Learning to play the drums is extremely frustrating
if you have never played drums before. That's why most newbies begin to play and
then soon quit. Their attitude becomes, "What's the point? I'm never going to
learn to play drums."
It's true that some people take to the drums
faster than others, but that is definitely no reason to quit. A person must be
patient with themselves in anything new they set out to accomplish. It just
isn't realistic to expect to play drums well overnight.
Remember,
frustration is a natural occurrence in anything new you set out to do. But, it's
only temporary, if you can outlast it.
There are four main points to
learning to play the drums. And, not only learning to play, but also getting
better and developing new skills.
1. Be Patient!
It isn't
realistic to expect perfection overnight. It takes time to develop drum skills.
Since it's a combination of coordination and timing, it will not come natural to
you. That's why you must develop it. Sure, it's frustrating, but try to keep
your cool. It will come with more practice.
Think about all the things
you do everyday that take coordination, like walking, talking, and eating. These
things were all learned. You couldn't do any of these things very well when you
were a baby. But, you developed them. Sure you got frustrated, but you still
learned them because you had to. There was no choice in the matter if you were
going to
survive as a human being.
Do you have a choice when it
comes to your drumming? Sure you do. The question is, how bad do you want to
survive as a drummer?
2. Practice, Man, Practice!
Like I
said, quality drumming skills require a combination of coordination and timing,
and they will surely come with
practice. The question is, will you endure
the frustration you must go through while you develop them?
A key thing
to remember is, when you feel yourself beginning to get really irritated...
stop. Come back and try again later. Sometimes the more you try to practice
through your frustration the worse you get. The best thing to do is go take a
break, come back, and try again.
Another thing to remember about
practicing your drums is, don't think you must practice for any certain amount
of time. There really is a sort of magic that takes place if you can somehow
manage to just drum for only a few minutes per day. And, if you are able to get
a little drum practice session in everyday it will be easy to monitor how you
are
progressing because your improvements will be noticeable. That will
definitely keep you inspired!
3. Don't Compare Yourself!
For
some reason drummers will always compare their own weaknesses with another
drummer's strengths. There is really no way to feel good about yourself if you
do that. It's just not fair, and there's no logic in it. So, just be aware of
that.
Your style of drumming is your own, and you must develop it the
best you can. You don't need to drum like anyone else. Sure, it's good if you
can learn another drummer's cool tricks, but there are some cool tricks of your
own that may be just lying dormant. Maybe if you stop concentrating so hard on
being like your favorite drummer you can bring your own cool tricks alive.
Be your own best friend and realize you have something special the world needs
to hear.
4. Keep Your Passion Stirred Up!
If you keep your dream of
becoming a great drummer in front of you it will keep you on the road to where
you want to go. It's when you get sidetracked by looking at the obstacles in
your path is when you get discouraged, and then eventually give up.
Work, family, and responsibilities of all kinds manage to distract you from your
drum time. Just become a good manager of your time and schedule yourself. Don't
let the tail wag the dog! Stay in control.
There you have it, four tips
to overcome frustration with your drumming. If you apply these four tips you can
take your drumming anywhere you want to go.
About the Author
Dan Brown has been drumming since 1976. |
