Drum Lessons – Beating the Drum to Success
If you really want to learn to play the drums, you will need to take drum lessons. Drums are percussion instruments. In fact, the drum is the oldest and most widely used musical instrument in the world. Drums are made up of a membrane or skin stretched over a circular frame. The drummer then uses the surface skin to create music by hitting it. Even though this sounds really simple, as you learn how to play drums you will find they are actually very complex to play.
You will need a lot of practice and hard work to play the drums well. The key is to make sure that you direct all your efforts in the right way. One way to get started is to develop the habit of really listening to music, especially different types of beats. Developing this habit will help you understand how various notes are played. Of course, this requires really listening and consciously working to understand and absorb the sound rather than simply hearing it like a casual passerby. This is an important habit for anyone hoping to become a successful drummer.
You will have to take drumming lessons from a true professional with experience and knowledge of drumming. Only a professional will be able to properly guide you and develop your skills as a drummer. There are plenty of books that teach drum methods, however, none of them can take the place of an experienced drum teacher. Using a drum book is okay, but if you really want to learn to play the drums correctly, you will need to take lessons with a professional teacher as well.
One of the most important things you will learn when you take drum lessons are called foundations of drumming, or rudiments. There are about 40 of these rudiments you will need to learn. Becoming a successful drummer requires mastering all forty of them. Master drummers also learn how to play all types of music such as jazz, country, soul, Latin, rhythm and blues, and of course rock and roll. Being able to play varying styles of music increases appreciation of different musical styles and your ability to play with all types of musicians and gain valuable knowledge and experience in the process.
As you practice the drums you will learn many important skills like stick control, basic hand technique and finger control. All of these skills will need to be mastered to play the drums well.
There are other techniques you will learn as well, like the Moeller Technique. As you develop your skills with each of these techniques, you will be on your way to becoming a real drummer. Outside of taking lessons, you can also improve your skills by playing solos whenever you can. Playing solos will help you gain experience as a drummer. You can also work on playing at different tempos in order to learn control of your drums. Working with polyrhythms and dynamics are also a good thing to do as your drum lessons help you develop your skills. Using these additional resources will allow you to nurture your creative abilities which is another important aspect of your drumming experience.
What else do you need to know to be a good drummer? One thing is learning how to tune the drum properly for the style of play. While this can be a real challenge at first, with some practice it should quickly become much easier. On a final note, you really need to have the right attitude and a strong desire to play the drums if you hope to become a good drummer.
Author Bio: If you really want to learn to play drums, all it takes is a passion for the drum and an experienced professional to guide you in the proper direction. Click drum lessons today and get valuable information about drum classes and becoming a drummer.
Category: Entertainment
Keywords: drum lessons, drumming lessons, learn to play drums