Learning to Play the Drums: 6 Most Important Things to Know

The drum kit is perhaps one of the most fun and accessible instruments. Because you use all your limbs, you are also immediately very active. Anyone can learn to play the drums, even at a later age!

Want to learn how to play the drums but don’t know where to start? These six tips will help you take your first steps toward playing the drums, regardless of your experience.

6 Tips for Learning to Play Drums

Depending on your experience, learning to play the drums will be easy or difficult for you. What can be positive is if you already have some sense of rhythm or maybe play another instrument. Also read this blog in which I explain whether drumming is difficult .

In addition, the internet can help you enormously to acquire certain basic knowledge. However, there are a number of indispensable tips that are important for every new drummer:

Start with the basics

Some people start learning to play the drums without knowing what they are doing. This can work well in some cases, but it is also a common pitfall. The fun can quickly disappear because you have no goal and then stop. This causes you to lose motivation and that is a shame.

To start, it is important to know how the drum kit is put together and how it works .

Parts of the drum kit

The first thing you need to know about drums is the different parts of the kit. Depending on the type of kit you are using, there are different parts. Generally, a drum kit consists of the following parts: bass drum , snare , hi-hat and cymbals .

An (electronic) drum kit can be expanded as desired, but will always consist of these parts. Start by playing the parts separately and then try to combine the bass drum and snare with each other , for example.

You can read more about how an electronic drum kit works in How does an electronic drum kit work?

Play along to your favorite songs

An important aspect of drumming is having fun. Listen to your favorite music and try to pay attention to the drums specifically. There are a lot of songs online that you can play along to. One of the best things you can do to learn drums is to play along to a song on YouTube .

Many popular songs are available online. A drummer on YouTube explains the parts to you step by step in a tutorial (example) . This is a fun and interactive way to learn drums.

Start slowly

When learning to play a song it is important to listen to the song several times and write down reminders for yourself. Play the song at a lower beat per minute (BPM) at first.

There are plenty of apps or websites that you can use to play a song in slow motion. This gives your brain more time to learn the drum patterns.

Don't try to play the entire song in one go, but chop it up into pieces. Play the verse a few times, then the chorus, then a specific fill a few times.

Choose the right (electronic) drum kit

There are many good digital drum kits on the market today. An electronic drum kit can match the feel of an acoustic drum kit wonderfully well. Due to the advanced technology, the difference is barely distinguishable from the real thing.

Also Read: Electronic Drum Kit For Beginners: Best Choices

Our recommendations

By determining your budget, some choices can already be eliminated. Do you want to spend €300 or €3000? A good electronic drum kit that lasts a long time starts at around €400. The brand also plays a role here. Do you go for a Yamaha or a Roland (slightly more expensive segment but very high quality) or the budget-friendly models such as Millenium or Alesis ?

Two electronic drum kits that are great for learning to play the drums are the Roland TD-02KV and the Millenium MPS-450 . Both kits are compact, easy to set up, and feature a mesh head snare pad, which is quieter and offers a more realistic playing feel. The Millenium even features all mesh heads.

Both models include coaching functions and plenty of songs to play along with. The Millenium MPS-450 has a bass drum pedal with beater, the Roland TD-02KV does not.

Are you curious about what to look for when buying an electronic drum kit? Read this blog about buying an electronic drum kit .

Take (online) private drum lessons

An excellent way to develop your drumming skills is by taking lessons. Now, you can of course look for a drum school near you, but there are also efficient (and often cheaper) alternatives. Taking online drum lessons has a number of advantages:

Online drum lessons

Online drum lessons are easy to follow from home . You don't have to find a drum school nearby and travel there, you can easily follow the lessons from your living room.

You can take as much time as you want when taking drum lessons. You can often watch videos and tutorials and take all the time you need to learn it properly.

Use study books

Not everyone knows this, but there is also sheet music for the drum kit. By using study books you will see that your level will improve quickly and drumming will also become more fun.

Many textbooks contain a CD, DVD or online environment so that you can first listen to what you need to play.

Time is your best friend

Remember that when you learn something new, always start at the beginning. You may already have some experience, but many people start from scratch. Don't rush and be patient . If you have a hard time or don't succeed, take a break. Time is your friend: it's better to practice 60 minutes a day than to play for hours once a month.

Make mistakes

It's important to remember that you learn by making mistakes . There's no way to avoid mistakes when you're learning, so try to keep that in mind and don't get frustrated when you make them. That's how every drummer got started!

Conclusion

Drumming is a fun activity for people of all ages and skill levels, even later in life . Anyone can play the drums, regardless of age. As long as you are willing to put in the effort.

With the tips in this blog I hope to have given you some handles so that you can start your drum career. Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask them below in the comments. Good luck!