Here are THREE practical, essential, and often overlooked things you should keep in mind if you want to play the drums fast! In fact, you should make these a habit no matter what style of drumming you’re playing.
Not beer. Not soda. Water!
You need to stay hydrated when you’re doing anything physically demanding or else you’ll notice your performance take a nose dive. Remind yourself a take a few swigs in between songs! Keep those joints lubricated!
When the majority of people do something strenuous, they’ll often hold their breath while performing the task. That’s generally not what you want to do when you’re doing this sort of physical activity for longer periods of time. If you don’t have oxygen in your blood, you’re going to cramp.
How do you get better at breathing? Try this: breath in for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts. You’ll notice that with slower tempo music, you’ll breathe very slow and deep. With faster music, you’ll be breathing a little quicker.
If you’re aware of a problem, you can fix it. Make a list of important things you want to keep in mind and even write a list on your snare drum! For example: breath, sit up straight, drink water, relax, and so on. If you’re not consciously thinking about these things, they can tend to float away on you.
Balance is especially important when it comes to playing double bass. When one foot goes down, the other comes up. You’re constantly shifting your weight! This means you need to have a strong core and keep yourself centered on your throne so you don’t have to rely on your legs for balance. Watch the video for a quick exercise you can try to test and improve your own balance!
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