Everyone knows just how crucial practice is to the development of any skill. We’ve heard it our whole lives from parents, coaches, and teachers – ‘Practice makes perfect’.

Of course, for most of us, perfection is not a realistic end goal when it comes to playing the drums. It’s hard enough to try and squeeze in some playing at all, around jobs and otherwise busy existences, and when you do it’s often used as a form of random improvisation (playing along to songs you already know, or simply jamming with your band). All of these things are really valuable and should be encouraged.

However, with some simple targets and structure, you can create a drum practice schedule that is fun, elevates you as a player, and fits into the context of your life.

Today we’re covering exactly that: Here’s how to take your drum practice to the next level, to become a better drummer.

If you’re practicing aimlessly (i.e. sitting down to practice drums with no idea about what you’ll actually do), then not only is your time going to be used far less efficiently, but you’re also going to be in danger of falling back into familiar habits.

There can always be time for just jamming out and flowing on the kit, but it’s so much more productive if your drum practice has a clear purpose.

To avoid wasteful practice, you need to create a schedule with structure and intention.

What your own personal routine consists of will depend on your own requirements, weaknesses, and goals, but I like to divide mine up into 4 main categories:

• Technique and timing

• Rudiments

• Songs I need to learn/practice (projects and gigs)

• Improv/creating

These broad categories never need to change, and they act as a guide for a balanced and focused routine. I’ll provide examples of skills that each category covers, and some exercises I’ve been using recently to work on them.

Drum Practice: Technique and Timing

As I’m sure you understand, technique and timing are the fundamentals of drumming. Although they gather residual improvement from the other categories, for me they require specific attention and maintenance.

As a young player, I was blessed with some natural ability, but not so blessed with my work ethic and attention to detail. As a result, I developed some bad habits that I can slip back into if I don’t work consciously on them.

In the past I’ve focused on things like loosening my grip, maintaining my posture, and leading with my left hand. But most recently, I’ve been doing exercises to improve my bass drum technique, dynamics and timing.

Rudiments: Critical To Any Drum Practice Routine

Stick Control: A classic book that has helped countless drummers take their game to the next level.

An article about how to practice drums wouldn’t be complete without a section on rudiments.

Although not quite the be-all and end-all of playing the kit, drum rudiments are vital building blocks for improvement, offering the chance to add variation and depth to your playing.

Many people neglect to practice their drum rudiments because they find them boring, difficult, or don’t understand their relevance.

Example Drum Practice Exercises

I have a simple warm-up routine that I use before gigs. It usually consists of single strokes, double strokes, paradiddles, and swiss triplets, so these days I tend to look to alternative combinations in practice.

To prevent being overwhelmed by exercises and lacking focus, I allocate some of my drum practice time every week to two or three rudimental routines.