The best way to start playing drums. Warm-up and stretching before playing the drums

Any teenager can develop a desire to learn to play the drums after attending a concert or watching a film about the life of musicians. This desire is laudable. Music lessons are a good thing. But on the other hand, there are several negative aspects, and it would be wrong not to dwell on them at the very beginning of the article.

Don't fall on the floor and fight in hysterics, buy the installation and that's it. It doesn't happen that way. First, think about whether you have talent, whether you can write songs... In addition, consider:

A good drum kit isn't cheap.
To achieve results you need to study for several years. Otherwise, you will just be knocking and making sounds, and not playing the drums.
You can show your skills to your relatives, friends or girlfriend only at a concert. You can't take the drums with you. This is not a button accordion or a guitar.
Rehearsing at home is not a quiet activity. Conflicts are possible not only with your own family, but also with neighbors, up to the arrival of law enforcement officials.
Self-teaching lessons will not be enough to understand how to learn to play the drums. Classes with non-professionals can lead not only to a lack of results, but also to injuries. Don't grin, it happens. You should register at music school or hire a qualified tutor.

If you were not scared by the beginning of the article, and read to this point, it means that you have a strong intention to play the drums. Now we are collecting money for the installation and looking for the nearest music school or tutor. Being a good drummer is very cool and tempting. Many musical groups need such performers. It is enough to communicate on specialized forums, and you will see the prospects for your future activities.

But this is in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, let's start learning. Below are two points on what to do if it is not possible to buy right away drum set, and if such a possibility exists.

How to learn to play the drums if you can’t purchase a full-fledged kit.

If for some reason it is not possible to play on a full-fledged setup, then you can pay attention to the practice pad. You can see the appearance of this device in the photo. This is a kind of simulator. It doesn’t make loud sounds, but you can easily practice skills such as a sense of rhythm or whiplash. To understand how to learn to play the drums, this is the most suitable option for beginners. The cost of such a pad is relatively small. Depending on the manufacturer, configuration, availability of stands and sticks, it ranges from $30...40.
If there is no opportunity or desire to purchase a pad, then you can assemble an impromptu installation from improvised means. Anything that can make sounds when struck is suitable for this. Pieces of plastic, plywood, old car tires. In a word, the need for invention is cunning. You can try to do the installation yourself using anything similar to this tool. Many famous musicians This is exactly how they started learning to play the drums.
A good option can serve as learning to play drums in a school club or recreation center. For beginners this is the most ideal option. In such teams, there is usually a leader who can teach the basics.
If it is not possible to purchase a complete drum set, you can buy it in parts. In sequence. But this must be done with an eye to the ability to collect everything into a single whole. Every drum must become integral part installations.Drum kit photo

How to learn to play the drums, if you have the opportunity to purchase a full-fledged kit.

In any case, it is worth enrolling in a music school or studying with a tutor. Without the appropriate knowledge to achieve positive result you won't achieve it. Even having a good and expensive installation, knowing specific words, having own group, without the appropriate knowledge, as much as possible you can become a mediocre self-taught person. Under the guidance of a competent teacher, learn not only to play the drums, but also to sit and move correctly at the drum set. Otherwise, there is a chance that in a few years you will become disabled. This can be facilitated by a non-optimal position of the arms and legs, incorrect fine motor skills, a long stay in a not entirely natural position and limited movements - these are the paths to a wheelchair.
Take purchasing a drum kit seriously. You can chat on forums, read musical literature. It is necessary to obtain a certain theoretical basis. The forums will always tell you where you can buy a drum set cheaper, which companies you should choose, and what points you should pay special attention to.
The cost of a drum kit can vary quite widely. But less than 600...700 bucks good tool can't cost. You need to be prepared for such waste. In order to learn to play the drums, you need to have a decent instrument. It is not purchased for one day. A good drum set will serve faithfully for several years. But it should be clarified if you treat the instrument with care.

It wouldn’t hurt to listen to the advice of a sales assistant in a music store. Even if you have an formed opinion about the drum set. Any information will not be superfluous. Specialized stores usually employ people who know their business. Ask to test the tool you are interested in. Both the sound and appearance must correspond to the wishes of the future musician. It should be noted that such checks were carried out more than once. The condition of the leather or head on the drums may not be the best. Ask for them to be replaced. If you purchase, sellers usually do it without problems. During training, you will have to carry out this operation yourself. It is believed that once a month you need to replace the old plastic with a new one.

What we talked about is only a theoretical background. You will understand how to play the drums only during practical exercises. There are many specialized video tutorials and training sites. But only under the supervision of a specialist can you understand how to play the drums. All Internet video resources can only be assistants, not teachers.

We can recommend several such assistants that will help you understand how to learn to play the drums. Look.

Freedrumlessons is a good, educational site. There are video lessons on playing the drums. Many schools and teaching methods are described.

Drumbum is also an interesting and useful resource. There are also video tutorials on different schools drumming.

Tunadrum is an interesting and clear description of how to properly tune the drums. Yes this musical instrument, like others, is also customizable.

The two main components of music are melody and rhythm. Drummers (or percussionists) are responsible for the latter in “live” groups. Drums and bass make up the band's rhythm section. Unlike the same bass guitar, they are clearly audible in any mix. Without drums, the music sounds boring and dull - the rhythm gives the songs dynamics and expressiveness.

Together with guitar and bass, drums form the classic trio of instruments that no band can do without. Therefore, there are plenty of people who want to learn how to play the drums. But not everyone can afford to buy a drum kit. The reason for this is their considerable cost and the traditional “love of music” of the neighbors of the newly minted drummer. Plus, learning to play the drums is difficult, painful, and extremely draining. If approached incorrectly, the path from green beginner to master of rhythm will take years. Therefore, we will figure out how to quickly learn to play the drums from scratch and without the drums themselves.

Introduction to Drums

First you need to get to know the tool. It’s better to do it in person: sit, touch, knock. But if this is not possible, then for the first time, correspondence acquaintance will be enough.

When a beginner looks at a drum kit (also called a “kitchen”), he sees two things: drums and cymbals. These are the main elements that make up a drum kit.

Drums are divided into three types:

• Bass drum. It is played with a special mallet, which is driven by a pedal. The kick drum is needed to produce a dull, low sound. The kick drum is “boom”.
• Snare drum. It is also called a worker. The bright and juicy “thousand” that is heard on the recordings is on his conscience.
• Tom-toms. These drums are needed to additionally fill and decorate the rhythmic pattern. The classic version includes three volumes: two hanging and one floor-standing.

There are incomparably more types of plates. But for a beginner drummer, it is enough to know about four: hi-hat, ride, crash and splash. The main cymbal is the hi-hat. It is a set of two cymbals mounted on a separate stand with a pedal. The hat acts as a metronome - the main rhythm is tapped on it. Ride plays a similar role. And the remaining plates are needed to place accents.

Hand placement and coordination of movements

It’s paradoxical, but at first a beginner won’t need drums. The student's primary task is to position the hands and develop coordination of movements between the limbs. For these purposes, you need to regularly perform basic exercises. Practice the correct position, beat the rhythm on your knees or on a pad - a special rubber plate that imitates a snare drum. The following exercise will help here:

• Begin tapping a simple four-quarter rhythm with your right hand. To do this, simply count “one-two-three-four” and make a strike for each count.
• Then start hitting eighth notes: “one-and-two-and-three-and-four.” The blows also go to each count.
• Add a left hand beat on each weak beat. The weak beats are on “two” and “four”.
• Then, add an imaginary kick drum on each downbeat. The downbeats are “one” and “three”.

Practice this way until the movements become automatic. As soon as this happens, you can accept congratulations - you have mastered the simplest rhythmic pattern. And this important step on his way to becoming a modern-day Buddy Rich.

Performing such exercises to develop a sense of rhythm and coordination is critical for a beginner. They will help lay the foundations of the technique, which you will then have to hone in classes on a real installation. In addition, knowing the basics will help you not get lost when you finally get access to the coveted “kitchen”.

In addition, it is important to acquire a metronome and with suitable chopsticks. There are no questions about the metronome, but the choice of sticks can be devoted to a separate article. However, let's highlight the main points:

Choose the right size sticks. Beginners are advised to start from size 5A. But this is not a rule, and if it is more convenient to hold sticks of a different length and thickness, take them.

Buy quality products. Don’t save money - bad sticks limit your technique, break quickly, and the cheapest copies will cause splinters.

Practice

The simplest answer to the question “how to quickly learn to play drums from scratch” is to go to a teacher. This solution will save a lot of time and nerves. A competent teacher will help a beginner learn the basics of technology and point out flaws and mistakes.

If you don’t succeed in studying with a teacher, you need to establish the right approach to classes. We're talking about practicing on a real drum kit here, but these tips also apply to practicing with a pad.

Play along to a metronome. For a drummer, a metronome is indispensable. No matter how well the drummer feels the rhythm, the risk of “floating” when playing remains.
Dedicate time to working out basic elements. Even professional musicians we need to go back to basics. Take care of yourself and your technique. Flaws in technique result in tightness, loss of speed, fatigue and errors in the game. For progress, the landing position, the grip of the sticks, and the force of the blow are important.

Warm-up is required. To warm up your limbs, start your practice session by practicing simple rhythms, like the one discussed above. Start at a comfortable pace and gradually speed up. In addition, you can make the exercise more difficult by adding hits on different cymbals or toms.

Develop coordination. When playing the drums, all limbs are used and it is important to achieve their independence. To do this, add to basic exercises opening and closing the hi-hat with the left foot.

Don't chase speed. If playing at the chosen tempo is not comfortable (you feel tired or tense muscles), reduce the metronome tempo. With the development of technology, speed will come on its own.

How to learn to play drums with your hands

Percussion instruments are not limited to drum sets. In addition to the drums themselves, they also include percussion. This percussion instruments, which differ in design from classical drums: darbukas, djembe, bongos, tambourines and others. There is only one answer to the question of how to learn to play such drums with your hands - play. The principles of playing percussion instruments are the same. The only difference is that the sound is produced not with sticks, but with hands and depends on the place where the performer hits.

There are moments in life when one obsession sticks firmly in your head and doesn’t let go for a minute. Sometimes this is a consequence of a conscious and systematic movement towards a goal, sometimes it is an impulsive desire to fulfill a childhood dream.

Our material today is for those whose goal (or dream) is to learn to play the drums. We at Audiomania have collected interesting and useful tips for aspiring drummers and learned from Dmitry Poltinin, the international logistics manager for Audiomania and the drummer and backing vocalist of the band †B†C†B†, about his experience playing drums.

Defining the goal

On one of them, jazz drummer Buddy Rich performs his stunning solo...

And on the other is rock drummer Terry Bozzio:

Choosing a lesson format

The benefits of working with a mentor: under strict control, you will, of course, feel more confident, in addition, a pro will begin to correct your mistakes from the very first days. The teacher will be able to clearly demonstrate those things that can be difficult to understand in self-study conditions. Another significant advantage of working with a mentor is the opportunity to practice on a training instrument and, at least for the first time, not spend money on your own setup.

At first I studied with a teacher at Krasny Khimik, then on my own, then for a short time at the Moscow College of Improvisational Music. I believe that for the first year or two you definitely need to study with a teacher, because it is during this time that the foundation, the basics, are laid.

Incorrect hand positioning leads to a slower pace of learning and simply to injury. Later, when you have some skills and an understanding of which direction to move, you can start studying on your own, visiting the teacher less often.
– Dmitry Poltinin, musician, drums, group †B†C†B†

The fact is that not all tutorials will be useful for you - some are designed for high level skills or are “tailored” to a specific style, and therefore may not meet your needs. To get started, you can study the following materials: this and this, perhaps you will find something suitable for yourself.

Among the resources for self-study, I can first of all recommend Stick Control, among online resources - the VKontakte group [, ,] and Drumeo [this company has channel on YouTube and its own training program – although it’s paid].

Printed literature is very useful, as it allows you to thoughtfully analyze various fragments and hone the skill of reading notes from a sheet. The ability to read and play music will open up the opportunity to independently study in various educational materials, as well as a chance to subsequently play in various groups and become a professional.

Developing a sense of rhythm

Generally speaking, you can start learning to play the drums...without drums. All you need is a chair to sit on and beat out the rhythm with your palms on your knees. It is worth noting that at this stage it is important to practice with a metronome - this will teach you accuracy. Muscle memory plays an important role here.

You can also purchase and study literature on rhythms. An example is the book Ultimate Realistic Rock by American drummer Carmine Appice.

To practice, you need three things: drumsticks, a practice pad and a metronome. If you don’t have a pad, you can hit anything: a pillow, a sofa, an armchair, or even your own legs.

I think the best things that can be recommended are rudiments, paradiddles and practicing with a metronome. Listening different music helps to think more “musically” and create interesting drawings. The most important thing is to listen to the musicians and play with them, and not soullessly knock out as many notes as possible.

The big advantage of pads is not only their compactness, but also their reduced (compared to real drums - many times) noise level. In addition, there are now completely “minimalistic” pads on sale, which are a plastic gel mass. To start playing on such a pad, just take it out of the jar and roll it into a “pancake”: with a soft, long press, the pad becomes pliable, and with a sharp blow with a stick it gives a realistic rebound.

Improving self-control

To develop self-control, start learning the basic rudiments by practicing on one drum (or any other surface). Rudiments are special techniques that form the basis of playing any drum and are used by drummers to develop coordination.

Here is one of the main rudiments, which is called Single Stroke Roll, or shot with single strikes:

When you start learning something new, it's always a good idea to start at a slow, steady pace. The story is the same here - there is no need to rush to play a rudiment quickly, at the very beginning you should always focus on quality. This is done so that the arms and legs “remember” the movements. After some time, you can begin to gradually increase the speed, while maintaining clarity of movements.

To check the correctness of your playing, as well as just to diversify your activities, you can use the Vic Firth website. Vic Firth has a section where famous drummers tell and show how to play rudiments correctly.

As for my experience in using exercises to develop coordination, everything is standard, these are rudiments. You can “lay them out” on the setup and play with your hands and feet at the same time. For example, play sixteenth notes with your hands and triplets with your feet and vice versa, or play paradiddles with your hands and sixteenth notes with your feet.

Choosing a drum kit

But let's get back to the drums. For the beginner or hobbyist who just wants to play with friends in a group, a four-piece drum kit (snare, bass, floor tom, alto tom) will provide all the basic sounds. Made this configuration known Ringo Starr, drummer The Beatles, – such a setup does not take up much space, it is easy to move, and its sound is well suited for such musical styles like jazz, blues and rock.

Later, as you gain experience, you can expand your kit according to your desires, for example, adding more alto toms, another floor tom, a second bass drum, and so on - there are a lot of variations.

Once you have decided on the configuration of your kit, you need to choose the material from which the drums will be made. Various types of wood are used to make drums. They all sound different and have different characteristics. Here are a few of them:

• Maple is the most popular material because of its versatility. Has a soft and balanced sound.
• Mahogany (mahogany) – has more pronounced low and mid frequencies and lowered highs. It is slightly softer sounding than maple and is primarily used for vintage drums.
• Birch – has a bright and clear sound due to its density and rigidity. Ideal for studio recordings. It transmits high and low frequencies well.
• Poplar is a cheap alternative to birch and maple.
• Oak is very similar to maple, but the sound is brighter.

I don’t think that the material will be very important for a beginner; anyway, most likely, it will be either maple or birch. You need to choose a student instrument, but it is enough good level, which will allow you to enjoy learning and playing, and which can be sold in case of an upgrade, or if you abandon this business altogether.

But I don't really recommend rushing into buying a drum set unless you have a dedicated space to play. Drums are very loud instrument, and you simply won’t be able to play in an apartment. At the very beginning, I advise you to buy a training drum set and learn on it.

Dishes

According to the manufacturing method, plates are divided into two types: cast and stamped. The castings are made by hand, and each such record has an individual sound. Pressed ones sound the same (depending on the type of cymbal), and their prices are much lower.

Snare drum

Plastics

Electronic drums

When choosing tools, even at the learning stage, I would not advise seriously saving on anything at all. Although, to begin with, it may be worth buying equipment - for example, a pedal and stands - that is simpler, but from trusted manufacturers. You can also buy student series of plates (these are produced by world leaders - Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste and Meinl), because if they break - and this will most likely happen until the blow is delivered - at least you won’t have to deal with them too much regret.

Instead of student series from popular brands, you can buy perfectly sounding cymbals from Turkish or Chinese origin: Istanbul, TRX, Bosphorus, Turkish, Alchemy, Soultone, Stagg, Wuhan. However, I do not recommend saving on plastics, since poor quality plastics will sound bad and quickly fail. Here you can take a closer look at the brands Evans, Remo and Aquarian.

It's best to learn to play on an acoustic or practice kit - on an electronic one the rebound is completely different, and everything is much easier to play. Therefore, it is simply impossible to learn good sound production on it.

Choosing sticks

When you go to a music store, you will see that sticks are usually designated by two symbols: one letter and one number, for example, 3S, 2B, 5B, 5A and 7A. These designations have been preserved since the early days of drumstick production, when a number indicated the size of the stick, and a letter indicated its purpose, depending on the playing style.

Today everything remains the same - the number indicates the diameter of the stick. The smaller the number, the larger the diameter will be. For example, 7A will be much thinner than 5A. As for the letters, they indicate the recommended use:

• S – long sticks designed for performances by marching drummers
• A – orchestral sticks. Thinner than Class B sticks. Very popular among jazz and rock drummers
• B – for symphony orchestras. Heavier than class A sticks

It is worth noting that steel training sticks have been gaining popularity recently. They weigh several times more than playing sticks and cannot be used to hit drums, but they are good for practicing and practicing technique. Famous drummer Jojo Mayer recommends practicing with such sticks in his video school.

Play along to your favorite songs

One of the residents of the Quora site, Geoffrey Martin, advises starting with the band AC/DC, since drummer Phil Rudd plays fairly simple and understandable grooves, so it won’t be too difficult for a beginning musician to repeat them. Our expert, Dmitry Poltinin, also advises choosing simple, popular and (no less important) slow songs - they are ideal for a beginning drummer.

Another piece of advice that may be useful was given by musician Sim Messa: “If you can’t tell how a drummer plays by ear, then watch recordings of concerts, maybe the visuals will tell you what to do.”

Finally

Over time, every dedicated drummer begins to understand all the intricacies of the game. He learns to recognize his strengths and weak sides, understand what needs to be worked on.

Finally, I would like to add that you should not neglect ear protection: earplugs or headphones. Drums led armies into battle, because their loud sound can cut through the noise of gunfire. And here it is located a few centimeters from your hearing organ.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget to warm up before you start playing! Drumming requires a lot of physical effort. It is necessary to pay attention to the hands, knees, and fingers. By spending 10-15 minutes warming up, you will play much smoother and avoid sprains.

You can watch this video with exercises for stretching and warming up muscles:

Let's give a short summary of all of the above. If you decide to learn to play the drums, then:

1. First, determine the purpose for which you want to start practicing, whether it is the desire to simply learn a couple of songs or start playing in a group. Also decide on the genre, as the techniques used by drummers vary greatly.

2. Choose the type of training: with a mentor or independently. The positive aspect of working with a teacher is that from the very first days he will begin to correct your mistakes, and you will immediately feel more confident. However, self-study is also an option; you save money and can study at any time convenient for you. Fortunately, there are a huge number of guides on the Internet.

3. Start developing your sense of rhythm. To do this, you don’t need to have a drum set - beat it with your palms on any surface. Rhythm is the basis of drumming.

4. Learn to control your arms and legs. To do this, study the rudiments and do coordination exercises.

5. Choose a drum kit based on your desires. To get started, it might be worth purchasing a starter kit.

6. The choice of size, shape and tip of the sticks depends on the personal preferences of the musician. So hold the sticks in your hands and try to play. To get started, you can use 5A chopsticks - they are best for beginners.

7. Play along to your favorite songs to develop your hearing.

8. Use earplugs to protect your hearing.

9. Always warm up before starting a game to avoid sprains and injuries. Drumming is a serious physical activity. Add tags

Introduction to a standard drum kit. A drum kit can consist of any set of drums and cymbals. Options to achieve unique sound mass: different sticks, drums of different manufacturers and configurations, tuning and details - everything will affect the sound and is individual. But there is classic look drum set:

• A bass drum that produces a low sound and is played with a mallet that is driven by a pedal.
• Snare drum, usually placed between the legs and played more weak hand. The snare drum has a high bright tone and springs attached near the resonant head. Usually it is tuned for a sharp, juicy click and crunch of the spring instead of sustain (after-sound).
• The installation may have a different number of tom-toms different sizes and configurations, but the classic is considered to be the presence of two suspended toms: high and mid toms and a floor tom (floor tom). The simplest setups only have floor toms, while the largest ones have dozens, so you have a variety of different sounds for fillings.

Dishes. Plates can also be various forms and sizes. A cymbal is a round musical instrument that produces resonance when played on it. The four most common cymbals are the hi-hat, ride, crash and splash.

• A hi-hat is a set of two cymbals that are mounted on a stand with a pedal. The pedal is most often played with the left foot. It presses the plates together when pressed and spreads them apart when free. You can hit the cymbals with the pedal released and control the damping speed by pressing the pedal.
• The ride cymbal has a thinner and deeper sound than the other cymbals in the kit, as it is used to drive the rhythm in most songs. The sound of the cymbal does not fade between hits, which creates a beautiful dense sound filling in the song.
• A splash is an accent cymbal that produces a metallic sound similar to a splash in water. Its sound decays quickly, making it an ideal cymbal for accenting fills or grooves.
• Crash is also an accent cymbal; its sound can be compared to a splash, but it has much more after-sound. In pop music, the crash cymbal often emphasizes the transition between parts of the song, and in orchestral music, the crash cymbal is used to give a more dramatic sound.

Learning to play the drums can be very challenging at first. The drum set needs to be played with both hands and feet. In this case, it is necessary that the blow is delivered, there is a correct grip of the sticks, the correct landing, and so on. That is, you need to work in different directions if you want to become a good drummer. It is possible that you already know how to play the drums, but you have stopped at a certain level and are not moving forward. There are some basic things that any drummer should know, so it's a good idea to master them if you don't already know them. If you're already an advanced drummer, then you might be interested in just checking to see if you've missed anything. If you don't know any of these basic things, it will be difficult for you to continually improve your drumming.

Grab the chopsticks

The first skill for any drummer is. Many drummers don't pay enough attention to this. They simply hold the sticks as they see fit. But this is wrong, because it can lead to injuries, rapid hand fatigue, calluses and the like. Drummers have been thinking about the issue of gripping sticks for a long time and have identified the main types of grip. There are traditional grips, German and French. Some also highlight the American grip, which is very similar to the German one and differs only in the angle between the sticks. The American angle is sharper. If you play with the right grip, you will be able to get good bounce, have control of the stick, be able to play for a long time and be less tired. To learn more about how to hold drumsticks, check out the following articles:

Countdown

The next basic skill that every drummer should have is the ability to keep time. This concept includes not just the ability to count to 4, but the ability to count different time signatures. Sometimes drummers think it's very easy and don't pay attention to developing this skill, but when they are asked to play 16 notes in 7/4 time, they don't understand how to do it. If you can't count what you're playing, how can you play it well? Therefore, if you feel that you have stopped developing, but cannot understand the reason, analyze whether you can count well in different time signatures. Below are articles on this topic:

Setting up a drum kit

The next basic skill is tuning a drum kit. Although this is fairly easy to do, many drummers haven't bothered to learn this. If you play on a properly tuned drum kit, you can have a lot more fun. You will also get to know the instrument you want to learn to play better. Knowing your instrument is the first step on the learning path. Below are several articles about how to set up a drum kit and what it consists of.

Sheet music for drums

Believe it or not, the fourth essential skill is knowing how to read drum notes. Oddly enough, not all drummers understand notes. But the ability to read music will give you a huge breakthrough in development, since you will be able to learn any notes for drums that you find. In addition, you can write down on paper what you come up with yourself. Also, if you play in a band, your bandmates will be glad that you can read music, as it will be easier for them to exchange information with you. The ability to play “by ear” is very good. But if you also know musical notation, then you will undoubtedly improve your level as a drummer. Here are some articles on how to read drum notes.