Tips for Drumming Practice and Stamina
Welcome to the African Drumming Online Blergh – a series of videos with some practice tips, new ideas, and more. This is a summary of the first episode of the Blergh, which can be found by logging in to African Drumming Online, and clicking on the Blergh link, or watching at the bottom of this page.
Part of learning to drum is picking up on all the little tips and tricks that make your practice sessions easier and more effective. In this first Blergh, we’ve outlined a few tricks to get you started on your first couple of practice sessions.
1. Volume Control.
If you live in a small space or have close neighbors, sound volume may be an issue. We aren’t always able to find a quiet or out-of-the-way location to practice so it’s good to have a back-up plan. If you find yourself in that situation, there’s an easy solution – Put a towel on it. You can stretch out an old bath towel across the top of your drum to muffle some of the volume. It makes finding a place to practice much easier. Another added benefit? You can practice hitting the drum harder to get those booming tones.
2. Build Stamina.
Early practice sessions are all about building confidence and stamina. One of the easiest ways to start your stamina training is with this basic technique:
• 4 basses
• 4 tones
• 4 slaps
• 4 tones
Then repeat without stopping! You can vary how fast you go and how long you are able to continue.
Start slow and gradually start building some speed as you go. Generally, we recommend starting with one minute intervals for beginners. Then work your way up to doing three minute intervals at a quicker tempo.
Things to remember while you are drumming: keep your shoulders back, your back straight, and always remember to breathe!
3. Get a Metronome.
Timing is everything and you will definitely want to get yourself a metronome to help with your practices, especially early on. It’s going to help you learn to play in time as you listen while you play. It also gives you a chance to work with a static pace so you can hear your own improvement over time.
If you have an iPhone, we recommend MetroTimer for iOS. It’s free and reliable!
We hoped this helped!
