no teacher - losing my way!

davor

Senior Member
Hi all, I'm having a bit of trouble in terms of how to progress with my drumming.

I got started by getting lessons from a good teacher, who has taken me to a decent enough standard to jam with others. However I can no longer afford the lessons :(

There's so much info and videos online, I'm struggling to know what to focus on and how to structure my practice in such a way I move forward.

The band I'm in are doing covers and mostly within my skill level. It tends to be basic rock grooves and I'm improving at introducing fills etc. That's all very well, its giving me exposure to jamming and playing with band mates, but isn't really bringing my drumming on to the next level!

How do I get myself back on track without a tutor?

If anyone has any ideas it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Develop time management and goal setting skills that you can apply to attain your intended results. Basically write down your goals, how much time you can realistically dedicate towards practicing, transcribing, and critical listening to better understand the parts, song structure etc... Read what other players worked on in their early years to develop as players.
I personally used to take an hour and break it down into 4 sections: warm-up, stick control, play along, and improvisation (or jamming). If i had two hours, I'd expand on that structure.
Listen to a ton of music that you may not be familiar with, it will open your mind and ears to new skills. That's easier than ever before with the internet available to us.
Also record your playing if possible.
It's a life long journey stay with it.
 
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Write down specific goals.

Start a routine based on that.

Keep a log and review objectively how things work for you. In anything from a couple of days to a couple of weeks you should have a pretty good idea.

Do NOT try to do everything at once.
 
How do I get myself back on track without a tutor?

There's a book/dvd by Pat Petrillo on learning to read rhythms, and/or The Language of Drumming by Benny Greb. You could pick up Groove Essentials and learn some different styles -- try to broaden your skill set past just playing covers. Great Hands for a Lifetime is also a good buy.
 
There's a book/dvd by Pat Petrillo on learning to read rhythms, and/or The Language of Drumming by Benny Greb. You could pick up Groove Essentials and learn some different styles -- try to broaden your skill set past just playing covers. Great Hands for a Lifetime is also a good buy.

I concur. And Christmas is around the corner.

Jojo Mayer - A guide to foot technique
Benny Greb - The Language of Drumming
Tommy Igoe - Great Hands for a Lifetime.

I have many instructional videos, these are the 3 I've gained the most from.

As mentioned get yourself some good books also.
 
Develop time management and goal setting skills that you can apply to attain your intended results. Basically write down your goals, how much time you can realistically dedicate towards practicing, transcribing, and critical listening to better understand the parts, song structure etc... Read what other players worked on in their early years to develop as players.
I personally used to take an hour and break it down into 4 sections: warm-up, stick control, play along, and improvisation (or jamming). If i had two hours, I'd expand on that structure.
Listen to a ton of music that you may not be familiar with, it will open your mind and ears to new skills. That's easier than ever before with the internet available to us.
Also record your playing if possible.
It's a life long journey stay with it.

Very good advice !


.
 
Get listening to different styles of music & play along to them. The best way to learn IMO :)
 
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