Drum Lessons for Beginners

Drum Lessons for Beginners Learn to Play the Drums ChaptersDo You Need Your Own Drum Kit to Learn to Play the Drums?Preparing for your Drum LessonsDo your feet always tap with the beats of a song? Do you groove with the rhythm whenever music is playing?If you’ve been thinking about learning to play a musical instrument, you might want to consider a percussion instrument.Some people think drums are nothing but loud, used to keep marching bands in synch. But there is so much more to playing drums than just banging a skin with sticks.So why not explore the fascinating world of percussion and learn to play the drums?learning the rudiments of drumming, wetting your feet and finding out if drum playing is really for you.However, you will need to practice at home, even as a beginner - and that means buying drums. Whether you are learning jazz drumming or practising your rock drum solo, you need the right feedback under your drumsticks to improve your drum play. And that means investing in a drum set.Here are some online drum lessons for y ou.You might get away with borrowing drums at the very beginning, but you should really buy your own drum set. Photo credit: screen-box.de on Visual HuntIf you are learning hand drumming or ethnic drum music - such as an African drum (Djembe or talking drums), conga, samba drums, or indeed anything portable, it’s more likely that your music teacher will have some that you can borrow to practice on at home. Once you reach the intermediate level, you will still need your own drum. The prices for hand drums vary greatly - bongos go for anywhere from £60 to £300, congas between £300 to £600, bodhrans average around £50.Find out how much drum lessons cost...Practising at home without a drum setBut can you practise without having a drum set at home? To a certain extent, yes.When learning to play the drums, you can take a series of buckets and cans about the right size and set them up like a drum kit. Dave Grohl from Nirvana is famous for using snare drumsticks to practice on pillow s. It is a way for a beginner drummer to practise the moves, the rhythm of switching from one drum to another.However, what it can’t teach you is proper stick control. The sound of the drums and cymbals will vary depending on where you hit (rim or skin), how hard you hit and what type of stick you use - regular drumsticks, padded mallets or brushes. You need to learn the difference in sound between your bass, snare and toms. And that is only possible with actual, physical drums.Also, it’s pretty difficult to simulate a pedal. Even if you can use an old sewing machine pedal to practise your timing, you won’t be getting the physical and auditory feedback you need to improve your bass drum playing.Electronic drums and practise pads are easier on the neighbours, but unless you want to specialise in electronic drums, an acoustic set is best. Photo on VisualHunt.comBeing nice to your neighboursDo you live in a flat with thin walls and floors? Nosy neighbours, who complain at the lea st little cough?It’s likely your drum teacher will nag you to use a practise pad in any case.A practice pad is just a little rubber pad that gives acoustic feedback when struck. In short, it’s a drum without the resonance body. It’s not as loud and it is actually very sensitive, so you actually have to be more accurate on a practice pad. However, there are a number of disadvantages.ProsConsIt’s portable.With only one pad, you can’t practice complex drum fills for your drum solo.It’s quiet compared with a physical drum.You can’t practice your kick drum.Its surface is made to imitate that of a snare drum.It only imitates snares and doesn’t give the feel of toms.It’s wonderful for practising rudiments such as a simple drum beat, drum rolls or a paradiddle.It doesn’t have rims.It’s very sensitive, forcing you to be accurate.While quite sensitive, you won’t be learning to listen to your drums - which have more reverb and overtones.It’s a good way to practice sho wmanship drumming.You can’t practice your cymbal work.If you can’t have an acoustic drum set at home when learning drums another option is to go for an electronic drum set. It will have the full set of drums set up like a traditional drum kit. The pads are designed to feel like a traditional drumhead when you hit them. You can play them with headphones and get a sound nearer to real drums.However, though the sound is close, it isn’t exactly the same. On the upside, you can program a whole array of interesting sounds (canon or foghorn, anyone?).Preparing for your Drum LessonsWhen learning how to play the drums, you will find that it’s not just about drum fills and jazz improvisation. You will need to know how to care for your instrument and how to read musical notation.Drum tuningDo you come back from your drumming lessons wondering why your snare and toms sound different from those used by Carmine Appice, John Blackwell or Buddy Rich? It might have to do with how your drums are tuned.Some drums are tuned to a certain pitch and left at that. Other drums are tunable during play (like tabors or African talking drums). In the latter case, your drum instructor will definitely teach you how to vary the pitch while playing.In the former, a good educator will demonstrate how tuning the top and bottom heads will affect the sound of your drums. At the latest when you need to change the drum head, you will need to learn to tune your drums.Pearl Drums has a handy set of instructions for tuning the common drums of a drum set. Exactly what pitch you tune them to and what drum heads you choose will depend on the musical style you are playing - rock, jazz, afro-cuban, Latin or Big Band, and of course your own personal preferences.Do you know how to find your ideal drum tutor?Learning to Read Drum NotationIf you want to progress beyond the beginner exercises set by your drum teacher, you will need to learn how to read drum notation.If you can already read music, it can be both helpful and a hindrance. In normal musical notation, the placement of the notes on the staff give you the note played and the type of note (eighth note, quarter note…) will give you the rhythm.With drum notation, it’s a little different.It doesn’t help that there is no truly standardised notation, though there are some that are more common than others. The one used in Norman Weinberg’s Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation is the most commonly used out there, but you might find yourself confronted with a completely different notation once you start getting gigs.The basic premise remains the same:The type of percussion instrument is indicated by the shape of the note. Drums are usually normal black notes, cymbals, whether hi-hats or crash are an “x”, additional percussion instruments can be a triangle or cross. Which specific instrument is meant is indicated by its place on the stave. For example, the kick drum is generally on the bottom space of the staff; if d ouble bass drums are used, the second bass will be on the lowest bar. The snare is on the “la” or “A” space (if it were in treble clef). Drum sheet music publishers always include a legend at the beginning of the piece.Additional symbols can indicate ghost notes, rolls (eighth or sixteenth note or triplets), flams, drags or ruffs.Rhythm is indicated as in traditional music notation with the types of note (full, quarter, eighth etc.) Note that every drum notation is four beats to the bar unless otherwise indicated (a rare and challenging event).Drum notation looks like normal musical notation but works on slightly diffreent premise. Photo credit: chi-ryu on Visualhunt.comAnother way of writing down drum beats and rhythms is using a drum tabulation, or drum tabs.A drum tab will have a line for each of the instruments, and each strike is indicated with an o for drums or an x for cymbals. A line “-” indicates that the instrument is silent. Drag, flam, ghost notes etc. each h ave a specific letter assigned to them.To advance in your craft, you will need to learn to read both drum music notation and drum tabs. A metronome is a useful tool to help you with that.Learning how to play drums can appear daunting at first, but as you progress in your lessons you will soon get into the groove and improvise your own drum fills. And why not try a personal instructor like one of Superprof’s many drum tutors near you?Ready, steady, go! It's time to learn how to play the drums!

4 Reasons Why an Introverts University Choice Matters - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 4 Reasons Why an Introverts University Choice Matters - Introvert Whisperer 4 Reasons Why an Introverts University Choice Matters Kayla Matthews February 2, 2018 Career Development No responses Go to top The time has come to start making some real choices about the next major step in your life: college. If you’re an introvert, this task might bring as much anxiety as it does excitement. After all, embarking on a new academic adventure away from home will take you totally out of your comfort zone. You’ll meet new people, experience new things and, of course, learn a lot. If you’re still struggling to narrow down your college options, don’t just go with the easiest choice. The university you choose could very well affect the trajectory of your career. Read on to learn four reasons why an introvert like yourself should pick a college very carefully. 1. Your Confidence Some of your more extroverted friends are probably chomping at the bit to get out of their parents’ house and start meeting new people at college. But for folks who like to keep to themselves, the thought of leaving home may bring on intense nerves. You’re probably tempted to choose a university based largely on its proximity to home or the fact that other friends are going there. However, it’s important for your personal growth to step outside of your comfort zone. When you choose a university based on its innate qualities, not how comfortable you’ll be there, you’re giving yourself an opportunity to really shine and build up your self-confidence. If you head home every weekend or surround yourself with friends you’ve known since you were small, you might not spread your wings in the same way, and young adulthood is the perfect time to figure out who you are and what you stand for. 2. Your Social Life Even if you break somewhat free from your introverted ways, you’ll have a hard time meeting new people if your chosen school’s social scene is nonexistent. Look for a school that has extracurricular activities available that match your interests. According to research by a former president of Princeton, approximately 40% of students “undermatch” â€" that is, they don’t choose the best college for their needs, even though they were academically strong enough to be admitted. Undermatching often happens because high school students don’t have enough information to make a good decision. Don’t set yourself up for this mistake. Instead, learn all about the clubs, athletics, philanthropic organizations and other things going on at your potential schools. Then make an informed decision based on the whole picture, including opportunities to socialize. 3. Your Career Path According to a Wakefield quantitative research study, 75% of students made their college decision based on what was more financially practical, as opposed to going into debt to attend their dream school. While this is obviously a very important factor when you pick your university, remember that one of the main goals of college is to prepare you for a career. So if your university doesn’t properly set you up to pursue your chosen job, even a small amount of debt may seem like a huge deal. Keep in mind that your college choice not only affects your ability to get a job after you graduate, but it might also directly correlate to your salary. When you attend a university that is well-known and respected, you might climb up the career ladder faster than you would with a degree from somewhere else. Some research shows that you’ll also earn a higher salary, long-term. So, although you should certainly keep debt in mind, pick the college that will take you where you want to go career-wise. 4. Your Health Depression. Anxiety. Isolation. These aren’t terms that people typically associate with the fun of freshman year, but when you’re predisposed to enjoying your alone time, it can happen. Leaving home for the first time â€" and all of the comforts it offers â€" affects everyone differently. But for introverts, it can be a tougher pill to swallow. Make sure the college you choose has the tools in place to keep you healthy, both physically and emotionally. Check out the resources on campus before you accept an offer, such as the quality of the campus gym and whether the health center offers counseling services free of charge. If you consider these things in advance, you’ll have an easier time coping with any emotional or physical issues that come your way after orientation week. Now that you understand why choosing your university is such a serious task, it’s time to get to it. Start weighing your options through the lens of your introverted personality. In the long run, embracing who you are and using that information to inform your decision will only result in a better college experience. It might also result in a better after-college experience, which is really what higher learning is all about! Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer