Long Hours Practicing

[The Beat Doctor]

What do you think? Is 1-2 hours enough. Discuss.......

[glynes]

I'd say that's not enough for a "serious" drummer. For myself, I can spend just that much on technical stuff, with no time left over to work on music I'm learning. If I was doing more on drums than I am at present, I'd definitely want to spend more time than that practicing.

[Fldrummer]

Well I remember Tony Willams saying he played 8 hours a day for about 5 years straight.

[Fur drummer]

I don't know. I guess it depends on the individual drummer and talent level. When I was younger I practiced about 5 hours a day.That 5 hours seemed like two because I like playing drums and the time went by fast. I don't practice nearly that much now because I'm married and live in an apartment. My neighbors would not like me practicing 5 hours a day now.

I still can't believe Buddy Rich never practiced. He didn't even have a set of drums in his house.

[aahznightsky]

It depends entirely on how serious the drummer is

and how long they want it to take before they can really play


If you have the potential, I would say that most instrumentalists can master the technical and groove aspects of their instruments in maybe 10 to 12 hours a day for 4 years. I know actually several guys who have done this and they literally are as good as the best players out there.

And then they all say that over the years, although they got to that level of playing by the time they were 20 or so, their playing has also matured greatly over the years...


one to two hours a day will make you ok, the way i see it

four to eight will make you good

ten to twelve will make you insane!

[Bango61]

Well, with school and all that, I have problems practising 12 hours a day, the most I do is 1 hour every day.

[franklinj]

I practice around 1.5- 3 hours a day. Ive made a lot of progress so far. Im in the book Portraits in Rythm after a year of playing. I really just started trying to master rudiments, so ive been practicing those for about an hour a day.

I play set a little less than I should, only about an hour. Im gonna try to make it 2 hours though. I dont see how someone would be able to play for 10 hours a day. I mean, I have school, and a life...

Hahaha.

[theduke86]

Depends how long you have. I think every drummer should go into shed mode for periods of time. Say, a year to six months out of their lives practicing 8-12 hours. Tony Williams said you need ten thousand hours.... sorry Tony, I don't know if I agree. Different people need different amounts. Different people grow differently as well. Depends on what you plan to do as well. If you're mastering one style, you need to practice less than a stylistic chameleon. I think professional levels of chops can be developed by mostly anyone with four years of 2 hours a day... just spent on technique, licks, independence. Stylistic competency takes a long time. For example, I practice jazz stuff about two hours a day usually... A year and a half of this has gotten me to be a good enough swing drummer... not a virtuoso or where I need to be. Come next September, I go into latin mode. I expect to be a proficient swing player and have a good backbeat for blues, r and b, rock and hiphop. Then I'll spend about two years in Latin mode while I keep the rest of my chops up and getting better... while I learn a new style and shed that like crazy.
Just practice as much as you can. When you're not practicing, listen and transcribe records. That'll get you to your own goals- it'll only get more and more fun as you get better.

[NaturalRaz]

The LOVE of drumming has no statistics or time limits when it comes to practicing. If you love playing you will play when you can.

[jamsjr44]

It's not how long you practice only it's what you practice as well, there is a difference between playing to songs in the headphones and sitting down doing rudiments.

When I play with my headphones on I don't consider it practicing because I just play along to the songs that is just for fun, but when I sit down and work on my double bass techique or sticking patterns then that is practice in my opinion.

[Lambo]

I still can't believe Buddy Rich never practiced. He didn't even have a set of drums in his house. That's because he played about 300 nights a year.....he didn't need to. Some people seem to think (not talking about you here) that he never practised, got up and played a gig once a while, and tore the kit to ribbons. Simply wasn't the case at all..... and even if he had practised, I doubt he would have told anyone about it, he had too much pride.

[drumbig]

When I was in highschool I practiced 4-6 hours a day, I did that for about five years he,he. Now including band practice and the practice pad I play about 6-8 hours a week. For me this is enough time to keep my chops up and learn a few things every week. If I had more time I would undoubtedly play more.

[Johnny_Stacks]

4 hours a day i usally practise.. one day i acutly did a double stroke roll for 5 hours straighte.. that was fun lol

John

[Lambo]

What!??! Did you not get really, really bored??? The closest I did to that was hold 190bpm 16ths on the double bass pedal for half an hour straight, but....are you sure it was five hours non-stop??

[T.L.]

I'd agree that's it's different for everyone.......I know guys who have practiced an hour a day for a few years and who are still very lousy.............Why? Because they've never had a good teacher, don't know how to play with a band, and have never played with really good musicians -- the influence of other musicians is key in that (especially when you're young) their thoughts on taste, time and musicality can help you a lot.

I also think that REALLY listening to music is as important as practice. I've heard seen so many drummers who don't listen to jazz sit down at a kit and try to play a swing groove and sound terrible -- their time might be great and they might have some chops that they got out of a book. BUT, they can't swing because they have not spent enough time LISTENING to how the masters do it (Blakey, Roach, Philly Joe and all the rest).

I'd agree that one can become a competent drummer (particularly in one or two styles) in several years of 1-2 hours a day, with some serious listening in that genre. To be a virtuoso player, however, does seem to take at least a few years of serious shedding, Weckl, Tony or Vinnie style (4-15 hours a day).

I've often been surprised, however, reading interviews with some of my favourite players -- such as Bill Stewart and Steve Jordan -- where they say that they rarely practice.......I guess what it comes down to is that once you practice hard for a few years to get your chops together, if you're playing a lot of gigs that IS your practice. It makes sense. What could better prepare us for being a great musician than playing live gigs?

[The Beat Doctor]

Well I have read through some of the responses and one thing I'd like to know is really how a not yet proven drummer can practice 8-12 hours a day without sacraficing eating, sleeping, and even paying rent. Seriousily how do you guys expect me to play even 5 hours with school and homework. I'm serious but I do want something to fall back on.

[Doom]

I think its important to mention that drum learning definately occurs away from the drumset. I may play for 2 hours in a day but I might have listened and learned from Bruford for an hour earlier that day y'know? Talking to other drummers, watching them and all that. Its all head practice. Its every bit as important as the physical practice that we spend.

[drumbig]

I think its important to mention that drum learning definately occurs away from the drumset. I may play for 2 hours in a day but I might have listened and learned from Bruford for an hour earlier that day y'know? Talking to other drummers, watching them and all that. Its all head practice. Its every bit as important as the physical practice that we spend.
This is a very good point mabe 'what percentage of your day is spent playing and thinking about drums would be more appropriate'.

[Fur drummer]

That's because he played about 300 nights a year.....he didn't need to. Some people seem to think (not talking about you here) that he never practised, got up and played a gig once a while, and tore the kit to ribbons. Simply wasn't the case at all..... and even if he had practised, I doubt he would have told anyone about it, he had too much pride.

Yea that's true he did play and rehearse a lot so he didn't need to practice. Plus when you have that much talent you don't need a lot of practice.

[LiquidSoul546]

Actually BR hired a guy to rehearse with the band so he could listen to the rest of the band, but you can chat that up in the BR section, anywho i would say i practice for at least an hour the most i did was about 8 hours. (when no one was home on a summer day) I too find it hard to beleive that people can practice 8 - 12 hour days. I just think if you can more power to you! Anywhoo, i think about drums about 22 hours a day too haha.
peace

[Sticksman]

I definately agree that it's different for everyone. If you have an innate talent for drums, it'll show itself sooner and therefore not take as much time spent in practice to show up. However, if you're not a Dennis Chambers-in-the-making, then long, intense, practice sessions are vital for mainting your chops and groove.

All in all, it depends on the person and whether or not they have a knack for it. The more knack they have, the less time they need to practice, and vice-versa.

My practice sessions are usually 1.5 - 2 hours a day, depending on work and schoolwork. I start out the first 15 minutes practicing the basics (double-stroke roll, single-stroke roll, double-stroke on the double pedal, triplets, flams, ghost notes, etc), then spend about 50 minutes playing through my arsenal of grooves and licks (usually stuff by Tool, Santana, Slipknot, Slayer, String Cheese Incident, Coheed & Cambria, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Cream, and awesome licks and phrases that I learned over the years, mainly by watching Drummerworld videos, a few of which I made up myself).

After that hour, I usually spend the last half hour working on my drum solo, subtracting and adding various things (it's current timed length is 3:37 exact), and practicing open-handed, which is something I just discovered, but am not going to use in my playing much. The last minute I go ballistic on my poor drums. I always, no matter what, have to end my sessions with some insane meltdown that brings down (and wakes up) the house.

[DottedQuarters]

Since I've started my Civil Engineering degree, I've seen practice time decline...I'm gonna switch to Music next semester so I have to practice 6 hours a day...I'm stoked, but needless to say I'm afraid my therapy will become my pain. Still, all that time just for drums and percussion; I can't wait!

[aahznightsky]

I agree about the innate ability that a person has too

i just find that with an innate ability to play, a person gets even more out of practicing!
i think im talking more about getting to one's own potential, not necessarily the drummer's "standard" level of playing

because I know some guys that have been playing for ten or twenty years that aren't as good as some guys Ive seen playing for two!

[SecretSexyNinja]

Hey guys, I have a question along the lines of this thread/subject. I'm in college and they don't allow kits in our dorms (duh, i guess) but i do have a metronome and pad/sticks. What would you guys reccomend I do (for practice) to strengthen myself while stuck at college? I've been almost doing nothing and it drives me crazy. I'm in a band and we play every weekend, Fri, Sat, and Sun... on these days I use my kit 'cuz I drive down to the beach where I live. Anyway, the help you guys could offer would be invaluable to me!


P.S. I play all of our band's songs to a click track and actually love it. Nothin better than being perfectly on beat. Would you guys reccomend this or no? I do tend to be a perfectionist.

[NaturalRaz]

Hey guys, I have a question along the lines of this thread/subject. I'm in college and they don't allow kits in our dorms (duh, i guess) but i do have a metronome and pad/sticks. What would you guys reccomend I do (for practice) to strengthen myself while stuck at college? I've been almost doing nothing and it drives me crazy. I'm in a band and we play every weekend, Fri, Sat, and Sun... on these days I use my kit 'cuz I drive down to the beach where I live. Anyway, the help you guys could offer would be invaluable to me!


P.S. I play all of our band's songs to a click track and actually love it. Nothin better than being perfectly on beat. Would you guys reccomend this or no? I do tend to be a perfectionist.

Hahahahaha....who doesn't love to be perfect? I suggest you work on your timing without a click track.

A drummer who can't keep a beat....is a drummer without a job. You need to work on your timing without something to follow.

You "the drummer" should be the "click track" timing for your band....not a click track itself.

Learn to read music if you haven't yet....it will help your with timing.

[Beercan]

I agree about the innate ability that a person has too

i just find that with an innate ability to play, a person gets even more out of practicing!


I agree completely. Those with so-called "innate ability" don't necessarily have the innate ability to play drums better, but they do have the clarity of mind and dedication to practice more efficiently. Of course, there's also the intangible sense of musicality that some people have... but that's a whole different subject.

[Sticksman]

I agree completely. Those with so-called "innate ability" don't necessarily have the innate ability to play drums better, but they do have the clarity of mind and dedication to practice more efficiently. Of course, there's also the intangible sense of musicality that some people have... but that's a whole different subject.

Agreed, but I'm not necessarily saying that people who have a knack shouldn't practice as much. I'm just saying that they don't have to practice as much. Their skill level increases faster than, say, a "regular" drummer, and less time is needed to get to certain levels of proficiency. Practice is, obviously, for everyone who wants to do well in whatever skill, no exceptions.

Besides, practice makes perfect, right?

[Laney]

Besides, practice makes perfect, right?

Perfect practice makes perfect :)

[drumzalicious]

about 5-6 hours. but remember its not how long you practice but how effeciently you practice.

[The Beat Doctor]

One thing I have seen discussed in only one or two replies is how do you guys budget your time when practicing (how much time do you spend on rudiments, etc.)? You guys got any advice.

*Drumzalicious-on a side note I was checking out your website and noticed you'll be attending Berkelee. First off I'd like to say congratulations. Second off I'd like to know if when you auditioned if they had you play mallets?

[hotsauce3n]

time is definately a huge factor. i am in high school now and sports and homework take up a ton of time. this year i gave up basketball and golf just so i could come home and practice drums. it gives me about twice the time i normally get to practice. during the school year this is how i usually do it.

first focus on one sport and stick with that, and then stick with drums
so you only have one season that will take up time for drumming, plus in spare time it allows you to be getting better for that sport

after school i come home then go play drums til dinner, after dinner id do homework then if it isnt too late i go out an practice more. sometimes when im not too tired, i get up at 6 in the morning and practice for an hour and a half til 7 30 until i have to go to school

these are the things i keep in mind for practice time, drums are definately a sacrifice. but so is anything else that you want to be good at. which is why summer is the best, because i had all the freetime in the world

[The Beat Doctor]

time is definately a huge factor. i am in high school now and sports and homework take up a ton of time. this year i gave up basketball and golf just so i could come home and practice drums. it gives me about twice the time i normally get to practice. during the school year this is how i usually do it.

first focus on one sport and stick with that, and then stick with drums
so you only have one season that will take up time for drumming, plus in spare time it allows you to be getting better for that sport

after school i come home then go play drums til dinner, after dinner id do homework then if it isnt too late i go out an practice more. sometimes when im not too tired, i get up at 6 in the morning and practice for an hour and a half til 7 30 until i have to go to school

these are the things i keep in mind for practice time, drums are definately a sacrifice. but so is anything else that you want to be good at. which is why summer is the best, because i had all the freetime in the world
When I meant budget your time, I meant like how much do you spend on soloing, rudiments, etc. But what your saying is cool too.

[Jookbox]

It's not how long you practice only it's what you practice as well, there is a difference between playing to songs in the headphones and sitting down doing rudiments.

When I play with my headphones on I don't consider it practicing because I just play along to the songs that is just for fun, but when I sit down and work on my double bass techique or sticking patterns then that is practice in my opinion.

most instructiors will agree. when you're playing beats or working on things you don't know how to do that's practice. i'm going thru the thomas lang video and it's kicking my butt, but i know it's making me a better drummer. i do this for an hour. for another hour i play songs, because it's a lot more fun, and just a reward for putting in my practice time. unfortunately i only have 2 hours per day, but that's how i choose to spend my time on the kit.

[hotsauce3n]

When I meant budget your time, I meant like how much do you spend on soloing, rudiments, etc. But what your saying is cool too.


ohh ok, i see what your saying, well for me i cant tell you any set time i spend on doing that its different every time, but at minimum i try an hour for soloing, rudiments i dont run through because i dont feel they are necessary, but i play along to a lot of songs and then work on techniques, plus soloing, so i usually try to practice 2-3 hours during school week and 3-4 on weekends and 5-6 summer which is the best

[photon]

First let me say how much I've learned from all of you guys over the few short weeks since I've been back on the kit. When I say back, like numerous others on this site I played from my early teens to my mid twenties until real life got in the way. Sold my drums for cash to pay the rent and eat in 1984 and now circumstances both financial and the fact that I am in my own home have enabled me to take up the sport again at 44. Fortunately for a good ten of those years that I was on "hiatus" I did have access to my former brother-in laws kit and probably had the opportunity to play...hmmm...mabe 20 times over those ten years, but it has been a good 6 years now since I actually laid stick on drum.

Since I purchased my kit a month ago I have probably learned more in that month then I did in the last 30 years having never taken formal lessons. Ahhh, the wonders of the internet and access to the drumming community of the world, video lessons etc., etc. you youngsters have no idea how good you have it, I wish it existed when I was 15 but that would have been 1976!

Well to my point I suppose. Like most mature players who are retuning to playing, apart from just bashing away to recorded music for practice as I did when I was younger (which is still fun of course) I am starting over again at square one and working on technique, rudiments etc. things I just not have the patience for when I was a teenager. Most of my time was spent learning songs in the various bands I played in (none very successful I might add...the bands that is), however I did play with some great players who are still involved in music today.

Herein lies my dillema. With all these resources at my disposal now through this and other sites I have become somewhat overwhelmed with information.

My goal is too work on my own for about a year to develop a more solid foundation to avoid any extreme embarrassment and humiliation when I sign up for some lessons. I started with the excellent Mark Wessels video instruction on the Vic Firth site. As you guys know Mark extolls the virtues of a matched grip with a tight fulcrum centered around the thumb and the index finger. I realize now this is more of a technique designed for rudimental snare drummers. Since exploring this site further and watching Dom Fumalero's (sp?) videos I realize that there are so many more options with respect to grip and technique.

While they are all valid, and without ignoring the other methods entirely, I would like to focus my practice sessions a little more on one technique. It's getting to the point that when I sit down at my pad it's hard for me to structure what I should be working on.

For all those years I did play I used a match grip, but I now realize I was holding the sticks all wrong, and like most everybody my left hand needs a lot of work.

On a more specific technique question. I understand the traditional grip dictates a fulcrum resting in the crook of your thumb with the stick resting on the bottom two fingers, index and middle finger on top. However in my grip experiments I have found I tend to have more speed and control with the stick resting on top of my middle finger or even on top of the first (index) finger! Are these valid methods of holding the stick when using traditional grip?

Sorry for the long post guys. I just want to say it's great to be back and be part of this great drumming community here at Drummerworld!

May all your rebounds be pure!

[NUTHA JASON]

i know exactly what you mean.
a short while ago i was filled with the slight annoyance that when i was learning drums there was precious little material available to learn from...all these young drummers these days with internet, dvds and teachers....blah blah blah. but then i realised how hard it is to choose what you want to learn. being exposed to so much talent may be inspiring but it does make you feel very small, very unskilled. this could make you quit i guess but it also makes some folks try to achieve too much too soon and so burn out.

the best thing to do is ruthlessly prioritise your goals. groove always come first...learn the beats that suit the style of music you are likely to play soonest and be very good at them and the fills and intros etc that suit them. then rudiments and chops...and here there is such a vast number to choose from (i have 70 'essential' rudiments stored on my computer [the main 40 plus 30 hybrids] and considering that each of these can be permutated done insideout and need to applied over the kit, here alone is a thousand exercises). basically choose only a handful and work on them for a couple of weeks. remember that some rudiments contain important skills that can help you learn other rudiments much easier...like single stroke rolls and paradiddles which are springboards to countless other hybrids.

my best advice is to collect some significant exercises and then choose some of them, keep a log book or a white baord next to your drums and chart your progress until you can play and exercise or chop at acceptable speed, then leave it for a while and then every month or so go back and revise what you've covered so far.

[NUTHA JASON]

Here's my ideas on how i approach 'getting through it all'

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/PROGRESS.jpg (http://photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/?)
j

[photon]

Thanx Nutha...I guess I have to come to grips with the fact that ultimately I will have to experiment with everything and that this will take considerable years...thank-you for your tips on how you structure things it's very helpful.

I have basically started from square one with the rebound stroke, but here again there are a number of schools of thought as to how that is best accomplished. Also doing exercises to strengthen, coordinate my left hand, doing singles, doubles and working on paradiddles and some stick control exercises.

Also trying to learn and add some new grooves...

I suppose I am on the right track.

Thanx again...

Mark

[NUTHA JASON]

sounds good. so good luck.

that rebound stroke question also gets me. having now looked into moeller and Co's ideas i have found that i naturally developed a lot of these techniques anyway (perhaps out of necessity) but also that they cannot always be applied...even watching my dave weckl DVD i see him carefully explain it and then he does a solo later in the DVD and lo and behold he only uses it part of the time. so i'm not going to get worked up on it.

j

[gr82bagn]

Photon,
The following is a long post, sorry about that, but when I read your post It was a mirror image of what I’m going through, and right now, six months into it, I’m having a blast. I feel real comfortable with the efficiency of my practice sessions and I’m satisfied with my gains thus far. So the long post is just to share what has worked for me while keeping in mind that our drumming backgrounds are very similar. Remember to stay focused and have fun. Nutha hit the nail on the head when he said

“being exposed to so much talent may be inspiring but it does make you feel very small, very unskilled. this could make you quit i guess but it also makes some folks try to achieve too much too soon and so burn out.”

Generally speaking, If you stay focused and establish a reasonable game plan you will not burn out. If you remember to have fun and embrace the learning process your ego will not suffer much from all the talent you’ll be exposing yourself to. You do want a little ego bruising to better fuel the flames of desire, in this case your desire to improve your skill set on the drums so stay humble. You already have your kit so the main tool is in place. Select several drummers (personal taste) and then buy their DVDs. No matter whose DVD you use the theory behind a successful practice regiment is usually the same: Realize your weakest skill and develop it. Begin slowly and gradually build up speed.

Specifically speaking, I use several DVDs during a typical practice session. My typical practice session is as follows:

I start (warm up) with Larry Finn’s DVD Accelerate Your Drumming. I focus on his chapters involving single stroke, double stroke and paradiddles for about a half hour a day using his charts as guidelines as well as to improve my reading skills. Next I spend about one hour with Thomas Lang’s DVD Creative Control working on simple and advanced hand and feet technique. This DVD is really good for developing your left hand and left foot independence. Because I’m only six months old with this practice regiment I have not gone past the half way mark on either DVD nor do I expect based on my current progress to do so any time this year. I have determined based on the above that I will be using the more advanced chapters in Larry’s DVD within the next few months. Thomas I will conquer later this year. Last I put in about a half hour with my Dave Weckl “A Natural Evolution” DVD which allows me to work on grip and concepts of flowing stress fee playing developed by Freddie Gruber and taught by Dave. If and when time permits my practice session finishes with me playing a couple of songs minus the drum track or I especially like to go back to Finns DVD and play with a couple of his more advanced grooves. On weekends I finish my practice sessions by reestablishing my humbleness and watching Dave, Thomas and Larry play solos. This is my staple, based on your tastes and skill level you can change the variables accordingly such as different DVD, different drummer, different focus. The one thing that will not change is the theory, have a game plan, develop your weakest skill set and always start slowly and build up speed. Finally keep in mind that all the above mentioned DVDs can be purchased through this web site and when you purchase this way you support this site.

[theduke86]

Nothing can replace a great teacher. Maybe you should look into that. Lessons with a seasoned professional will help you seperate the chaff from the wheat as far as instructional matierial out there. I think there are many more badly written drum books than well written pertinent ones. I've seen books that teach one or two things very well (ie. the Riley books for jazz, Stick Control, Master Studies for hand chops, Uribe and Malabe books for cuban music) but not one all encompassing book that does everything well. This is why I feel lessons are great. A good teacher will know the right exercises to do.

[gr82bagn]

Photon
I agree with theduke86, there is no substitute for a great teacher. This brings up another issue you will have to contend with for next year when you look to begin your lessons. Finding a great teacher is a lot like finding great DVDs for supplemental information. You will most likely have to sort through some not so great teachers before landing on the one that’s right for you.

[photon]

Thanx for all your advice guys....

My intention is ultimately to get some lessons, and yes I've already thought about how I might go about selecting someone appropriate...word of mouth would probably be the best method.

Fortunately I live in a relatively large city here in Winnipeg so there won't be a shortage.

I just wanted to "woodshed" it for a good year beforehand to build a better foundation before going in...

Mark

[averypoordrummer]

how long did it take you to get really good on drums? and also, how long did it take you to finally build up good speed and consistancy? im just trying to get an idea because im getting a bit frustrated because im not progressing very quickly at the moment. iv been playing for just under a year now.

any replies greatly appreciated.

thanks

see me playing at http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7079

[fourstringdrums]

I think everyone's experience is going to be different, and even if there was an average amount of time that someone built up their playing, it will be completely different for someone else.

I've been playing for 13 years, but because I haven't put in as much time or dedication, I personally think I play like I've been playing for only 2 years :)

It all depends on how much you naturally progress while learning new things, and how much time you put in practicing and really devoting yourself to it.

You've only been playing for a year, so you still have years and years to learn new things and progress. Don't get frustrated, just remain focused and practice as much as you can. Learn new things when you get bored, and don't worry about how long it will take you to get to a certain place in your playing, because when it happens, it happens.

Good luck.

[mlehnertz]

Fifteen years until I was probably good or very good.

I'm not really worried about how fast I can play since that's not what I'm about. I don't know what you mean about "consistency" either.

[NUTHA JASON]

there are very few massive quick gains in drumming but the skills are cumulative and feed into each other. progress is also not smooth but characterised by set backs, stalls and sudden surges. keep practicing, seek critique and advice and enjoy what you can do. a year is no time at all on any instrument. fortunately i contend that drums are the instrument that are the easiest to learn so at least you are not having to suffer through cruddy beginner songs on the piano...once you can play a few basic beats you can already play along to favourite bands.

consatnat quality practice and a good attitude and in three years an average person will be producing good results in my opinion and experience. to get really good a few years more.
so keep at it.

j

[Garvin]

No matter what, hopefully you'll never feel like you've gotten as good as you possibly can. I know how frustrated I get with my own abilities after seeing some of the clips on this page, or even other drummers who I thought I was better than. Just make sure you always have goals, and a plan of attack.

If you're just starting out, find other musicians to play with. Play with people who you know are better than you. Try as many styles as you can. The broader your approach, the easier it is to find out what you like most.

I just watched Tony Royster Jr.'s new video, and even cats like that don't feel like they are where they want to be. I've never heard any of the pro's, or at least those I've payed attention to , say they had hit the pinnacle of their abilities. That's the great mystery of this art we all share... The destination is the journey! Stick with it...

[Stu_Strib]

Well, I'm never quite really good, but I keep trying.

The single easiest thing to be heading towards "getting good" is to take lessons from someone who IS really good.

[nerdy]

it depends what you mean by the word good. some drummers think playing rediculously fast is good, and others think that keeping a solid groove is a demosnstration of 'good.'

what im getting at is that you shouldnt worry about the time it will take for you to reach a certain level, but rather to play and have fun. thats what im in it for.

[Bobhead]

There's always a new level to attain too. At this point, it should all be fun playing and the passion of getting into drums and music. Don't sweat it now, there be plenty of hurdles down the line. Yeck, I was on only a snare drum for about a year before I even touched a drum set. A shout out to all you school concert band percussionists!!!

[Johnest]

It depends on what you want to achieve... I have been playing drums for almost 20 years and in some type of groove, i think i'm consider good but in other type of playing i really suck. You can consider yourself good just by playing a steady 4/4 beat but you can also compare yourself to incredible drummers like Dave Weckl (just to name one) and find yourself to be as bad as you can be... It depends...

Go see an good drum teacher...

[theduke86]

Depends how you practice. A friend of mine started at age 17, took two years off and practiced eight hours a day, and he was absolutely fantastic chops and concept wise. Better than most of the pros around here. Unfortunately, he quit drumming because of other mental factors (sad story here). I know a guy can get quite good in a year or two or practicing two-three hours a day. If you want to take it to the next level, do 6000-8000 hours of practice. 3-4 years of 4-8 hours a day. If you want to get to the world class level, people say at least 10000 hours of practice. You can't look at it quite that mathematically, it's different for different people, but if you put in the work, you'll do well.

[hardhitter]

Have you seen the 13 year old on the vidios yet ? It's all in the person !! I have seen guys play for 5-6 weeks and play good. I have also seen guys that have been playing for 10-15 years and still sound bad with no timing and no idea how to come back in from a fill on time. So on that note I would say it's all in the person and there skills ! But if you want to get good keep up with it and don't giveup!!

[Lil' Drummer Boy]

Keep Playing And Trying New Stuff

[xkevinx]

i've been playing for about 6 years and i'm really confident with my skills. Here's something to think about though. today i am probably 200% better all around than i was one year ago. why? i threw out alot of what i had developed (sticking technique, familiar beats, fills, kit setup) and relearned from a great teacher, as well as from alot of online resources (this forum was a big one!). if you're not using correct technique, it can become very hard to progress and you'll hit a wall, not to mention the possiblility of hurting yourself. i became really interested in actively progressing so i set aside the time to do serious practise. i learned to read music. i learned the free stroke technique and moeller technique. i progress noticably every day because i'm taking it very seriously.

bottom line-- you get what you put into it. if you're a casual player, you'll progress, but not as quickly as someone who is serious and devoted to improving. any practise will make you better, but if you get some direction and practise the right things at the right time, you'll find your progress will be much faster. you *will* reach the skill level you're reaching for. how long it takes will depend on your input. good luck!

[zildjian_dude101]

I've been playing for about 3 years now, and I can hold a groove for a lot of stuff. I can play to a lot of different types of music, but I'm just now gaining speed and endurance. Also, in the 3 years of playing, I definitley don't practice as much as I should, so practice as much as u can. I'm also looking into getting lessons.

[jpekarek]

there are very few massive quick gains in drumming but the skills are cumulative and feed into each other.


I feel the biggest gains come from playing with a band. I played for a long time before I played with a band. I probably gained more in the first month than in the previous 3 years.

[NUTHA JASON]

very inspirational posts here. i guess drums are in a way like computer programming...GIGO...
Garbage In Garbage Out.

plenty of quality practice and realistic goals will result in accelerated development. like school teaching really.

j

[averypoordrummer]

thanks very much everyone, and thanks to mr. bernhard castiglioni and the forum administrators for the best site and forum on the internet

[Bobhead]

Since my first post was not specifically answering your question, here's more.

Everyone gave great advice in telling what they did, and for me, I was always in the school ensembles (jazz band, concerts) from 6th grade through all of college. I always had a teacher that whole time. I learned to read music, learn mallets, marimba and such. When changing teachers, I got their references for who they respected and could suggest for my teacher. I used to drive 2 hours for a monthly lesson with a local Chicago great and spend 3 hours at his place for about $40.
Keep buying records, or check them out from the library. I was a DJ at a college for a while, volunteer, and had access to the whole music collection, boy, did I do a lot of taping. If you study a subject or drummer, get as much information as you can on them, exhaust the subject, be a real student of drums. Go see as much live music as you can. Played in bands.
I think I started 'getting good' for whatever that means, from all the hours of woodshedding, but I think I became a good blues drummer after go to the clubs and concerts, listening to all the music and reading about the subject and then playing it will other people. I became a good rock drummer or jazz drummer doing the same thing. I went through different periods and in the end you become a good all around player, if that's what your after.

I could go on, but I hate long posts, especially talking about myself, hopefully its beneficially to you. Best of luck!!

[YAHAHA]

Practice does NOT make perfect... PERFECT practice makes perfect.

Natural ability may give one a head start but desire keeps a person going and can help one overcome their lack of natural ability. In the years I was in concert band (5th-12th grades) I saw one of our worst drummers turn into one of the best rock drummers I've seen. The guy was always in the lower third ranking of snare drummers during concert & marching season. Once he started concentrating on the drum kit; within a year or two he was amazing!

I would recommend:
1.) learn to read music
2.) learn how to apply math to subdivide music
3.) buy some kind of metronome. Learn to play with the metronome. If you can get something that provides more than just a straight beat; something that clicks on eighths, sixteenths & triplets... like a programmable click track or dr. beat. These can also be programmed to different time signatures to help you understand the feel of odd time signatures.

Spend time working on your mechanics & rudiments and also play along to some of your favorite songs. Rudiments/mechanics will build technical proficiency and playing to your favorite songs will keep it fun and give you an opportunity to apply what you've learned. Enjoying playing will keep your desire level high and your rewards great.

[mlehnertz]

Good point. I had always heard a varation of this saying in "Practice makes permanent".

Practice does NOT make perfect... PERFECT practice makes perfect.

[lowender]

I also think there's been some wise words shared so far. But other than some of the wiser things that have been said I'd suggest changing your nickname!!

You need to be positive and get inspired (sorry to sound like I'm telling you what to do it's just my opinion of course). As has previously said do things that make you want to practice (if you don't already have the insatiable hunger for it) i.e. get some good DVD's down you, listen to drummers you like, read about it etc. all the regulars, but seriously get into a positive mindset and instead of thinking 'averypoordrummer' think 'intheprocessofbecomingakickassdrummer'!

Going back briefly to my inspiration thing I'd highly recommend reading some positive thinking books, one of my personal favourites is 'The Elephnat & The Twig' by Geoff Thompson.

I've personally taken to drums a bit late and I could (and sometimes do) moan about having not picked them up sooner and blah blah. But why? I can't undo the already done but I can make the best of what I've got and mold a better future for myself (sorry if I'm sounding like a preacher) I'm just rather passionate on the optimist approach.

Keep positive, keep practicing and keep inspired and it will all come. We're all in a very fortunate state, some people never discover the drums, and for them I feel truly sorry!!

Chin up bro and get yer sticks out!

[Bonham to the moon]

well im 16 now and i would say that im good solid rock and blues drummer. Ive been playing for a bout 4 years. Although ive had a set since i was 10, but i never really was very serious about it. (who can be at that age when theres pokemon to catch) But looking back i wish i would have been serious about it earlier, because i would probably be far better now. My suggestion about speed is that first and foremost you should worry about grooves. I see vidoes on the internet and guys playing and local drumshops that have wickedly fast licks, but when it comes to laying down a goove, its speeds up and down, and just sounds terrible. You need to have a solid foundation for drumming, then you can add the speedy fills, and showmanship.

[burnthehero]

It's taken me about 5 years to finally get to where I feel as though I can hold my own. But I realize that if I had taken lessons and actually worked on my technique, I probably could have gotten there in half that time. Like Stu said, if you want to get really good, take lessons from somebody who is really good.

[LumberjackIvan]

I've been playing for 11 years. That may seem like a substantial bit of time but as I get better and I get deeper into the drumming world, I realize more and more that I still have a ways to go. All that matters is that you stick with it. Percussion is not that easy to play.

[EddieC]

I think everyone's experience is going to be different, and even if there was an average amount of time that someone built up their playing, it will be completely different for someone else.

I've been playing for 13 years, but because I haven't put in as much time or dedication, I personally think I play like I've been playing for only 2 years :)

It all depends on how much you naturally progress while learning new things, and how much time you put in practicing and really devoting yourself to it.

You've only been playing for a year, so you still have years and years to learn new things and progress. Don't get frustrated, just remain focused and practice as much as you can. Learn new things when you get bored, and don't worry about how long it will take you to get to a certain place in your playing, because when it happens, it happens.

Good luck.

Well said. I feel the exact same way. I was really into drums from age 12 to 16. Around 16-17, I basically did not play, because of other musical obligations (play piano in church), becasue of the need for it. I have not been really into drums, up until recently. So, I feel on my skill level that I am just starting again. Oh well, better late than never.

[averypoordrummer]

thanks very much again, cheered me up no end. i'll try and get a video of me playing soon

[paradiddle]

Took me about 20 years! :)

Fasten your seatbelt and prepare for the long haul!

[Class A Drummer]

One key is to keep practicing. Ive been playing about 8 years (out of 14) and i only got good through practicing. Try buying a Rush cd. Thats a good band to listen to. I only really started to get good and able to play fills ect. when i started playin out of my Rush drum book.
If you want a cool but simple beat try this. I had to learn this to play the song "limelight".
1. Start out doing 1/4 notes on the bass and a constant pace.
2. Play constant 16th notes on the hi-hat (make sure the high-hat is closed).
3. After every 4 16th notes, pull your right hand over and hit ONE beat on the snare but keep doing the 16th note pattern on the hi-hat.


Listen to the song limelight and you might know what im talking about.
Keep Drumming.

[PdoubleE]

I have been playing for 7 years and i still think i am Not all that good. Of course my friends think i am the best drummer in the whole world...but i know better than that. Once in a while i get a brain fart...usualy after playing for more than 3 hours...and i feel like i cannot play anything at all. And somtimes i pick up my stix and i feel that i simply cannot learn anything else...but after a while of just jamming i suprize myself. I get frustrated alot...but i dont let it get me down. I feel that even after 7 years of playing...i am still not up to par. Sometimes i cannot even get a simple fill down ....and i get SOOOO frikkin pissed at myself...but i will just completely stop playing and Get it right!!!! It takes years and years of practice to "be good". Just work on simple stuff first and work your way up. Timing is Evrything!!!!!!!!!!!

[Capitaine Quebec]

A good drummer is someone who puts effort in what he do. When you put efforts in things, people around you can feel it.
I've been playing for almost a year now, and the last month was where i learnt the most because of tools that i thought we're not that important (metronome as example :P)
AS said before always keep a positive thought. Don't try to compare yourself to someone who has way more experience than you: high chance that he will be "better" than you (i use better here with precaution) . Try instead comparing yourself ... with yourself. Take this day and look back at what you were the last month. There you can truly see your progression. After looking back , set things you want to improve and work on that the next month plus few new things(so you can touch many aspect of drumming).

[Drums558]

I've been playing for 38 years, I'll let you know if I ever "Get Good".
I think when other musicians WANT you to play drums with them is a good way to measure your talent. Based on that I would say it took me about 7 years.
The joy of any musical instrument is it's a life long journey with constant areas for improvement.
Have fun with it!!!

[NUTHA JASON]

This last post of Drums558 is inspirational. i love the fact that i will never be thomas lang...but that thomas lang exsists. i love hearing a 38th year drummer being excited about the same prospects for growth that i'm buzzing abouth in my 16th year.

jewish harp or triangle players don't have it so good you know.

j

[averypoordrummer]

thank you yet again for all the great comments. iv decided to start getting lessons soon

[Rockter]

I bought my gear mostly 1977-81.... Pearl Jupiter snare, amd my long serving 2002 stuff.

I work upstairs at home (applied mathematics of all things), and I go downstairs every 2 hours, fit the ear defenders!!, and play for 10 minutes or so.

I still get a buzz out of holding even an orthodox 4/4 beat, and the snare and hi-hat still sound so good. It's not about being flashy, or super-fast, or making a double pedal blur. I have the odd trick and I still squirm when I miss them.... happily it's rare that there is anyone else in the room to hear the cuss words when I do.

Drum on.

[Drums558]

Thanks Nutha J.

Speaking of that Thomas guy, I read in MD (I think) an article that refered to the shoes he wears. Thinking OK, the secret is in the shoes, I bought a pair just like his....... Nothin.
Damn, I guess the secret is still practice and hard (Fun) work!

[Fur drummer]

It took me about a year and a half to get to a point where I wouldn't embarrass myself playing with a band and 4 years to get really good. Everyone is different. Don't worry about how long it took someone else to get really good. As Roy Haynes once said " don't try to be the world's greatest drummer. try and be the world's greatest you". Or something like that.

[Roger]

[QUOTE=averypoordrummer]

It´s all about Patience, hard work, innovation and fun. Keep up the good work

[Geoff Tipps]

It took probably 4 years before I could play well and consistent enough to be in bands.Then I kept playing and started touring and thought wow , I'm getting good! But then I went into a studio for the first time and got my guts ripped out. I couldn't play well to a click.So I took lessons , learned and became a passable studio drummer.It's always gonna be peaks and valleys so just try to meet every challenge and keep having fun.One bit of advice tho, Get a good drum teacher so you can learn the tech side of drumming.When I went for drum lessons after being self taught , I had to unlearn bad habits , which really slowed down my development.Keep at it man, ther are rich rewards if you are patient enough!

[Stuntsunlimited]

Its all about fun... if u can play to records and sound like the drummer, do something as minimal as keep time... ya a good drummer... all these solos are just show boating... i'll put money on the fact some can't play simple stuff effectively

[tomgrosset]

How long do you practice your exercises when you're drumming?

[Ronnie]

I practice rudiments everyday for an hour or more. If your asking "how long" as in without stopping in a setting. Don't over do it, if your hands begin to cramp STOP. You could hurt your self by pushing your self to much. Intense practicing can be harmful, always start slow, and build your self up. I believe it's not all about the length of time you practice but the quitaly of the practice time. You are better off practicing for 1 hour correctly that 2 hours incorrectly.

[NUTHA JASON]

i have a wall clock and practice any given exercise at a given speed for 15 to 60 seconds depending. i also restart the time if i make an error during the exercise...if i have to restart more than three times i lower the speed. i call this my second hand rule. try it, it is very effective.
j
ps: i don't always start on the 12 mind you. i start wherever the second hand is so if it is crossing the 2 when i start then 15 seconds will be the 5, 30 will be the 8 and 60 will be the 2 again.

[Berberman]

Here's one that works for me: I take my practice pad to the living room and watch a movie. Here's your 110mn work out.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

My warm-up typically consists of 30 minutes of alternating Moeller triplets. I start slow, and gradually increase the speed.

After that, I practice each routine for something like 15 to 20 minutes. After two or three excercises like that, my time is up. So I practice roughly one and a half hours a day.

what I have recently found is that a break of five minutes or more is incredibly effective. I take the "stop when you cramp" rule for granted, but on top of that, try a little break, getting a cup of tea, and then coming back. I have sometimes been overly disciplined because of my time constraints, but this is really an eye opener.

DPS

[theduke86]

Do you use a metronome while you play and watch t.v... cause if you do, isn't it annoying watching your favourite show and having this click noise in the background?

This is what closed captioning is for...
Practicing rudiments while doing something else is good. However, make sure you've got the correct technique first before you put it in the mental bank of things to practice when not paying attention. For example, El Negro said he got all his hands together by watching english football (soccer) and playing on a pad and pillow. He's got great hands. I think it's the way to go...

[aahznightsky]

This is what closed captioning is for...
Practicing rudiments while doing something else is good. However, make sure you've got the correct technique first before you put it in the mental bank of things to practice when not paying attention. For example, El Negro said he got all his hands together by watching english football (soccer) and playing on a pad and pillow. He's got great hands. I think it's the way to go...


hehe i remember at the clinic i went to of his he said if you practiced your double stroke the whole time while watching the world series you'd have the fastest in the world. everyone laughed.

guess you had to be there :-P

[Coz]

I usually always practice with a metronome if I'm doing hand excersises or rudiments or even on the kit.

I have a practice pad at work and metronome...but what I try to do each day is hand technique, speed building 20min, music reading 20min, set playing while reading 1hr, footwork bass drum 20min, and improve practice pad and set 40min...approx 3hrs it total each day.

[~tamadrummer~]

1 and a half hands down. 10 straight hours hours of practicing seems a little uhh painful.

[Ronnie]

I can forget more than I can learn between sundays, for me it's everyday. I've said this before and I'll say it again, 1 hour of practicing correctly is better than 2 hours of practicing incorrectly. Work up a routine and build on it. Have fun!!

[aahznightsky]

But how could you do 2 hrs of practicing incorrectly like doing paraddidles and stuff?


you could be learning improper technique! or youcould be lazy in your practice, not getting as much out of that 2 hours.

[OceanDirt]

yeah but how can you get improper tecnhnique by doing paraddidles (RLRRLRLL) with a metronome at a good speed then?

poor hand technique. there's more to playing a paradiddle than just playing RLRR - there's more to playing anything on the drums than simply getting the notes right.

you have to learn how to control your hands and your phrasing. you have to be able to play at all dynamic levels (very loud to very soft) and at all speeds (very fast to very slow). they have to be clean and even and under control. and that's just one sticking.

[Class A Drummer]

Are u kidding me? 1 hour 30 every day. You never wanna go more then a couple days without playing. Most i ever played in one day is like 5 or 6 hours.
http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7204

[tomondrums]

both. i do at least 1:30 hrs every day, and sunday is my big practise.
this lasts from 3-5 hrs, if you can get into this routine it will really help.

[Mckinney]

just do a half a hour a day, its more important to more stuff out of your practice time, then to practice more. You could sit on the set all day doing things you already know, or you could sit down for 1 hour and learn a couple new fills and beats. Thats what Jojo Mayer told atleast

[NickatrizESP]

i usually play about an hour a day if not longer

[Stu_Strib]

You need to keep in mind "recovery". Just like in weights or running, you have to target a specific muscle group, overload it then let it recover so it can build back up stronger and faster. 1 time a week is too much recovery time, and you won't develop your muscle groups as quickly, since you are getting no benefit by overloading them for 10 straight hours.

1 hour a day is really good, because it gives you recovery time and your progress will be more noticable.

[Drummertist]

Man, I've been trying to get on a schedule but my fiance' has moved out and now I spend all my time with her! I can't seem to get to my kit! It's been 4 days since I last practiced...and that's sad...

[hardhitter]

Man, I've been trying to get on a schedule but my fiance' has moved out and now I spend all my time with her! I can't seem to get to my kit! It's been 4 days since I last practiced...and that's sad...

Ya I have been there !!! But your kit will be for ever she might not !

I find that taking days off is good. Like Stu said you need time to recover. I practice when I can we have been playing allot so I really don't get time. When I do get time I practice every other day for about 2-3 hours. I also practice before we play on practice pads I have to, if I don't my feet don't seem to work! It takes me about a good 20 to 30 minutes to warm up and start feeling loose. could be that I'm getting older LOL

[choki]

i would definitely recommend and hour and a half a day. the weight training analogies are right on the money. its the old "slow and steady wins the race" idea. everyday practice will work better for building muscle groups. in the case of building up fingers and wrists, its more a philosophy of low weight, high reps over high weight, low reps. also, i'm not the most religious person, but my sundays are pretty sacred. i don't have to go to work and i usually get back pretty late from a gig the night before. therefore, sundays are more for me and my couch and my remote control, and maybe a little quality time with the lady. a day of rest can be every bit as helpful as a day of solid work.

[Drummer Karl]

I don`t use practice routines...but to practice every day is really better than once a week à 10 hrs!!! I practice around 1 hour a day...and a half hour on my pad.

[burnthehero]

If you practice on Saturday and then don't pick up the sticks again until the next Saturday, you will have lost all the progress you had made. I think it's better to practice more often in shorter amounts of time to retain your progress.

[Blue]

Hey there,
I've been trying to get up to 8 hours a day. I have all day, because I am not working (a luxury I am grateful I can afford), but I am about to start a teaching business. But, I am losing steam. How does one maintain motivation to keep up those kind of hours, and what kind of routine would you recommend, roughly?

Right now, I have it split up into four 2-hour sessions. The first sessions is technique, and rudiments around the kit, double-bass, and brushes. The second is reading and books. The third is jam around, odds and ends, and playing to jazz recordings. The fourth is pad practice. I honestly, can't stand it, sometimes, like today. I didn't play at all. Yesterday, 6 hours total. I go up and down, its not consistent, depending on how much I dread it. All this practice, but I really would like to go pro, and I LOVE when I have new freedoms on the set because of hardwork. It's not all fun. So today, I ended on not really playing at all. Am I losing steam? I know someone will say take a break, but I can't! I want to be AMAZING! Plus, I'm going to music school in the fall, and NEED to start getting really good at Jazz, theory, and ear-training. It just all seems so overwhelming, and perhaps its taking the fun out of it. Perhaps I should take a week aside, and just play along to my favorite recordings? I also LOVE the feeling at the end of the day after a long practice, knowing I just progressed largely towards my goal. Anyway, thanks for listening to my RANT, but any tips from those who have put in long hours of concentrated, disciplined practice would be much appreciated.

[jonny]

Ok dude. Well if you've recently started these long sessions, then maybe the reason you're burning out is just down to you not being used to them? You say you're going to music college in the fall, perhaps for the next fortnight cut down a bit and just play what you can do and have fun playing. Gradually build a practise regime.

I try as much as possible to distinguish very clearly between the two types of practise sessions I have. Firstly I have those where I sit down with the excersises from my teacher, learn from a book, practise a weak point etc. I concentrate and work hard at these, but these don't go on long. I find if I've worked effectively, then they don't need to go on long.

To balance these, I have a session of playing whatever, which is the funner side of my practise. I encorporate the stuff I've learned above, and play what I know I can do, yet I still feel that this is beneficial. Along with these, I have sessions where I just work on stamina on the pads with the hands and feet, but I view these more as physical, muscular work outs rather than mentally challenging practise.

Hope this has helped in someway. All players do through periods of feeling disillusioned and burnt out with their playing. Some players have taken quite lengthy breaks from the business, and come back fine.

[samthebeat]

I have four days off a week where I can play like six hours, and what do is is play for an hour at time, have a warm up warm down session of just what ever, but try to keep it to one sorta thing a week. So this week I have been warming up and warming down with a half time shuffle and just jamming with that. Once I have warmed up 10mins then I focus for about 40 mins, then warm down and feel the benifit of that focus. Feeling the benifit is the most important thing.

I have found it easier not to be too strict with myself, so its more of a routine than a regime. Some days if I just feel like sticking on cds and playing I will, all day, then I might only work on stuff for an hour. The point is as long as focus for a few of the hours you aint really wasting anytime. 6 hour practises are a luxury after all, so enjoy that luxuy cause thats whats its all about. When I dont have have that luxuy I dont spend time jamming. I save it for when I have the time.

[JoePorter]

Set goals, it will make it funner.

Try to focus on less in a day, it doesent make you as stressed.

Think, what are you trying to achieve? What are my goals? Is it necessary to do something for long enough that I hate practising? What am I going to achieve after these sessions?


Also remember,

Practise doesen't make perfect.

Perfect practise makes perfect.

Smaller time with perfect practise, is better than longer amounts of time where you begin to fade away.

[Alex H]

I'm having just about the exact opposite problem. I can never seem to practice enough. I can't focus, I have no self-discipline. I always want to "buckle-down" and just get to it, but can never find the will to. Anyone ever had this problem, and overcome it?

[Blue]

Thanks guys! You're being so helpful! I'm always wondered how people practice 12 hours a day! That's INSANE! I don't get how one could be so driven to the point where your depriving yourself of a social life in order to do it, but I want to be that good. I wish I could practice that long. Thing is this, my parents get home at 6 or so. I try to get up at 10, and practice, with breaks, from 11 to 6. This is what I have written down, but I have yet to actually achieve it. I'm working up to it. As far as goals, its such a pain in the ass to develop BPM goals for each rudiment or whatever, and certain goals seem so intangible, such as "playing smoother." For me, I'm not trying to gain speed, but control... speed will come. Should I set BPM goals? Like, to eventually reach 200 BPM singles, and then break that goal up into further goals?

Frustration is another thing. The more I associate practice with frustration, the less I want to practice, which is why your right, maybe I should take a week and just jam out for hours and apply and work on my strengths. I suppose that's what is comes down to... when you work on your weakness, its frustrating!!! That's how I believe one REALLY gets better fast, but its so difficult to constantly be looking at your faults.

Anyway, I really appreciate the comments and consideration. I just know that all these pro's, and many others we don't know, dedicate this kind of time daily, and I'm just wondering what makes them tick, and keep on ticking! Thanks-
Curtis

[choki]

remember, your development as a drummer is a marathon, not a sprint. just cut down the hours. i would do some things every day such as working out on the pad and technique exercises. split the rest so you are doing different things on different days. think of it like working out, you want to do some good cardio everyday, but with weights, you want to focus on different muscle groups on different days.

if you are going to music school, they aren't expecting you to play everything perfectly. they are there to teach you, that's hard if you learn everything before you get there. remember to relax and have fun. 3 hours of solid practice will always be more productive than 8 hours of stressed frustrating practice.

[jamsjr44]

Also professional's in any area (sports mainly) are pro's because it's been proven these guys have a born desire to do exactly what they do for a living and end up being very good at it, most are just born with that desire others develop it. Like Jordan in basketball he played 8-10 hours a day every day, but also look at what he accomplished. Tiger Woods is another one he started at 4 years old and practiced, and practiced and practiced but that is all he ever wanted to do was play golf. Dave Weckl he was the same...

I love drumming and will never stop but could I do it for 8 hours a day everyday, only if I was a pro or attaining to be one, but I also like to golf, play softball, baseball, hang out with friends, my family etc... I couldn't be with my drums in my basement or anything else for 8-10 hours a day I would go insane!...LOL

[smoggrocks]

definitely set goals, be it building speed through the metronome, or working to smooth out the rough spots. whatever. record yourself. hearing what you're doing, not just what you think you're doing, is really important to growth.

i don't know how far into playing you are, but 8 hours for someone with not a fair amount of time drumming [i dunno; 4 years or so] may be too much. better to have some focused, applied practice in a shorter intervals, maybe 3 or 4 or 5 hours, whatever you can handle.

i think it's good to practice something to the best of your ability, too. like, don't leave the practice room until you really get what you want to learn down. sometimes i'll spend 2 hours just on one groove, coz i don't like how i'm playing it. then i'll spend another half hour getting it more uptempo. you don't necessarily want to do it to the point of confusion, coz then you get diminished returns, but work at something in an applied manner till you either get it, or make significant strides, in the shed. you won't get everything in one day, or one week, even one year, but if you repeat things, over time, they will sink in.

also, definitely work on your weaknesses! you won't get anywhere just repeating what you know. that's a waste of time. take the new stuff you get and incorporate it into what you already know.

and get a teacher, if you don't have one. they can help you lay out an effective practice routine for your ability.

i envy you! i sometimes get up at 4:30 so i can race to my studio to practice for an hour or two before work; then after work, i go back to practice 2 or 3 more hours. it's hard, coz i work long hours and take a train to get to the studio, which is an hour from my job. i spend a lot of time in there on weekends, too, but it's hard b/c i'm so shot from the week. i wish i had the luxury of weekday time to practice, when i'm fresh and clear-headed. but usually, i feel pretty good by the time i get outta there, even on a worknight.

especially when i've had a productive practice session!


good luck and enjoy the journey.

[T-1000]

Oh man...this is all very intimidating...I do 30mins a day (working purely on technique - moeller, fingers, push/pull, heel up, heel down, heel-toe...etc...) - then I might just play along to some C.D.'s or have a band practice (on Friday's). Unless it's a band practice, it never amounts to more than an hour.

Crap man, I don't think I'm gonna get to the level of your playing in a lifetime, the rate I'm going...Well, all I can say is 'keep it up(!)'

[brittc89]

Man, that is a lot of practicing. I get 4-5 hours on a good day, but I really am starting to burn out as well. Maybe Ill just chill. I just feel like playing has been turned into a chore for me instead of a passion.

[franklinj]

I know hou wyou feel man. When I was at school, I would always want to practice. I would come home, and play for like 3 hours. Now that its summer, I try hard to practice, but its just not there right now. Like Britt says, take some time off. Dont make it a chore.

Also, if youre not taking lessons, that would be helpful too.

[franklinj]

Oooh, another idea!

Try playing with other people. That makes it really fun.

[Drummerboy3940]

Im having 2 other drummers over on Sunday to jam. It is so much fun. You get to listen to other peoples ideas and share your own. Lots of fun

[beatsMcGee]

one way ive learned to make time for practicing is to never just sit down and do "nothing" always have the pad on your lap and practice your rudiments.. if im watching a movie or a sports game ill have the pad there racking up practice time.. i mean a movie is around 2 hours so there is a good chunk of hand speed practicing down... just practice the same thing over and over ( of course practice different things to but to create muscel memorization you need to repate) so yea i do that, and then just try to to over do it to much... i read off tigerbills site that its better to play 15 mins every day then be inconsistant and only play for like 3 hours on day a week... so if your fluctuating from 3 to 8 to 10 then back to 4 or something that may be the wrong approach.... are you making sure your utilizing your practice time well too? and not just doing useless exercises? any way i hoped i helped some... thanks

[pingride]

Oh man...this is all very intimidating...I do 30mins a day (working purely on technique - moeller, fingers, push/pull, heel up, heel down, heel-toe...etc...) - then I might just play along to some C.D.'s or have a band practice (on Friday's). Unless it's a band practice, it never amounts to more than an hour.

Crap man, I don't think I'm gonna get to the level of your playing in a lifetime, the rate I'm going...Well, all I can say is 'keep it up(!)'

well, you do more than me, I practise quite a bit but end up just messing around playing to music, definitely don't do enough technique stuff.

[Alex H]

Well, all you folks who say you practice several hours a day, you have inspired me. Last night after reading your posts I created a routine for practicing that runs about an hour and a half. I start out with some pad work while listening to The Futureheads (for some reason, they make rudiments really fun). Then I go to the set and put in some stuff that I have to look forward to, including 10 minutes to mess around. Also some metronome work and jazz book work. I tried it today, and it was really helpful to have an outline. I got a lot of productive stuff done, and had a lot of trouble playing the songs I attempted (some of them), so I suppose these could be considered goals of a sort. Thanks very much everyone for the inspiration, hopefully I can keep this up.

[franklinj]

Well, all you folks who say you practice several hours a day, you have inspired me. Last night after reading your posts I created a routine for practicing that runs about an hour and a half. I start out with some pad work while listening to The Futureheads (for some reason, they make rudiments really fun). Then I go to the set and put in some stuff that I have to look forward to, including 10 minutes to mess around. Also some metronome work and jazz book work. I tried it today, and it was really helpful to have an outline. I got a lot of productive stuff done, and had a lot of trouble playing the songs I attempted (some of them), so I suppose these could be considered goals of a sort. Thanks very much everyone for the inspiration, hopefully I can keep this up.

I agree..its nice to see that other people are having the same problems as you are.

Im off to practice my db pedal now...120 BPM, here I come (Jesus im slow hahaha.)

[a1DrummerT]

Hey there,
I've been trying to get up to 8 hours a day. I have all day, because I am not working (a luxury I am grateful I can afford), but I am about to start a teaching business. But, I am losing steam. How does one maintain motivation to keep up those kind of hours, and what kind of routine would you recommend, roughly?



My practice scedule:

-1 hour or more of "Stick Control"
- 15-30 minutes of foot speed and control
- 30-45 minutes of creative playing and trying new thing (fill ideas, time signatures) recently ive been really interested with "odd in the even" like a 7/4 pattern put into 4/4.
- Jazz Studies ...improv jazz and out of my books..

IM LOOKING TO EXPAND MY PRACTICE...AND OCCASIONALLY I WILL SLACK OF A LITTLE AND JUST HAVE FUN..BECAUSE THE MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE OF PLAYING IS KEEPING YOUR PASSION ALIVE. YOU HAVE TO JUST HAVE FUN SOMETIMES.


FOR YOU I WOULD FIND SOMETHING NEW THAT INTERESTS YOU LIKE FOR ME "ODD IN THE EVEN"...YOU CAN DO TONS OF THINGS BECAUSE DRUMS ARE LIMITLESS.

sit for a second and think...what do i need to improve on...which for my is my single bass power and speed..my hands are gaining too much ground on my feet which are restricting me..so you sit there and do that...

AS FOR MOTIVATION, YOU PASSION FOR DRUMS SHOULD BE YOUR MOTIVATION, IF YOU WANT TO PRACITCE THAT MUCH..(WHO DOESNT) GAIN THE DISCIPLINE TO DO IT...SAY TO YOURSELF, "IM NOT GETTING UP UNTILL I NAIL THE BEAT". OR WHAT EVER

[Blue]

Thank you everyone. This is helpful to me. I think maybe I just need to take breaks sometimes, like a couple days, have fun, forget about the drums, at least, not stress about them.

[theduke86]

I've had periods of my life (like a month or two) where I'm practicing 6-12 hours a day, putting in those long hours. Right now, I have four days to practice lots, 2-4 hours the other days. It's important to have a good teacher who will give you a lot of work- I got most of my chops and independence really together last summer, two months of practicing a ton. I think about it like this- If I have nothing else to do, why not practice? I have two teachers and a ton of things to do. I don't stress myself on the hours I'm getting. I know I'll be an good drummer someday, just as long as I practice 3 hours plus fairly consistently, listen to the good stuff, and play with people a few times a week. If you practice six hours, and you feel you have to practice two more, and you don't want to, then don't. If that happens to me, I usually do a few things to help. I go listen to music for an hour (I usually listen to an album all the way through, whatever style of music I like with a drummer I love), I'll go watch baseball/hockey/any other sport, I'll go work out, or I'll give one of my buddies a call and go down a couple pints. That always gets me motivated and feeling good. It's very, very important to do other things. Even though I'm practicing a lot, I gig around a bit and I have a part time job, I ALWAYS make sure to do other things. I have a girlfriend, I have some buddies, I work out, I like to hunting or fishing, play or watch sports, or read. There's nothing like going and stimulating your intellect by reading Plato or some other intelligent reading and then utilizing that to create some music!
Also, like someone said, it's good to take a couple days off every now and then- not completely from music but just from drumming. I remember in a five day stretch last summer I practiced 56 hours. That was a lot- I felt a little burned out. So, I went up to the lake with six of my friends, caught some trout, drank a lot of beer, chased some girls, and I definetly had something to practice about the week after...
Life is about balance. At least, I think, anyways. Drumming is who we are. But if I look at myself, I'm also a son, a brother, a significant other, a hunter, a fisher, a sports enthusiast, a moral investigator and an enjoyer of great beer in addition to being a musician!.
If you want some suggestions on stuff to practice, PM me. I have some neat ideas plus access to the entire Collective technique curriculum.

[thedrumthing86]

I've had periods of my life (like a month or two) where I'm practicing 6-12 hours a day, putting in those long hours. Right now, I have four days to practice lots, 2-4 hours the other days. It's important to have a good teacher who will give you a lot of work- I got most of my chops and independence really together last summer, two months of practicing a ton. I think about it like this- If I have nothing else to do, why not practice? I have two teachers and a ton of things to do. I don't stress myself on the hours I'm getting. I know I'll be an good drummer someday, just as long as I practice 3 hours plus fairly consistently, listen to the good stuff, and play with people a few times a week. If you practice six hours, and you feel you have to practice two more, and you don't want to, then don't. If that happens to me, I usually do a few things to help. I go listen to music for an hour (I usually listen to an album all the way through, whatever style of music I like with a drummer I love), I'll go watch baseball/hockey/any other sport, I'll go work out, or I'll give one of my buddies a call and go down a couple pints. That always gets me motivated and feeling good. It's very, very important to do other things. Even though I'm practicing a lot, I gig around a bit and I have a part time job, I ALWAYS make sure to do other things. I have a girlfriend, I have some buddies, I work out, I like to hunting or fishing, play or watch sports, or read. There's nothing like going and stimulating your intellect by reading Plato or some other intelligent reading and then utilizing that to create some music!
Also, like someone said, it's good to take a couple days off every now and then- not completely from music but just from drumming. I remember in a five day stretch last summer I practiced 56 hours. That was a lot- I felt a little burned out. So, I went up to the lake with six of my friends, caught some trout, drank a lot of beer, chased some girls, and I definetly had something to practice about the week after...
Life is about balance. At least, I think, anyways. Drumming is who we are. But if I look at myself, I'm also a son, a brother, a significant other, a hunter, a fisher, a sports enthusiast, a moral investigator and an enjoyer of great beer in addition to being a musician!.
If you want some suggestions on stuff to practice, PM me. I have some neat ideas plus access to the entire Collective technique curriculum.

i may have to take you up on some of those ideas sir

[baysidedrummer]

I've had periods of my life (like a month or two) where I'm practicing 6-12 hours a day, putting in those long hours. Right now, I have four days to practice lots, 2-4 hours the other days. It's important to have a good teacher who will give you a lot of work- I got most of my chops and independence really together last summer, two months of practicing a ton. I think about it like this- If I have nothing else to do, why not practice? I have two teachers and a ton of things to do. I don't stress myself on the hours I'm getting. I know I'll be an good drummer someday, just as long as I practice 3 hours plus fairly consistently, listen to the good stuff, and play with people a few times a week. If you practice six hours, and you feel you have to practice two more, and you don't want to, then don't. If that happens to me, I usually do a few things to help. I go listen to music for an hour (I usually listen to an album all the way through, whatever style of music I like with a drummer I love), I'll go watch baseball/hockey/any other sport, I'll go work out, or I'll give one of my buddies a call and go down a couple pints. That always gets me motivated and feeling good. It's very, very important to do other things. Even though I'm practicing a lot, I gig around a bit and I have a part time job, I ALWAYS make sure to do other things. I have a girlfriend, I have some buddies, I work out, I like to hunting or fishing, play or watch sports, or read. There's nothing like going and stimulating your intellect by reading Plato or some other intelligent reading and then utilizing that to create some music!
Also, like someone said, it's good to take a couple days off every now and then- not completely from music but just from drumming. I remember in a five day stretch last summer I practiced 56 hours. That was a lot- I felt a little burned out. So, I went up to the lake with six of my friends, caught some trout, drank a lot of beer, chased some girls, and I definetly had something to practice about the week after...
Life is about balance. At least, I think, anyways. Drumming is who we are. But if I look at myself, I'm also a son, a brother, a significant other, a hunter, a fisher, a sports enthusiast, a moral investigator and an enjoyer of great beer in addition to being a musician!.
If you want some suggestions on stuff to practice, PM me. I have some neat ideas plus access to the entire Collective technique curriculum.

WERD...Duke, you are seriously the man!

[markee2004]

I'd like to say anyoine who says they play in a style is never has been or never will be a good drummer. You see alot of people that go to academys get "taught" to play in a bues, or rock ,or rock, or jazz style which bassically ammounts to being taught afew cod grooves and fills in a presumed "style" which they think ammounts to being a good drummer. This is the biggest mistake any musician can ever make.

Although technique is essential, it is in a way the least important part of being a good musician.

[Blue]

A few questions to those who have practiced more than 8 hours a day. What circumstances would allow one to practice 8 to 12 hours a day? What about work or school? I mean 12 hours, that's literally you get up, play all day, go to the bathroom, eat, sleep, and that's it! What about breaks? How do you have the patience to do that? And what kind of goal setting do you do? Do you set daily, weekly, and monthly goals? And more importantly, do you write your goals down, and record progress on a journal?

Thanks.
Curtis

[theduke86]

A few questions to those who have practiced more than 8 hours a day. What circumstances would allow one to practice 8 to 12 hours a day? What about work or school? I mean 12 hours, that's literally you get up, play all day, go to the bathroom, eat, sleep, and that's it! What about breaks? How do you have the patience to do that? And what kind of goal setting do you do? Do you set daily, weekly, and monthly goals? And more importantly, do you write your goals down, and record progress on a journal?

Thanks.
Curtis

Hey man, haven't checked this thread in a while...
It's impossible to accomplish anything else while you're practicing certainly 12 hours a day. 8 hours is tough at school but can be attainable if you break it up. Since I got to school, I haven't got those sort of days. I'll usually catch 3-4 hours or sometimes even less.... sometimes I get 6... sometimes 8 or 9.
You have to have LONG TERM goals. I have long term goals in that I want to accomplish a specific task over a six week period. Like for example, finish Stick Control, or get heel down playing together. I find I have to practice very long term and let things sink in for a while to get good, especially the exercises I'm doing now.
I usually don't record the exercises on paper, but maybe I should. I have a good mind for that sort of thing, so I don't bother. You have to take breaks every 1-3 hours depending on your mindset, it's the healthy thing to do.

[retro]

Hello, folks. This is my first post, but I'm a long-time reader here. Let me take a moment to extend a large thank you for the board and all the info it provides. Wish I'd had this drumming resource available twenty-five years ago.

Count me in as another drummer who played periodically in his mid-20s, then endured a long hiatus before returning to the kit older and creakier in the last year and a half or so.

Since embracing drumming again (though in spirit, I can't say I truly left it), I've applied myself primarily to practicing rudiments daily to get my rolls and paradiddles in shape, (which I didn't do in the past) along with various interesting grooves and a few basic foot exercises to round things out. No playing to CDs yet, for a variety of reasons, not all of them drum-related, but that's on the agenda. (Note: since I've always been a tapper of hands/feet when listening to music, I've already clocked a good whack of low-level, play-along practice anyway without actually sitting at the kit. So maybe I'm slightly ahead of the curve there. Or not. I'll find out soon enough.)

All told, the above simple regimen gives me plenty to do on my semi-kit, as I call it, for 90-100 minutes per day. (Due to noise constraints, I've been forced to rig up this semi-kit from a muffled snare, HH, ride, and foot pedal-on-footstool. We have to use what we can in our own circumstances, eh, what? So far, at least, the so-called semi-kit is working out great. Ideally, however, I'd much prefer to hop onto the gen-u-wine five-piece, which is currently gathering dust in the other room. (Those of you who have secure, soundproof practice space that accommodates full kit and cymbals, well, that's enough to incite a vicious strain of envy, ar ar.)

** Idle Question: what's more important when starting out as a drummer...groove or technique?

I'm asking because, to me, the two are so entwined, I find it difficult to place more emphasis on one than the other. That is to say, I'm not convinced I can truly groove without technique, while on the other hand, if I try to groove while relying solely on technique, I run the risk of sounding cold and flat.

It's somewhat of a conun...drum.

Is there a happy medium?

Here's my take on the question (more anecdote than answer). In my own case, when I started drumming again in the summer of 2005, I made a conscious choice to concentrate on technique until I'd acquired enough drum vocabulary to allow me to instinctively play without thinking excessively about my hands and feet. Interesting how it's worked out so far. For example, today, as I invented a funky groove for fun on the semi-kit, I suddenly realized, hey, this thing is a paradiddle-based pattern and it sounds good! I guess it was my subconscious kicking in out of nowhere after I'd clocked many hours of physical practice.

Mayhap the brain is the best practice instrument of all.

[wy yung]

[A few questions to those who have practiced more than 8 hours a day. What circumstances would allow one to practice 8 to 12 hours a day? What about work or school? I mean 12 hours, that's literally you get up, play all day, go to the bathroom, eat, sleep, and that's it! What about breaks? How do you have the patience to do that? And what kind of goal setting do you do? Do you set daily, weekly, and monthly goals? And more importantly, do you write your goals down, and record progress on a journal?

Thanks.
Curtis

Well, I think for the most part it is due to many sacrifices one makes in other areas of life. I've spent considerable time practicing for many hours; 16 hours a day wasn't unusual. Many times this was simply spent on a pad. This is good for developing the motor skills needed for performing the many stickings open to the imagination and written in books. Other times it was spent perhaps half on the pad and the other on the kit. I've also spent many hours playing percussion. For example when I was trying to develop the sounds on the congas; slap, open tone, muffled tone, bass tone etc, I would do nothing for many hours other than play that one tone I'd chosen that day. 6 to 8 hours spent doing nothing but playing a quarter note slap was common. For me it was necessary because I had some trouble getting that tone, but through patience and practice it finally came.

These days I wonder about all this. Sure, we need to spend a lot of time, but practice can become a prison. Especially when one such as myself, who is a bit obsessive compulsive, gets caught up in it. Practice can become practice for the sake of practice. To the exclusion of much else. An old girlfriend used to complain to me and say "how can you spent 10 or more hours just hitting a rubber pad?" To her mind it meant I was a bit of a dullard. She may well have been correct. And that relationship failed. Nevertheless, that's what I did, can do and probably will do into the future.

How much is enough? is what I ask myself now. I look at a guy like Thomas Lang and while impressive, I have to wonder "why?" Why perform these patterns one is likely never to play in a musical situation? If practice becomes more important than making music, is this right? Did Count Basie spend his life obsessing over technique? I don't think so. He was too involved in the creation of music.

These days I just wonder if I've wasted much of my life stuck in the practice room. At times I gave up gigging to practice more.

I just don't know. I do know now that I want to play music more than I want to practice. I'll just have to see how things work out.

[Mattsdad]

[

Well, I think for the most part it is due to many sacrifices one makes in other areas of life. I've spent considerable time practicing for many hours; 16 hours a day wasn't unusual. Many times this was simply spent on a pad. This is good for developing the motor skills needed for performing the many stickings open to the imagination and written in books. Other times it was spent perhaps half on the pad and the other on the kit. I've also spent many hours playing percussion. For example when I was trying to develop the sounds on the congas; slap, open tone, muffled tone, bass tone etc, I would do nothing for many hours other than play that one tone I'd chosen that day. 6 to 8 hours spent doing nothing but playing a quarter note slap was common. For me it was necessary because I had some trouble getting that tone, but through patience and practice it finally came.

These days I wonder about all this. Sure, we need to spend a lot of time, but practice can become a prison. Especially when one such as myself, who is a bit obsessive compulsive, gets caught up in it. Practice can become practice for the sake of practice. To the exclusion of much else. An old girlfriend used to complain to me and say "how can you spent 10 or more hours just hitting a rubber pad?" To her mind it meant I was a bit of a dullard. She may well have been correct. And that relationship failed. Nevertheless, that's what I did, can do and probably will do into the future.

How much is enough? is what I ask myself now. I look at a guy like Thomas Lang and while impressive, I have to wonder "why?" Why perform these patterns one is likely never to play in a musical situation? If practice becomes more important than making music, is this right? Did Count Basie spend his life obsessing over technique? I don't think so. He was too involved in the creation of music.

These days I just wonder if I've wasted much of my life stuck in the practice room. At times I gave up gigging to practice more.

I just don't know. I do know now that I want to play music more than I want to practice. I'll just have to see how things work out.

These are the comments of a wise man.

[Womble]

These are the comments of a wise man.

I agree. They're also the comments of a student of Virgil Donati, which I find very interesting.

[jazzin']

[


How much is enough? is what I ask myself now. I look at a guy like Thomas Lang and while impressive, I have to wonder "why?" Why perform these patterns one is likely never to play in a musical situation? If practice becomes more important than making music, is this right? Did Count Basie spend his life obsessing over technique? I don't think so. He was too involved in the creation of music.



This is a great thing to think about. Really stopping to think is what I'm practicing for playing music or just for getting absurd technique and coordination/independence down that will simply never be used?
I'm probably averaging about 6 hours a day, sometimes more but never less than four (hehe). I often find that all this time can be spent on pure music accompaniment work such as comping, small fills or fours and such, and getting all my tempo's down. I've really cut back on technique at the moment. Just focusing on absolute control of the sticks in playing basic rudiments trying to get volume and dynamics spot on.

[Joshdrilling]

On good days after class I get about 3 hours of practice. Then I'll get about 2-3 hours with a band, either a Reggae/Funk band or a Blues/Jazz band.

Yeah, a different genre for every day of the week. It's intense.

[sam132]

Can be difficult practice long hours, so I see where some of people are coming from. I have no drum kit at uni, and the only access I have, is that too the kit at uni, which can only be played a few evenings a week for a cost. Which is unfortunate. Looking foward to summer sessions though! I also think being in a band helps with practice alot as well, especially if you play with a cross over of genres.

[Michael G]

It is not how long you practice, it is what you practice and how well you practice it.

[jazzin']

It is not how long you practice, it is what you practice and how well you practice it.

Of course, I think that goes without saying. I imagine the guys who are doing long hours have often spent enough time figuring out what works for them in terms of practice. Also, like it or not, if young guys on here are looking at practicing for a career in music, they are going to have to be putting in a minimum of around 4 hours a day (generally). For some it will be a lot more but it will rarely be less. The guys that will be doing this should already have figured out (and be constantly improving as well) what to practice and how. That is part of doing long hours. You figure out what works and what doesn't. If you don't practice a lot you often won't figure out what really works.

[drummerchick435]

I still can't believe Buddy Rich never practiced. He didn't even have a set of drums in his house.

He never practiced or even had a kit in his house?! That's amazing.

[jazzin']

He never practiced or even had a kit in his house?! That's amazing.

I think these quotes have been taken out of context. Of course he would've practiced. He probably practiced more than most people ever did. But, by the time he was a bit older and doing all these drumming interviews he probably didn't practice because he was playing every single night.

[drummerchick435]

I think these quotes have been taken out of context. Of course he would've practiced. He probably practiced more than most people ever did. But, by the time he was a bit older and doing all these drumming interviews he probably didn't practice because he was playing every single night.

Thanks for the clarification.

[tamadrummer132]

i could apsolutely never play for like 8-12 hours a day like you guys say, its not that i dont have the time (which btw i dont) but id get SOOOO bored. I play drums for fun, when its not fun i dont play. But i enjoy being able to go speedy around the kit, so i do practice technique and stuff. But sheesh, id rather spend quality time with people then stuck up in my room playing my drums.

[WarrenM]

But sheesh, id rather spend quality time with people then stuck up in my room playing my drums.
Yeah, the 12 hours a day thing seems a little ... I dunno, obsessive? I mean, come on, have some balance in your life. 12 hours of anything every single day is too much. I'd get bored.