Take drum lessons from a reputable teacher. Strive to find a drum teacher who lives close and provides one-on-one, in-person drum lessons. As beginner drummers, it is not recommended signing up for an online drum school or online drum course, which typically provide on-demand, pre-recorded lessons that do not adjust for the student's progress or their ability to grasp specific concepts or adopt proper technique. Online, pre-recorded drum lessons also lack the in-person student/teacher interactions and personalized drum instructions that can ensure the drum student's progress throughout their musical journey. Beginning drum students learn faster and benefit most from in-person drum lessons. Your drum teacher will take the time to teach you how to read music, which is perhaps one of the single most important skills needed to becoming a great drummer. Your drum teacher will also guide you through the myriad of books, exercises, and drum methods that are guaranteed to improve your technique.
Learn your rudiments. Practice them multiple times, not just once during practice. Try to practice everyday, even if it’s just for a couple of minutes. One simple way to practice your rudiments is to time yourself for 30 to 60 seconds for each rudiment, or simply play each rudiment 20 times each and move to the next one.
Create good habits early on. Discipline yourself to practice at least 5 times a week for 30 minutes. We know it's sometimes impossible to carve out this amount of time on a regular basis, so it's ok to vary the time spent during your practice time. So, if you don't have 30 minutes, try picking up the drumsticks for 5 minutes and go through one of your assignments, or play along to your favorite song. And remember, there's a right and a wrong way to practice. Practicing incorrectly only reinforces bad habits, bad technique, and hinders your progress to accel as a drum student. This is why it's important to work with a drum teacher in-person who can always correctly guide you.
The more you practice, the better you will get. The better you get, the happier you will be. Don't think of practice as a chore. Think of it as a Zen-like experience, a way to focus your energies on a single mission, action, a moment. Feel good knowing that you’re getting better every day and realize that the better you get the more fun playing the drums becomes.
Use the HingeStix Practice Drumsticks to feel and learn what a loose grip can do for you. A loose grip gives you more control, smoother flow, and ultimately more speed. It may feel funny at first, especially if you’ve been holding your sticks tightly for a long time, but trust that the loose feeling WILL come. It’s all about “letting go”. And the HingeStix are designed to help you master the loose grip.
Use a mirror to make sure your stick height is the same in both hands.
The weight of the stick is an important consideration for every drummer. Heavier drumsticks like the 5B HingeStix are best for the practice pad and give you more weight and mass providing more bounce and rebound. Lighter 5A HingeStix are better for the drum set.
Throwing the stick implies using your wrist, elbow, and arm (like throwing a baseball) for louder notes. For lighter notes, just minimize your motions with a shorter throw.
Keep sticks apart from each other (about 3 inches) so as not to hit them together when playing.
Keep the faith about practicing!! You WILL see results. Let's say you're working on a very difficult pattern and you find that you just can't execute it. You will find that one day while you're working on it, it will come together and sound perfect. And that’s an incredible feeling!! Like AHA...now I’m getting somewhere!
If you’re not moving forward in life (or in your playing) you’re stagnating. Don't procrastinate. Stick to a schedule and make your practice time part of your regular daily routine. Also, set aside a place in your home that you can call your practice area and keep it sacred. Use it religiously.
Proper HingeStix grip (shown upside down) so you can see how the grip looks underneath.
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