Are you a student taking drum lessons or are you a drum teacher of music lessons? Playing drums can be fun and you can learn (or teach) drums in a short while, or be a much better drummer, by following two (2) golden rules of drumming. If you want to learn drums more effectively and efficiently, then this article is for you.
So, what are the two (2) golden rules? They are:
1. Technique
2. Stick Heights
The first golden rule is Technique. In drumming, this is how you hold your drumsticks or keyboard mallets while playing a pattern of sticking that is suitable for a particular drumming exercise or drum music. The way that you hold the stick is called grip. There are two types of grip in drumming. They are:
· Match Grip
· Traditional Grip
Each grip is really a matter of preference. Sometimes, the type of percussion instrument you play will determine the type of grip you should use. In many cases it is good to know how to play drums with both types of grips. This will allow for you to always be prepared no matter the situation.
If you are beginning drummer, recommendations are to begin with the match grip. Match grip is exactly what the word match describes; the hands are holding the drumsticks exactly the same. It is kind of like holding bicycle handle bars with a few adjustments to angle and thumbs. This grip is generally held by many concert percussionists, jazz drum kit players, rock band drummers and by marching percussions tenor drummers and bass drummers. See a hand example of how to hold a drumstick using the match grip by clicking here.
The next grip, traditional grip, is a technical drumming hold that if done properly, can approve your drumming abilities in terms of speed, endurance, accuracy, finger and hand agility and overall aesthetics. When teaching drum lessons, drum teachers should instruct their students to include door knob turning as part of their daily exercise. The reason for this is because the motion that the forearm performs is the same turn that that is used when playing drums with a traditional grip. Furthermore, the fingers are place properly on to the stick. Two fundamental notes to having better control of the stick when playing with the traditional grip:
· Never release the thumb from the index finger
· Keep the pinky and the ring finger together working as one (this can be accomplished by taping the two fingers together)
Traditional grip is often used in marching percussion by snare players. Many jazz drummers, like Buddy Rich performs with the traditional grip as well as Drum Corps drummers like the Concord Blue Devils. There are also many drum videos and drum DVD’s that portray the traditional grip. A great example can be seen at Drumex.com, where the drum video shows a snare drummer auditioning for the UCLA Drumline. A hand illustration of the traditional grip can be seen by clicking here.
The second golden of drumming is stick heights. In marching drumlins and percussion ensembles, the focus is on uniformity. Meaning everyone needs to look the same including their hand positions (grip) and levels of heights. There are two types of stick heights that should be required for anyone playing drums, especially when playing snare drum rudiments. They are:
· Accents
· Taps
There is a distinct difference between the two. Bottom line is accents are played higher than taps. Drum teachers usually explain this by saying taps are all the inside notes, the low notes. Accents are taught to be played vertically. The common misconception is that accents and taps is just for marching drumlines, but it can also be played by drum kit drummers too. The benefit to playing drum music with proper stick heights is that it sounds and it looks good. One of the best books that could teach you how to play proper stick heights is Accents and Rebounds by George Lawrence Stone. Stone is well-known for his first book, Stick Control.
The two golden rules, technique and stick heights will improve your drumming abilities. Pay close attention to each of the two in detail when playing drums. You get the most benefit of your drum lessons by practicing and researching. Review drum videos and watch a lot of Buddy Rich and Mike Portnoy to better your drumming. Good luck and don’t use drum tabs, read drum music.
Welcome! You have stumbled upon one of the few percussion sites that encourage you to GET THE FACTS about drumming.
The owner DrumEx.com, Darren Tunstall, Drummer, has been drumming and providing drum instruction for years. Since the start, he has gained a lot of knowledge, and he wants to share that drumming and other percussion information with you.
Filed under Used Drum Kits Articles by on Sep 1st, 2010. Comment. 
The drum is the oldest known musical instrument in the history of civilization and its basic design has not changed in thousands of years. Drumming has a profound history as a method of communication, and the drum has an implementation of religious symbolism.
Drums are a lot of fun to play, and every rock or pop band needs them, so drummers are in ever increasing demand. There are different methods on how to learn and play this instrument. Different sized drums and cymbals are arranged into kits, where a drummer can pick from a variety of sounds to lead or accompany a particular song.
For starters, you can read on some basic care for your drum set. This includes setting up the drum kit, caring for the cymbals, and tuning the drums. While thinking of learning to play these one must have these four things:
A pair of drumsticks.
A practice pad which simulate the bounce of an actual drum, and usually have a rubber surface.
A metronome to keep a steady beat.
Some learning materials.
If someone is thinking of getting a professional help to learn to play this instrument well, they will learn how to set up the new drum kit, basic stick grip tips and techniques, using the kick drum and hi-hat pedals, playing rock and jazz patterns, and using dynamics to make the playing more interesting.
Simple steps to learn to play drums
The first step to do this is by counting. It is said that if you can count to four, you can play the drums. Counting till 4 will be the basis of the beat. Virtually all major rock beats are built around basic 4/4 time signature. It basically means that each measure or bar of music is split into four quarter notes.
Then with the right hand the hi-hat is hit on every count. The hi-hats are the foundation of most basic rock drumming beats as they typically hold a steady pulse while other limbs fill in on the snare and the bass versions. The rest is actually quite simple. Then the bass and snare versions should be added on the counts of 1 and 3 respectively. This will be the basic drum beat.
When the basics are learnt you will be able to see how beats are built around this basic pattern. This is the basics to most rock drumming beats and grooves.
The next step for learning how to play this well is to practice stick control and the rudiments. Drums rudiments help one to build independence and speed. The two most common rudiments are the single stroke roll and the double stroke roll. Since drumming is all about beats and counts, a drummer should be very precise in timing. Timing is a major factor while learning to play drums. A drummer should be able to create the mood and groove for any song, adding fills and accents in to pep things up.
Conclusion
The art of drumming possesses a huge variety of benefits in all aspects of day to day life. Most of the skills and techniques learned with this art can be applied to other situations. Drumming is a good activity for those who love to listen and create music while concentrating on rhythm.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: archtop guitars, semi- archtop guitars, drums, drum sets, and synthesizers, keyboards.
Filed under Used Drum Kits Articles by on Aug 26th, 2010. Comment.
