot of fun and practice as much as you can!

Vincent Muehlleitner

For people who have a hard time going through their toms, I suggest that you get to know your setup fairly well. After you feel you are comfortable, and have the feel of your set, take a blindfold and put it on. Try and play as clean as you can without hitting the rim or dropping a stick. After doing that for a while (at least an hour or more) you will start to notice that you will play a lot more freely around your drums. BE CAREFUL NOT TO HIT YOUR HEAD!!!!!!!! Good luck!

Jason Michalski

To give your chops a big workout, play a beat of 16th notes right into a beat of open stroke roll. Repeat once, then go right into 2 beats of 16th notes, into 2 beats of open stroke roll. Repeat the whole thing going faster every time.

Drew

Always have a spare pair of drumsticks in case one breaks or you misplace them.

R.V.B.

Whenever you practice, always do it over and over, until you get it correct. But if you do it fast, and then don't do it anymore, then you'll forget it or just can't play it. You have to take it slow, or you will never perfect it.

George G.

Sit down and play into a pillow because you have to force the chops. Start out slow with double strokes. Then, if you feel good enough, try triple strokes. Most of all, don't get discouraged!

Anonymous

Move at your own pace, not someone else's.

Anonymous

Let the stick do the work

Anonymous

One of the pieces of advice I always thought helped was "When in doubt, subdivide."

Anonymous

To build up your endurance chops, the best I have found is to play two bars of 16th notes and roll for 5 minutes. You will be amazed.

Stu