5 Ways To Kill The Quarantine Blues

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There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and you might be feeling stressed or isolated as a drummer. How will you play music with friends? How will you stay motivated without gigs?

Here are 5 things that might be getting you down these days, and some ways you might be able to push past the roadblocks:

How can you upgrade your kit while in-person shopping is limited?

• Check out an online retailer like Sweetwater.com. They have really detailed product pages and a great return policy.
• Check out Reverb.com. Many local drum shops have stores on this platform to sell new and used gear.
• Call up your local drum shop and see what their protocols are during the pandemic. Maybe they can send you pictures or videos. This is definitely the time to support your local shops!
• Memphis Drum Shop has an amazing resource at Mycymbal.com, where you can find video reviews for a cymbal, watch and hear it with other cymbals or in the context of a full kit, and you can buy it directly from the site.

2. Can’t jam with other people

If you can’t rehearse in person, how can you make music together? Social distancing in a park may appeal to a few of you, but for everyone else, you can still collaborate by recording a drum part at home, sending a video and audio file to other musicians, and having them do the same. You’ll be able to put together a song without being in the same room.

You can also try remote ‘jam together’ platforms like JamKazam. It may not be the same, but it’s better than nothing!

3. Private lessons canceled

If you’ve been taking private lessons but you aren’t able to see your teacher in person right now, hopefully they’ve started offering one-on-one lessons online.

How can you reach your goals, progress, and improve during this time?

To embrace the shameless self promo for a second, of course we think you should check out Drumeo for online drum education (we have the new Drumeo Method for those who don’t know where to start or where to go next, plus over 300 play-alongs, complete song transcriptions and a whole area dedicated to teachers reviewing your videos and giving you custom lesson plans).

4. Trouble staying motivated

Drum clinics, concerts, jam nights…canceled. Everyone’s at home. It’s depressing just thinking about it. So how do you get motivated?

Luckily, we have the technology to get music at home, and many artists are streaming concerts on platforms like Instagram and Facebook – often for free! It’s one way to stay inspired.

It’s okay to not feel motivated. Peaks and valleys happen, and they add dynamics to your life. It’s okay to take a break from drumming, step back, and ask yourself what you want to do and where you want to take your drumming from here.

Think about what you want to do in the next 90 days. Start a band? Film videos? If you have a goal to work toward, you can start practicing with a purpose.

5. Feeling cooped up inside

It’s time to step out and get some fresh air. Outdoor physical activity – like a walk, a run, or a bike ride – can do amazing things for the body and mind. Try to get outside and give yourself a break.

When you get back to your drums, you’ll hopefully have a renewed sense of creativity. And that’s the least we can ask for, right?

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Jared Falk is a lifelong drummer, drum teacher, and the co-founder of Drumeo. For over 18 years, Jared has been a leader in the online music education industry, publishing his first online video lessons in 2003 and founding Musora in 2005.