There is a wealth of instruments to explore when looking to enter the vast world of music. The drums are by far one of the most popular instruments to learn to play. Therefore, we have collected some of the most important pointers to keep in mind when learning to play the drums. Drummers are in high demand in the music industry and learning to play them well can guarantee you a spot in a band. Or perhaps you simply want to play them for fun and personal interest which is great as well.

No matter your reasons for wanting to learn the drums, you will still have to master some important techniques. The good news is that these techniques are fairly basic and can be quickly picked up by anyone with a desire to learn. Those who are genuinely interested by the prospect of being a proficient drummer will find the training far more interesting and enjoyable.

To begin your path to drumming mastery it is essential to master some important habits. These habits will work the same for beginners and master level drummers.

Learn To Hold The Sticks Properly

This may seem like the most rudimentary point, but it is an especially big deal. Learning to hold the drumsticks properly is one of the foundational skills in the drummer’s arsenal and learning this soon will make it easier to progress. Using them in the wrong way can make things even more difficult in the long run and can even lead to a variety of finger and wrist injuries that are best avoided.

Learn The Rhythm

You have to have rhythm to make it as a musician in any capacity. It will do no good to begin banging away on the drums without rhythm; this is just noise. Nevertheless, if you want to learn to play well, it is essential that you develop your rhythm. One way to do this is to learn to identify and imitate the rhythm in the music you listen to. Can you tap or imitate the rhythm you hear with your hands and feet?  Whatever the answer to that question is, using an electric drum’s training feature or even your phone will help. There are tons of videos and other forms of instruction online you can use to further your learning. See Music Critic for more details.

Learn To Count The Quarter Notes

When you have tapped four equal beats with one hand, you have played a quarter note. Learning how to detect and count these quarter notes will eventually allow you to keep track of what you are playing more easily. Once you have learned the quarter notes, you can then begin creating a greater awareness of beat and rhythm. As your experience increases you can begin to count eight quarter notes.

Learn to Sit At The Drumset

The drum “throne” is the term given to the height of the drum set you are using. A drummer will have to sit at the drum for many hours while they perfect their skills. If a proper posturing and positioning is not developed from the very beginning, the practice can become very painful. This can even affect your capacity to play the drums well.

Use Your Other Hand

Once you have learned to count the quarter notes with one hand, it is time to begin learning with the other hand. This same concept applies when learning rhythms of any type. Remember that no matter your orientation, right- or left-handed, you will still have to play and keep rhythm with both hands. Begin with counting four notes and then move on to eight notes when your skill improves.

Learn To Work on The Downbeat

In addition to learning to use your hands to play the drums, you will also learn to play with your feet. One of your feet will be used for the downbeat. This is what it’s tapped when you hit the bass drum. It can be tricky to master this feat with your feet but as time goes by your dexterity will improve and it will be easy for your mind to filter through the different beats you are maintaining.

Get To Know Your Drums

The drum set is made from a variety of different kits and not all are the same. But there are some standard features in all setups like the bass drum, the snare drum and the cymbal. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the drum set and all its various components. As you become more familiar with your drum set it will be easier to practice and make progress. Take a look at Electronic Drum kits at guitarguitar.co.uk.

Use Videos To Learn

What an age we live in, there is information available at your fingertips and all that needs to be done is go out and investigate. Much of the information will be available in video format. If you are able to see someone else doing the things that you must also do, it takes all the guesswork out of the learning experience. Visualization really is the key to mastery and there are literally thousands of videos for you to view and the more you absorb the more proficient you will be. As you progress you will find more help with more advanced videos.