201 tips for drummers you shoulda bin tol'

[NUTHA JASON]

i know there are a few books out there with titles like this. so lets between the lot of us write our own.

one tip each and make it a genuine worthy tip. please read all the other tips first so we get no repeats.
here goes:



tip #1
Like swimming it is not a good idea to eat food in the hour before you play. A light meal that won't sit heavy on your gut is recommended - especially if you sing and play. it is hard enough to sit and sing without having to contend with burps and heartburn as well. Rather pig out after the performance when you've earned it. also if you do eat something greasy before, wash your hands or you will be dropping sticks and leaving finger prints on your cymbals.

[finnhiggins]

Tip #2:

Don't let people help with your gear on gigs unless you're really confident that they know what they're doing. It's the only way I've ever had anything lost or broken - nice helpful people not realising that if you take off the hi-hat clutch when breaking down the stand then various bits of it get strewn across the carpark without anybody realising, etc.

[Anth]

Tip #3:
Always start a gig off with a brand new unused pair of sticks. Even if you use a 'nearly new' pair of sticks the chance of one breaking is nearly 2-fold, and the last thing you want is a one to break and mess up an important fill early during your set, or even worse, a tip breaking off without you realising and wrecking a head. Make sense to start a gig with a brand new pair of sticks.

[Paul Quin]

Tip #4:

be sober - if you like to have a wee drinkie, wait until after you're done. Just because you think you're playing that groove right doesn't mean you are.

[RTDRUMS]

Tip #5:

If time permitts, tune your drums before every show you play. Remember, drums sound different in different rooms. Also, try to have someone else play them while you step out front. Although they may not play just like you, you will get a sense of what your drums sound like to the listeners.

[Superlow]

Tip #4:

be sober - if you like to have a wee drinkie, wait until after you're done. Just because you think you're playing that groove right doesn't mean you are.

Tip # 6

Don't smoke the wacky tobaccy before a show. People have some kind of idea in their head that getting high before a show turns you into Buddy Rich. Well it doesn't. You're likely to sound like Meg White and forget parts in your songs during your set.

[DogBreath]

Tip #7:
Practice your weaknesses. That's where you need improvement. Playing what you are good at might be good for warming up, but be sure you spend time really working on the things you have the most difficulty with.

[RudimentalDrummer]

Dealing With Onstage Disaster

Disaster will happen. You can count on it and the best you can do is be prepare for it and pray-

Tip #8: When Sticks Break

Just be sure to bring plenty of sticks to every gig, & place them close to you so you can easilly grap one in a moment's notice. Most stick bags have clips that allow you to attached your stick bag to your floor tom....or use stick holders & position sticks to your kit strategically.

Tip #9: When Head Breaks

Head ultimately break ... you never know.

If a Tom head breaks during a performance, it's relatively easy to work around till the end of your set.

But when your snare head breaks, it's usually a catastrophe. So always carry a spare snare drum with you and you can simply replace the entire snare drum at end of a song.. It's even smarter if you you set a secondary stand outside of your Hi-Hat stand.

Every drummer's best friend - duct tape can save your life in so many onstage emergency. It's especially valuable when you break a bass drumhead. If you ever feel your bass drumhead split, lay off your bass pedal until end of song, then apply generous amounts of duct tape to the surface of the head. In truth, your bass drum will sound pretty wimpy, but you will probably be able to make it to end of set.

Tip #10: When Pedal Breaks

The same thing applies to bass drum pedals ... So it's wise to take a spare pedal to gigs and keep it right next to you during shows.

Tip #11: Be Cool

You can't be too prepare for emergencies.. But the best advice is to play it cool whenever something goes wrong on stage and act as if everything is going smoothly. Don't let the audience know. Remember you are there to deliver your best performance and if you look like everything is rosy, chances are good that audience won't even notice that something has gone wrong.

[Stu_Strib]

Tip #12:
Don't play so obnoxiously loud that you ever break sticks or heads, hehe.
(but seriously) If you play with mics, there is no neeed to break sticks, cymbals or heads. If you are in a metal band, I would suggest watching Corey Pierce from God Forbid. Smooth and fast. I doubt he breaks sticks.

[Alk3fan]

Tip #13
Don't hit your cymbals straight on. Less chance of cracking.

[Bonzo]

Tip #14

Bring a practice pad to your gig and warm up properly with some rudiments before you go on. It's hard to go full-tilt at the beginning of a show when you haven't warmed up.

[Paul Quin]

Tip #15

Above all, listen to what the other members of the band are playing and contribute to the overall sound. Remember that fancy double-paradiddle-diddle with the bass drum triplet ONLY appeals to you and others who read this forum and probably doesn't make the song sound better.

[darkcherryfade]

Tip #16

Don't play with your entire arm. There's no need to risk injury (be it from improber body movements or a stick hitting you in the eye) to play things much louder than they need to be just to look cool. Usually, only drummers in the crowd care what the drummer's doing. Simple wrist and finger techniques and properly placed hits should give you all the volume and dynamic range you need.

[aahznightsky]

Tip # 17

Martin's Guitar Polish works extremely well for polishing your drums for a beautiful look (as I found out today)

[Tyrnox]

Tip #18

Make a practice plan, before you start your practice, that way the time you spend practicing can be alot more efficient.

[RudimentalDrummer]

Tip #19

Pay your daily visit to DRUMMERWORLD if time permits, a forum that speaks your language for motivation, for inspiration, for knowledge, and anything pertaining to serious drumming to keep us going ahead, we all need that. - It's our world out here !

[rendezvous_drummer]

Tip # 6

Don't smoke the wacky tobaccy before a show. People have some kind of idea in their head that getting high before a show turns you into Buddy Rich. Well it doesn't. You're likely to sound like Meg White and forget parts in your songs during your set.

HAHAHA!!! Oh man you couldn't have said it any better

Tip #20:

Listen to some music before you go on. It gets you pumped and gets you into the groove.

[darkcherryfade]

Heh, I'd say number 6 varies from person to person. Still, better safe than sorry of course.

[Colin]

Tip #21

Stretch before and after every gig (and/or practice time). It will help you warm and loosen up. Drumming is like a sport, you must know what muscles you are using and you must keep them in good shape. Stretching really helps.

[eddrummer05]

tip #22

Get to the place of the gig 1 or 2 hours before,set your drums,mics,test it do every thing you gotta do with time and relaxed,so you dont get nervous by getting there late and setting up your drums really fast, it will mess up your playing....

[Rick Wilkinson]

Tip #23

Stretch your wrists, I’ll try to explain it.

1. Take your sticks (or stick) and lay them across your hands with both Palms Up and close your fingers to lightly grip the sticks

2. Keeping a hold of your sticks, roll your knuckles up and towards you, continue around until your Palms are facing Up (still holding the stick of course don’t let if flip out of your hands) Then extend your arms straight in front of you.

Do that several times until your wrists loosen up

Now that your wrists are stretched out do this…

To explain how to hold your sticks for this, lay one stick down then but the other stick to it, tip to tip (with a 16" stick they will be laid out together 32" in length)

1. Now move them together so they over lap each other about 5" so you can grab and hold both sticks with one hand. You should end up with a tip next to your pinky-knuckle and one next to your pointer-finger knuckle.

2. Now extend your arm out in front of you and start flipping your sticks right and left as far as you can each way. Build up speed, you should hear a swishing sound.

This is a great one for developing a strong grip but keeping loose wrists. Do both hands.

Caution: This second tip can be dangerous if a stick fly’s out of your hand. So I would recommend that you Do Not do it next to your LCD monitor, TV’s, windows, wife, kids etc. lol

This is great for Drumming and/or Golf.

[Henry II]

Tip #24:

Don't be like a bass player, use deoderant.
(editor's note: also have some gum or mints. helps with girls you know)

[Damon Dapper]

Tip #25

Use a good drumthrone, a $40.00 throne will feel like a $40.00 throne in about a half hour. So invest some good money in a good throne, especially if you play long sets. With a solid throne, you will be relaxed, balanced, well positioned, and more in control. You will imediately notice a night-&-day difference in a cheep throne and an expensive throne.

Be absolutely comfortable when performing.

A good throne is well worth the investment.

Dap.

[Rudy McRudster]

Tip #26

As much as we'd like to think so, the show is not just about us. We play with the band and not by ourselves. Having a fun groove going is fine, but overplaying makes you look like a real jackass and takes away from the music.

[K!lly]

Tip #24: Don't be like a bass player, use deoderant.

Tip #27:

Don't be like a bass player, don't play louder than all the other musicians on your gigs, just for the people listen to you and look at you...
your are in a band, musics is not only drums and you're not a solo artist ;)

[NUTHA JASON]

tip #28

when putting new skins on, take a candle and rub a small amount of wax around the bearing edge. this provides a minute amount of lubrication under pressure and aids seating and tuning. could use sex wax or snow board wax as well.

[DrummerDad]

tip #29:

Shoes. Make sure you have a good pair on, unless you play barefoot. I also like to tuck in my laces. Nothing worse than gettin' busy on the doublebass, to get cut short because your shoe lace grabbed the hammer.I prefer running shoes.And make sure they are dry, and clean.

[Stevis]

Tip #30
Always go to the bathroom before a gig, if not you will find out the hard way and so will everyone else at the gig.


Tip #31
Make sure everything is set up to your liking. That everything is exactly where you like it and that you will be comfortable playing it that way.

[MunsieMan]

Tip #32


Say it and then play it
The best way to learn a new rhythm is to say it out loud first. This allows the brain another method of comprehending it.

also check out http://www.drumtips.com/

[Stevis]

tip #28

when putting new skins on, take a candle and rub a small amount of wax around the bearing edge. this provides a minute amount of lubrication under pressure and aids seating and tuning. could use sex wax or snow board wax as well.

tip #33

Also when putting on new heads, tighten them to as far as they can go to pop all the glue bubbles from when the batter was made.

[CyclopseSlayer]

Tip #34


Put your heart and soul into your playing.

[Fur drummer]

Tip #35

Make sure you have a towel to wipe sweat off and a full water bottle where you can reach it.

[MaxRoach]

Tip #36 - Remember that you are not good at drums :P

[chino_Ocio]

Tip # 37 --> Be friendly to other drummers and bands, having contacts in the showbiz is really important.

Tip # 38 --> Don't critizice (spell check... please) other drummers, unless you have a constructive comments for them. or in other words... don't tell other drummers they suck, try to help them instead.

[lowender]

Tip # 39 - You'll know this one if you've seen Chad Smith's DVD (and if not I highly recommend you do (consider that tip 39.5!)) but a good way to keep your drum key to hand is to get some velcro and place a good length of the spiky half on the top of your bass drum (I put it on the rim area) and then wrap the soft part of the velcro all the way round the drum key handle. You're key will never be out of reach again. Unless of course you drop it whilst trying to tighten a loose lug on a dark smoky stage a la the Spinal Tap cocoon sequence.

[darkcherryfade]

Tip #40

Remember to use the right sticks for the right gigs. Some might be to big and loud, others to soft and quiet.

Tip #41

If you have a pillow, you don't need a practice pad.

Tip #42

Learn to play well on ANY kit, cause any gigging drummer will eventually have to, and no one wants to hear you whine about how the kit's not comfortable.

[AlbinoBlackbird]

Tip 43

if you cant twirl your sticks dont try

[Anduin]

Tip #44

Watch the bass player's fingers. It will help lock the two of you together.

[Anduin]

Tip #45

For the very end of your practicing, play something fun!!

Sweating over the difficult stuff is great for improving your overall ability in the long run, but it can be a bit of a downer as you're actually trying to pull off that 11-beat hi-hat ostinato over the 3-against-5 polyrhythm with the hands while maintaining the smooth crescendo of the 7-beat bass drum cycle.

So once you're done with that part and ready to call it a day, spend a few minutes playing something for pure enjoyment. Doesn't have to be difficult. Doesn't have to be fancy. The idea is to end your practice session with a good feeling about drumming in general. You want to walk away with a warm and fuzzy vibe inside so your lingering thoughts of drumming remain positive and appealing on a personal level.

[ChrisD]

Tip #46

If you are the sweating type of drummer and you know you'll be playing under some hot lights (different bars have different configurations of lights and some are way hotter than others) bring a bottle of water to drink as well as a towel to wipe your hands off after every second song or so or even use a towel to wipe off your hands if you the know the next song has alot more fills in it and alot more movement around the kit.I even used to dip my sticks in plastic dip to prevent them slipping while I play.Something I've seemed to notice with some drummer friends of mine is that the less sleep you get the night before a show equals the more you will sweat.I don't think this pertains to everyone but its something that I've noticed in my playing as well.

[AurelienPK]

Tip 47

"Don't play FOR people. Play WITH people."

Papa JoJones

[Funkydrummy]

Tip 48

If you're not sure about which kind of fill you want to use at a moment of a song, just do a quick build up, it works in general, especially with Rock rythm

Tip 49

Before you play, if you're stress, just remind yourself that 90% of the people dancing or clapping in front of you, do not have that "drum ear" so they do not pay attention to everything and to all the details of your drumming! also it's just music so if you do a mistake, just enjoy it!; people will not keep in their mind forever that you did that mistake at that date and so on....
Now if you're really stressed, just go to a quiet place where you're alone and tension your muscles for 10s and do it again;

Tip 50
Do not be that much loud, keep it balance with the other instruments, Drumming is an art, be creative and inspired

PEACE bros!

[minnietguinea]

Heh, I'd say number 6 varies from person to person. Still, better safe than sorry of course.
Maybe. But....
Tip #51
No. Don't rely on any outside substances to keep you going / make you better. Build things up by yourself, so you never have to count on anything other than you for those quick single strokes or energy...that's how addictions start.

[morphe]

Tip #52

"Let a teacher teach you the basics, then forget everything" - Ian Paice

[darkcherryfade]

Who said to RELY on anything? Anyway, let's keep it on topic....

[DrUmStIcKmUrDeReR]

Tip #53
When playing a show, try not to be a star. if you try to play better then you can, you will only embarass yourself and ultimately your band

[DrUmStIcKmUrDeReR]

Tip #54

DONT wear baggy pants. if you want do put a big accent on the bass drum and suddenly end up with your beater trapped inside your jeans, you could be in trouble.

[Bashkin]

tip #55- In small places remmember that nice couple who payed good money to sit and TALK ( not yell ) over good meal and good music.
Brushes are not the only answer, Learn to play softly and your chops will only get better,
use different mallets and expiriment with sounds ! (egg beater ,springs,and other cookwere work fine)

[Sticktrick]

#56

If you want to sound good on a pillow - practise on a pillow.
If you want to sound good on a chair - practise on a chair
If you want to sound good on a drumset, you should at least consider to practise on one of those.


(for those of you, that spend two hours a day working out on pillows...)

[Jaymasta]

Tip# 57

Don't try to look fancy with different hand tricks and don't twirl your sticks in the middle of playing (only if you practised this alot then you can do it)

[Bonzo]

Okay, that's 57 tips, and maybe 10-15 of them AREN'T duplicates!

[Elemental Nausea]

Sorry to interrupt you , but I dont really think this forum is so useful because some tips are contradictious and noone can tell if they are really helpful, for example I am not so sure about the pillow thing, which should replace a practice pad perfectly

[Smoky_McPot]

Tip #58

You gotta learn to walk before you can run.

[NUTHA JASON]

Sorry to interrupt you , but I dont really think this forum is so useful because some tips are contradictious and noone can tell if they are really helpful, for example I am not so sure about the pillow thing, which should replace a practice pad perfectly a tip is not an instruction but advice: to be taken or ignored. i think, and so does dennis chambers, that practicing on a pillow has a lot of merit. but i feel that dom famularo wouldn't.
so...

tip #59
listen to advice whereever you can get it and then decide its value to your own needs. apply some things straight away and others should be put in your memory for another day or completely discarded.

[Rick Wilkinson]

Seems like a no-brainer but.

tip #60
Forget the pillow and use your old "mouse pad"

[MrB0jangles]

# 61
Playing Open Handed will not only open your right arm (I'm assuming you are a righty on a righty kit here, but this applies just as strongly to lefties on lefty kits) to the rest of the kit, but it is also a great way to develop strength, speed, and coordination with your left hand.

[jesus]

#62

Transcribe your favorite grooves/solos etc. Nothin better that learnin from the best. Also, dont get someone else to transcribe for you, thats like gettin someone to run a race for you in yer name.

[Mario Vincent]

#63: If you dont have a pillow, use your knees (not the cap). Works great if you can take it...

[sween]

#64 Again maybe an obvious one, but always bring a rug or a mat to a gig to avoid your drums sliding away half way through. nothing worse!

[mwhurst3]

TIP #65

Don't grip your sticks too tightly. Speed, Power, Finesse - all begin with relaxed control.
The art of learning technique lies in gripping just tight enough.

[driver]

#66

play at diffrent volumes to mix things up. go from hard to loud at times. can really change the way a song sounds!

[drumbeest]

#67
try to drum along with some of your fave songs!
or if you have a band play those songs with your mates! its really much fun to do and you will learn a lot from it!
search for drum tabs on the net! http://www.mxtabs.net

[beat1212]

#68
experiment with setting your drums up flat(particularily the rack tom becuase:
1. you natural hand position for your wrist is it being straight and when they are flat you hit your drums flat with a straight wrist and you get more power that way as well and u arent using some kind of wierd motion.
2. also then you can do cool corssovers between your hihat and rack tom in fills and in grooves and this will open up alot of new ideas. (remeber that it has to be falt and LOW so you can reach it comfortable, it might take some getting used to but trust me it will be worth it.
3. playing on the rim of your toms will be a hell of a lot easier and you wont hit the batter head. (if u are concerned about the drums getting out o ftune get lug locks.
4. IT JUST LOOKS DAMN COOL.!!!!!

ps. 4 is the most important

[rodie]

#69
if you have to play loud to be heard, ask the rest of the band to turn down some, as the room may appreciate it more than you know...

[Anduin]

Tip #70

Set up your kit for playability, not for the coolness factor.

Neil Peart (or insert-your-favourite-drummer-here) has a very cool looking kit, but he'll readily tell you that everything is positioned to be within the easiest possible reach. Looking cool is just a happy by-product of a well-configured drum kit.

[bald guy]

Tip #71

Start practicing with hearing protection and get used to it.

[NUTHA JASON]

#72
first move the audience, then move the drummers in the audience.

ie. play excellent grooves and times and the audience will clap and dance. later as your toolbox of proven fills and difficult manouvers fills up you will also wow the drummers who will be watching.
remember, the average joe shmo out there thinks a single stroke roll is as impressive as triplets with a bass drum. they really cannot tell the difference. only drummers know. and if they judge you for playing simple fills and techniques then it is their problem/hang up not yours.

[finnhiggins]

#73 - Eat properly during the day prior to gigs. I'm off to one in a minute and have been really busy all day with teaching, plus running around town for various things. I'm just sitting down to my first proper food for the whole day and I feel shaky as hell. Once I finish this I'm off to drink a few pints of water and then chuck my drums in the car...

#74 - If you don't know a song and you're having to learn it off the band on the gig, don't worry overly about what the precise grooves are - you can probably pick that beyond a vague style and idea of tempo. Ask where the stops are. These are the things that will make you look silly if you miss them.

[ak_]

#89 Learn how to count! [heh..]

(actually #75) Yes you're a drummer...and you hits things...but chances are that you have just as much musicality if not more than most of the others in your band...don't be afraid to speak up!!!!! They will respect you for it in due time, and may even begin looking to you on a regular basis for advice.

[wooltonboy]

#76

Drink LOTS of water throughout the day of a gig, not just at the gig.
Also, I am now a firm believer in having a banana half way through the gig.
It replaces the potassium that you sweat out while playing. I have got to the last set and felt a little lightheaded, but now that i have a banana i feel re-energized and focussed.
Try it, it really works.
Phil

[ak_]

YEAH! BANANAS ARE AWESOME!! ...raisins work very well also! I think those are the top two quick energy foods ever...so yeah...good tip...i agree

[Roger-It]

Tip #77

don't use those massive sticks, because if you've got decent wrists, the snap comes from there

(RMT rulez)

[stanley23]

Tip #78

Do not get comfortable with even small mistakes during a practice set or when doing rudiments. Of course there will be botched fills or grooves that stumble (especially while learning something new), but hold expectations in your performance high enough to where what you might perceive as a glaring mistake is almost wholly unrecognizable by everyone else.

[andmoreagain]

#79

Practice the fundamentals (rudiments) of drumming, start slow... very slow....(discipline)... Then a little faster, think about you mind absorbing the motions over and over… repeat this 1,892,324 times, but make sure your wrists don’t fall off… o.k. until your wrist fall off.

Remember, If you can’t play something well with a pad and sticks you can’t play it well on a 40-piece drumset.

[medeskisoul]

#80: Bring a fan to all shows (if you can) so you have some air circulation on stage under the HOT lights.

#81: Mark the stand and drum footing on your rug with duct tape. mark all stand postition or use memory locks also. Speeds up set up and makes sure your drums and cymbals are in the same position every time.

#82: Bring a spare set of clothes to the gig. If you sweat like I do you will need them. No one like a wet drummer and most of all it keeps you from getting sick in the winter.

#83: Keep the shoes you play in in your trap case. wear other shoes to load in and walk around in. Venues and most of all festivals have dirt, mud and other gunk which can make playing hard or worse get it all over your nice pedals.

#85: Lysol (sp?) Toilet Bowl cleaner cleans cymbals very well. Just remember to wash them thoroughly afterwards and then polish. The acid gets ALL the grime out of the grooves.

[Thinshells]

#86 Be professional!
Places charge a cover so they can pay for the band. People pay to see the band. The last thing they want to put up with are unprepared and late musicians. If you are scheduled to go on at 9:00pm, you should be able to start into song #1 at 9pm. Not 9:30 or 9:45. That is unprofessional and shows contempt for the people that pay you (the audience) Have your gear prepared so that you don't have to stop between songs to adjust, setup or sound check. That is very annoying.

[Mario Vincent]

I was just messing around with some mallets on my practice pad and found you get a lot less bounce than with regular sticks so...

87: Practice with mallets on your pad to build up strength (by they way these are tymph mallets)

[FatherTime]

Tip# 88

Grand chops, the show of technique and stick work is really great but don’t forget your main purpose in the band and most importantly the music. You are the band’s metronome and your beat is the heart of the music. You ARE the driving force behind the guys up front and they depend on you to keep the whole machine “Tight” and THAT’s your main focus. Nothing worst than playing and suddenly realizing that you are offbeat with the rest of the guys… actually there is something worst. The audience realizing that!!

[NUTHA JASON]

this tip came from '67Rogers . it was posted in '101 tips' that mysteriously reappeared in general discussion last night. there are ghosts in our machines.

#89
Get one of those key holders from the hardware store thats looks like the old coiled type phone cords. There is a plastic clip on one end and a key ring on the other. Put a drum key in the keyring and clip the other end to your belt loop for before and after the gig, and to the nearest floor tom tension rod during the gig. Then you always have a key handy to use. You can put other keys on the ring to, like timbale or the odd conga tuner. The cord stretches about five feet and you can just drop the drumkey after using it and it usually finds its own way right back beside you. Paiste, Pearl, and others make a dkrumkey with a hole for a key ring or a cord. I also have one on a cool old watchfob. No more fishing about between songs for a key.

['67Rogers]

#90
SMILE!! At least once in a while look like you are enjoying yourself. If you look like you're having fun then the audience will too. That means you may have to fake it sometimes, like the fortieth time through that one song you hate. So smile when you practice too. I've been to too many shows that had drummers looking serious for the whole gig - Great players but no fun and not a well rounded PERFORMER. When the dummer is pushing the band's energy it shows, and it's like having the crowd in the palm of your hand. Try it.

[incubotic]

#91 Don't think...feel...try not to think of what ur actually doing at the moment..just feel it and you won't miss a beat. It should seem as if you're riding the music..just hear that beat or fill in your head and let it flow.. playing naturally is the key.

[Windrummerboy]

Tip# 92:

Have ethics and be humble with EVERY musician around you, it makes no differecnce if they are as good as lars ulrich or as good as marco minnemann.

Tip# 93:

Learn how to use and when to use your shoulders, elbow, wrist and fingers, each one of those gives you a different strenght and affects the stick reaction tremendously, the more of your arm you use the more tired you will get but you will reflect more energy and strenght. learn when to use each.

Tip# 94:

Learn how to read. you never know when you might need it. it doesnt mater if you cant read-on-sight but at least understand what other musicians are talking about. it will open your mind to composing in great ways.

[finnhiggins]

Tip #95 - When you're not playing on a song, turn your snares off - that buzz can get really annoying when there's no drums to justify it.

Tip #96 - ... but remember to turn them back on again before you start the next song. I mean this...

[mediocrefunkybeat]

Tip #97 Try attaching a fan to your cymbal stands or drum rack for those times when it gets hot.
Make sure it's pointing in the right direction though...

[anijtj]

Tip#98
What songs to hear, while I am still creating my own style?

Hear all the songs that you can get to. Hear the songs that you hate the most number of times. DONOT LISTEN TO YOUR FAVOURITE DRUMMER. This way you will sound a lot original and technically good. Which I think most of the new drummers are lacking.

[superbatmat]

Tip#99

BE YOURSELF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[YAHAHA]

Tip# 102
When practicing, rehearsing or auditioning (especially auditioning); imagine yourself playing in front of a sold-out house at Madison Square Garden (or other large venue of your choice). Image the vibe and the feel of being onstage in front of all those people cheering you on. Once you get accustomed to that feel and are relaxed, stage-fright should never darken your door.

I'd also like to repeat: don't wear baggy pants and always carry an extra bass drum pedal! Having to kick your bass drum with the toe of your shoe the remainder of the gig because you weren't prepared really sucks!

[Bonzo]

Okay, we're at 102 tips, of which I've counted at least 42 repeats and/or completely meaningless ones ("Learn to count"??? Duh!) Maybe it's time for this thread to die.

[NUTHA JASON]

Okay, we're at 102 tips, of which I've counted at least 42 repeats and/or completely meaningless ones ("Learn to count"??? Duh!) Maybe it's time for this thread to die. actually i have plans for this thread. i'm going to keep it open. then at some distant date i'm going to read it through and evaluate it, combine and pair down some entries and choose the top 101 tips (with credits going to the writers) then i will post the completed project for comment while the originalk thread will be locked and put in the archive. but before i do that i want a lot of good stuff to choose from.

j

[M2Kstyle]

Tip #103

Name your kit. It gives you a connection with it that will show in your playing.

[J0llyhunter]

tip #104

to get more rebound out of your grip, use the middle finger fulcrum for matched grip. it is so much easier. now i've found a way for trad grip as well. you just use the normal trad grip BUT, you just stretch out the index and middle fingers to create as much space as you can between the tip of those fingers and the "V" between your index and thumb. dont forget to have a really really really loose fulcrum.

ps. freddie gruber copied me on the middle finger fulcrum. i used it ageess ago! =)

[FatherTime]

Tip #105

Remember that your kit is an instrument just like any other in the band. Each drum and/or cymbal is/has a different tone or note; therefore just like, let’s say a guitar you would play the note of G, F or #E on a certain string and fret, you would play the same equivalent tone or sound on your specific drum on your kit. Listen carefully at the music and translate the melody throughout your kit. That kind of understanding of your kit and relationship between the kit and the music will help you so that you hit the right drum at the right time to accent, join in or accompany the melody with your own while playing the song. This will also help you translate your inner melodic creativity into your kit to produce your precise and understandable groove and/or style.

[FatherTime]

Tip # 106

Technique:
·skill possessed: skill or expertise in doing a specific thing
a pianist with superb technique
·special ability: a special ability or knack

Technology:
·application of tools and methods: the study, development, and application of devices, machines, and techniques for manufacturing and productive processes
recent developments in seismographic technology
·method of applying technical knowledge: a method or methodology that applies technical knowledge or tools
a new technology for accelerating incubation

There is no such thing as cheating when it comes to technique. If it will make you play the music better in any way, shape or form then it’s a good thing to learn. So if anyone judges your playing because of your technique, just remember that if it weren’t for “Technology/Technique” we wouldn’t even have the drum gear we have today. And then ask them what size sticks they use and why? ;-)

[oliverlawford]

Tip#107 Some drum philosophy...

The amateur practises something until it is very good...

The Professional practises something until it cannot go wrong

Oli

[oliverlawford]

TIP#108 Some more drum philosophy...

A skill learnt is NEVER a skill wasted..discovering stuff you practised years ago is only to the delight of the performer

Oli

[mediocrefunkybeat]

Tip #109: If you find yourself in a drumming rut, simple solution:

Take your entire drum kit apart. Re-assemble it into a far smaller set. For example; if you are playing an 8 piece kit with 7 cymbals, try making it into a 5 piece with just hats, crash and ride. You may find yourself being far more creative and inspired by the simplicity. I did this the other day and my playing has improved three-fold because my mind is now physically and mentally uncluttered.

[ewanlaing]

tip #110:
try to be a bit weird with your playing. if you find yourself doing a groove or fill, thats building up a crescendo, clamp the cymbal on beat one, instead of having a big finish. then crash your cymbals and have your finish on beat 3. sounds weird, but few will expect it.

[von_krumm_drummer]

Tip #111

If you are going to wear pants whilst playing, never ever wear skin tight pants. Although they don't catch the bass kick, they will keep your legs in one position the whole time and so you legs become very stiff. They also can give bad crutch rott.

[Ellen]

Tip #112

Don't just learn to play one style of music- always be listening and experimenting with stuff from all genres. There is so much to be inspired by if you just look around. Rock and funk are great for developing solid 'feel', while jazz will improve syncopation and your ability to listen and respond to the other members of the band.

Being broad about the music you play and listen to will expand your rhythmic repetoire, and add zest to your playing.

[ewanlaing]

tip# 113:
don't lean forward. the stick WILL go in your eye.

[skippy]

tip# 114



record all of your practice sessions go back and listen and work on what you dont have to well

[Drummer-X]

Tip #115

Do not use sugar as a means of attaining energy, this will just dehydrate you and once you come off you're sugar buzz you will be completely exhausted. (dehydration+high energy set+ baggy jeans + hot lights = nearly passing out after only 5 songs, trust me!!)

Tip #116

When warming up use old useless sticks, keep your good pairs for the show, it is not fun trying to make a taped together set of sticks last the whole show befause you broke 4 in the pre-gig warm up (as I experienced recently).

Tip #117

Learn a new instrument and music theory, I recently learned 7 instruments in addition to drums and began to study music theory. Although you won't have to know how many flats in an F minor harmonic scale or what a G is on a sax when playing drums, it does help immensely to know what's going on in the music. This added knowledge of the music will help you play much more musically and your band will greatly appreciate it. Also, it helps when writing music to know what should happen where and where the music is going.

In addition to learning music theory it is vitally important not only to be familiar with odd time signatures, but to be comfortable playing them, especially if you're into prog rock, 'cause i think we' ve all tried to learn a song only to be playing it and find ourself completely off the beat, Dream Theater is notorious for their messed up times. If you're not sure of a song's times, listen to the song in headphones (to help you concentrate and be more able to hear the fine details of what the drummer's doing) and write the parts you can't understand out, this will help your understanding of the song immensely and even if you never read the part while playing the act of writing it out has given you a much deeper understanding of what's going on (once again I refrence Dream theater, 8/8,7/8,6/8,7/8, what the hell kinda messed up phrase is that!, sounds good though!!!)

[Gothelf]

Tip #118
Ask people what they think of your playing - I mean people who don't play drums themselves - sometimes they notice stuff you haven't thought about....

[DrumGod]

When Giging Concentrate on the drumming and not on showman ship cos chances are youl make less mistakes

[Blackfyre]

Tip # 120

Always make sure your bass drum(s) are actually level with the floor after you fasten your pedal on. I know a guy who accidentally tilted the front end upwards and because he pushes forward and digs in with his right foot: His Drum bounces up and down Pimpmobile style!!

[David_the_drummer]

Tip # 121

Protect youe ears. I find that my ears ring after band practice ( haven't played any gigs yet but I willl. Wish me luck! ) so its best to wear ear plugs if you can still hear the other guys. Oh and bye the nice ear plugs from Guitar Center for 15-20 dollars, they let you hear the highs and lows of your kit and the other band members.... Later!

[dunchykong]

keep your drums clean. they look nicer that way

[dunchykong]

tip 122 ****************

[TitanSound]

Tip # 123

I have seen post about keeping a towel near, if you tend to sweat a lot like I do put a bar towel on your stool. Keeps your batty nice and dry!!

[THIEB]

TIP # 124

Play always like this concert was your last. Give all you've got on stage.

[Bastardo]

Tip # 125:

If you usually play only slow beats, try playing some real fast stuff when you practice. This will make you think faster, in the way "What fill do I wanna use now" or "what'll be the next thing I do".

[tSp]

Tip #126 - a way to develope your weak arm/leg that I have posted at numerous web sites and received a lot of compliments about is very simple to do: If you practice on a right hand kit, reverse it and play it as a left hand kit. Of course the opposite is true if you practice a left hand kit, reverse it and play a right hand kit. Make sure you start out very slowly with just some basic beats. Later on, when you are comfortable with this setup, try doing some fills and make sure you are leading with your weak hand or foot.

Tip #127 - if you normally play hi-hat with your right hand, try playing an entire song with the left.....and of course, vice versa.

Tip #128 - tune your drums to the fundamental tone of the shells (the note that the shell has without any heads). They will sound much better with a lot less muffling needed for overtones.

[david_chitty]

Tip 129#

play at your own pace... never push too far out when doing a gig, keep a little in for the sake of the groove and push the boat out when you feel the time is right

[Auger]

Looks like I kind of came a little late to the party for this thread, but couldn't resist adding:

Tip #130 was actually told to me by a drumset ...really. I was playing a gig at a now defunct little club in Manhattan and was making use of the house "drumset." It had seen better days. Anyway, when I first climbed behind it to set up I saw, written very prominently in permanent marker on the head of the floor tom: "YOUR PRE-SET DRUM SOLO IS THE WORST IDEA YOU'VE EVER HAD" I laughed out loud -and I agree. Though there are some exceptions to this one, I generally advise that drummers don't 'noodle around' during or before a set -while the rest of the guys set up or between songs.

[NUTHA JASON]

hahaha that's inspired. i really hate it when guitarists do this as well. we fired our guitarist 50% because he was a complete jerk but 50 % because while the rest of us were lugging equipment in and setting up he would be soloing and going through EVERY EFFECT ON HIS DAMN PEDAL BOARD as if it was the first time he'd used it.
j

[Slayer_metal_head]

Tip #131 If you headbang while you play the drums dont overdo it you might get whiplash or you might pass out (hehe woops) and that goes for all band members!

[rockitman]

Tip # 132.
Never let whimpy people carry your gear. A horn player friend of mine thought he'd help me out with my cymbal bag and dropped it, unzipped, down a set of stairs for me. (ottos dekalb, il)
There went a beautiful and unique sounding Wuhan China and in one fell swoop. I thought I'd lose my mind and kill him, but he actually offered me his pay for the cymbal. He's lucky they are inexpensive.

[Class A Drummer]

Tip #133

If you are going to solo make sure u are actually playing different things around the set, not just rudiments and patterens you would play on the hi-hat and stuff. Thats what makes it interesting and fun to listen and watch.

[scorch]

Tip # 134

Make your bass player always set four cold beers and two cold waters back by your kit at every gig. It fricken rocks

[zima]

Tip # 135
Record your gigs (and probably rehearsals too) to minidisc or tape if possible. Listening to it is a really efficient way to figure out the weak parts of your drumming. (And it's very useful for the whole band also.)

[Wegadrummer]

Tip:136

Make shure your not to drunk when the gig starts... over all, not drinking at all

[gmrakich]

137. Relax
138. Make sure mics are out of the way
139. Tighten beater on kick pedal(s)
140. Drink lots of water day of gig. You will not cramp if you are hydrated..

[Shimp]

Tip 141:
Remember, the drums are your friends, not enemies. Don't beat them, play them!

[torben]

Tip #2:

Don't let people help with your gear on gigs unless you're really confident that they know what they're doing. It's the only way I've ever had anything lost or broken - nice helpful people not realising that if you take off the hi-hat clutch when breaking down the stand then various bits of it get strewn across the carpark without anybody realising, etc.

One example is a drummer who had his stool wired up to an amp...

[TotalHack]

#56

If you want to sound good on a pillow - practise on a pillow.
If you want to sound good on a chair - practise on a chair
If you want to sound good on a drumset, you should at least consider to practise on one of those.


(for those of you, that spend two hours a day working out on pillows...)

If you want to practice, maybe you should take some time off of practising. I am astounded that anyone would ever discount the usefullness of practice pad or pillow. Although I do agree that drumset practice is priceless, you need to develop control physically and mentally, which is done best on a pad/pillow.

[Jeff Almeyda]

If you want to practice, maybe you should take some time off of practising. I am astounded that anyone would ever discount the usefullness of practice pad or pillow. Although I do agree that drumset practice is priceless, you need to develop control physically and mentally, which is done best on a pad/pillow.

A pad is NOT a pillow. StickTrick/SickRick sepecifically mentioned pillows and not pads.

Practicing on a rubber pad allows you to develop rebound and such. Very good.

Practicing on a pillow works the muscles without rebound. In my experience, this is NOT the way to go. It is too muscle-oriented and not technique oriented.

Speed and endurance come from relaxation, not from "pushing through the burn" as a physical approach suggests.

Use a pad not a pillow if you can't gewt to the kit.

[Jeff Almeyda]

Tip 142

Set your bass drum and pedal up so that the beater is at or near vertical when the it strikes the head. Many drummers have it set up so that the beater is actually past vertical when it strikes. That's wasted effort.

You will usually have to tilt the front end of the bass drum up in order to accomplish this.

[badlydubbedsean]

Tip # 143

A gig is a joint effort between all of the people involved, for the enjoyment of the audience, who pay to see you. Get the whole team, with techs, bands, roadies, everyone on stage before a large gig and play some music, while you have a full warm up and stretch all together. Get everyone involved, it's great fun. Then have an awesome gig.

[georgeman]

be confrrombale with your heads, and remember duct tape is your friend,

record everything but if the mic is too close to the toms all that will com through is fuzz when you play them

When practicing mess arround, that's how new songs are created

-george

[d.c.drummer]

TIP #144

Your bassist is your best friend. Amplify his rhythm through your playing. It makes your band sound so much tighter.

TIP #145

ALWAYS have an extra pair of sticks handy. When your stick goes flying across the room you have 4 beats before someone notices. ACT FAST!

[bonzolead]

Tip 146:when playing in a band don't. stop in the middle of a tune not everybody who sees you is a critic so they probably won't. notice if you mess-up, but if you stop than everybody notices.the main thing is to have fun.

Tip 147:Windex wipes work great for a quick spot cleaning of the kit and hardware.

Tip 148:when putting a new head on a drum,place the head over the shell and press down all around the head too stretch the head out.it will tune easier and won't. fall out of tune as much.(I learned that from a Dave Weckl video)

Tip 149:make sure you have a good monitor.what good is playing in a band if you only hear yourself.

Hopefully this helps out.

Bonzolead

[Wile E. Coyote]

#150
Sit straight.
#151
Learn to say no to a gig or a band. It's better than not doing it fine or getting exhausted.
#152
Think as a musician.
#153
Go back to your practise room

[Wegadrummer]

#154 Remember to go to the toilet before you do a show..

[Beat Spector]

tip # 155
take very good care of your back. No drummer wants backproblems.

[tamadrummer132]

Listen to some music before you go on. It gets you pumped and gets you into the groove.
bad idea! i did that once before a gig. i was supposed to click off for teh first song, and i forgot what beat i was supposed to play.. lol


tip # 156

find a cymbal you want at your local music store and find it on ebay or craigslist. SAVE LOTSA MONEY.

[Wile E. Coyote]

tip # 156

find a cymbal you want at your local music store and find it on ebay or craigslist. SAVE LOTSA MONEY.

tip #157
Support your local music store.

[Michael G]

Tip #158.
Amateur drummers practice until they get it right.
Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.

[jollymosher]

Tip # 159

Eat health on tour and before a gig, No soda, no fast food, no beer with in 48 hours of a gig.
All of these things have tons of fat, sodium or mind altering chemicals in them. making it impossible to play your very best.

If your body isn't ready to wail and be crazy, you will be very sore and tired. Eating health is a good way to increase you endurance for some of those messed up tour schedules.

[Latin Groover]

Tip #158.
Amateur drummers practice until they get it right.
Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.

I just gotta say that this is a really great tip. Sounds cool too, just flows off the tongue.

[DarkToxin]

Tip # 159

Eat health on tour and before a gig, No soda, no fast food, no beer with in 48 hours of a gig.
All of these things have tons of fat, sodium or mind altering chemicals in them. making it impossible to play your very best.

If your body isn't ready to wail and be crazy, you will be very sore and tired. Eating health is a good way to increase you endurance for some of those messed up tour schedules.

good one, junk food often will make you lose your lunch during very excerting periods in time. cant get little bit of twinkie and such on that new drum rug

i once heard of a drummer who would drink beer and snort cocaine while doing a gig, forget his name though

[Wile E. Coyote]

Tip # 159

Eat health on tour and before a gig, No soda, no fast food, no beer with in 48 hours of a gig.
All of these things have tons of fat, sodium or mind altering chemicals in them. making it impossible to play your very best.

If your body isn't ready to wail and be crazy, you will be very sore and tired. Eating health is a good way to increase you endurance for some of those messed up tour schedules.

Come on man! Keep it real!

[tamadrummer132]

Tip # 159

Eat health on tour and before a gig, No soda, no fast food, no beer with in 48 hours of a gig.
All of these things have tons of fat, sodium or mind altering chemicals in them. making it impossible to play your very best.

If your body isn't ready to wail and be crazy, you will be very sore and tired. Eating health is a good way to increase you endurance for some of those messed up tour schedules.

and you wont have to take a dump while your playing... (no i didnt learn that the hard way lol)

[tamadrummer132]

Tip #54

DONT wear baggy pants. if you want do put a big accent on the bass drum and suddenly end up with your beater trapped inside your jeans, you could be in trouble.

or pants that are too short for you.

[Mr. Pasquini]

Tip 160:

DO NOT under ANY circumstances let ANYONE ELSE play your kit UNLESS you are willing to have no kit.

[jiltednut]

Tip 161:

Have all your warming up and pre-show rituals done and dusted at least 30mins before showtime, and spend any time left in between talking to the crowd and meeting new people, your main task (as far as I'm concerned) is to be remembered, in a positive way, so get out there and market yourselves.

Tip 162:

Look at the audience and make eye contact when you play, it helps to create a connection between you and them.

Tip 163:

Just heard this from Mr. Copeland-
Play outside your instrument, i.e. don't concentrate on each individual motion, and counting ever bar ( thats what practice is for ), instead allow everything to flow naturally, just TAKE YOUR TIME, DON'T RUSH THINGS.

[komodo]

Tip 166 - Practise/warmup with heavier sticks (such as thomas lang sig sticks) and youll fly when using your regular sticks

Tip 167 - Dont waste time saerching the internet for secrets for success,go play your drums and find success. one of the best quotes i ever saw on this site:
'the only shortcut is knowing there are no shortcuts'

Tip 168 - Dont be afriad to try new styles of music,it can greatly improve creativity and originality

Tip 169 - Think of ways to practise when you have little time.Do heel down rudiments with your feet on the bus,do calf raises when brushing your teeth,walk or jog to work every now and then and such and such

[kasper92]

#170

IF your realy nervous 5 or so minutes before going on, or you feel faint/shaky.
open a can of V or a sugary drink and have a big mouthfull it gives you that little bit of energy when you go on and stops you feeling sick till you get comfortable.
TRUST ME IT WORKS!!!

[darknessdude16]

Tip #180
If you can't afford stick grip use some Duct-tape around the fulcrum of the stick, works a treat and stops the sticks flying around mid set.

Tip #181
Before you play, stretch!!!! Make sure you warm up, whilst practicing (without warming up) you might start to feel tired really early. If you stretch slowly then it'll warm the limbs up. Also play some really simple 8th note grooves and some 8th note fills and half bar fills and build up to play some what faster and you'll be ready for the first song in no time!!!!

[schist]

Tip # 6

Don't smoke the wacky tobaccy before a show. People have some kind of idea in their head that getting high before a show turns you into Buddy Rich. Well it doesn't. You're likely to sound like Meg White and forget parts in your songs during your set.

Epic lol.

20 characters

[hauk]

Tip #182

Keep some blank staff paper and a pencil behind your kit. When you have an idea you don't want to forget, write it down.

Tip #183

Practice in front of a mirror (easiest to do on a pad). It lets you see your hands from a different point of view and correct problems you couldn't normally see.

[drovja]

Tip #184:

You made a set list for a reason. Playing the intro to the wrong song or clicking off the wrong tempo is never cool.

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Tip 185.

Always make friends with any sound engineers you might encounter. Ask them what kind of monitoring you're going to have and adjust your stage presentation accordingly.

[ZildjianMan1023]

Tip:186

Dont Feel you ALWAYS need a solo during the middle of a song.. chances are you dont .. and you may seem arogant if you do

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Tip:186

Dont Feel you ALWAYS need a solo during the middle of a song.. chances are you dont .. and you may seem arogant if you do

Tip 187:

99% of the time, you won't need a solo in the middle of the song and you'll look like an idiot if you try to force one in.

[Tutin]

Tip 188# If you can't get yourself to play a particular pattern, and you know which limb is letting you down, watch what that limb is doing, as opposed to listening to it. It works, seriously!

[hendecahedron]

#189:

Do not look a it as an obligation!! Be disruptive, take time off, take your mind off drumming for a while, go watch a movie, play videogames, whatever. Don't make it a rigid routine, be flexible.

#190 (or 189.5)

Practice pads are for that reason, to practice. Get all the technique stuff done on the pads, and concern yourself to be creative and musical on the actual kit. Your practice time will come through when you play, but don't get all technical, you'll get bored quite rapidly.

[slingerland755]

#191
For years I scribbled phone numbers on napkins...not very professional. Today you can go online and get "free" business cards for a few bucks (shipping of course). I use mine all the time.