how can i get better?

J

joe182

Junior Member
so ive been playing for a couple of years now about 5 to be exact and i still feel like i just started a couple of months ago.i got no speed with anything,no rhythm,cant learn any songs,cant keep the bass on beat or keep control of my foot. i had a teacher when i first started but money got tight and had to stop going and all i was able to learn was the basic "rock" beat of drumming and i cant go back cause money is still tight.sometimes i feel so bad i wanna quit playing.

how can i get my wrist faster?
how can i learn songs?
and how can i keep foot control?
and how can i learn rolls?i have a practice pad but i dont know any practices or warm ups.

sites or tips would be helpful.
thanks in advance.
 
You NEED a teacher my friend. If money is tight then get a part time job. You can certainly do a lot by following internet instructional vids and the like. But if you've been playing for 5 years and really aren't improving, then there are some fundamental flaws in your practice routine. Scrape some cash together and get some lessons......find a music student (they can tend to be a bit cheaper than a pro teacher), but get those lessons fast. You'll be glad you did. Don't continue on directionless for another 5 years. If you're keen you'll find a way to get some coin together.
 
and if you practice 4 hours a day until you find a job, you will be able to keep the beat, it just might take a few weeks,
google free online drum lessons and you will learn more, theres a lot of them, but it takes practice, if your only playing an hour or two a week just starting off, it is hard to improve.
 
Start playing with a Metronome also. You may think otherwise, but rhythm is learnable. In fact, there isn't a single drummer who's got the rhythm of a metronome, but we all aim to get as tight as that. Since I've started practicing with a metronome, my time really improved.
You might become able to keep time and learn songs after you practiced with a metronome for a couple of weeks.
 
If you can I would get a teacher, if you find the right person and explain your situation even if it's only once a month they can at least point you in the right direction and and give you heaps to practice for the next month.
Failing that I found Benny Greb's DVD really useful and made a whole difference to my kick drum as I worked through the excercise he has on there as well as my general hand to hand work as well.
Stick Control is excellent and google 40 essential rudiments which you'll find on Vic Firths site and start working your way through them also google double stroke rolls, Moeller method and if you want some new fills literally google drum fills or intermediate drum fills or even be more specific ie gospel fills or gospel licks or rudiment drum fills.
There's a whole world of information available and you're at a stage that even if you are going to try and teach / improve yourself you actually need to learn how to teach yourself if that makes sense.
I'm still having lessons but not nearly so often and I can find 10 million things to practice on my own now all of which I know are improving my drumming on a daily basis.
 
I second what Tom said about the metronome.
I would add a recorder too. Record yourself and listen.
That will spotlight in no uncertain terms where the problem areas lie.
 
Witterings said:
There's a whole world of information available and you're at a stage that even if you are going to try and teach / improve yourself you actually need to learn how to teach yourself if that makes sense.
Click to expand...

Makes perfect sense to me Wit....which is why in this individual case, I feel some lessons are imperative. 5 years playing is more than enough time to have picked up things like double strokes, basic foot control, the ability to learn/mimic the drums parts in the music you listen to etc.

The fact that the OP is still having difficulty tells me that a structured lesson plan from a teacher with the ability to guide him in what to learn, how to apply it, how follow a dedicated lesson and practice routine will do him wonders.

We certainly can teach ourselves, but if after 5 years that plan isn't really working, then it's time to try another approach. A teacher can guide the OP through the mine field of information out there and he'll come on in leaps and bounds in no time IMHO.
 
joe182 said:
so ive been playing for a couple of years now about 5 to be exact and i still feel like i just started a couple of months ago.i got no speed with anything,no rhythm,cant learn any songs,cant keep the bass on beat or keep control of my foot. i had a teacher when i first started but money got tight and had to stop going and all i was able to learn was the basic "rock" beat of drumming and i cant go back cause money is still tight.sometimes i feel so bad i wanna quit playing.
Click to expand...

don't give up. you listed some goals which is a great start in the right direction. goals are really important to keep you focused and gain confidence as you achieve them and create a new ones.

also, you can do it. don't tell yourself you can't, tell yourself you can. because honestly you can. it just takes time, practise and focus. a positive frame of mind is very important so keep that in mind as you pursue your goals.
telling yourself you can't do things sets yourself up to live that out. telling yourself you might not be able to do things right now but you will in time, is the truth.

joe182 said:
how can i get my wrist faster?
Click to expand...
save up and purchase - secret weapons, by jojo mayer.

joe182 said:
how can i learn songs?
Click to expand...
http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?p=694399#post694399
someone asked a similar question, so you can check out the posts in that thread if you like.


joe182 said:
and how can i keep foot control?
Click to expand...
save up and purchase a metranome and start at the slowest bpm around 40. and use the book "syncopation" and play through it with your feet.(left foot becomes the bass drum line, right foot becomes the snare line)

joe182 said:
and how can i learn rolls?i have a practice pad but i dont know any practices or warm ups.
Click to expand...
syncopation and stick control are the goto books for that kind of thing to begin with.

investing in a teacher with the specific intent of seeing out your goals will be worth the money you save up. some one on one time with a good teacher will help you get past any negativity and doubts and set up a positive path forward.
 
One of the best things to do is get a metronome and isolation headphones to protect your ears. Without a met or play-alongs you can't expect to develop good time. That's the most important investment a drummer can make in my opinion.

Lessons are fantastic as well of course!
 
Pocket-full-of-gold said:
You NEED a teacher my friend. If money is tight then get a part time job. You can certainly do a lot by following internet instructional vids and the like. But if you've been playing for 5 years and really aren't improving, then there are some fundamental flaws in your practice routine. Scrape some cash together and get some lessons......find a music student (they can tend to be a bit cheaper than a pro teacher), but get those lessons fast. You'll be glad you did. Don't continue on directionless for another 5 years. If you're keen you'll find a way to get some coin together.
Click to expand...

Bingo. If you want to do it there are ways of getting the money. You could even offer to barter for yard work or housecleaning if there's really, really no work. Walk the guy's dog, wash his car, anything. And I would also not go back to the same teacher you already had- it sounds like he didn't do much for you.

If you're truly unable (or unwilling) to do what is necessary to get with a teacher, forget about whatever your immediate musical goals were- you do not have the tools you need to achieve them right now. Change your focus to things that you can teach yourself: pick up a metronome, some headphones, The Drumset Musician by Rod Morgenstein, and a beginning snare drum book- I like the old Roy Burns Elementary Drum Method. Each of those books is very thorough in terms of walking you through relearning the fundamentals, which is what you need. Work through the books starting on page 1, reading all of the verbiage. Practice at least one hour every single day, playing at slow to moderate tempos and at a moderate volume. Forget about speed, just get the basic ideas nice and solid. Oh, and if you're listening to a lot of complex, speedy music, throw it away and put on something nice and simple, AC-DC or something.

But really, just listen to your friend PFOG and do whatever it takes to get some lessons. Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the reply's I'm gonna try all those that I can that you guys posted.
I will be looking for a job soon the only reason i wasn't able to get one was because I had adult school and it took up all my time.
Thanks for all the reply's again really appreciate it:]
 
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