Without sounding too obvious, to become a good drummer you’ll need two things, a drum set and lots of time to dedicate to learning the art of drumming.
One of the best things we could recommend to be a good drummer is to not underestimate the basics and the fundamentals of drumming. As soon as you’ve nailed these areas you can then begin to develop your style of drumming and then become a good drummer.
Start practicing with a metronome to develop your time-keeping skills, work on your rudiments and learn to read drum music. When you figure out these basics, it’ll soon become muscle memory and you can put the rest of your energy into learning new pieces of music and adding your creative flair.
Try expanding your horizons and branch out learning different types of music. Even if you dream of being a rockstar, try learning some pop or jazz songs to keep everything fresh. The best drummers will be able to play a variety of genres, even if they focus on one style in their career.
There’s a reason why the best drummers in the world have all played in various bands and that’s because other musicians and artists around them can give feedback and be able to give suggestions to help improve your technique.
If you can, try joining a band, and no it doesn’t have to be a well-known one, try to find one that needs a drummer and you’ll soon see improvements in your skills and confidence. If you can’t join a band, then try meeting up with local musicians for a jam session so they can hear what you’re like and give you some feedback.
Not to sound like a cliché, but practice always makes perfect and you’ll need to dedicate a decent amount of time sitting at your kit or drumpad practicing the basic drum rudiments. Learning is much more fun nowadays with online lessons that can help you become the best of the best.
Try filming your practice sessions so you can evaluate your progress, or you can show it to a teacher or a more experienced drummer to get some feedback.
When you're starting out, focus on playing with the correct technique rather than trying to play as fast as possible. Drumming can exert a lot of energy so it’s better to spend 30 minutes on focused practice than 3 hours smashing around your drum kit not amending your mistakes.
Are drummers in demand?
Yes, there is often a higher demand for drummers than there is for other musicians. Excellent drummers are hard to come across and it takes a lot of confidence to become a great one as you are the backbone of the band as they’re often the ones who control the tempo of songs for the rest of the musicians and the singers.
There aren’t many drummers around because drums are one of the biggest musical instruments you can play, which puts parents off from buying them for children as they take up too much room in their home.
It’s difficult for drummers to move their kit around when they’re on the road, which is why many people choose to play smaller and more portable instruments like a bass guitar instead.
Drums are also loud, very loud and not everyone wants to listen to them for hours when you’re trying to practice. This can put people off playing the drums, before they even get started.
How can I improve my drumming skills?
Even the most experienced drummers will go back to relearn the basic skills and rudiments that they practiced as beginners.
Go back and try to relay a solid foundation, you will have forgotten some important stuff, or what you forgot to learn.
Focus on key rudiments like single and double stroke rolls, flams and paradiddles. Even spend time listening to the timing of songs and then trying to play in time with them once you’ve understood.
If you’re struggling to keep up with the stamina required to improve your drumming skills, then it may be time to drop the sticks for a bit and head out on for a run or for some HIIT.
You could even incorporate some weight training to build your muscles in your arms and to protect you from any injuries from excessive playing. Once you’ve built a good foundation for your fitness and strength, you’ll quickly see an improvement in your performances.
One of the best tips we can give is to play as much as you can and with as many people as you can. Playing with other musicians will give you the boost of confidence you need and you’ll also be able to get some advice from people more experienced than you.
How do drummers make a living?
Drummers can go down many different avenues to make a living for themselves, whilst most drummers won’t make it to the big time, they can still use their years of experience to earn a living.
Many drummers go down the teaching route and can charge over $60 an hour for a lesson, so even if you were doing this as a side hustle alongside an average job you could still earn a few thousand a month.
Some drummers do online lessons, allowing them to teach people in different areas without having to see them in person.
If a drummer is lucky enough to be in a band then they can earn a good living from performing at weddings, events, gigs, theatre shows, and local shows.
Bands can charge anything from $20 to thousands depending on their experience and reputation. Most drummers and bands will start doing local shows, where they’ll also sell merch and CDs of their music to try and boost their fanbase and get recognized.