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15 Common Drumming Mistakes
Practical Guide
Introduction:
Making mistakes is a natural part of learning any instrument. However, it’s vital that you’re aware of the mistakes you’re making so that you can make a plan to fix them. The more you do this, the better you’ll get at playing. So, here are 15 common drumming mistakes that you should be aware of.
15 Common Drumming Mistakes
1. Not Learning with a Teacher
When you don’t learn with a drum teacher, you may develop bad habits that will be hard to break over time. A dedicated teacher will guide you on a clear path that will stop bad habits from developing. You could potentially avoid all the following mistakes with the guidance of a drum teacher.
2. Playing the Cymbals Straight at the Shoulders
Playing cymbals straight at their shoulders will cause them to crack. To preserve the life of your cymbals, you should strike them diagonally, especially when playing them over and over.
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3. Not Hitting the Center of Drums
You should hit the center of the drums to get the most resonating tone. By hitting off-center, you’re not getting the full depth of tonality from the drums. The sound won’t be as strong, and it won’t ring for as long as it should.
4. Neglecting the Hi-Hat Foot
Using your hi-hat foot is a fantastic way of keeping time when you’re not playing the hi-hat with your right hand. If you don’t work on doing this, your left foot will fall behind while all your other limbs develop over time.
5. Not Experimenting with Stick Sizes
Different drum stick sizes suit different people. If you only try one size, you may not be using the stick that is best suited for your playing style. Experimenting with varying sizes is the best way to find the perfect stick.
6. Not Practicing with a Metronome
It’s vital that all drummers are great timekeepers. The best way to improve at this is to practice with a metronome. All drummers should be using metronomes when practicing in order to internalize good time and feel.
7. Not Playing to Music
If you don’t play drums to music, you’re not going to get the hang of how drums are utilized in musical settings. All drummers that hope to play in bands should be practicing their favorite songs to see how drums work in musical contexts.
8. Thinking You Don’t Need to Read Sheet Music
While reading sheet music isn’t vital, it’s one of the most helpful things to know how to do when playing the drums. It will allow you to learn things much easier, as you’ll be able to read them clearly when they’re written down. While reading sheet music isn’t vital, it’s one of the most helpful things to know how to do when playing the drums. It will allow you to learn things much easier, as you’ll be able to read them clearly when they’re written down.
9. Not Playing with Other Musicians
Playing with other musicians is the best way of developing musicality. When you don’t do this, you may struggle to make musical choices in band settings. The more you play with other musicians, the more comfortable you will feel.
10. Burying the Sticks
When you bury your sticks into drumheads, you choke the sound out. To get the most tone out of the drums, you should hit the head and let your stick rebound. This will also allow you to play faster patterns, as the rebound is on your side when drumming.
11. Burying the Sticks
If you only learn to play things fast, you won’t have a solid base to feel comfortable. This means that you haven’t practiced those concepts enough, and you might stumble when trying to play them in a group setting. You’re only as good as whatever you can play slowly.
12. Having Bad Posture
Having bad posture on the drums will potentially cause long-term issues with your body. You’ll start getting back and neck pain from sitting like that for extended periods. Bad posture also stops you from playing complicated things on the drums, as good posture is more conducive to certain techniques.
13. Neglecting Rudiments
Rudiments make up the bulk of drumming, so neglecting them will limit your playing ability. If you learn and master rudiments, you’ll be a much better drummer on the kit. More ideas will flow, and your hands will feel more natural when moving around playing surfaces.
14. Sticking with One Style of Music
While it’s great to specialize in a particular style, you can learn a lot from learning to play other styles as well. By branching out, you’ll be able to learn a few concepts that may improve your drumming when playing your favorite style as well. Not every drummer needs to be a chameleon, but it is beneficial to be one.
15. Overplaying
Drumming is all about groove and feel when playing in band settings. If you play too much, you’ll draw too much attention to yourself, and it won’t be serving the music. It’s okay to overplay when solo drumming, but it’s very distracting when playing in a band.
FAQ:
Do drummers make mistakes?
Yes, all musicians make mistakes. It’s part of being human. It’s how you fix those mistakes that matter most.
Why is drumming so hard?
Drumming requires the use of all your limbs. Most of the time, your limbs are playing separate rhythms. This requires a lot of coordination with your body, and many people find that quite hard to pull off.
What is the hardest part of drumming?
It’s arguably four-way coordination. This is when all four of your limbs are moving. The more unique rhythms you play with each limb, the harder it gets.
What should drummers know?
All drummers should know that they are musicians first and drummers second. Whenever you play an instrument, it’s all about serving the music. If you’re a drummer in a band, make sure to play whatever will serve the band best.
Conclusion
Once you work on correcting these mistakes, you’ll become a more well-rounded drummer. Drummers that are aware of these things tend to be better musicians overall. Don’t feel discouraged if you realize that you’ve been making certain mistakes for long. Rather, use this as an encouragement to get back on the right path!