4 Tips I Wish I hadn't Ignored
Hi Guys,
I was thinking about things I wish I had known, or taken more seriously when I was beginning to play drums. Nowadays we get so much advice that we don't even know what to listen to. In this short but specific list I'm sharing with you my top four tips that I wish I had respected more when I started with music.
Practice Regularly
It is crucial for the brain to do things over and over again in order to learn them. Instead of practicing every Saturday for one hour, it is more effective to practice every day for ten minutes. The muscle memory will be built much faster and you’ll get into an effective practice routine very quickly. Regularity will also help you notice improvements in your skills much clearer, which will help keeping the motivation up over a long period of time.
Learn Proper Technique
Paying attention to seemingly insignificant details when learning a new hand or foot technique can and will make a difference once you hit a speed or dynamic limit. Having learned the technique very carefully will delay hitting a speed limit or even prevent you from ever reaching a limit. Stick control exercises can be boring and exhausting, especially when there doesn’t seem to be any musicality behind the exercise. After reaching a certain skill level on one particular technique, moving the exercise from the practice pad to the drum set and incorporating the different instruments into the exercise helps putting the musicality back in.
Don't Waste Your Money
When just beginning to play an instrument, or taking up a new hobby, many of us invest a lot of money in expensive equipment. At the early stages of learning a new skill like drumming, our knowledge in that area is very limited and we get easily misguided into thinking that without a certain piece of equipment we won’t be able to perform our best. In the beginning though there’s not much sense behind buying expensive gear, as our level of skill won’t be able to determine whether something sounds good or bad or is even worth the money. Buying quality built but inexpensive or used equipment when starting to play drums, allows us to learn new skills and train our ears, in order to later on make an informed decision on whether we need or want a certain piece of equipment. This way you don’t waste your money and make every purchase an investment.
Play In Front Of Anyone
Performing in front of an audience is just as a important as practicing by yourself. Whether playing along to a record or a band or even performing by yourself, play as often as you can for someone. Even when playing for someone we know, there's a pressure of having to deliver at this very moment. When practicing we don't have that, we can start and stop anytime. By playing for someone as often as you can, you develop the discipline of having to end something you started and having to do it with high quality.
These tips will save you a lot of time, patience & money. I hope you could learn something from this article and that you'll continue making amazing music!
Thanks
Patrick Buzo