Time away from kit

Drum&Gym

Member
I’m currently working away from home and so cannot get on my drum kit, and no other alternative is available, and this will probably go on for about a year.
In one way I feel it has forced me to concentrate more on doing every other thing I can, regularly using my practice pad for rudiments etc also including feet exercises, practicing reading and writing drum parts, listening to lots of music and watching drumming videos.
I’m about intermediate level with a few years’ experience and always trying to improve so I am concerned I’m not playing an actual drum kit for a good while. I just wondered what experience others may have had in a similar position.
 
Sorry you can't have your drums with you. That has to suck. But you seem to be doing all that you can to keep your chops.

Maybe find a teacher where you're located for work. Get some actual human interaction about your playing.
 
Maybe you could think about picking up a bass-drum pratice pad, too, so you could work on your foot technique at the same time.
 
Two or three pads for your hands also, as well as the already mentioned kick pad. Multiple pads for the hands will keep your hands moving around, not just running drills in one place. If they sound different, that might be a bonus.
 
I would go through withdrawals and die. The last 24 years I've never been away more than a week or so. The last 55 years I've owned only two practice pads-threw away first and gave away the second-I just don't like them it isn't a drum (but that's just my bug). I like to practice rudiments and everything on a kit. Have you thought about a bop kit with mesh heads to practice-I'm letting one of my daughters fiancé borrow my Pearl RT POD that has mesh heads-he lives in an apartment and loves it?
 
You could get a cheap guitar and learn to play bass lines on the lowest four strings. That could help you communicate with bassists later.

I keep meaning to do that. The guitar looks nice hanging on the wall, and it's nice to have when people visit. Some day I'll get around to using it.
 
It depends a bit on what kind of drummer you are and find value in, but my little practice kit has taken care of this pretty well.
 
Well, the fact that you're worried about your lack of kit time makes me think you shouldn't worry about it too much - but only as long as you stay worried about it!

I had been a fiend about playing every day for several years before I joined the Navy for six years. There were a few brief periods when I managed to find a kit to play, but for the most part I was just doing what you're doing: listening to lots of music, reading drummer rags, watching videos, air drumming, etc.

As soon as I got out I went right back to playing and if anything, I think I got better during that time away. That was back in 1990 and I've been playing without a break ever since.

But if I could do it over again, I would have started playing other instruments sooner (that would have been an ideal time for it). Pick up a guitar, bass, keys, or whatever. Learn the theory behind non-drum instruments. It may come in handy later. Nowadays, I spend more hours playing guitar & bass than I do drums, but I'm still drumming in two bands. Good times!
 
Mike is onto something. The physical aspect is only one part. You can learn a ton by just putting your mind to it so to speak. Additionally, aside from air drumming your ideas you can make a lot of good progress with a practice pad when away from the kit.

I used to travel a fair bit for work and a pair of sticks and pad were standard load-out!
 
I often am on the other side of the fence for this. If you are dedicated, log your practice/bpm's etc. and REALLY work on your rudiments this can be a good thing sometimes.

I spent about 3 months JUST playing on the pad, every day, for 1-2 hours or more. My hands improved night and day when it comes to speed and technique. ya ya ya i know feel groove, creativity and touch are important before everyone jumps on me for that.

You can do all kinds of stuff, work on switching between rudiments at different tempos, subdivisions, displacing them, doing the same thing, moving accents, dynamics etc. My hands are better than they ever have been from that.

The issue will be when you get back to the kit it feels very loud, but you will be super tight and playing on the kit will come back fast when your hands/feet feel that good.

My advice would be to buy about 3 pads. Get a regular real-feel type bouncy pad, something like a prologix blue lightning, and have a few different sized sticks.. change it up every day so you don't get too used to one surface or weight. That way your floor tom or snare won't feel weird after that long.


Make sure you have a good phone app metronome and some ear buds too. you can still work on your time. and with a foot practice pad you can use two surfaces for your hands and work on groove, shuffles etc.

If there is a will there is a way. The nice thing about a click and pad is there is no hiding under ambient noise, it's tight or it isn't. Also, doing pad work it's less easy to get distracted playing fills too.

Take it as an advantage for a year of hand/foot technique and really work on keeping the ghost notes down and being bang on.

Being able to flow in and out of subdivisions and rudiments after that much pad work made my solos and fills SOOOO much easier to pull off.
 
I often am on the other side of the fence for this. If you are dedicated, log your practice/bpm's etc. and REALLY work on your rudiments this can be a good thing sometimes.

I spent about 3 months JUST playing on the pad, every day, for 1-2 hours or more. My hands improved night and day when it comes to speed and technique. ya ya ya i know feel groove, creativity and touch are important before everyone jumps on me for that.

You can do all kinds of stuff, work on switching between rudiments at different tempos, subdivisions, displacing them, doing the same thing, moving accents, dynamics etc. My hands are better than they ever have been from that.

The issue will be when you get back to the kit it feels very loud, but you will be super tight and playing on the kit will come back fast when your hands/feet feel that good.

My advice would be to buy about 3 pads. Get a regular real-feel type bouncy pad, something like a prologix blue lightning, and have a few different sized sticks.. change it up every day so you don't get too used to one surface or weight. That way your floor tom or snare won't feel weird after that long.


Make sure you have a good phone app metronome and some ear buds too. you can still work on your time. and with a foot practice pad you can use two surfaces for your hands and work on groove, shuffles etc.

If there is a will there is a way. The nice thing about a click and pad is there is no hiding under ambient noise, it's tight or it isn't. Also, doing pad work it's less easy to get distracted playing fills too.

Take it as an advantage for a year of hand/foot technique and really work on keeping the ghost notes down and being bang on.

Being able to flow in and out of subdivisions and rudiments after that much pad work made my solos and fills SOOOO much easier to pull off.

Truly wonderful advice! Particularly the last two lines...
 
Thank you all for your advice, feel lots better now about getting on with what I can. Got the pillow kit sorted but maybe need a couple more practice pads. Interesting thought about learning another instrument but feel I need to keep drumming right now, made me think about how to listen to music differently though. My hands have been noticeably improving, cleaner and faster, so this time is not wasted.
 
As stated, there are som many things to work on that aren't dependant on a kit.

You could choose to work on certain aspects of hand technique giving those your full focus. Stuff you wouldn' thev time for or be too distracted to do otherwise.

Working on reading and timing, singing etc.. is pretty much just as effective without a kit. Some would argue more, because when training in an universal way it becomes more so.

If you're a metal doble pedal guy you can work the muscles in the three positions and your balance really well.

Smart practice generally means focusing on a few key areas for a long time. 3 months isn't much in that regard. Just chooose something you're interested in that isn't fully dependant on the kit.
 
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