How much time does everybody practice?

[damica]

Just got "Master Studies II" and one of the first things he said was if you practice 5 hours a day for 2 months you will see improvment. ( I wish I could) I practice 45 minutes everyday so at that pace it will take me 373 days to get 2 months.

I was just wondering what everyone else practiced per day.

[prempex]

i only get around 45mins of practice on weekdays and about an hour each saturday.
and no practice on my kit on sundays (all of this due to having elderly neighbours)

[gusty]

Just got "Master Studies II" and one of the first things he said was if you practice 5 hours a day for 2 months you will see improvment. ( I wish I could) I practice 45 minutes everyday so at that pace it will take me 373 days to get 2 months.

I was just wondering what everyone else practiced per day.

5 hours a day, anyone will get bloody good. I average an hour a day, and i'm seeing good improvents.

[Dystisis]

5 hours a day... that sounds.. well I envy anyone who get to play that much. They probably don't have a job/school or any friends, though. It must basically be their work for them to be able to play that much.

Personally I practice on a kit for a couple of hours a couple of times a week (I dont have my drumkit in my house at the moment). I practice on a pad for like an hour every other day.

[Cowskull]

It says "5 hours a day and you'll see improvement," huh?

Well, I'm no drum master, but to me that's like a diet program telling you that if you dont eat you'll lose weight.

Seriously, how could you not improve if you are practicing that much?

I just started a month ago and I have seen vast improvement. I dont think I've ever practiced more than an hour.

But what do I know? I'm just beginning.

[fourstringdrums]

Practice is best if measured in quality, not quantity. You can practice for 13 hours, but if you're not doing it effectively it's not going to benefit you as much.

I honestly don't practice as much as I need to right now. I've been finding it hard lately to get into any sort of regiment. I prepare for my students, but I can't say I've been doing enough to improve myself. Especially with Christmas coming up I don't have as much time, though that is my new year's resolution.

[thiscocks]

[QUOTE=fourstringdrums;389339]Practice is best if measured in quality, not quantity. You can practice for 13 hours, but if you're not doing it effectively it's not going to benefit you as much. [QUOTE]

agree. It depends what you want to improve at really.

I cant play any kind of kit at the moment unfortunatley (working abroad) and just have a practice pad, which I just play on along to a couple of songs a day. I think you can still improve with just a pad, and you can still practice independence stuff but its just not as fun when you can't hear it like on a kit!

[cnw60]

Quantity and quality are not mutually exclusive. It doesn't matter how well your practice time is utilized, there is a minimum amount of time you have to put in if you want to reach a certain level with your playing. Five hours a day doesn't seem unreasonable at all if you're seriously attempting to 'master' something like the Morello book.

But this assumes that you're life is pretty much centered around drumming - at this point in my life, I have a family and a career, so I'm happy if can average an hour a day, five days a week.

[snazzy]

well i dont know about you but i practice almost 5 hours a day. the least i practice a day is two hours. i go to school too. and i have probably more freidns then you. just i have a practice pad and put that on my snare. i take all my quiet pads i guess you can call them and put them on my toms. i have one for my high hat and ride too. and i have a seperate bass pad you can get for like 50bucks. and i just spend the night practicing. take regular classes too and you will have no homework lol

[thiscocks]

well i dont know about you but i practice almost 5 hours a day. the least i practice a day is two hours. i go to school too. and i have probably more freidns then you. just i have a practice pad and put that on my snare. i take all my quiet pads i guess you can call them and put them on my toms. i have one for my high hat and ride too. and i have a seperate bass pad you can get for like 50bucks. and i just spend the night practicing. take regular classes too and you will have no homework lol

Well, I guess you probably do have more friends than me. I bet your parents enjoy their evenings...

[snazzy]

nah my bad. i was responding to the guy who said you probably have no friends if you practice that much. but i always have all the pads on so it doesn't make any noise. I usually take them off over the weekend. usually sundays

[thiscocks]

cool,yeah pads are def v usefull!

[Hazith]

Hi, i´m kinda new to drummerworld but I just want to say that i practice like 5 hours (it would be ten, if my mum would let me) in the week on my kit, and like 3 on pillows/pads. I can clearly see myself becoming better and better. But to practice 5 houurs a day is absolutly to much for your body and for your neighbours.

[cp84]

I try to practise as much as possible but it can be difficult now that I've started working in an office.

I do about an hour and a bit a day during the week.

Then I do about 2-3 hours on saturday and I try to play all day on Sunday (I probably squeeze in about 5 hours)

Practising during the week is a pain when you have a job. I have to get home, make something to eat, try and wake up again and then get onto the drum kit.

I'm thinking about jacking the job and living off my life savings for a year or whatever so I can truly focus on the kit. I think thats the only way to get anywhere really.

As for what I practise, I'm on an electronic kit (problems with the neighbours) so I'm trying to work on coordination. I'm working through conversations in clave (el negro) and I think thats the way for me to go. My "feel" on a real kit suffers so I figure I'll try to make up for that with independance.

Anyway thats it, its a bit of a brain dump but I'm at work with nothing to do :)

[Rick_Strong]

I used to do an hour a day, but now I play four hours Thursday nites in a local pub as the house band and work on original`s with a friend on Sunday`s for another 4 hours. Most of that is on my Roland TD6. I really have to get more time on my Sonor kit.

[jonescrusher]

But to practice 5 houurs a day is absolutly to much for your body and for your neighbours.


How do you think the really good players got really good? Not by playing an hour a day I assure you ;) Welcome by the way.

[OldHippy]

The best I can manage with work and everything else is to average an hour a day, so I try to make it as productive as possible. I have Master Studies 1 and usually do 2 lines per week and it has definitely helped with accents, equally spacing the notes, and dynamics, but it takes several weeks at this rate to show any progress. I don't spend the whole hour on that- I have a list of problem areas to work on.

My biggest problem is trying to memorize a new exercise. It seems like I forget much of it the next day and spend so much time doing the same thing over and over just to learn the patterns before working on the skill part of it. Maybe there is a way to compensate, like getting better at reading the music, but then I can't see the notes on the paper. Maybe there is a way to rig up a boom stand where you can get the music right up to your face. You younger guys will understand someday.

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Hi, i´m kinda new to drummerworld but I just want to say that i practice like 5 hours (it would be ten, if my mum would let me) in the week on my kit, and like 3 on pillows/pads. I can clearly see myself becoming better and better. But to practice 5 houurs a day is absolutly to much for your body and for your neighbours.

John Coltrane disagrees.

[rendezvous_drummer]

I try to get in 2-3 hours a day, both consisting of equal time on the practice pad and drum kit. Sometimes it's hard though because I have to practice voice and piano and need to set a schedule that I can work with. But 5 hours is not too much.

[foursticks]

Well I do whatever I can to achieve my goals, I don't care how long I practise just as long as it's long and productive enough to get what I want - sometimes it's more obsessive to get a certain technique/independence/groove down, sometimes it's more rudimental and basics based and in between I play along to music alot too. The rest of the time I listen, active listening too, which I find is practising in itself and one of the best ways of it too.

[Class A Drummer]

5 hours a day you will see improvement? Obviously...

A half hour a day is sufficient to see improvment.

Actually, it is possible to see improvment for any amount of time practiced, it just matters how and what you practice.

[Deathmetalconga]

My time for practice is restricted because of job, family and community volunteering. I do 15 to 30 minutes a day of solo practicing, with three to four hours of band practice one day a week.

[zambizzi]

I get 2-3 hrs. at night after the kids are in bed, now that I have a sound-proof "studio" in the garage. I practice w/ the band twice a week (well, I did before tendonitis got a hold of my right arm) for about 2-3 hrs.

Others have said it and it's true; quality matters most. I've had 4 hr. practices where I felt like I didn't do squat aside from wasting my time. I've also had 1 hr. practices that felt like creative explosions.

I usually work out what I'm going to practice the next day, each night after I finish...so as to get as much quality out of it as possible.

I could easily practice 8 hrs. a day if it were my full-time job. BUT, I would make sure that at least half of those hours were spent playing w/ other musicians...making music...as that is where the *real* progress is made.

[Eric]

I don't think I ever practiced drums more than 3-4 hours a day, and that was in college. Usually 3 hours on the kit and 1 on the pad. Now, I'm lucky to get 4 hours a week, but i play enough gigs that I still improve, though maybe not as quickly as when I was younger.

[bonzolead]

I practice as much as I like never over 3 hrs. through,even with a band we don't. practice over 3 hrs. it kinda gets boring and just for me my mind gets stale after 3 hrs. playing 5 or more hrs. it's sometime harder too come up with new ideas.

Bonzolead

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Actually it's funny, I used to practice for about five hours a day on the guitar, but I've not had the time recently and have fallen out of the habit. You really have to make practice a habit to become effective.

[foursticks]

Actually it's funny, I used to practice for about five hours a day on the guitar, but I've not had the time recently and have fallen out of the habit. You really have to make practice a habit to become effective.

Agreed, I actually find that my obsessive nature (not OCD, but really feeling compelled to do whatever it is) helped me so much with my drumming. However, when it causes stress - that's when it gets bad. Luckily I don't find that too often.

[zambizzi]

Agreed, I actually find that my obsessive nature (not OCD, but really feeling compelled to do whatever it is) helped me so much with my drumming. However, when it causes stress - that's when it gets bad. Luckily I don't find that too often.

Bingo...obsession...we definitely have that in common. I'll freely admit that I'm obsessed...but it's what I truly love to do. Even when I'm not drumming...I'm drumming.

I was really stressed about taking any time off...even a day...but I've come to realize that it's not such a bad idea, occasionally...sometimes even more productive than constant practice.

However, you should never feel compelled to drum based on obligation...as in "I hate to do this...but if I don't get 5 hrs. of practice I won't improve...". It should come from within w/ genuine desire. When it ceases to be fun, cut back or even quit for a while.

[mind_drummer]

Just got "Master Studies II" and one of the first things he said was if you practice 5 hours a day for 2 months you will see improvment. ( I wish I could) I practice 45 minutes everyday so at that pace it will take me 373 days to get 2 months.

I was just wondering what everyone else practiced per day.

You'll reach your two months on playing before me !

I'm only at half hour of practice per day :-(

[dizkneelande]

"I don't practice much if at all anymore. I might play some on the pad or grab one of my books to work out of for a few minutes because I gig a lot and I need the rest. I usually get more from picking up my piano, bass, or guitar.

[foursticks]

Bingo...obsession...we definitely have that in common. I'll freely admit that I'm obsessed...but it's what I truly love to do. Even when I'm not drumming...I'm drumming.

I was really stressed about taking any time off...even a day...but I've come to realize that it's not such a bad idea, occasionally...sometimes even more productive than constant practice.

However, you should never feel compelled to drum based on obligation...as in "I hate to do this...but if I don't get 5 hrs. of practice I won't improve...". It should come from within w/ genuine desire. When it ceases to be fun, cut back or even quit for a while.

I meant compelled in the sense, that sometimes when I REALLY want to improve and I'm not drumming I just have to go to the pad or kit or whatever and practise. It's never hate, otherwise there's no point cos you won't be concentrating hard enough to improve.

[burnthehero]

It's embarassing how little time I spend practicing these days. I usually practice every other day for anywhere between 30-45 minutes.

[Muckster]

I get in an hour everyday at lunch. And then try for two hours every evening after my wife and daughter go to bed.

Of course, that's not including the time i sit with the pad while watching tv.

[Deathmetalconga]

I get in an hour everyday at lunch. And then try for two hours every evening after my wife and daughter go to bed.

Of course, that's not including the time i sit with the pad while watching tv.

How on Earth do you play for two hours after your wife and kid have gone to bed?? Do you have an electronic kit? Do you work at home to play during the lunch hour?

Honestly, I think there's a bit of prestige bias in the survey (people answering questions to make themselves appear a certain way to others).

[Deathmetalconga]

It's embarassing how little time I spend practicing these days. I usually practice every other day for anywhere between 30-45 minutes.

For someone with a job and family, that's actually pretty good.

Before I got married, from when I was 20 to 35, I had no television and lived alone. I had LOTS of time on my hands and practiced all sorts of instruments for hours a day. Not anymore, but it was good while it lasted.

[RudimentalDrummer]

I practice minimum an hour a day to 2 hours(cause me wify will kill me if I do it longer than that) on Monday, Wednesday & Friday ...except for Tuesday & Thursday which I had Band Rehersal 7.30 to 10.30pm each week. Saturday is my drumming lesson. Sunday is Family day which is my only off-day.

[schist]

Quality, not quantity, mate. :)

[Muckster]

How on Earth do you play for two hours after your wife and kid have gone to bed?? Do you have an electronic kit? Do you work at home to play during the lunch hour?

Honestly, I think there's a bit of prestige bias in the survey (people answering questions to make themselves appear a certain way to others).


For your information death , I work in a small town and take a snare drum or pad to a park located about a mile from my office. As for home, i have a garage (fairly sound proof) to practice with the kit. I'm a night owl and hardly ever go to bed until at least 1am.

You see, it's all about time management. I can't practice during weekends so those late hours are all i have. As far as your "prestige bias" quote goes, just what are you saying here?

[Bobrovsky]

I am practicing now 5-6 hours (sometimes more) every day.
But I think that it is not enough, unfortunately.
Because I've started to practice a lot only 3 yers ago (before it was 3 hours or even less per day).

[Derek]

I try to practise as much as possible but it can be difficult now that I've started working in an office.

I do about an hour and a bit a day during the week.

Then I do about 2-3 hours on saturday and I try to play all day on Sunday (I probably squeeze in about 5 hours)

Practising during the week is a pain when you have a job. I have to get home, make something to eat, try and wake up again and then get onto the drum kit.

I'm thinking about jacking the job and living off my life savings for a year or whatever so I can truly focus on the kit. I think thats the only way to get anywhere really.

As for what I practise, I'm on an electronic kit (problems with the neighbours) so I'm trying to work on coordination. I'm working through conversations in clave (el negro) and I think thats the way for me to go. My "feel" on a real kit suffers so I figure I'll try to make up for that with independance.

Anyway thats it, its a bit of a brain dump but I'm at work with nothing to do :)

Hey cp,
I admire your passion for music your desire and commitment to improving your craft.
I must say also that you're to be commended for having such a life savings that you may live off of it for 1 year.

If you aren't offended by a piece of unsolicited advise , I'd caution you on leaving the work force for a year.I don't know your age, or anything else about you for that matter.
It's just that it takes so long and can be difficult to be able to save such as you have.
I'd love to hear of a fellow drummers' commitment and sacrifice paying big dividends, and hate for you to be later in life in a situation thinking, " If only I still had that savings "...

Not wanting to throw a bucket of ice water on anyones dreams, just two cents and concern from a fellow member of the community.

All the best and Merry Christmas to you.

[zambizzi]

How on Earth do you play for two hours after your wife and kid have gone to bed?? Do you have an electronic kit? Do you work at home to play during the lunch hour?

Honestly, I think there's a bit of prestige bias in the survey (people answering questions to make themselves appear a certain way to others).

Not if it is an honest answer to the question. For me, I rarely watch TV, I don't go out drinking at night, and I budget my time well as a result.

Time allocation is the easy part, I think w/ most people it's the motivation. I'm home by 5:15 every night and my kids are in bed by 8 or 8:30....that time is our "family time". We work on the kids' homework, read books, play games, maybe watch the occasional movie, etc. At 8pm or so, we tuck the kids in, and I get down to business until 10:30, 11:30, maybe even later sometimes depending on what I'm working on. I'm usually in bed by 12am or at the latest, 1am...so if I'm done by 10:30pm...there's plenty of "wifey time" too.

This is possible now because I built a soundproof room in my garage...I can practice all night and the volume is so low outside, it can't be heard by the neighbors. The volume is 0 in the house...so it doesn't keep anyone awake. However, I did this before w/ an electronic kit. Thank goodness I don't have to use that thing anymore...*shudder*.

Granted, this might seem drudging to some people and folks will ask "where is your social life!?". Well, I'm married w/ kids...I didn't have much of one to begin with, outside of a few close friends. Once we're gigging, I'll get out even more and practice a little less.

Sorry for the lengthy diatribe...but this question seems to come up every time a thread like this comes along...and the guys w/ families always get asked the same question. I think we just pay closer attention to time and place more value on how limited it is, everyday.

[Eric]

Sorry for the lengthy diatribe...but this question seems to come up every time a thread like this comes along...and the guys w/ families always get asked the same question. I think we just pay closer attention to time and place more value on how limited it is, everyday.[/QUOTE]

That's a great point. I'm going through that transition right now. i'm taking care of our 4 month old baby during the day while my wife works full time. Also it was a last minute adoption, so I had zero time to prepare for it. I try to practice in my basement during nap time, with a baby monitor next to the kit. At this age, however, I never know if his nap will last 2 hours or 5 minutes, so I always feel like the clock is ticking. The first 2 or 3 months were very brutal, I was really missing my old life, but I'm finally getting the hang of it. I used to waste a lot of time, but now I'm much more disciplined, and I'm getting good at typing with one hand while holding a baby bottle, as you can see.

[Derek]

Hats of to you Zambizzi,

It sounds to me like you have a great balance in your life, keeping the family the 1st priority and still fitting in practice time. It's all about time management and when we " keep the main thing the main thing " it all works out.

I've been a single dad , just me and my son since he was one ( now 17 ), and understand trying to fit practice time in with everything else. Now that my son is older of course it's a little easier, but still a challenge sometimes.

[RudimentalDrummer]

Quality, not quantity, mate. :)

Quality is a pre-requisite and a must ...but insufficient but itself. What is an Hour or two for practice...Practically insuffient at all. Many Professional Drummers practice and drums 8 hours a day. Ever wonder why as a Professional - they still need the Quantity? of course they already have the quality but by itself not enough.

[Deathmetalconga]

Quality is a pre-requisite and a must ...but insufficient but itself. What is an Hour or two for practice...Practically insuffient at all. Many Professional Drummers practice and drums 8 hours a day. Ever wonder why as a Professional - they still need the Quantity? of course they already have the quality but by itself not enough.

How do you define "enough"? If you are a true professional - you earn you living by playing - you should approach it as a job and eight hours a day should be the rule. If you have some other way of putting food on the table, and if you have a family and community volunteer work, all you might need to keep music a vital part of your life is a few minutes a week or whatever you can manage. It all depends on what you need music for.

[zambizzi]

...keeping the family the 1st priority and still fitting in practice time. It's all about time management and when we " keep the main thing the main thing " it all works out.

Sure...you have to realize you're important too. I don't mean this in a selfish manner...but it's true. To pursue a passion you'll have to sacrifice the little things that most people do, like rot in front of the TV. We're all guilty of it...but you realize how much time you really *can* squeeze out for music, if you quit wasting it doing non-productive things.

Also, you'll have those days, maybe several in a row, where you have to sacrifice for someone else in your life...it's almost always worth it. It's got to be a lot tougher, as a single dad. I can only imagine!

[NIMBY]

i try to practice everyday for atleast an hour, mostly just playing along to cds.

at night i do rudiments to get my hands all co-ordinated and fast.
ive been thinking about getting a bass drum practice pedal so i can get some
double kick chops.

anybody done this and has success?

[Bobrovsky]

i try to practice everyday for atleast an hour, mostly just playing along to cds.

at night i do rudiments to get my hands all co-ordinated and fast.
ive been thinking about getting a bass drum practice pedal so i can get some
double kick chops.

anybody done this and has success?

In addition to playing on full drum set most time, I am also practisicing ca. 1 hour every day using pad for hands and double pedal. Sometimes it is even more useful than full set, becuase I can hear unmatched strokes between feet and hands that is not easy on set (for example, accent on crash+bass drum).

[Wegadrummer]

Up to 4 hours a week with rudiment practice.. On a kit it depends, everything for 1hour to 30..

[Derek]

Zambizzi,

You're absolutely right, and ones realizing that they too are important isn't at all a selfish thought or act. This is healthy. And yes, for the needs of our loved ones sacrifice is necessary and important.
We 'll always find time for ourselves ( and of course , on this thread I refer to practice time ) especially when , as you said we don't waste precious free time rotting in front of the T.V.
By the way , I manage to average around 2-3 hrs per day practice pad + kit. Sometimes more on weekends and of course , some days no kit time at all. Fortunately the latter is rare.

[lisasworld]

I try to practice at least twice a week, but with school, my boyfriend, etc..it doesn't always work out. By the way, does anybody recommend any good jazz teachers in the San Diego area?

[cnw60]

How do you define "enough"?

this always gets back to something my first drum teacher told me:

Q. - How much should I practice?

A. - How good do you want to be? Practice that much and stop.

[zambizzi]

this always gets back to something my first drum teacher told me:

Q. - How much should I practice?

A. - How good do you want to be? Practice that much and stop.

The best ever.

I guess I better put on some coffee...this might take a while.

[King Of Drums]

When I first started I practiced like 4-5 hours a day for the first 6 months and saw lots of improvement. Then I went down to like 3-4 hours a day. Then In the summer some days I was doing like 7-10 hours. But I have now realized it is quality and not quantity. I think an hour a day is enough. But if you are very passionate about drumming and it is your life you will spend a lot of time on your instrument. I guess Once you become pro you can't spend as much time practicing because of regular gigs and whatnot. I Now practice about 3+ hours a day ( this includes kit and pad) and am in a band. I admit I don't have a very active social life and I live in a rural town so there is not much to do. I have been playing for a year now and have seen a lot of progress in that year.

[foursticks]

I admit I don't have a very active social life and I live in a rural town so there is not much to do. I have been playing for a year now and have seen a lot of progress in that year.

Don't worry mate - I'd happily give up a Friday night to stay in listening to my John Coltrane/Miles Davis collection.

[Deathmetalconga]

For your information death , I work in a small town and take a snare drum or pad to a park located about a mile from my office. As for home, i have a garage (fairly sound proof) to practice with the kit. I'm a night owl and hardly ever go to bed until at least 1am.

You see, it's all about time management. I can't practice during weekends so those late hours are all i have. As far as your "prestige bias" quote goes, just what are you saying here?

My apologies for being mean. I just wish I could practice that much. Hats off to you for managing your time well and finding a way to do it.

[Deathmetalconga]

this always gets back to something my first drum teacher told me:

Q. - How much should I practice?

A. - How good do you want to be? Practice that much and stop.

That's neat advice if all you have to do is music. I want to be the best drummer the world has ever seen, but it's not just about me anymore. So, in response to the question, "How much should I practice?" I would say, "As much as you can afford to, given the other commitments you have (family, job, community, etc.)." OK, so I'll never get as good as a lot of people, but as long as my life overall is in balance, that's what it's really about.

To put things in perspective, most adults don't actively play instruments anymore, if they ever did.

[fat in the middle]

I just took a job in a resort town driving a cab for a couple weeks. I have the pad on the ashtray, and the stering wheel. On a 6hour shift I get about 2-3 hours of rudiments with the metronome, and also work out other grooves. My feet are busy whilst this is going on. When I am in situations that reguire me to stay stationary, like a train, or bus etc..Lots get done! For working players that need the odd job, I recommend things like security gaurd, or other jobs that enable practice time. I look forward to work cause I get to practice. !

www.paulclifford.moonfruit.com

[schist]

Quality is a pre-requisite and a must ...but insufficient but itself. What is an Hour or two for practice...Practically insuffient at all. Many Professional Drummers practice and drums 8 hours a day. Ever wonder why as a Professional - they still need the Quantity? of course they already have the quality but by itself not enough.

Yes, well it should be noted that I get f**k all actual kit practice, due to living in a suburban household with my family, so most of my serious practice happens in my room on pads/pilllows etc.

And besides, who's to say that an hour or two for practice is insufficient? That's usually the maximum amount of time I get a night to practice, and I'm seeing at least some improvement. Of course, if you spend those one or two hours just dicking around, you're not gonna get anywhere, but let's keep in mind there's not much else you can do on just pads and pillows than practice rudiments and such.

Of course, if I lived by myself or had a shed out the back where I kept my kit, I'd spend pretty much all day in there. BUT unfortunately I don't.

[cnw60]

That's neat advice if all you have to do is music. I want to be the best drummer the world has ever seen, but it's not just about me anymore. So, in response to the question, "How much should I practice?" I would say, "As much as you can afford to, given the other commitments you have (family, job, community, etc.)." OK, so I'll never get as good as a lot of people, but as long as my life overall is in balance, that's what it's really about.

To put things in perspective, most adults don't actively play instruments anymore, if they ever did.

But that's the beauty of his advice - it's not about devoting your entire life to music, unless that's what you really want to do. That's your choice and it's not mine or anyone else's place to judge the choices that you make with regard to how you prioritize your own life. It's also most definitely NOT about being better than anybody else (see http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33994).

You also have to keep in mind that most of my teacher's students were kids, probably somewhere between grade school and high school. Kid's that age, especially the younger ones who are just starting out, often begrudge practicing and usually are told by parents or teachers to practice 'at least XX minutes per day.' By answering the question of 'How much should I practice?' with 'How good do you want to be? Practice that much - stop', he does a couple things - but most importantly, it makes the student take responsibility for themselves. He's saying you can practice as much or as little as you want to, but don't complain about not improving if you're also not practicing.

Simply put - we are all responsible for ourselves. There's no magic way to get better - it takes practice, and there's no 'required' number of hours per day that you have to practice. Everybody has limitations on how much time they can devote to practice - but the essence of my drum teacher's advice is that it's a waste of energy to worry about whether you're spending 'enough' time practicing - we just have to be aware of the undeniable relationship between practicing and improving our skills and accept it (unless you're Buddy Rich and you just don't have to practice).

BTW - this doesn't even begin to address the issue of how you practice. That subject is deep (and wide) enough on it's own.

And I hope this doesn't come off as too pedantic - I'm probably not doing justice to this because my writing skills aren't up to his teaching skills.

[Vic_Rattledeth]

It depends on how you define practice. Other then the 7 or 8 hours a day that i sleep, drumming ideas are constantly going through my head and I work them out on my lap.Actual practice time on the kit..maybe 3 hours once a week because my drum set is it at my guitarists house. I do practice about an hour a day on my practice pad kit though

[LinearDrummer]

I work 10 hour days Monday thru Thursday so after work its the gym, and then eat dinner as fast as I can, down a couple of brewskies and try to get atleast an hour on the kit and then watch TV and hit the pad before I go to sleep....

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I try to put in atleast 3 to 4 hours on the kit....

I try to use most of my time/energy on the kit cause I get bored on the pad and there is no way I can sit for 2 or 3 hours and work on Stick Control etc....I'd much rather play with Cds or just experiment and work on ides or go thru my coordination and independence exercises I've developed/been taught.....

[schist]

It depends on how you define practice. Other then the 7 or 8 hours a day that i sleep, drumming ideas are constantly going through my head and I work them out on my lap.Actual practice time on the kit..maybe 3 hours once a week because my drum set is it at my guitarists house. I do practice about an hour a day on my practice pad kit though

^ Pretty much what he said.

[Tyr]

The usual is 1.5 to 2.5 hours a day, and Fridays I usually don't practice. I never force myself to practice though. If I'm forcing myself to practice it takes the fun out of it for me, which is the reason I started playing in the first place, to have fun!

[razorx]

I try to spend atleast an hour each day playing. I work and go to school.

[Deathmetalconga]

And I hope this doesn't come off as too pedantic - I'm probably not doing justice to this because my writing skills aren't up to his teaching skills.

Not at all. Your comments really put the advice in perspective and I understand the context in which it was originally offered.

[Slazaar]

playing for 1 hour already gave me a headache that put me off the mood for practicing drums(mind, it wasn't splash-bang crazy sort of loud practice,more like on rhythm and the occasional song) so i stretched out my practice to about 2-3 hours on weekdays, and maybe
6 hours on saturday, with a 5 minute break every 10 minutes, and probably watch a drum or music vid during that break to get back into mood, then continue the practice.
when you say 5 hours practice, do you mean the full-swing sort of practise? no offense to those otherwise, but if that's so, i think that would cause some damage some way or another, most likely the ears
btw, Happy New Year!

[zambizzi]

no offense to those otherwise, but if that's so, i think that would cause some damage some way or another, most likely the ears
btw, Happy New Year!

You're using some sort of hearing-protection, aren't you? If not, I would very much recommend getting some plugs before it's too late!

[Slazaar]

i sure did. i used those ear plugs that i bought at a stall at a F1 race in melbourne, so they helped a lot. i just get a bit giddy after a while :)

[paramac]

On a great day I'll do 3hrs drums and 1 1/2 to 2 hrs piano. This would be good inspired, fun practice ideally and not just going through the motions. That is hard because working and all but I will usually get in three hrs a day between both instruments at least. I do break this up through out the day, I can't usually do more than 1 hr without a little break. Some days I won't practice at all, I just need a break sometimes. I sometimes feel like I need to get more drums in, then I'll feel that way about the piano. It goes back and forth and I am always behind the 8 ball so to speak lol! Drums are my 1 st instrument and got into piano about 6 yrs ago or so. I regularly take lessons on that but drums I don't anymore although when I get some more $$ I would like to take some lesson from Nasheet Waits. It's never too late to learn, that's for sure. I teach so if I have a open slot, I'll fit in a 1/2 hr or hr here or there. This helps so when I get home, I don't have as much to do. I used to practice up to 7 hrs a day when I had more time. I had this seasonal job so in the winters I would have off for 3 to 4 months. For a few yrs I would get up at 8 am, start practicing at 9 on go till 6 or 7 pm but I took some breaks that's why I say up to 7 hrs. Man, I would drink a whole pot of coffee and smoke a pack of marlboros in that time when I used to smoke. I would come out of the room pretty nuerotic! LOl! Nowadys, I think I have a better idea how to practice and get more for less time. I have a better idea of what is practical and applicable to real playing situations etc. Hopefully that comes with some experience. I think back on some of the things I would spend so much time on and would do it different if I could go back. There were also a lot of good hrs spent too thanks to some very good teachers..

[Victor_se]

like 2 or 3 hours daily *** Quick Off topic question, I'm going to start playing Piano in a couple of days. Any recommendation ***

[paramac]

like 2 or 3 hours daily *** Quick Off topic question, I'm going to start playing Piano in a couple of days. Any recommendation ***

Depends on what ya want to get out of it. I first started with a guy that i was actually studying with where he played organ/and or piano and I was on drums so I could work on playing WITH someone in a Jazz setting that was a pro and I would have to keep up with. This guy is NOT a drummer but every week we would play tunes as if we were on a gig or a workshop and he just kicked my ass! He would give me 2 to 3 hrs of his time every week and hardly charge me. I did work hard and was really into that kind of music so I guess he new I was serious etc. The organ was a B3 and it was like playing in a trio. Anyway after about a yr of that I asked him to teach me piano because he was always getting on me about LISTENING to the Form, melody, harmony etc so I figured that would help me understand the music much better. Plus he was speaking in those terms ya know chords etc. Going to him to play drums with him and then studying piano where some of the best descisions i ever made. It helped and still helps a lot. After about 4 yrs of that I took some classical lesson for a couple of yrs. That was to get better technique. Ya see, he didn't teach me "correct piano" in a European Classical sense, he told me he wasn't going to do that but rather teach me what I like to call arrangers piano so that I could learn tunes/standards different forms etc..Plus I was a complete beginner and he doesn't usually teach beginners...You don't necessarily need great technique for learning what I did from him but of course it helps.. Any study of piano will ready help you in the long run and make ya think more about the big picture and be more of a sympathetic listener, accompanyist. I don't know what you are looking to get out of it but if you can find a great player and a great teacher that you could also play drums with or better yet a guy that plays organ and reallly swings, it will be invaluable experience. Different guys will tell different things obviously but the thing about classical (which I just started back up on) a lot of teachers don't talk about harmony or break it down/analize it. They are more concerned with reading the notes on the page, a good touch( if they have one that is) and technique. Then later they get into that other stuff. I'm sure some do, but that's what i noticed. It is all good and I love Jazz and Classical plus lots of other stuff. I just think as a drummer ya wanna get hip to the chord changes/ asap. There are some basics to get to this.. Good luck and Good move......

[JWM]

I think this really all depends upon your commitment to the instrument and whether or not you have professional aspirations.

A pro tennis player averages 5-6 hours of training a day, 6 days a week. This is critical for developing the more advanced levels of technique.

So I think that's a good model as the drums are the most physical of the instruments.

All of the big "cats" put in those kind of hours at certain times for certain intervals. I don't feel there's any way around it if you want to really get somewhere as a pro...

[miko]

on a good day i play 5 houres and also i play 1 hour a day on my bass

[aydee]

minimum 30 minutes - maximum 2 1/2 hrs. every day. Is that good or bad?

[fourstringdrums]

minimum 30 minutes - maximum 2 1/2 hrs. every day. Is that good or bad?

It's all up to you. If you're practicing well and happy with your improvement then it's enough.

[gusty]

It's all up to you. If you're practicing well and happy with your improvement then it's enough.

That's how much i do (except the minimum is 24), and occasionally (not often) I'll do 3, 4 hours. Is that enough for a 15 year old who wants to be a pro musician?

[fourstringdrums]

That's how much i do (except the minimum is 24), and occasionally (not often) I'll do 3, 4 hours. Is that enough for a 15 year old who wants to be a pro musician?

Well it's hard to say because what you accomplish in 3-4 hours, or even 25 minutes for that matter, and how that helps you improve, may be completely different than what I accomplish and how I improve. Granted I'm just an amateur hobbyist/beginning teacher/schlub but I'd say that if you want to be a pro musician, it has a lot to do about your attitude for one, being willing to put in the time and the work, and knowing what to work on and how to work on things. The time that you practice really isn't that important...well I mean it is. You can't expect to get to that serious of a level if you're only putting in 20 minutes a day...in that case 3-4 hours is probably more appropriate, but making sure that you're working on all the right things and working hard while you practice regardless of the hours is more important.

I'm sure that doesn't make sense :)

[aydee]

To be honest,I dont think I can really practice for more than 30 minutes.. anything more than that I of start playing exercises that I'm comfortable with, which is sorta cheating... Need to build up my discipline a wee bit more..I just hate the struggle.. yeah yeah, I know...

[Knowthyself]

i try to get an hour in - but i think inorder to be a studio guy you would need to do something like at least 4 a day

I wonder how much this guy practiced to lay down this part with such good feel.

woozyfly.
com/?c=888

Do you think feel is something that comes about in practice or if you play with people.

[Resok]

Weekdays - around 3 hours a day.
Weekends - 6 hours a day.

When I get my Iron Cobra in a few weeks, it'll be longer.

[xMrJeffx]

I practice...

2 hours total

1 hour on drumset
another on snare.

I'm homeschooled so I deff have a lot of time to practice...I'm also a bass player so I have to practice that as well.

God bless!

-Jeff

[OldStampK]

I try to practice about an hour a day, in the evening after work and after putting my kid to bed. By that time, most of my energy has been used up so it takes some effort, but it's worth it. Ideally, 2 hours a day seems like about the right amount of practice time for me, but there are only so many hours in the day for a working stiff. Still a lot can be done in 1 hour if I keep my practice time organized. I read somewhere that it's more important to be continually beginning again than dragging your practice time out. In other words, 1 hour a day for 7 days straight will yield much better results than practicing 7 hours once a week. Consistancy is the key, for me anyway.

[balboa]

time is of no importance. somedays i just dont have it and get off in like 20 min. other days the drum spirit is flowing, and i jam for 2 hrs. this aside from group rehearsal. when you feel good about it, then get off. do not stay on the drums because someone said to. Drums are a life long experience. you have the rest of your life to learn and play and develop. dont rush it, it will come to you. by making a set time, it seems like a job, which takes the fun out of it. if its not fun, then dont play. i play for fun, not for technique or chops. those are to just make it more fun.

[Smashin Jack]

I have to thank you peeps for your inspiration. There are some real @ss-busters here! I've always been lazy with practicing but I've decided to go all-electronic now so I really need to spend some time re-inventing how I play.
Wish me luck!

[JCM]

Practicing for me is a struggle 'cause my dad complains about the noise it makes for the neighbours so that discourages me from time to time, plus I've got only a pad. Lately I've been pretty lax with my drumming and the drums as a whole. But I used to do an 1 hour on most days. I'm thinking of buying a snare, hats and a bass drum (16''/18'') for practicing at home. It will probably make a lot of noise but I need to start improving.

[Kalma]

Practise is very serious to me... Mostly i'm practising 4-5 hours a day... 30-60 minutes on practise pads.

[schist]

I envy all of you who can play drums for any amount of time they desire in a day on either an electronic or acoustic kit without having their practice time regulated. >:C

As of this moment right now, I only got in 1.5 hours of practice on my TD-3 (headphones and all) today, before my mother told me to can it. Yesterday I got about 4 or so hours of practice in.

I have career/playing goals I've set for myself, but I don't see myself achieving them in a timely fashion because of this.

[Progdrummer160]

I think if you practise too much on 'stiff' stuff and you dont 'freak' or how you call it, just improvise you wont be as creative as when you just jamm alone and have fun. It also gives you your own playing style. Though you need some new moves now and then :)

[trysthedrummer]

I aim for a couple of hours a day. I haven't even started yet I'm glued at looking at the drummerworld forum again!!

At least it's drumming related...

Occasionally throughout the week Il go on the kit. More times than none it's working away on the pad and on the pedals I've got set up in the garage.

[Monica McCoy]

About 10 hours a week. I pay for weekly lessons so I have to practice so that I get my money's worth.

[mrchattr]

When you are young, you should practice as much as possible, especially if you want to make it as a pro. My philosophy was simple back in school...practice 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 6 hours one day a week, and take a day off. It was a tough system to follow...it meant getting up early to practice, cutting classes to practice, practicing as soon as my homework was done, etc. Now, some of this practice was sitting playing on a pad while watching TV, etc. A lot of teenages tell me they don't have that kind of time, but then they look at their schedules, and they are going out with friends all the time, going to movies, etc. I always had a healthy social and dating life, but it was on hold until the practicing was done. I did an exercise recently where students told me they were too busy to put in much time, and I had them bring me their cell phone bills. They were shocked to see the hours just spent on the phone, or texting. When you are young, and you are dedicated enough to put in this time, your growth will be amazing. In the end, you'll miss a few dates, and spend less time with people who, 5 years later, you won't talk to 90% of anyway.

As you get older, get into a job, start having a family, you aren't going to have the time to sit and practice. Even if you make it as a pro (but not a national act), you won't have the time to sit and work what you want to all the time. I'm costantly doing "drum stuff." But a lot of it is looking for work, networking, or working on parts for upcoming shows/sessions. You have to decide how important drumming is to you compared to the other things in your life. That will dictate how much time you put in. I suggest looking at your daily schedule, though, and seeing where you can fit it in. There are plenty of husbands who tell me "I can't practice every day because I need to be with my wife," but then realize that they watch Monday Night Football, American Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Office and 30 Rock on Thursday, Terminator on Friday, college football on Saturday, and Sunday Night Football on Sunday. Well, there's an extra hour (or more) a day to be behind the kit if it's that important to you. I'm not saying this to downplay how hard it can be...I have a wife, and if I had to sit in an office all day, I don't know when I'd get to put in serious time. If I had a kid...well...yikes. But I believe that time can always be found, if we really look at our schedules, stay motivated, and make it a top priority (after family, job, etc). If you can quote the entire last season of Family Guy, but say you don't have time to practice, something is terribly wrong!

[trysthedrummer]

But alot of young players at that age don't know what they want to do. I'm sure the thought doesn't even come across in their head about their future when it comes down to paying bills. It didn't with me.

[mrchattr]

But alot of young players at that age don't know what they want to do. I'm sure the thought doesn't even come across in their head about their future when it comes down to paying bills. It didn't with me.

True enough. That's why I posted it. Hopefully some of the kids here will read it and think, "Wow, I say I want to be a professional drummer, but I spend more time on XBox than I do on the drums. Hmmmm."

And I know when I post stuff like that, it seems like I'm picking on people, or generalizing about teens...but the fact is, I deal with students all the time (both drum and in another way), and I see this kind of stuff all the time.

[crowapollyon]

I play on the drum kit about atleast a good hour to hour and a half, on a good day about three hours. Thats with a five minute break every half hour, and off the kit (listening to music and hitting air where that crash or whatever would be on my set, or exercises are most of my day haha)

[Clayton_C]

At least 1.5 hours, usually 2.5 hours, sometimes 4.5 hours. I also practice percussion and snare drum for 3 hours a day.

[King Of Drums]

When I first started I averaged 3-7 hours a day of practice that lasted about 6 months and I saw huge improvements. Infact I think my playing was better than a lot of people who I came across who had been playing 2-3 years. However lately I've been too busy with work etc. I really wish I started when I was younger. Now that I've finished highschool it's very hard to find even 1 hour of time a day to practice. Take advantage of your youth kids! Man I wish I started playing when I was younger. Now I haven't touched a drumset in 6 months, it feels awful, treasure your practice time guys! But at that time I deeply believed I'd be a professional drummer one day. I wish I kept that mindset but I got realistic, started university, but we mak our time I'll find some time again for drums, today is the day!

[itsbettertodieyoung]

I think if you practise too much on 'stiff' stuff and you dont 'freak' or how you call it, just improvise you wont be as creative as when you just jamm alone and have fun. It also gives you your own playing style. Though you need some new moves now and then :)

This is a great quote, look at all the great drummers, they never got called great by copying, they did their own thing based on personal influences. Don't be afraid to try things and just be creative.

[mrchattr]

This is a great quote, look at all the great drummers, they never got called great by copying, they did their own thing based on personal influences. Don't be afraid to try things and just be creative.

I have to disagree. Have you ever read any interviews with the great drummers? Almost every issue of Traps, Drumhead, Rhythm, Modern Drummer, Drum!, etc, feature interviews with guys talking about what songs and solos they learned note for note as they were learning how to play in their own style. It was building their vocabulary by learning hundreds of parts note for note, then deconstructing them and building an original voice from that, which made them great. Many even point to guys that they sound like that came before them.

[diosdude]

I usually practice between 2-5 hours 3x a week with the bands and an additional hour or two once a week developing technique. I'm always tapping on something with my hands though like every waking hour of the day. Back when i was twenty-one,when i started getting really serious about it, i practiced religiously, 3-5 hours a day, 6 days a week if i didn't have a gig that week. That went on for about 3 years.

[Aggressivec]

Since I have school, homework and my dad wont let me drum after 7 ("its to loud"... That pisses me off) I can only get 1 hour and a half a day. Sometimes I can't get that because my brother wants to drum or something. I go as much as I can.

[DrummerDavid]

Not as much as I should.

[capncrunch]

I do about 2.5 to 3 hrs a day but not all at the same time... having taken up drumming recently (past couple years). My original (naive) goal was to be able to put down some real drum sounds on recordings so I wouldn't have to use a drum machine. The practice routine that has worked for me with other instruments seems to be helping me make progress with drums as well....

1. have everything set up and ready to play (either a full kit or practice pad and sticks) so that every time you have any amount of time available you can sit down and practice. 15 or 20 minutes here and there throughout the day adds up.

2. in addition to above have a regular time to practice each day. for me this is from 6AM to 8AM before going to work. Start with warm ups, then review something then try something new.

3. Challenge yourself and force yourself to go through a book from start to finish bit by bit.
Take each exercise one at a time, use a metronome and be patient with yourself. If you try it today and can't do it, try it again tomorrow, it will sink in if you keep trying it every day.

4. Record yourself on a regular basis, make this part of the practice routine. practice tuning the drums, move the microphones around, try different muffling, reverb, compression.

[lewisn27]

In the school holidays (im in one now) I usually practice for 1 - 2 hours everyday.
But after school I usually get under an hour of playing time.

[Ian Williams]

1 hour, I usually balance quality and quantity. Split in 4 quarters / 15 minutes each.

[FunkyJazzer]

When you are young, you should practice as much as possible, especially if you want to make it as a pro. My philosophy was simple back in school...practice 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 6 hours one day a week, and take a day off. It was a tough system to follow...it meant getting up early to practice, cutting classes to practice, practicing as soon as my homework was done, etc. Now, some of this practice was sitting playing on a pad while watching TV, etc. A lot of teenages tell me they don't have that kind of time, but then they look at their schedules, and they are going out with friends all the time, going to movies, etc. I always had a healthy social and dating life, but it was on hold until the practicing was done. I did an exercise recently where students told me they were too busy to put in much time, and I had them bring me their cell phone bills. They were shocked to see the hours just spent on the phone, or texting. When you are young, and you are dedicated enough to put in this time, your growth will be amazing. In the end, you'll miss a few dates, and spend less time with people who, 5 years later, you won't talk to 90% of anyway.

As you get older, get into a job, start having a family, you aren't going to have the time to sit and practice. Even if you make it as a pro (but not a national act), you won't have the time to sit and work what you want to all the time. I'm costantly doing "drum stuff." But a lot of it is looking for work, networking, or working on parts for upcoming shows/sessions. You have to decide how important drumming is to you compared to the other things in your life. That will dictate how much time you put in. I suggest looking at your daily schedule, though, and seeing where you can fit it in. There are plenty of husbands who tell me "I can't practice every day because I need to be with my wife," but then realize that they watch Monday Night Football, American Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Office and 30 Rock on Thursday, Terminator on Friday, college football on Saturday, and Sunday Night Football on Sunday. Well, there's an extra hour (or more) a day to be behind the kit if it's that important to you. I'm not saying this to downplay how hard it can be...I have a wife, and if I had to sit in an office all day, I don't know when I'd get to put in serious time. If I had a kid...well...yikes. But I believe that time can always be found, if we really look at our schedules, stay motivated, and make it a top priority (after family, job, etc). If you can quote the entire last season of Family Guy, but say you don't have time to practice, something is terribly wrong!


100% correct, undeniable, perfect, unquestionable truth.

[hahahahehehe]

When you are young, you should practice as much as possible, especially if you want to make it as a pro. My philosophy was simple back in school...practice 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 6 hours one day a week, and take a day off. It was a tough system to follow...it meant getting up early to practice, cutting classes to practice, practicing as soon as my homework was done, etc. Now, some of this practice was sitting playing on a pad while watching TV, etc. A lot of teenages tell me they don't have that kind of time, but then they look at their schedules, and they are going out with friends all the time, going to movies, etc. I always had a healthy social and dating life, but it was on hold until the practicing was done. I did an exercise recently where students told me they were too busy to put in much time, and I had them bring me their cell phone bills. They were shocked to see the hours just spent on the phone, or texting. When you are young, and you are dedicated enough to put in this time, your growth will be amazing. In the end, you'll miss a few dates, and spend less time with people who, 5 years later, you won't talk to 90% of anyway.

As you get older, get into a job, start having a family, you aren't going to have the time to sit and practice. Even if you make it as a pro (but not a national act), you won't have the time to sit and work what you want to all the time. I'm costantly doing "drum stuff." But a lot of it is looking for work, networking, or working on parts for upcoming shows/sessions. You have to decide how important drumming is to you compared to the other things in your life. That will dictate how much time you put in. I suggest looking at your daily schedule, though, and seeing where you can fit it in. There are plenty of husbands who tell me "I can't practice every day because I need to be with my wife," but then realize that they watch Monday Night Football, American Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Office and 30 Rock on Thursday, Terminator on Friday, college football on Saturday, and Sunday Night Football on Sunday. Well, there's an extra hour (or more) a day to be behind the kit if it's that important to you. I'm not saying this to downplay how hard it can be...I have a wife, and if I had to sit in an office all day, I don't know when I'd get to put in serious time. If I had a kid...well...yikes. But I believe that time can always be found, if we really look at our schedules, stay motivated, and make it a top priority (after family, job, etc). If you can quote the entire last season of Family Guy, but say you don't have time to practice, something is terribly wrong!

I love family guy. LOL.

May I ask what you practiced when you were younger? Thanks

[tw33k2514]

I usually get a couple hours in everyday. I have a very bad habit of spending to much time just grooving, rather than working on things I need to be working on though. And once I get into a groove, who knows when it will stop!

[zambizzi]

2-3 hrs. per night. I get about 4-5 hrs. in on band rehearsal night. It still doesn't feel like enough time!

[mrchattr]

I love family guy. LOL.

May I ask what you practiced when you were younger? Thanks

Heck, I love Family Guy, too. Just after practice! :-D

Anything and everything. I would learn snare drum parts from drum corps shows that I could find transcriptions of online; learn jazz, funk, rock, and latin tunes that I liked the beats from; practice writing parts out; go through books (Portraits In Rhythm, the Art of Bop Drumming, etc)...I was also fortunate to have guys who wanted to play every day, so I always had a group that wanted to practice...either a guitarist and bassist and I doing rock, or a keyboardist, sax player, bass player, and I doing jazz, etc. When the movie Drumline came out, another drummer and I started working on the music from that. Before that, when Blast came out, we were trying to work on the snare parts from the percussion solo portion of that. During marching band, we would work those parts EVERY day. Then during indoor (which I never did, but still got copies of all the music), we would work those parts EVERY day. I would work on soloing for a bit, rudiments for a bit, percussion instruments for a bit, etc. I can honestly say that there were times when I would focus on weird stuff like "triangle technique." Anything and everything to be playing, and learning, and growing as a drummer, percussionist, and musician.

I believe that all drumming is tied together. I would sit and work on rudiments and snare drum parts for hours, then when I got together with my rock band, I would have new creative stickings in my fills, etc, that made me a better rock drummer. Or I would go from marching band to jazz band, and my left hand ghost notes would be better because I'd have better control over the rebound of the stick. Or I would learn a complex triangle part for a neo-classical piece, and then incorporate the pattern into an original rock song's ride pattern. Stuff like that is why I always encourage people to learn everything they can about drumming, percussion, and music.

[rockitman]

I get about 20-30 hours per week on the kit, and do a daily routine on the pad. Thats the only way I can gauge it. On a daily basis I may not practice at all, just my routine on the pad which is practice I guess.

[stabmasterarson]

I jam with my band 2x a week for 3 hrs, and on the off days I play anywhere from 30 mins to 2 hours.

[gusty]

I envy all of you who can play drums for any amount of time they desire in a day on either an electronic or acoustic kit without having their practice time regulated. >:C

As of this moment right now, I only got in 1.5 hours of practice on my TD-3 (headphones and all) today, before my mother told me to can it. Yesterday I got about 4 or so hours of practice in.

I have career/playing goals I've set for myself, but I don't see myself achieving them in a timely fashion because of this.

Oh yeah, since four hours is such a short time to practise. Even an hour and a half is good.

Usually i aim for an hour a day, once i get back into school hopefully about an hour and a half.

[mrchattr]

Oh yeah, since four hours is such a short time to practise. Even an hour and a half is good.

Usually i aim for an hour a day, once i get back into school hopefully about an hour and a half.

Dude, don't be mean. Four hours IS a short time to practice, if you want it to be longer. Being told that you can't play, even after a long time, when you still want to play, is harsh. I feel for schist.

[Sprock]

Well i have a problem at the moment, cause my brother works nights so i cant play during day so i cant really practice.

So i ordered an electric kit so can practice like used to.. should be here by monday ;D

during the week i used to practice 3hours a day then on weekends spent 4-6 hours broken up during the course of the day.

[Slazaar]

that burning sensation that you feel after a reasonably solid go at rudiments....would pushing the burn for longer harm the muscles and cause enough fatigue the next day to signif. slow down drumming temporarily?

[mrchattr]

that burning sensation that you feel after a reasonably solid go at rudiments....would pushing the burn for longer harm the muscles and cause enough fatigue the next day to signif. slow down drumming temporarily?

How long have you been playing? If you are a new drummer, or starting to play more, then that's ok..but in reality, there shouldn't be a burning sensation. I drum for multiple hours most days without that.

[SharkyBait911]

Well it depends i can practise (ohnestly) 6-7 hours a day on weekends and on a weekday mostly 1-2 hours a day

[Mette]

Hmm.. I practise 4h almost every day.. no prob. I also go to a special music high school so I play in school everyday too, musical-practise and ensembles etc.

The key to practise much and effectively is to make a practise-schedule and never play more then 1h at every session to stay focused, and drink a lot of water.

[Slazaar]

for a few years...but i recently started stretching the hours-most of it comes from the wrist or the palms

[gusty]

Dude, don't be mean. Four hours IS a short time to practice, if you want it to be longer. Being told that you can't play, even after a long time, when you still want to play, is harsh. I feel for schist.

You make it sound like something terrible. I was putting his playing time into perspective with lots of other people.

[mrchattr]

You make it sound like something terrible. I was putting his playing time into perspective with lots of other people.

Meh, it just seems like you were being sarcastic about something that clearly does bother the guy. It might not seem like a problem to you, but if I had to stop playing after four hours, I'd be very unhappy. The dude makes time to play, and sacrifices other stuff in order to get to do it, so it does suck if he can't use all the time he wants because someone else doesn't want to hear it, and feels that this is the one thing hurting him from accomplishing his goals in a timely manner.

[darknessdude16]

Not enough!

I would love to have the time to practice alot more.

Not to sound big-headed or anything but the problem I think is that i've outgrown my kit and I just cant do what I want with it any more. I know this is never a good reason but its my reason.

But on average i'm lucky if I get 6 hours a week practice in!

Although, the time that I do practice is very well organised. It really isn't about how long you practice it about the quality of the practice.

Adam

[Mette]

Not enough!

I would love to have the time to practice alot more.

Not to sound big-headed or anything but the problem I think is that i've outgrown my kit and I just cant do what I want with it any more. I know this is never a good reason but its my reason.

But on average i'm lucky if I get 6 hours a week practice in!

Although, the time that I do practice is very well organised. It really isn't about how long you practice it about the quality of the practice.

Adam


Good equipment is very important. I know that not everyone is fortuned enough to have good stuff to play on though. If your kit and your cymbals sounds crap it's not very fun to play.

[Ainulindale]

i have a wife and two kids myself and am lucky to get in 1/2 hour a day, when i was playing in high school with my band i played 2 to 6 hours a day, at this stage in my life, i'm just happy to be playing again!

[gusty]

Meh, it just seems like you were being sarcastic about something that clearly does bother the guy. It might not seem like a problem to you, but if I had to stop playing after four hours, I'd be very unhappy. The dude makes time to play, and sacrifices other stuff in order to get to do it, so it does suck if he can't use all the time he wants because someone else doesn't want to hear it, and feels that this is the one thing hurting him from accomplishing his goals in a timely manner.

I wasn't trying to hurt him, i apologise if i did, but from reading through the thread (with people practising much less than him and wanting more) it just seemed like four hours was not such a bad deal.

[KalashnikoV]

My time for practice is restricted because of job, family and community volunteering. I do 15 to 30 minutes a day of solo practicing, with three to four hours of band practice one day a week.
This is about identical to my practice schedule, though I doubt my practice has the same sort of efficacy as yours.
"I don't practice much if at all anymore. I might play some on the pad or grab one of my books to work out of for a few minutes because I gig a lot and I need the rest. I usually get more from picking up my piano, bass, or guitar.

Wow! You're strong! :P

[nacdrummer3]

I usually put in a quality 2 hours of just soloing and trying out new things and usually i put in 20-30 minutes of practice with a click whether it be playing my songs or just doing some random stuff. And i on somedays i put on one of my favourite songs and play along. But for me i would say 2 and a half hours for me a day. Sometimes it will be on a practice pad though and just sort of stomping my feet on the ground to whatever rythm i want.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

When I started with Dom Famularo 5 years ago he told me to do the 2 to 50 exercise (takes about 50 minutes) once a day for about a year. So I started doing that in the mornings before I left for work. Sometimes, I would skip it, or not feel like it, but pretty much, I did it every day.

Or so I thought. When I started actually recording it in a journal, I discovered, to my horror, that I skipped every other day. So what I thought was 80% of the time turned out to be 50%. I learned from that that the mind is not an accurate way to record practice time.

These days, I have a daily routine of The Weaker Side (1 hour) preceded by Accents & Rebounds (30 minutes). The Weaker Side is a one year program, and I took measuring to the next level by entering my practice data into Excel.

Excel now calculates the percentage of the last 30 days I practiced. I have found it extremely taxing to reach 90%, that is, missing only 1 day in 10. What is interesting is that this is what I say is my true passion, what I REALLY ant to do, so clearly my mind is sometimes not present to what I want to do.

I encourage everyone to keep a journal about practice routines. There is a lot to learn from it, and you can show it to people and be proud! Sure, it may appear eccentric to some, but it shows you are dedicated!

Casper

[mrchattr]

I wasn't trying to hurt him, i apologise if i did, but from reading through the thread (with people practising much less than him and wanting more) it just seemed like four hours was not such a bad deal.

That's cool of you. Sorry if I seemed pissy about this...my family has always been this odd mix of supportive, then not supportive. Even now that I make a living playing the drums, I constantly hear, "When are you going to get a real job?" "You drum too damn much." "Another gig? Why the heck do you waste your time like this?" I live on my own and everything and hear this stuff regularly from my mother and grandparents.

So, I'm pretty sensitive to something like a mother telling someone to stop playing. I know how upsetting it can be. It honestly bothers me more than anything else in my life.

[Mikebike88]

Man this is embarassing...I'm lucky to get a day a week, or every 2 weeks to actually sit down on a drumset and "practice". I'm in 2 full time bands, have a job, and live with my girlfriend. I play a LOT of drums, but most of it is 5 or more days of rehearsal a week, then throw in gigs and work...yea I don't get to practice much :/

Another bummer is, that a few days during the week I have hours of free time in the early morning, but alas my girlfriend is sleeping along with the neighbors and my house is ANYTHING but sound proof!

[mrchattr]

What are these people practicing for 5 hours by themselves?

I guess if you are starting out playing, or learning a set list for the first time for a gig coming up, that makes sense, but figure that the average person works 9 hours a day, has 2 hours of prep and return time from work, sleeps 8 hours, has 2 hours of prep and down time before and after sleep (shower, cleaning up, etc...) preparing and eating meals for an hour, that is 21 hours. Leaving 4 hours for practice if you don't have a family or other activities....

I get in about 45 minutes myself.... And I would like more but it is enough to keep me fresh for performances.


www.wolvesatthedoor.com

Or, if it's really important to you to practice, then you work 8 hours a day, take an hour to get to and from work, sleep 6 hours, take an hour total for "prep and down time," and spend a half hour on food, that's 16.5 hours out of a 24 hour day. If you do that, you have 7.5 hours a day to focus on other stuff, including drumming. I know that my example is extreme, but frankly, so is yours. I don't know many people who commute two hours a day to get to work (sure, it happens, but the majority of people don't travel that far), many of us haven't gotten 8 hours of sleep in years, the average work day in America is 8 hours, and you can shower and clean up in 20 minutes easily, I do it every day.

As far as what we practice for all that time every day...well...there's a wealth of drum stuff to know. Until you can play everything that every drummer has ever played, there is always something to practice. I'm not saying that should be your goal...clearly noone could do that. My point is just that there is always something to practice, if you want to.

[drummer girl09]

I used to try to practice atleast an hour a day, and I did do it for the past 2 and a half years about. But lately, I just can't get all of that time in there. I just start to get bored. I try to do some paradiddles (not sure how to spell that), and do a drum solo on the click tracks. And just play with the click track, on a normal groove. After that, I just play with my iPod on the songs I like or what ever. I need to get back on the rudiments though. The good ones ;)

[BillBachman]

I try to get in at least a half hour a day. I just need to make it a higher priority even when life gets really busy. It's my almost new year's resolution to practice every single day in 2009 without fail. We'll see...

[gusty]

That's cool of you. Sorry if I seemed pissy about this...my family has always been this odd mix of supportive, then not supportive. Even now that I make a living playing the drums, I constantly hear, "When are you going to get a real job?" "You drum too damn much." "Another gig? Why the heck do you waste your time like this?" I live on my own and everything and hear this stuff regularly from my mother and grandparents.

So, I'm pretty sensitive to something like a mother telling someone to stop playing. I know how upsetting it can be. It honestly bothers me more than anything else in my life.

That sucks about your family...especially since you live on your own. I mean, its a bit different when your living with your parents, but your making a living from it!

My family is very supportive with mine and my brothers music...i got lucky.



I aimed to practise 8 hours today...i've only got 5 but thats ok, i hung around with my girlfriend who I havent properly seen in ages. I did 2 and a half hours non stop of paradiddles with the hands over half time paradiddles with the feet :) it actually wasnt that hard to do it, lined up a couple of movies and away I went. Now i know that the motivation isnt really a problem, its just finding the time...once i get back into school i'll have much less time available...after school activities every day except friday, im going into senior so the workload will be larger, work, band practises, the odd busk, least of all seeing my girlfriend...if i take a gap year i think ill have to be pretty strict on my practise, itll be the only chance to get in really good hours.

[gusty]

You have to decide how important drumming is to you compared to the other things in your life. That will dictate how much time you put in.

I think thats a really good point, sort of what i was talking about in my last post.

[Dan Lane]

I have an interesting experience to share regarding copious ammounts of practice.

About a year and a half ago, I had this conversation with my band teacher, who made some offhand comment about a trumpet player he knew who was a professional, and about the ridiculous ammount of time he had spent practicing etc, and put it in very clear terms that the only real pre-requisite to a professional music career was practice, and the more practice you did the better you'd get. I don't think he meant to do what he did, but he made me decide at that point that I would do just that. I simply decided at that moment: all right then I'll practice, it just seemed so obvious at the time.

So I started practicing, and practicing alot. I would practice at school, after school, and late into the night on some occasions. Kit, pad, reading, etc. So comes summer, I practice even more, all day long every day. Work through "Art of Bop Drumming" in three weeks, spending about six hours each day on the excersies. Rocking the pad, burning up the stick control book, the syncopation book, the kit, listening to as much jazz as possible, etc. etc. I'm getting very excited about my progress, I'm so pumped at this point, I got jazz camp coming up, I'm going to rock their socks off, kick ass, take names....

I have had tendonosis for 6 months now, since that camp. (not to say the camp was the cause.) My practice time at the moment is probably limited to school related band rehersals. The condition takes 6-12 months to heal, and that would mean I would have to essentially stop drumming for a year and then start from scratch. So I'm holding out until the end of the school year, then I stop drumming, heal, and start again.

What have I learned from all of this? Its best to be lucky. The cause of the condition, which is still unnknown, (it is not a technique problem.) might even be my genes, meaning it may never heal. So yeah. Practice and luck.

[jonescrusher]

What have I learned from all of this? Its best to be lucky. The cause of the condition, which is still unnknown, (it is not a technique problem.) might even be my genes, meaning it may never heal. So yeah. Practice and luck.

That would be surprising. What was your tutor thinking of your hand technique at the time you stared to develop the condition? A genetic disposition to tendonitis must be incredibly rare, so that is very unlucky. Your band teacher was undeniably correct, large amounts of practice is the way forward, and correct technique in nearly all cases should allow a player to practice for extended periods without danger of injury, with due warmup of course.

[Ainulindale]

I have an interesting experience to share regarding copious ammounts of practice.

About a year and a half ago, I had this conversation with my band teacher, who made some offhand comment about a trumpet player he knew who was a professional, and about the ridiculous ammount of time he had spent practicing etc, and put it in very clear terms that the only real pre-requisite to a professional music career was practice, and the more practice you did the better you'd get. I don't think he meant to do what he did, but he made me decide at that point that I would do just that. I simply decided at that moment: all right then I'll practice, it just seemed so obvious at the time.

So I started practicing, and practicing alot. I would practice at school, after school, and late into the night on some occasions. Kit, pad, reading, etc. So comes summer, I practice even more, all day long every day. Work through "Art of Bop Drumming" in three weeks, spending about six hours each day on the excersies. Rocking the pad, burning up the stick control book, the syncopation book, the kit, listening to as much jazz as possible, etc. etc. I'm getting very excited about my progress, I'm so pumped at this point, I got jazz camp coming up, I'm going to rock their socks off, kick ass, take names....

I have had tendonosis for 6 months now, since that camp. (not to say the camp was the cause.) My practice time at the moment is probably limited to school related band rehersals. The condition takes 6-12 months to heal, and that would mean I would have to essentially stop drumming for a year and then start from scratch. So I'm holding out until the end of the school year, then I stop drumming, heal, and start again.

What have I learned from all of this? Its best to be lucky. The cause of the condition, which is still unnknown, (it is not a technique problem.) might even be my genes, meaning it may never heal. So yeah. Practice and luck.

a lesson here maybe, many musical instruments can be physically demanding, perhaps none more so than the drums - they are hard on your hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, back and knees - a little moderation seems practical and safe.
myself i like stretching before, water during and protein after...
hope you get well Dan.

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

I have an interesting experience to share regarding copious ammounts of practice.

About a year and a half ago, I had this conversation with my band teacher, who made some offhand comment about a trumpet player he knew who was a professional, and about the ridiculous ammount of time he had spent practicing etc, and put it in very clear terms that the only real pre-requisite to a professional music career was practice, and the more practice you did the better you'd get. I don't think he meant to do what he did, but he made me decide at that point that I would do just that. I simply decided at that moment: all right then I'll practice, it just seemed so obvious at the time.

So I started practicing, and practicing alot. I would practice at school, after school, and late into the night on some occasions. Kit, pad, reading, etc. So comes summer, I practice even more, all day long every day. Work through "Art of Bop Drumming" in three weeks, spending about six hours each day on the excersies. Rocking the pad, burning up the stick control book, the syncopation book, the kit, listening to as much jazz as possible, etc. etc. I'm getting very excited about my progress, I'm so pumped at this point, I got jazz camp coming up, I'm going to rock their socks off, kick ass, take names....

I have had tendonosis for 6 months now, since that camp. (not to say the camp was the cause.) My practice time at the moment is probably limited to school related band rehersals. The condition takes 6-12 months to heal, and that would mean I would have to essentially stop drumming for a year and then start from scratch. So I'm holding out until the end of the school year, then I stop drumming, heal, and start again.

What have I learned from all of this? Its best to be lucky. The cause of the condition, which is still unnknown, (it is not a technique problem.) might even be my genes, meaning it may never heal. So yeah. Practice and luck.

It is absolutely great to practice a lot, there is nothing wrong with that. But you have to listen to your body. It is okay to push it to the point of stress, as long as you stop at that point. Before your tendonitis, you had many warning signs, I will assert, and you ignored them. But the main point is you learned a very valuable lesson, that you will never forget. I applaud you for learning this now, and you don't even sound defeated or like you are sorry for yourself, so kudos to you! And thanks for sharing this story so others can learn from it!! Now, let's all take the time to work up our practice schedules, after all, we have all life to drum, so there's no rush!!

Casper

[Deltadrummer]

I used to work for a major symphony orchestra. During my tenure there, they went on strike on a big part of the problem was the amount of time expected of the musicians and how that was causing a lot of stress injuries. It is the same thing for singers, and as a singer I have had problems with over working my voice and losing it for a while. I would try some healing exercises: Yoga, Tai Chi, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique. If you take this opportunity to care for your body, and listen to your body, you may find that it is beneficial after all. A lot of careers are destroyed by these problems because they get worse after years of neglect. So start taking care of yourself now when you are young, in school, and your body still mends well.

[Trip McNealy]

Mon-Fri I generally get in about 1 hour of practice each day. Sometimes I will skip a day if I have immediate commitments after work and don't go directly home. It can vary from just pad work/rudiment study, to freeform soloing, to playing along with random music or rehearsing my bands' music. Then on weekends, I'll try to get about 2 hours each day, same stuff.

On top of that solo practicing, I will put in another 3-5 hours a week with band practice between two bands.

[Dan Lane]

It is absolutely great to practice a lot, there is nothing wrong with that. But you have to listen to your body. It is okay to push it to the point of stress, as long as you stop at that point. Before your tendonitis, you had many warning signs, I will assert, and you ignored them. But the main point is you learned a very valuable lesson, that you will never forget. I applaud you for learning this now, and you don't even sound defeated or like you are sorry for yourself, so kudos to you! And thanks for sharing this story so others can learn from it!! Now, let's all take the time to work up our practice schedules, after all, we have all life to drum, so there's no rush!!

Casper

Yeah man. I was in a state of denial for a long time and believed in "no pain, no gain" etc. I just thought that it would clear up next week, or the week after that. My technique is much better NOW, but it was most definetly not as relaxed as I should have been then. In my previous post I meant that it isn't a technique problem at this point, but that, of course, is what started it; if you're truly relaxed in your technique you can play for many hours without tiring the muscles overly.

[FunkyJazzer]

I think it's common sense really. You can almost rank musicians by how much they've practised.

Charlie Parker - 12-15 hours a day for 3 years solid.
Tony Williams - 8 hours a day for 6 years solid(!)
Elvin Jones - similar

..and so on. I don't really know many musicians' practice schedules as you can see, but you get the idea. I think the general mindset of these guys is that they are in a place where they don't have to think about practicing. They just wake up and start doing it, like there's nothing else going on in their lives. They don't have to force themselves to do it, something just clicks in the mind and they find themselves holding the ability to just practice and perfect all day.

I do anything from 6-11 hours a day at the moment, but every day seems to gravitate more towards the 6/7 rather than the 11 these days, because of other commitments, like band rehearsals, gigs, and recording. I'm hoping to change that and make my practice more consistent in the future,

[aydee]

I think it's common sense really. You can almost rank musicians by how much they've practised.

Charlie Parker - 12-15 hours a day for 3 years solid.
Tony Williams - 8 hours a day for 6 years solid(!)
Elvin Jones - similar


Disagree.

Dennis Chambers- Hardly ever
Chet Baker - Almost never
Buddy Rich- Never ever,... but okay, he was a freak.


1 hour with a fresh mind and a relaxed rested body is much better than 4 hours of stale mind and an exhausted body.

1 hour of a problem solving exercises, challenging your abilities and overcoming your limitations is better than 4 hours of boring repetitive stuff.

Sure, sometimes to ingrain a rudiment you've got to repeat it to death till it becomes 2nd nature, or to strengthen your foot you need to get into prolonged repetitions..

..but remember the biggest challenge to practice is fighting boredom and encouraging motivation.

[FunkyJazzer]

Dennis Chambers- Hardly ever
Chet Baker - Almost never
Buddy Rich- Never ever,... but okay, he was a freak.


We can never be sure about this really. It must also come down to the playing opportunities that people get from a very young age, with other musicians. As this is the best way to progress as we all know.


1 hour with a fresh mind and a relaxed rested body is much better than 4 hours of stale mind and an exhausted body.


What about 11 hours with a fresh and relaxed mind and body? It's not impossible.

[aydee]

It's not impossible.

Not impossible, but highly unlikely, bud.

[FunkyJazzer]

AND...

It's not proven that repeating a rudiment to death will ingrain it any better than, say, playing a rudiment uber-slow for half the amount of time that you would play it to death. I'll let Jack DeJohnette explain...


"Endless repetitions are not necessary. Instead, play in a slow or very slow tempo while photographing and recording mentally what you see and hear, correlating what you see with what you hear. If you encounter particular difficulty, try this: Play the rhythm once only, stop. Playing it again once only, stop. Repeat this procedure a few more times until you feel the rhythm is fixed securely in your mind and body.

The approach often works far better than numerous repetitions. Educator Ernest Bayles put it this way: "It is not how many times a thing is done that count. It is the grasp the learner has of it that makes the difference".

The mind must focus entirely on what the learner is learning, as he learns! If his mind wanders away from that in which his hands and feet are engaged, learning is impaired considerably!

Often it is better to spend a couple of minutes on one pattern several or more times throughout the day, than it is to spend a lot of time on it at one sitting. Moreover, if after a week or so of practicing a particular rhythm, you still experience difficulty, get away from it for a few more days."

[FunkyJazzer]

Not impossible, but highly unlikely, bud.

It's probably highly unlikely for a long period of time, yes I agree. However, I've had a string of some days where I do 9-11 hour days, with plenty of water, short frequent breaks and a good night's sleep before and after. It doesn't take that much out of me. It's fun, and satisfying.

[aydee]

AND...

It's not proven that repeating a rudiment to death will ingrain it any better than, say, playing a rudiment uber-slow for half the amount of time that you would play it to death. I'll let Jack DeJohnette explain...


"Endless repetitions are not necessary. Instead, play in a slow or very slow tempo while photographing and recording mentally what you see and hear, correlating what you see with what you hear. If you encounter particular difficulty, try this: Play the rhythm once only, stop. Playing it again once only, stop. Repeat this procedure a few more times until you feel the rhythm is fixed securely in your mind and body.

The approach often works far better than numerous repetitions. Educator Ernest Bayles put it this way: "It is not how many times a thing is done that count. It is the grasp the learner has of it that makes the difference".

The mind must focus entirely on what the learner is learning, as he learns! If his mind wanders away from that in which his hands and feet are engaged, learning is impaired considerably!

Often it is better to spend a couple of minutes on one pattern several or more times throughout the day, than it is to spend a lot of time on it at one sitting. Moreover, if after a week or so of practicing a particular rhythm, you still experience difficulty, get away from it for a few more days."

Fair enough FJ, but I think he's making my point.

His fundamental advice is to stay focused on problem solving. He also assumes that it isn't easy to stay focused for long stretches of time.He talks of stepping away if the mind wanders...

..Listen, I've no beef against 11 hours of practice. IF you can do it, more power to you. Lord knows, I spend hours on some days working my hi- hat/foot independence. It does sound moronic but I do it.

But the other stuff, boredom, frustration, inability stops me at ..3 hrs max . The mind wanders, the body tires...

[FunkyJazzer]

Fair enough FJ, but I think he's making my point.

His fundamental advice is to stay focused on problem solving. He also assumes that it isn't easy to stay focused for long stretches of time.He talks of stepping away if the mind wanders...

..Listen, I've no beef against 11 hours of practice. IF you can do it, more power to you. Lord knows, I spend hours on some days working my hi- hat/foot independence. It does sound moronic but I do it.

But the other stuff, boredom, frustration, inability stops me at ..3 hrs max . The mind wanders, the body tires...

Yeah man it IS hard to stay focused for that length of time, no doubt. I think mastering that is an art, and something to practice in itself! Of course I find it terribly difficult, the breaks I take are when I can feel my mind wandering every two hours or so. Gradually, that two hours is increasing. And the things you mentioned, boredom, frustration, etc, instead of stopping when I hit those walls, I just move onto something else :D

[Hercraft]

...And the things you mentioned, boredom, frustration, etc, instead of stopping when I hit those walls, I just move onto something else :D

Thats exactly what I do.

Im working on 3 things right now:

1. Single Strokes
2. Double Strokes
3. Keep HiHat w/foot in Quarters and Eights and play linear phrases
like eighs, triplets, 16th, sextuplets, 32nds, between and and bass

I pretty much practice 2 hrs a day, 6 days a week, I take sundays for myself and sleep
all day, LOL

So, yesterday during my bands reharsal I was unable to play anything... was
very confuse, I play some dumb fills instead, was in some point tense and
the ideas dont came clear. I play drums for 10 years now. Play a lot of gigs.

Im the leader and composer of the band and we have an important gig to come.

However, I start to focusing in practice rutines since 2 months ago, before that
I simply play, never practice... and... I dont know if someone feels what I fee,
but I have the impression of play worst... I think its a mental state, but I dunno.

Someone have that same impression?

ps. sorry my english

[FunkyJazzer]

However, I start to focusing in practice rutines since 2 months ago, before that
I simply play, never practice... and... I dont know if someone feels what I fee,
but I have the impression of play worst... I think its a mental state, but I dunno.


So, even though you're practicing lots, you think your playing has gotten worse? That's definitely only a mental state, I'm pretty sure of that. I sometimes feel the same. It's because over more practice, it's easy to become more self-critical, and that's what you are doing.

[Muffled Tom]

If I have to force myself to practice, especially rudiments, does this mean that professional drumming is not for me? I have to admit that I need to force myself to do nearly anything that's productive.. upon waking up my first instinct, on weekends is to slouch in front of the TV.. when I get home from school on weekdays, slouching in front of the TV is my first instinct as well. Obviously I've realized this is wrong, and I'm slowly changing my habits.. but if I'm not dreadfully passionate about drumming (I love music and I really like playing with people, rather than practicing.. I'm constantly air drumming when I'm in class, at the dinner table, etc., but I really need to push myself to practice the new snare solo I'm learning rather than do something unproductive), does this mean that I probably shouldn't follow drumming as a career?

[mrchattr]

Disagree.

Dennis Chambers- Hardly ever
Chet Baker - Almost never
Buddy Rich- Never ever,... but okay, he was a freak.


These guys put in a ton of time playing. Everyone seems to think that "practice" means "woodshedding," but that's not the case. The fact is that if you play 5 shows a week, 4 hours per show, and don't "practice" at all, you will become a better drummer. Because you are still practicing. Performance is practicing, just in front of people.


But the other stuff, boredom, frustration, inability stops me at ..3 hrs max . The mind wanders, the body tires...

Out of curiousity, how do you gig? Most gigs last three to four hours (if you're playing in bars, etc). Do you stay attentive for those? This isn't an insult (my tone feels harsh as I write this, but I honestly can't think of a better way to write it)...I'm honestly curious. Or do you mean that you get bored after three hours or just sitting with you and the kit?

If I have to force myself to practice, especially rudiments, does this mean that professional drumming is not for me? I have to admit that I need to force myself to do nearly anything that's productive.. upon waking up my first instinct, on weekends is to slouch in front of the TV.. when I get home from school on weekdays, slouching in front of the TV is my first instinct as well. Obviously I've realized this is wrong, and I'm slowly changing my habits.. but if I'm not dreadfully passionate about drumming (I love music and I really like playing with people, rather than practicing.. I'm constantly air drumming when I'm in class, at the dinner table, etc., but I really need to push myself to practice the new snare solo I'm learning rather than do something unproductive), does this mean that I probably shouldn't follow drumming as a career?

Honestly, you're still in classes, so you may be young enough where this is just a lack of maturity (no offense, but it's true). However, I will tell you that a profession in music requires more dedication and time than almost any other career out there. When I first started, I was working 40 hours a week at my job, then working 40 hours a week on the drumming career, including promotion work and stuff. There is always a new cat on the block who wants to steal your gigs, and other gigs that become available that you have to work your butt off to convince people that you are the right guy for. There are more setbacks, more frustrations, and more moments of getting your hopes up only to have them come crashing down than I can explain in writing this. Every musician I know personally who is playing professionally has gone through the same thing. It takes extreme dedication, extreme effort, and (the worst part for someone who isn't motivated), IT'S UP TO YOU TO DO IT. There's no teacher to threaten you with bad grades if you don't do the homework. You just have to be prepared, all the time. I know that the first time I show up to sub for a musical without having looked at the music well enough to know it (on my own time, without being told to), it will be the last time I'm paid to do that in my area...period. There are other guys just waiting to step in and step up and be the next "me" if I let them.

The ONLY thing that got me through that stuff, and still gets me through it, is my passion and love for drumming. On my rare nights off, I'm usually trying to get jam sessions going with my friends who are just casual musicians, just because I love playing that much.

One final point about passion...you have to be willing to learn lots of styles, including stuff you don't like, to make it as a pro. I read somewhere (I know, that's not a great source, but trust me, the idea is right, even if the number isn't exact) that only 1% of 1% of 1% of all PROFESSIONAL musicians actually do it playing in their own band/bands. Meaning that for every Carter Beauford out there, there are a couple thousand guys making a living playing music in all different styles. My first national CD was Southern Gospel. A style that I don't love. Some of my earliest "big money" gigs were stuff like playing traditional djembe rhythms at a wedding with a djembe group that traveled from South Africa, but had a sick member. There were months where, as a rock and jazz drummer, the only styles I DIDN'T play were rock and jazz...I'd do classical, then a musical, then some southern gospel, then a run with a country artist...and at the end of the month, the rent was paid. My point is that it takes A LOT of patience, practice, and passion to be able to do all of that, especially when it's music that you don't love. The thing is, though...even if you don't love the music, if you are passionate about drumming, you can love playing it!

[aydee]

These guys put in a ton of time playing. Everyone seems to think that "practice" means "woodshedding," but that's not the case. The fact is that if you play 5 shows a week, 4 hours per show, and don't "practice" at all, you will become a better drummer. Because you are still practicing. Performance is practicing, just in front of people.

You're re-arranging the semantics, Jon. I was pointing out the difference between woodshedding and constructive practice too. I think far too many people think just time clocked on the kit is time well spent.



Out of curiousity, how do you gig? Most gigs last three to four hours (if you're playing in bars, etc). Do you stay attentive for those? This isn't an insult (my tone feels harsh as I write this, but I honestly can't think of a better way to write it)...I'm honestly curious. Or do you mean that you get bored after three hours or just sitting with you and the kit?


For me working on books, or internalizing a figure or a piece of music, working on overcoming my limitations is practice, as I define it.

I never see playing as practice, though I get what you say.Practice for me is a very solitary experience, where there is a lot of thinking, considering etc..whereas playing is more of a from-the-heart thing, fuseing yourself with others into a single piece of music.

Gigging is a very different mind set for me. I could go on forever.The last thing I'm thinking of is my practice room or routines, but sure, subliminally it might be there, as you suggest. There a lot more going on emotionally here, whereas practice is more thoughtful, analytical.


.........

[mrchattr]

You're re-arranging the semantics, Jon. I was pointing out the difference between woodshedding and constructive practice too. I think far too many people think just time clocked on the kit is time well spent.

Oooooh, I see what you mean. Sorry, I misunderstood your post at first. My bad! I agree with you about that! I'm too used to people using that as an excuse to never practice, period. Obviously, though, you wouldn't do that.


For me working on books, or internalizing a figure or a piece of music, working on overcoming my limitations is practice, as I define it.

I never see playing as practice, though I get what you say.Practice for me is a very solitary experience, where there is a lot of thinking, considering etc..whereas playing is more of a from-the-heart thing, fuseing yourself with others into a single piece of music.

Gigging is a very different mind set for me. I could go on forever.The last thing I'm thinking of is my practice room or routines, but sure, subliminally it might be there, as you suggest. There a lot more going on emotionally here, whereas practice is more thoughtful, analytical.


.........

God, I love your posts. I really do. That was just very well worded. I certainly see how you see it as well, although to me, every time I play is "practice"...it's just a mindset, I guess. But man, even when I disagree with what you say (which is rare), I just love the way you post.

[FunkyJazzer]

These guys put in a ton of time playing. Everyone seems to think that "practice" means "woodshedding," but that's not the case. The fact is that if you play 5 shows a week, 4 hours per show, and don't "practice" at all, you will become a better drummer. Because you are still practicing. Performance is practicing, just in front of people. Out of curiousity, how do you gig? Most gigs last three to four hours (if you're playing in bars, etc). Do you stay attentive for those? This isn't an insult (my tone feels harsh as I write this, but I honestly can't think of a better way to write it)...I'm honestly curious. Or do you mean that you get bored after three hours or just sitting with you and the kit? Honestly, you're still in classes, so you may be young enough where this is just a lack of maturity (no offense, but it's true). However, I will tell you that a profession in music requires more dedication and time than almost any other career out there. When I first started, I was working 40 hours a week at my job, then working 40 hours a week on the drumming career, including promotion work and stuff. There is always a new cat on the block who wants to steal your gigs, and other gigs that become available that you have to work your butt off to convince people that you are the right guy for. There are more setbacks, more frustrations, and more moments of getting your hopes up only to have them come crashing down than I can explain in writing this. Every musician I know personally who is playing professionally has gone through the same thing. It takes extreme dedication, extreme effort, and (the worst part for someone who isn't motivated), IT'S UP TO YOU TO DO IT. There's no teacher to threaten you with bad grades if you don't do the homework. You just have to be prepared, all the time. I know that the first time I show up to sub for a musical without having looked at the music well enough to know it (on my own time, without being told to), it will be the last time I'm paid to do that in my area...period. There are other guys just waiting to step in and step up and be the next "me" if I let them. The ONLY thing that got me through that stuff, and still gets me through it, is my passion and love for drumming. On my rare nights off, I'm usually trying to get jam sessions going with my friends who are just casual musicians, just because I love playing that much. One final point about passion...you have to be willing to learn lots of styles, including stuff you don't like, to make it as a pro. I read somewhere (I know, that's not a great source, but trust me, the idea is right, even if the number isn't exact) that only 1% of 1% of 1% of all PROFESSIONAL musicians actually do it playing in their own band/bands. Meaning that for every Carter Beauford out there, there are a couple thousand guys making a living playing music in all different styles. My first national CD was Southern Gospel. A style that I don't love. Some of my earliest "big money" gigs were stuff like playing traditional djembe rhythms at a wedding with a djembe group that traveled from South Africa, but had a sick member. There were months where, as a rock and jazz drummer, the only styles I DIDN'T play were rock and jazz...I'd do classical, then a musical, then some southern gospel, then a run with a country artist...and at the end of the month, the rent was paid. My point is that it takes A LOT of patience, practice, and passion to be able to do all of that, especially when it's music that you don't love. The thing is, though...even if you don't love the music, if you are passionate about drumming, you can love playing it!

Jon - It's weird how I just totally 100% agree with every word of every post I've ever read from you.

[brittc89]

So, even though you're practicing lots, you think your playing has gotten worse? That's definitely only a mental state, I'm pretty sure of that. I sometimes feel the same. It's because over more practice, it's easy to become more self-critical, and that's what you are doing.
It is a mental state, for sure. You have to realize that as you are getting better you ears are catching up with you playing. So you are understanding what sounds good to you at a higher level, thus you think you sound worse, because to yourself, in you new enhanced ears, you do.

[aydee]

Oooooh, I see what you mean. Sorry, I misunderstood your post at first. My bad! I agree with you about that! I'm too used to people using that as an excuse to never practice, period. Obviously, though, you wouldn't do that.
God, I love your posts. I really do. That was just very well worded. I certainly see how you see it as well, although to me, every time I play is "practice"...it's just a mindset, I guess. But man, even when I disagree with what you say (which is rare), I just love the way you post.

Why, thank you, Jon.......I think : )


..............

[Funky Crêpe]

im 16, been playing jazz and well everything for 9years....manage to get in bout an hour and a half weekdays and about 3 on wednesdays

[mrchattr]

Jon - It's weird how I just totally 100% agree with every word of every post I've ever read from you.

Thanks, man, I appreciate that!

[Hercraft]

It is a mental state, for sure. You have to realize that as you are getting better you ears are catching up with you playing. So you are understanding what sounds good to you at a higher level, thus you think you sound worse, because to yourself, in you new enhanced ears, you do.

Thank you FunkyJazzer, brittc89!

I guess thats happening to me.
Its strange how can your own point of view can change...
I use to think that I was close to a professional drummer, but when I start
to REALLY practice, and my mind was set to that objective, things radically
changed.

So, I wonder why I miss all those years of practice... but, I know its no good
to think like that. Im happy because I can realice all my playing problems and
I try to figure out a change with this new mind set in practice, practice, practice.

Some advice?

Thanks for this wonderful forum, and like always, sorry my english :- )