The drum kit is perhaps one of the nicest and most accessible instruments. No hassle with chord progressions or sheet music. Anyone can learn to play the drums, even at a later age!
Do you want to learn to play the drums but don't know where to start? This six tips will help you take your first steps towards playing drums, whether you are just starting out or have some experience.
6 Tips
Depending on your experience, learning to play the drums will be easy or difficult. What can contribute positively is if you already have some sense of rhythm or perhaps play another instrument.
In addition, it is possible internet will help you enormously in acquiring certain basic knowledge. However, there are a number of indispensable tips that are important for every new drummer:
💡 Tip: Do you want to know immediately which kit suits you? Find out in less than 40 seconds with the Kit Finder.
Start with the basics
Many people start learning to play the drums without even knowing what they are doing. This is a common pitfall, but it can also quickly take away the fun because you have no goal. This causes you to lose motivation and that is a shame.
To start with, it is important to know how the drum kit is put together how it works.
Components
The first thing you need to know about the drums are the different parts of the kit. Depending on the type of kit you use, there are different parts. In general, a drum kit consists of the following parts: bass drum, snare, hi-hat and cymbals.
An (electronic) drum set can be expanded as desired, but will always consist of these parts. Start by playing the parts separately and then try, for example, the bass drum and snare can be combined.
Play along to your favorite songs
An important aspect of drumming is fun. Listen to your favorite music and try to pay specific attention to the drums. There are a lot of songs online that you can play along to. One of the best things you can do to learn to play the drums is to play along with one song on YouTube.
Many popular songs are available online. A drummer on YouTube explains the parts to you step by step tutorial. This is a great way to learn the drum parts!
Start slowly
When you learn to play a song, it is important to listen to the song carefully several times and write down reminders for yourself. Play the song with one first lower beats per minute (BPM).
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 digital 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.
Our recommendations
By determining your budget, some choices can already be eliminated. Do you want to spend €300 or €3000? A good electronic drum set that will last a long time starts around €500. The brand also plays a role in this. Are you going for one? 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 very suitable 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 include a mesh head snare pad, which is quieter for the environment and offers a more realistic playing feeling. The Millenium even only contains 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 looking for more electronic drum kits for beginners? Then check out the best choices.
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 in your area, but there are also efficient (and often cheaper) alternatives. Following online drum lessons has a number of advantages:
Online drum lessons
Online drum lessons are easy from home to follow. You don't have to find a drum school in your area and travel there, you can easily take 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 set. By making use of textbooks you will see that your level improves quickly and drumming also becomes more fun.
Many textbooks contain a CD, DVD or online environment so that you can first listen to what you need to play.
Be patient and take your time
Remember, when you learn something new, always start at the beginning. You may already have some experience, but many people start from 0. It's important to patient and not to rush. If you are having a hard time or if you are not successful, take a break. Time is your best friend: it's better to practice 60 minutes a day than to practice for hours on end.
Make mistakes
It is important to remember that you learn by to make 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.
Conclusion
Drumming is a fun and challenging skill that is great for people of all ages and skill levels. It's important to remember that no matter your experience level or age, you can play the drums. As long as you are willing to put in the effort.
There are many great resources available online to help you learn to play the drums, so anyone can learn to play the drums!
Young children can also learn to play the drums. Curious about drum sets that are suitable for children? Then read here further.
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