Numberless
Platinum Member
So I'm just coming off a whole month without practicing, it was a combination of not having a dedicated practice room, (thankfully) having a lot of work and preparing to move to Montreal to start my master's degree. However in that time I did think a lot about practicing and I felt like sharing some of my thoughts here:
Effective practice and not being overwhelmed
The key to getting the most out of your practice is to address your weaknesses first. Don't waste time practicing something if you don't know how it will eventually benefit you. Instead ask yourself (or better yet: write it down) "What are my technique issues?" What are my coordination issues?" "What styles do I want to be better at?". Now take a general issue and get as specific as possible with it. For example: I want to have a better sound (or touch), specifically I want to have better control over opening the HH with my foot and better dynamic control moving around the kit. Even more specific: better dynamic control when my right hand moves between the high tom/snare and my left hand moves between ride/snare. Alright, now you need to ask yourself "Why do I want to work on this?" The answer to this question should be your final goal. If you can't come up with a clear answer then stop practicing and go think about it for a while, again, be honest with yourself. In my sound issue example my answer would be: "I'm working on this because I admire how some of my favorite drummers shape and impact the music they create with their absolutely fantastic dynamic control, it is a powerful tool that touches me emotionally sometimes even more than fills and chops do, one of my goals is to achieve this same level of dynamic control."
Now that we have our issues properly laid out and a clear ending goal, we can start to work on our weakness. This is the time to research and look up videos on youtube, using our general and specific issues as a filter to not get bogged down in the hundreds of blogs, videos and books available out there. It'll also be easier to come up with your own exercises, something I recommend doing. Finally keep in mind that your weaknesses, goals and issues will be constantly changing as you continue growing as a musician. So don't be afraid to change something in your practice routine if you feel it isn't working, as long as you're honest with yourself (something that's easier said than done) it'll work out.
Drum journals
Everyone who's practicing seriously should be keeping some kind of record of their practice sessions. Writing it down gives you the benefit of working on it later, not to mention you can write down stuff that spontaneously happen that would otherwise be forgotten. However the true value of the journal for me is that it allows you to view and chart your progress, something that's essential for staying motivated and sticking to your goals.
Staying motivated
Do what you need to do to stay motivated, seriously. A lot of people here complain about youtube covers but if they motivate you to get behind the kit and practice then record a thousand of them. Go play at the top of a mountain, jam with other people, transcribe, see bands, anything you can think of that helps, do it.
Effective practice and not being overwhelmed
The key to getting the most out of your practice is to address your weaknesses first. Don't waste time practicing something if you don't know how it will eventually benefit you. Instead ask yourself (or better yet: write it down) "What are my technique issues?" What are my coordination issues?" "What styles do I want to be better at?". Now take a general issue and get as specific as possible with it. For example: I want to have a better sound (or touch), specifically I want to have better control over opening the HH with my foot and better dynamic control moving around the kit. Even more specific: better dynamic control when my right hand moves between the high tom/snare and my left hand moves between ride/snare. Alright, now you need to ask yourself "Why do I want to work on this?" The answer to this question should be your final goal. If you can't come up with a clear answer then stop practicing and go think about it for a while, again, be honest with yourself. In my sound issue example my answer would be: "I'm working on this because I admire how some of my favorite drummers shape and impact the music they create with their absolutely fantastic dynamic control, it is a powerful tool that touches me emotionally sometimes even more than fills and chops do, one of my goals is to achieve this same level of dynamic control."
Now that we have our issues properly laid out and a clear ending goal, we can start to work on our weakness. This is the time to research and look up videos on youtube, using our general and specific issues as a filter to not get bogged down in the hundreds of blogs, videos and books available out there. It'll also be easier to come up with your own exercises, something I recommend doing. Finally keep in mind that your weaknesses, goals and issues will be constantly changing as you continue growing as a musician. So don't be afraid to change something in your practice routine if you feel it isn't working, as long as you're honest with yourself (something that's easier said than done) it'll work out.
Drum journals
Everyone who's practicing seriously should be keeping some kind of record of their practice sessions. Writing it down gives you the benefit of working on it later, not to mention you can write down stuff that spontaneously happen that would otherwise be forgotten. However the true value of the journal for me is that it allows you to view and chart your progress, something that's essential for staying motivated and sticking to your goals.
Staying motivated
Do what you need to do to stay motivated, seriously. A lot of people here complain about youtube covers but if they motivate you to get behind the kit and practice then record a thousand of them. Go play at the top of a mountain, jam with other people, transcribe, see bands, anything you can think of that helps, do it.