How To Play Drums
The drum is one of the oldest instruments and besides having a profound history as a method of communication; it also has an implementation as religious symbolism. Technically known as Membranophone, this instrument belongs to the percussion group. There are a lot of variations in the size, shape and patterns of drums available in the market. But at least one membrane is what is present in almost every drum and it is known as the drumhead. As a dru
mmer you can produce sounds by beating on the drumhead with a drumstick or with your hands. Traditionally drums are not tuned and some of the basic factors on which the sound quality of drum depends on are: size, shape, shell material, shell density, drumhead tension, drumhead pattern, location,
angle, velocity and position of drums.
You can have a lot of fun playing drums and with so many Rock bands and Pop bands coming up, drummers are in demand. There are several different methods of learning how to play drums. The most essential step is to learn how to hold the drumsticks. You will have to practice a lot in order to get the right grip on the sticks. You must learn the basic grips and what type of grip produces the desired sound. Some of the grips are matched grip, traditional grip, French grip and American grip. You can produce different response, bounce and vibrations by holding the drumsticks differently. Practice the grips and see the difference yourself.
Counting time is the second most important when you are learning how to play drums. You will have a better understanding of notes, time signatures and beats only when you learn how to count time. Some of the technical terms you ought to know before starting the lessons are:
Bar: This is a measure and the space where a beat can be played.
Note: This is a stroke or rather a symbol that represents a stroke on the drum.
Time signature: This representation in a fraction reveals the number of notes present in a measure.
Signatures are of various kinds like 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, or 7/8. In this, the top number denotes how many notes are there in per bar and the bottom number called denominator represents the value on the notes. For instance, a whole note would be denominator 1, 2 as a half note, 4 a quarter note, 8 a eight note and 12 a sixteenth note. Odd times and triplets are other variations.
It is very important to know how to tune the drums because traditionally drums are un-tuned instruments. Different tunings are required, depending on various music genres and purposes. The drumhead can be installed through several processes, by tuning the drum and tuning the batter head. So, choose a genre of your choice and then tune accordingly. When you get yourself accustomed to the basic requirements of drumming, the next important thing is to learn how to read drum music. Drum music sheets and compositions are very different from piano music. It is essential to learn the basics before getting started. This will not only help you prepare yourself for future music compositions but will also be effective in increasing your knowledge on drums.
Drums of different sizes and cymbals are arranged in kits and a drummer can pick from a variety of sounds to accompany or lead a song. When you buy a drum, make sure that you take proper care of the instrument. Set the drums well, tune them and be careful about the cymbals. There are four things you must have:
Pair of drumsticks
Practice pad for stimulating the actual drum bounce
Learning materials like books and drum DVDs
Metronome for maintaining a steady beat
If you get the Rock Drumming System you will get to learn how to practice basic stick grips, set up drum kits and how to use different patterns and techniques. Once you are well accustomed to the basics, you will get an idea on how beats are built around basic drum patterns. Keep practicing your rudiments and stick controls. You will learn to build speed and independence through drum rudiments.
