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Learn How to Play Drums without a Drum Set
Easy Practice Tips
Introduction:
If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play the drums, you may have wondered whether you needed to buy a drum set to get started. Fortunately, you only need a pair of sticks, to begin with.
While you won’t be able to play beats and fills, you’ll be able to learn about stick technique, rudiments, and varying sticking patterns. We’re going to give you a few ideas on how to do that with no drum set in sight.
Learn How to Play Drums Without a Drum Set
We’re going to look at four different ways of learning to play the drums without a set. These include working on the essentials, practicing rudiments, using a metronome, and going through lesson material from online platforms.
Let’s break each one of those aspects down further:
1. The Essentials (Pad and Sticks)
Getting a pair of sticks is your first point-of-call. Since drumming is rhythmic, using a pair of sticks to play patterns on surfaces is often all you need at the beginning. You can learn how to hold the sticks properly, understand the value of rebound on different surface areas, and get used to how the sticks feel in your hands.
While playing on any surface works, there are things called drum pads that are specifically designed to practice on. So, getting one of those is something that all drummers should do. It will feel better playing on a pad than it will on a pillow or couch.
2. Start Practicing Rudiments
Now that you have your sticks and a practice pad, you can learn all about rudiments. These are the building blocks of drumming, and they’re specific sticking patterns that need to be mastered.
There are 40 official rudiments in total, but you only need to learn the first three, to begin with. Here are their names and sticking patterns:
Single Stroke (RLRL RLRL)
Double Stroke (RRLL RRLL)
Single Paradiddle (RLRR LRLL)
The point of learning rudiments is to give you a vocabulary to use when playing the drum kit. Once you apply them to a full set, you’ll realize how powerful they are in providing you with groove and fill ideas.
3. Practice with a Metronome
A metronome is one of your most important tools as a drummer. It’s a device that clicks a constant pulse that will keep you in time. As a beginner drummer, it’s incredibly important that you practice with a metronome while playing on the practice pad.
This will solidify your sense of timing, and having a good sense of timing is one of the most vital aspects of being a drummer.
You can adjust the BPM on a metronome to have it click at a certain tempo. It’s good to work on the rudiments at varying tempos to get a good grasp on them. The goal would be to have the ability to play patterns comfortably at fast tempos.
4. Try Online Lessons (Drumeo + The Drum Ninja)
Watching and reading lessons from online resources is a fantastic way of learning without a kit. Sites like Drumeo will have teachers give lessons on a practice pad, giving you more things to work on with your pad. You can read our full review on Drumeo here.
We also have a few articles here on The Drum Ninja that will give you a few ideas. Here are a few good ones to get you started before actually owning a drum set:
FAQ:
Do I Need a Drum Set to Learn Drums?
No, you don’t need a drum set to start with. You can purchase a pair of sticks and a practice pad to start working on the basics. With those tools, you can learn proper stick technique and all about simple rudiments.
However, you’d need to get a drum set eventually if you want to start playing drum beats and fills.
Can You Teach Yourself to Play Drums?
Yes. The great thing about drumming is that many people are self-taught. You can sit on a drum set and fiddle around until you figure out how to play something. This process can continue until you get fairly good at playing.
However, teaching yourself to play the drums often leads to missed essential aspects. The biggest one is technique. When teaching yourself, you may develop bad habits that will either cause injury or prevent you from playing in an optimal way.
So, it’s always better to either get lessons from a drum teacher or watch lessons online to make sure that you’re playing drums properly. With the Internet, it’s easier than ever to do this.
What Else Can You Use As a Drum?
If you don’t have a practice pad yet, you can use surfaces that react nicely to drum sticks. Playing on a wooden table will sound too aggressive for most, but playing on softer areas like carpets and couches will feel a lot better.
Just be careful not to play on surfaces that can break. For example, playing too hard on a couch may end in the sticks breaking through the surface of it. That’s why it’s always better to get a drum pad to practice on.
How Can I Learn Drumming at Home?
Yes. There are thousands of learning materials on the Internet, making it very easy to learn drums from home. You can simply watch a few free YouTube videos that explain the basics, or you can sign up for a drum lesson platform such as Drumeo Edge that will take you through a step-by-step process to learning the drums.
Conclusion
Learning to play the drums without a set is more than possible in the early phases. However, after you’ve mastered stick holding technique and a few rudiments, you’re going to need a drum set to continue.
Playing drums on a pad will become part of a practice routine, but actually playing the drums will always be the most important thing. If you don’t have a drum set yet, we have dozens of articles here on the site that will help you choose the best one. Go check them out!
Once you are ready for a live gig, be sure to check this tips to overcome stag fright.