Just a Pad. Well three of them for three WEEKS

Square

Square

El Conquistador
I just checked into a hotel that seems to be in the middle of nowhere outside of Oklahoma City. Training for work... this is my fifth time here in the last year. No vehicle, no drum set, just me and the pads for the next three weeks.

My drum teacher will do skype lessons with me while I'm here, but I'm gonna miss being able to sit down behind the kit.

Anyone else have to do something similar for work?

I thought it was cold in California, It's freezing here. 12F was the low today...
 
In my current living situation, I don't have room to keep a kit set up full-time, so I use pads for most of my practice, so I've taken a more focused approach. For example, if I have just one pad available, I might focus on strengthening my weak hand for a while (practicing all the Stick Control excercises that start with the weak hand is something I might do in that respect). Sometimes, I set up just my hi-hat and a bass drum pad, and only practice pedal work for a couple hours. Sometimes I set up my "Wicked Chops" mini practice pad. I got it to help me target the center of the drum, but I've found it also forces me to make cleaner, more controlled strokes, because if I don't, I miss the pad. I often use this one while watching TV. Another cool thing to do is just set up a snare drum and practice with brushes for a while. I've found that this focused approach has really improved my overall playing once I return to the full kit.

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I haven't seen that "Wicked Chops" before. I did bring 6" pads with me instead of the usual 12" pads. Hitting the center of the drum is something I've been keeping an eye on. I'll have to take a look at the WC.
 
Yeah, when I use the WC pad just on its own, it's really good for evaluating my grip and technique, because they have to be pretty accurate to work with this pad. Once I get into it, it can be sort of meditative....singular focus of thought and all that. I usually practice simple single stroke rolls to metronome or electronic music. I sometimes throw doubles in there too. But like I said, I also use it in an absent-minded way in front of the TV. Either way, I noticed a pretty rapid improvement, both in grip/technique and in centering hits on the drumhead. I also like that it screws on to a standard cymbal stand screw, so I already had a few mounting options.
 
Not for work but I do have neighbors, so after a certain time of night, I''m really glad for the old dilapidated Remo practice pad set I have. Wish it were quieter, but Remo apparently doesn't sell Silentstrokes for their practice pads without making you buy a whole pad for $30.
 
I always have my notebook, a pair of sticks & an egg with a double helping of silly putty. The silly putty on a hard surface is a great practice pad.

Sometimes I'll set out multiple pads of putty around the table to help simulate hitting different drums/cymbals/percussion. Practicing with multiple silver-dollar sized pads of putty really helps with stick control.
 
YAHAHA said:
I always have my notebook, a pair of sticks & an egg with a double helping of silly putty. The silly putty on a hard surface is a great practice pad.

Sometimes I'll set out multiple pads of putty around the table to help simulate hitting different drums/cymbals/percussion. Practicing with multiple silver-dollar sized pads of putty really helps with stick control.
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man, the silly putty thing...we used to do that in the 90's for marching band practice...keep some blobs of that stuff on your harness, and when the BD said "rep it again, but no playing" we just slapped that on the drums, and could still play. (We always thought repping wihtout playing was sort of pointless) and be way quieter.
 
boomstick said:
In my current living situation, I don't have room to keep a kit set up full-time, so I use pads for most of my practice, so I've taken a more focused approach. For example, if I have just one pad available, I might focus on strengthening my weak hand for a while (practicing all the Stick Control excercises that start with the weak hand is something I might do in that respect). Sometimes, I set up just my hi-hat and a bass drum pad, and only practice pedal work for a couple hours. Sometimes I set up my "Wicked Chops" mini practice pad. I got it to help me target the center of the drum, but I've found it also forces me to make cleaner, more controlled strokes, because if I don't, I miss the pad. I often use this one while watching TV. Another cool thing to do is just set up a snare drum and practice with brushes for a while. I've found that this focused approach has really improved my overall playing once I return to the full kit.

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Interesting idea, but thirty shmooks? They must have just legalized weed in their state. It looks like a solid profit at $5.
 
Spreggy said:
Interesting idea, but thirty shmooks? They must have just legalized weed in their state. It looks like a solid profit at $5.
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When I have no room to set up a drum kit, I'm not going to quibble over the price of pads since that is my only practice option right now. Set me up with a free studio space and I'll be more frugal in the future.
 
My flight out, to get back home, leaves at 0-dark-thirty, tomorrow. I'm so done with this "on the road" crap. Can't wait to get back home.
 
Drum teacher, the late Chuck Brown would have his students make pads from patches of tire tread, and they were the diameter of a quarter! So that little pad up top isn't out of line at all.
 
Duck Tape said:
Did you feel like you achieved something on the pad in your 3 weeks?
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Not this time. I’ve been sequestered in the same fashion, 5 times in the last year. It’s getting old. In the past, two or three weeks of focused practice spanning about 4 hours a day has provided some recognizable results.

I think this time I was really focused on drum set playing before I left. That and the general sense of malaise, left me unmotivated.

I did work on dynamics, doubles, and triplets, but without the focus I should have had.

When I got back I took a few days off of practice and it has helped to renew my drive.
 
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