You’re probably picturing yourself looking a bit silly, wildly waving a pair of imaginary sticks around an equally invisible drum set. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t laugh!
While this isn’t the only way to practice drumming without having the full setup in front of you, it’s certainly one of the quietest methods.
Drum sets are typically expensive, so it’s worth waiting until you’ve been playing for a while.
This article will walk you through some of the best alternative options for you to get your practice in before buying your own drum kit, so you can see if it’s worth it, first.
How can I be a good drummer without drums?
Becoming a “good drummer” is about more than spending hours hunched over a drum kit.
Speaking from personal experience, the passion you put into your playing is just as important as the practice you’re putting in and will set the amateurs apart from the pros.
However, while the performance part of drumming is important, you should be aiming to work on the following two things during a practice session.
- Coordination: Teaching your muscle memory to learn specific drumming movements means you'll be able to bang out combinations without your brain becoming confused as you combine the movement of multiple limbs at once.
Later on in your musical learning, this means you’ll be able to experiment with different directions, speeds, and intensities.
- Timing: Of course, you’ll want to do all of the above keeping in time. Practicing your timing will help you learn how to do these movements at the right moment.
As you may have already noticed, neither of these goals requires a drum kit to be present.
But it’s not enough to just have practical knowledge if you want to be a truly good drummer.
There is also plenty of music theory to study. I found that this can be as simple as listening to music by other great drummers, reading up on different genres, and learning the forty essential rudiments. These are the basic drumming beat patterns that professionals learn.
What Can I Use Instead of Drums?
Many people still need a clear way to practice, so I’ve included a few examples of alternatives that you can use instead of a drum set to work on your rhythmic skills.
Certain options don’t require anything except your arms, whereas other methods might require one or two additional things that you can usually find lying around the house.
Whichever method you prefer, here are some of the best options for practicing drumming when you don’t have a set of drums.
1. Practice Pad
Even professional drummers are known to pop a practice pad down when they’re jamming, out on the road. These are designed to replicate a drum’s response as accurately as possible but at a reduced noise volume.
This could be the perfect choice for when you don’t want to knock your neighbor’s socks (or roof) off due to the level of noise you’re making, but it’s not to be confused with a silencer that some drummers use.
A silencer will drastically reduce the sound your drums produce until they’re… well, almost silent.
You can use a practice pad by mounting it to a stand, as this allows you to adjust the positioning easily. It also gives you room to be more flexible with your movements.
2. Pillow Practice
Forget screaming into a pillow - practice your drumming on one and you’ll improve your skill without even needing to touch a drum kit.
All you need is a set of sticks and you can use them to pummel the pillow to a steady beat.
The best thing about this method is that you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a pillow in the house. It’s also another practically silent form of practice, which is even better!
I’ve found the key benefit of practicing on objects like pillows when you can’t use a drum kit is that you’ll still be developing your muscle memory by following through on the movements. As such, it’s a perfectly good way to improve your drumming skills.
3. Arms in the Air
Air drumming is another completely valid way of practicing, as the more time you spend with your drum sticks in hand, the more familiar you will be with swinging them down to the beat.
Holding your arms up at the imagined height of your drum kit and pretending to play them as practice can also help to improve your posture and the controlled movements you make.
More importantly, it can be a whimsical mixture of both silly and fun, which is the basic recipe for a great practice session. As an added bonus, it’s yet another way to practice quietly.
4. Tapping in Time
Getting the timing of the beat right is one of the fundamentals of learning to play the drums, but you don’t necessarily need a set of drums to practice this. In fact, this is one of the few methods I’ve included that doesn’t focus on improving your muscle memory.
Humming and clapping in time with the music is a great way to enhance your rhythmic skill set which will be invaluable when you eventually do get to practice with a real drum kit.
Both are methods that allow you to focus on the timing alone. This can be hugely beneficial to beginners who are struggling to combine this with the correct hand-eye coordination.
By isolating and practicing this basic principle, you’ll become a better drummer overall, so it’s not an uncommon practice for music students who are still learning how to play the drums.
Final Thoughts
Don’t be discouraged if you want to practice your drumming but don’t have your own drum set, or if you’re unable to play any actual drums due to the noise level they produce.
Whatever is preventing you from playing the drums, it doesn’t mean you can’t still practice.
As I’ve demonstrated, any of the above methods for practicing the drums without a physical drum set would be a good way to improve your skill, especially if you use a combination of them. Remember, this includes paying particular attention to practicing your timing.
I hope you’ve found this article helpful!