Learning How To Properly Practice The Drums
If you are going to play the drums, you need to practice just like any other instrument
. Learning how to perfect your skill does not come naturally-it comes through intense practice of particular methods and techniques.
Every technique should be done as perfectly as possible. This includes hand positions, stickings, stick height, wrist movements, touch, etc. Practicing wrong will develop improper technique - and all execution is affected by technique.
To strive for perfection is the first step. Each session should create a challenge for the musician to accomplish something never previously done.
This could be a new rudiment, piece of music, or exercise. It could also be a new tempo for an old exercise, etc.
Every book should be played at least twice, because it is never mastered the first time through. But, whatever it is, some new accomplishment should be attempted at every practice session.
The purpose of playing any instrument is to play music. And music should be kept foremost in mind whenever practicing.
Even when playing a rudiment or technical exercise it should be thought of musically and how it can be applied to music. As stated earlier, musicality is the essence of playing an instrument.
The amount of practice time will vary from individual to individual and also from beginner to professional. A beginning drummer might practice thirty minutes to one hour a day and increase that to two hours per day as he progresses after the first year or so of study.
If the student continues to be serious and is looking toward or is in a college program as a music major, the practice time should increase to approximately two to four hours per day. As a struggling career minded professional it can increase to four to eight hours per day.
As steady engagements, playing situations and other responsibilities increase with a developing career (and with life in general) practice time then starts to decrease again. It might be one to two hours per day again or maybe two to four hours three times a week - whatever the individual needs are and professional and personal schedule allow.
But, whatever the situation allows, it should be continued throughout one's professional life under any conditions. Modern medicine now has practitioners who specialize in problems peculiar to musicians of all instruments.
They are finding that players of the same instrument experience the same or similar problems. Two of the problems for drummers are carpal tunnel syndrome and lower back pains.
To alleviate and/or prevent some of these problems experts recommend resting for five minutes each half hour instead of continuous practice. The recommendation is twenty-five minutes - play, five minutes - rest.
First, watch your hand position. Whichever grip you use, when practicing always be sure your hands are in the correct position.
It just doesn't make sense to put time in practicing technique and not have your hand positions correct. These positions are used for a reason and your development will be limited if you do not use them correctly.
Once your hand position improves you will find your playing will become much cleaner and faster. Sticking: this is the second biggest problem teachers come across in teaching.
Keep in mind the phrase "one stick up, one stick down" and practice that way. You will always have a stick in position to make a stroke either from the high ("up") position or from the low ("down") position.
With concentration on "sticking," your hand techniques will start to flow much more smoothly. Stick height is different from sticking in that it refers to how high you bring the sticks.
Whether you work from a full 90 degree position, a 45 degree angle or anything in between the important point is that both sticks return to the same height. Because most of us are not ambidextrous we have a tendency to favor our strong hand and bring that stick to a higher position than the weak hand.
This means one stick is traveling a shorter distance to reach the drum whenever a stroke is made. Think about it.
It stands to reason that if one stick is traveling eight inches and the other only five inches, the stick farther away has to move faster to reach the drum in the same time interval as the closer stick. This also means the rebounds will be weaker with the closer stick.
Are your Single Stroke and Long Rolls uneven? Stick height is probably at least part of the reason - along with the Hand Position and Sticking.
Concentrate on these three common problems and you will see a vast improvement in your technique. Start today and see what you are capable of!
by: Ronald Pedactor
What Help Can Alumni Associations Provide to University Student Culture: The Features of the University Town Study Claims Associated With Fewer Risks Of Heart Attack Should Technology Have a Place in the Classroom? Learn How To Street Fight Someone Bigger! Prestige BMW Learns about BMW of Morristown's Preview of 2011 BMW X3 Sustainability Tracking Study - Invaluable Information For The Dm Industry Studying While Recreating: A Dream Come True In Tel Aviv Purses: A Study Of Purses In The Fashion Industry Learn The Secrets Honey As A Yeast Infection Remedy - Is Honey Effective As A Yeast Infection Remedy? Where To Buy Cheap Graduation Tassels Mothers: Earn A Degree At A Community College The Necessity Of Learning A Repeatable Golf Swing