Here we are with part 2 of the coolest drum gadgets you will probably buy on impulse in the next few minutes! It's one of them moments where you scream, "Take my money!". I have found so many new cool gadgets that I had to make a second article! Check 'em out!

Drumnetics Magnetic Kick Pedal

DOUBLE BASS or SINGLE BASS PLAYERS! All drummers that use a bass drum pedal! You have to check this out! The Drumnetics Pedals are bass drum pedals driven by magnets rather than springs! As a disclaimer, I have not bought one of these myself but I would love to get one! This design is truly unique and innovative. This is a new product and a young business and the few people that actually own one right now have nothing but good things to say about the fluidity and movement. Luckily the construction is very heavy duty—resembling Trick drum products. You can get single or double pedals in short or longboard styles. I will be getting one soon! Check out the features and adjustment options in this video:

Sunhouse Sensory Percussion

Yamaha EAD10

Hi-Hat Quick Release Clutches

Snareweight M1 and M80

Firefly Ratcheting Drum Key

Tru Tuner Rapid Drum Head Tuner

The Tru Tuner Rapid Drum Head Tuner is a fantastic way to get evenly tuned drums on every lug. You place the included drum keys on all of your lugs and put the “tuning plate” on top of all the drum keys and turn all the lugs at the same time. One setback is that you can’t test the drum sound while the plate is on the keys. But if you have a ballpark of 1 or 2 full turns to get it close, you can be rest assured that every lug is evenly tensioned. You can literally remove and install a new drum head in under 1 minute.

Dialtune Drums

Vic Firth Hingestix

The Vic Firth Hingestix are ideal for teachers and beginners alike. They are basically an removable rod that screws into 1 of 2 pre-made holes on the sticks to help remind you where your fingers and/or fulcrum should be. If you have trouble sliding around your stick, they do help a little bit with grip as well.

Tru Tuner FX Series

In addition to their Rapid Drumhead Tuner, Tru Tuner also came out with an FX series of gadgets that are really cool. Essentially, they are small and inexpensive attachments to your drumhead, kick pedal, cymbal, or sticks to add shaker or tambourine sounds while you play. I think all of these have great uses and they are super easy to switch out between songs…or in the middle of songs! There’s a quick release mount attachment for you bass drum beater, a sticky drum muffling gel and a mount to place onto cymbals or drumheads, and a butt-end stick mount. With these mounts you can add a shaker or a mini-tambourine cymbal. My favorite was the sound of the tambourine and muffle gel on the snare drum.

I love to see the excitement in a child when they decide they want to do something new...like taking up drumming. I have a young son myself and he loves drumming. I taught him a whole summer of lessons and now he thinks he knows it all! Ha! But, there are a few things that I was able to set him up with so he had the right tools to start learning.

I'm going to go over everything your child would need to get started in drums or percussion. This would cover drum sets, sticks, lessons, books, pads, metronomes, etc. I am specifically writing this for my own new students but I know this will help other parents too. This article covers kids from ages 5-10. If they are older, take a look at my other article that covers ages 10 to adult: Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear. 

What Age Should they Start?

I always say that the age of five is probably the youngest a child could start learning drums. Of course, that depends on how much they are able to focus. Some kids at 5 years old can't focus at all while some can focus for at least 20-30 minutes. This is a relatively normal attention span with how most kids develop. My son didn't try lessons until he was 6 and it was a struggle for him to focus longer than 10 minutes. It would be safe to say that any child 8 years old and up would be ready to start learning drums.

Should They Get Lessons?

I have an opinion about “lessons vs. self-taught” that I would like to explain so I can help you decide on whether they should get lessons or not.

When you self-teach, in any subject or discipline, it only takes you longer to reach your goals if you do it without the direction of a teacher that has already reached similar goals. I understand that everyone learns a bit differently, but as long as you have a good teacher, they will always find a solution faster than you can. Otherwise you're just taking shots in the dark to try to figure out techniques, licks, etc.

Bottom line is, good teachers will always help you reach your goals faster. At a younger age (younger than 12), it is almost imperative to get them lessons. There aren't a lot of children that would be able to learn drumming without some direction to start with.

What You Need to Buy

Drumset, Practice Pad, or Percussion Kit?

This is the big question here. How far do you think they will go? Do they seem dedicated enough to invest in a drum set? That is going to have to be the question you ask yourself. Obviously there are drum sets of all sizes and colors. But you don’t need to start out by spending $800 on a drum set. You could start out with a beginner's drum set, practice pad, or percussion kit. This would get them started practicing techniques like single stroke or double stroke rolls. Even learning to hit a drum properly can be tricky at first. In this section, I will cover all types of options ranging from cost effective to higher end. One thing to remember, when you start buying adult sized, medium quality kits, they don't come with cymbals, pedals, or thrones (drum seats). Decent cymbals are almost always sold separately from drum sets and can range anywhere from $200-$500 for one cymbal!

Drumset

I bought my son this Gammon Drum set when he started showing a lot of interest. For the price, it's great. The cymbals could be better but I still thought it was worth the price. The drums sound pretty good and they are tunable. The cymbals could be upgraded at a later time if the student continues to stay interested. Cymbals can be expensive so buying them later can help get your child started while keeping the cost down. This set comes in a few different color choices as well.

If you wanted to step up the quality in the drum set, you could take a look at this Ludwig Questlove Pocket Set. Buying a name brand will help a lot with resale value if they happen to lose interest. I will say with this kit as well, the cymbals still aren't much to be desired. However, this kit can be grown into and upgraded a bit easier than the previous kit, and it will last longer too. There are a few colors to choose from on this kit as well!

If you want to support your child's interest in drums, and keep your neighbors in good standing with you, you might want to look at an electronic drum set. These can be virtually silent when played but heard in headphones or controlled by volume through speakers. It has a built in metronome and other practice tools right in the module and a bunch of sounds sounds to play with. I do have to mention that nothing can replace the sound and feel of a real acoustic drum set. Learning on a electronic drum set can be good for a while but eventually, they will need to learn techniques that are difficult to replicate on an electronic drum set.

This Alesis Turbo kit is very affordable and comes with everything you need including sticks and headphones. The sticks might be a bit too long for a smaller person but I have some other options listed below.

If you wanted to upgrade or buy a package with a speaker, you can take a look at this Alesis Nitro kit with a speaker included.

Practice Pad

For around $20, you can get a practice pad and work on almost all the drumming techniques they will need in order to sound good on a drum set. And your student will always need a practice pad. I have three myself and I use them all the time. They can use them for warm-ups backstage before performances, late night practice when they can’t be loud, practicing on a beach, or on the john! They’re smaller and easier to transport than a drum set!

Percussion Kit

When a student joins the school band, a lot of schools require that you purchase a percussion kit. This is a kit that includes sticks, practice pad, bell kit, mallets, and a multi purpose stand. I would highly suggest getting a good quality one for two reasons. First, the cheap ones are really bad and will fall apart before school years end. Secondly, the resale value on a brand name kit will not go down by much. It will sell without trouble because people are always looking for these.

Sticks

Every drummer needs drumsticks, but what kind? There are literally hundreds of different types of drumsticks. At this age, the length and weight are the most important because standard/adult sized sticks might be a bit heavy. A lot of kids like to get sticks with their favorite characters or band on them. As long as the drum sticks are about the length of their forearm, it should work well for them. I like these Vic Firth Kidsticks, they come in blue or pink.

For kids under 12 and have joined school band or a community band, then the Vic Firth SD1 Jrs. are what you'll need. They are a bit bigger than drum set sticks but they work better for concert snare drum and tom work.

Metronome

One item that musicians overlook is a metronome. This is an essential practice tool for any musician. A metronome is a small electronic device or a phone app that makes a “click” noise at a perfectly constant speed that you set it to. The clicks are measured by “beats per minute” or BPM. For the math junkies, a metronome set at 60 BPM will click 60 times in one minute.

Almost all music is set to a constant pulse and it is essential for all musicians to have a solid internal pulse that doesn’t speed up or slow down (unless intentional). The only way to practice your internal pulse is to practice along to a metronome set to a perfectly constant tempo.

As a drummer, it is a bit more difficult to practice with a metronome because our instrument is naturally loud. And, as a beginner, it is difficult to control the volume at which we play. So, a lot of metronomes are too quiet to hear while we practice with them. The solution is to get some sort of an in-ear monitor or headphones. This helps block the outside sound allowing us to hear the click.

There are many metronome apps available on our phones that are free. If you go that route you could get these sound isolation headphones: Shure SE215-CL Sound Isolating Earphones. Or, you could use other headphones you already own for the time being but they might not provide very much isolation. Otherwise, you can purchase this ‘all-in-one’ in ear metronome: Korg In-Ear Metronome.

Practice Book

This is the one book I go to as the definitive starting drum set method. Alfred's Beginning Drumset Method is perfect. It starts with reading music and rhythms, holding the sticks, and playing basic rock beats and eventually moves along to more advanced beats and a jazz section in the second half. This is the book I started with myself!

And with that, I think your little beat maker is ready to get started! Don't hesitate to email me with any questions!

As your student moves along, I would strongly suggest reading my two part series on practicing. The links are right here:
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced – Part 2 – Practice Session

Thanks for reading!

**Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click any of these links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.**

I’m on my Adobe soapbox so I will suggest Adobe Premiere Rush. This program will integrate as a phone app for recording and a computer program for editing as well. You can pay $10 a month for just Adobe Premiere Rush, or $21 a month for Rush and Premier Pro which will give you a bit more editing power and a few extra programs as well. Again, best option out there for Mac, iOS, PC, or Android.

ProMovie Recorder (iOS) & Cinema FV-5 (Android)

For iOS, I have used ProMovie Recorder. There’s a free version but you really need to pay $3 to remove the watermark. It’s totally worth $3 though. For Android, I found Cinema FV-5 to be similar in quality and ease of use and it only cost $5. These are the easiest, strongest, and most affordable apps that allow you to adjust the fps to record your drumming videos.

Smartphone Stand

UBeesize Flexible 12 Inch Mini Tripod Stand

This UBeesize Mini Tripod Stand works great to hold my phone when recording. It can latch onto almost anything and comes with tons of attachments including a bluetooth controller to start your app to record. It’s everything you need and very affordable.

Cameras

If you don’t have a smartphone or you would prefer to use a different camera or add a second shot angle, there are many options for you. I have mainly listed cameras that record in HD 1080p since the 4K models are considerably more expensive. I haven't used all of these but I have done extensive in-depth research on these cameras to give you the best options.

Panasonic Full HD Camcorder HC-V770

This Panasonic HC-V770 is a full HD (1080p) camcorder that would give you a beautiful high quality video. The coolest feature is the wi-fi smartphone twin video capture with an app. You can use your smartphone or tablet as a real-time remote to control the camcorder from a distance, check your shot while you are sitting at your kit, or use Wi-Fi functions to enable real-time broadcasting for Facebook live, etc. Very high quality camera for the price! It comes in at around $400.

Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder

This Canon VIXIA HF R800 is much more affordable with everything you need to film high quality 1080p videos. Make sure you check all the packages available on Amazon if you want memory cards, stands, etc. The touch screen also makes focusing and changing settings a lot easier. It will record at 1080p and 30 or 60 fps (30 is what you want for YouTube). There is a 32x optical zoom lense and it also has an external microphone input. This one is priced around $200.

Sony HDRCX405

This Sony HDRCX405 is one of the best quality HD cameras I could find at an affordable price. With a trusted brand like Sony, you know this camera is legit. It’s super lightweight and the USB cable is attached so you don’t have to worry about losing it. Zoom capabilities are up to 30x and it records in 1080p and 30 or 60 fps (30 is what you want for YouTube). This one sneaks in at around $180.

GoPro Hero

If you're ok with the refurbished GoPros, you can get a camera here for under $100! The waterproof/durability features aren't necessary for recording drumming videos but their cameras are so inexpensive, you really can't go wrong. You can record at 1080p and 30 fps (30 is what you want for YouTube). I would strongly advise AGAINST getting the off-brand knock-off GoPros for cheaper. This is a legit GoPro and is the least expensive 1080p camera you will find anywhere...this is it. If you want a new GoPro, I would suggest looking at these:

• GoPro Hero+ (under $200)
• GoPro Hero 6 Black (under $300)
• GoPro Hero 7 Black (under $400)

Camera Stand

AmazonBasics 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Bag

The Zoom H1n Recorder is a device with two stereo built in condenser mics. It gives you a stereo image and has other built in compressors and limiters to get you fantastic recording. I fell in love with this thing when our jazz/fusion trio, Catacosm, recorded a few tunes at rehearsal with it. Crystal clear stereo image and tons of space record entire rehearsals or numerous takes on a video.

The H1n will screw into a standard 1/4” screw if you already have a stand. Just don’t forget a stand if you didn’t get one of the Amazon packages that offers one with it. Here's a great package deal with accessories:

Staging and Costume

Make your backdrop clean and/or enticing. You can either keep it simple to avoid viewer distractions or have an interesting theme of pictures, art, etc. You might want a sign with your name/channel or the name of your band, etc. Also wear some clothes that express you and your taste. If you wear some everyday rags, it won’t look as appealing. Just wear what you would wear on stage for a show.

What do you want to record?

There are a lot of different types of videos you can make so make sure you plan out what it is you want to record. Drum covers or music videos can showcase your playing and gain fans or aid you in getting gigs. Drum covers seem to be overdone these days so if you are going to do one, try to pick an interesting song or give the song a creative angle to set yourself apart from the other videos out there.

Drum lessons and tutorials are very helpful for the drumming community. I think every drummer has a unique voice to share. Share your approach on fills, song structure or unique setups or hacks. The possibilities are endless. Make sure research what is already out there so your not reiterating the same information.

Drum Covers

For drum covers, I found a couple of cool websites where you can get some popular songs without the drums on the recording--sometimes called "drumless songs". Both of these sites charge $3 for an MP3 download of a track. Drumless Version has a large library you can either buy the whole library or single tracks. Karaoke Versie is cool because you can customize what instruments are in the recording. Take a look at both of these sites to see what works for you.

• Drumless Version
• Karaoke Versie

Copyrights on Drum Covers

You can upload drum covers to YouTube because Google automatically analyzes your upload. If it recognizes the song, it will give the monetization royalties to the original song writer if the songwriter approves the cover. I have heard that people have changed the pitch of the song and google can still pick up on it. Sometimes you can change the pitch and squeak by but I would not suggest that you do this. The original songwriters deserve the royalties.

Facebook does not have the same monetization capabilities to redirect royalties. If you upload a drum cover directly to Facebook, you could get flagged or even get your page shut down. However, you can still upload your drum covers to YouTube and share them on Facebook. Here is a link to YouTube’s explanation on their policy:

YouTube Help: Monetizing Eligible Cover Videos

Music Videos

If you are a band or artist looking to make your own music video, then you don’t need to worry about recording audio for the video (assuming you already recorded the track in a studio). So your focus is completely on the visual aspect. Obviously, the DIY approach is effective for lesser known bands. With some creative visuals, you can really make some cool videos with the tools available today. Most of the dazzle will be in the editing and effects which I will go over in the Video Editing Software section.

Tutorials & Lessons

Tutorials and lessons are a great way to give back to the drumming community. If you build up enough followers, you could even put together a paid lesson or tutorial package to download in which could make some easy passive income. If you are doing any sort of tutorial that needs a screen recording from your computer, there’s a couple tools you’ll need to know about.

Screen Recording

Best

Adobe Captivate (Mac & PC)

First of all, if you go with the Adobe All Apps plan, it will include Adobe Captivate which is a very powerful tool for doing screen recordings. This will record your screen while giving you options for recording separating out the audio as well. Obviously the best choice but you need to pay monthly for this package.

Not Too Expensive But Worth It

Aiseesoft Screen Recorder (Mac & PC)

For a second choice, I have to suggest Aiseesoft Screen Recorder because it can capture audio and video at the same time AND it works on Mac or PC. It does cost a little money (like $40) but it’s worth it in the end if you’re doing a lot of tutorials. There's even a 30% discount code provided here! All of the other screen recording alternatives can get a bit complicated because they require a separate program to capture the computer's audio.

Free

Quicktime (Mac & PC)

If you're looking for something free, I still have you covered. Quicktime has a simple video screen capture feature and even gives you the option to have a flash on your mouse whenever you click it so the viewer doesn’t miss your clicks. It comes already installed on Macs and works for PC too with a download—yes even Windows 10. The best part is, it’s free.

To do a screen recording on Quicktime, just go up to File > Screen Recording and the record window will come up. The little down arrow next to the record button will allow you to pick the source of the microphone it will record. If the viewer doesn’t need to hear your computer audio for this video, you can just talk into your microphone while you record and it will record the audio with the video. The only downside is that Quicktime won’t record the computer’s audio while recording without another program (see next section).

Soundflower & iShowU Studio (Mac)

For Macs, you need Soundflower. It’s another free program which allows you to record the audio directly from your sound card while your recording your screen capture. Then, you can also talk into your microphone and record it with your computer audio at the same time. 

I have used Soundflower for a long time and it has always worked well for me but it is a discontinued open source program. iShowU Studio is the new version of Soundflower but I never have used it. You can get information about both programs and how to set them up here since they can be a little tricky:

Installing Soundflower on ShinyWhiteBox.com

Voicemeeter Banana (PC)

For PC, the best free option (optional donation) out there is called Voicemeeter Banana. There’s a bit of a learning curve with this program, but if free is what your looking for then this is it! It supports up to 5 channels of audio and has multi-channel EQ so there are plenty of features.

​

Video Editing Software

After you film all of this beautiful footage, you're going to need to edit it so it looks nice with text titles, fades, effects, etc. Here are some of the best and most affordable options.

Best

Adobe Premier Pro (Mac & PC)

Adobe Premier Pro is an easy to use powerful video editing tool. I’ve already held the torch for Adobe up through this entire article so there’s no need to stop now! You can customize the user interface to make it simple and enhance your workflow and there are tons of useful filters you can use on your videos. If you bundle multiple programs in Adobe's plan, you will have a fully integrated set of programs to work with and find tons of other uses for them. A key integration is that you can edit files from Adobe Premiere Rush in Adobe Premier Pro--so the transfer from smartphone to editor is seamless (this is huge).

Final Cut Pro (Mac)

For a mac, everyone knows that Final Cut Pro is a top notch video editing tool. The only problem is that it’s expensive. I couldn’t keep it off the list for those that love Mac products (which I do). It has extensive file format support so you shouldn't have trouble importing your videos regardless of the source. One of the things that makes Final Cut Pro unique is what they call the "trackless timeline" which can help you organize all of your media in your project. This is the standard for Macs---super user friendly and powerful. However, PC users have to look elsewhere.

DaVinci Resolve Studio (Mac & PC)

Now this one I consider the underdog that deserves a lot of credit. Expect top notch features comparable to Final Cut and Adobe Premier and compatibility with both Macs and PCs. This program used to be mainly a color correction specialist for video but recent updates have given it a lot of power and functionality. The audio mastering is a useful feature for our intentions to polish up your audio before you upload them. "DaVinci Resolve Studio" is their full version upgrade from "DaVinci Resolve" which is free (see below). 

Not Too Expensive But Worth It

Adobe Premiere Elements (Mac & PC)

So this is Adobe’s option to get away from monthly payments. For around $100, ‘Elements” doesn’t have all the features that Adobe Premier Pro has but it is more than adequate for editing drum videos. Again, Adobe is the best in the business.

Corel Video Studio ​​Ultimate (PC)

Corel Video Studio is an easy to use video editing program and it provides a little more features than some of its competitors. Still a powerful tool but not quite like the “Best” options above. I have been in love with Corel's products for a long time. I used to use Paint Shop Pro before Adobe took over graphic/video world. The thing with this editor is, you can pickup the newest version or an older version on Amazon for a discounted price.

Free

DaVinci Resolve (Mac or PC)

Ahhh yes, free is good. DaVinci Resolve is the freeware  "beta" version of DaVinci Resolve Studio. It's great not having to cough up the cash right away and use it for free until you are ready for more features. This is by far my favorite choice for a free video editing software AND it works on a Mac or PC. So snag this up before they start charging for it! And of course, when you are ready, upgrade to the “Studio” version and you’ll be using a program that is as powerful as just about anything out there.

iMovie (Mac)

Everyone with a Mac knows iMovie. For a free video editor, it is very powerful. This program comes preinstalled on Mac computers. The problem I have with this program came when they updated it a while back and completely changed the functionality. At that point, it became unusable for me. However, I still know a lot of people that use it and love it…and it’s free.

Lightworks (Mac or PC)​

I think I should mention a little something about Lightworks. It is yet another free video editing software option. I used it for quite a while but there were 2 quirks that pushed me away. First, it does not work the way most editing software works. There are a lot of tutorials online but everytime I start a new project, I have to relearn what I forgot because it functions in such a unique way. Secondly, the free version only lets you export in 720p. Those two cons were enough for me to look elsewhere.

So, the absolute cheapest way to go would include:

• Video Recording with Smartphone App ($3-$5)
• UBeesize Flexible 12 Inch Mini Tripod Stand ($20) (commissioned link)
• Audio Recording with Zoom H1n w/ Accessory Pack $145) (commissioned link)
• Screen Recording with Quicktime and Soundflower (free)
• Video Editing with Davinci Resolve, iMovie, or Lightworks (free)

You can really get by spending only about $170. Then, if you want to upgrade from there; ie more camera angles, better sound, more editing power/effects, simpler workflow...you go up from there.

There you have it—everything you need to start making drum videos. If you have any suggestions, questions or just want to show me your videos, then comment below.

Thanks for reading!

**Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click any of these links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.**

We’ve all seen the “top gifts for drummers” and “essential gear” articles, but I haven’t seen many articles listing the uniquely useful drum gadgets. Some of these you have probably heard about but I’m willing to bet you haven’t heard of all of these. I use almost all of these regularly and I plan to eventually buy all of them. I just couldn’t wait to share all of the cool drum gear that you didn’t know you needed with optional drum hacks!

Tama Cobra Clutch (DISCONTINUED)

The Tama Cobra Clutch is a product that has solved a problem for double bass drummers ever since Louie Bellson brought them to the bandstand. When you move your foot from your hi-hat to your second bass drum pedal, you relinquish the control of the hi-hat foot pedal and how much you want the cymbals open or closed. This clutch allows you to set your hi-hat at any level of openness with the push of a pedal. You can have your hi-hats tightly closed or slightly open for a sloshy sound while you play double bass.

Regular hi-hat clutch users, such as myself, have long desired having an option for the amount of slosh when playing double bass. Most drummers remedy this by setting their hi-hat to slightly open and never touching it. This is at the sacrifice of not having the option for a hi-hat wide open nor a loud 'chick' sound when using the hi-hat with your foot. At a hefty price tag, you can solve these problems with the Tama Cobra Clutch. This pedal sits to the side of your hi-hat pedal to easily set and unset.

Drum Hack
I think their needs to be a more affordable product to achieve the slosh sound when playing double bass. Long before this even came out, I came up with my own drum hack that literally costs around a dollar. Simply buy a strong spring that can fit around your hi-hat shaft. Most hi-hat stands have a 1/4" shaft so you would need a 3/8" spring like this one: 3/8" by 3/4" spring. Cut it to length and place it in between the two cymbals. This will hold the top cymbal up slightly when your regular hi-hat clutch is dis-engaged for a slosh and still allow for your pedal to work when the clutch is engaged.

However, this only gives you the option for slosh when playing double bass. Gavin Harrison likes to have the option for slosh or tight as he explains in this official Tama video:

Meinl Cymbal Tuners

A lot of people talk about the Meinl tuners​​ in articles like this so you have probably heard of them. There are mixed reviews on these and I think there's a couple things that need to be said about them. First of all, they don't just make you cymbal quieter. They transform your cymbal into a different but more quiet cymbal depending on where you place the magnets. I like the sounds I can get out of these, but it does depend on the cymbal you are using. I would urge your local drum shop to keep a set of these in the cymbal room so you can test them on different cymbals.

So, yes, these do make your cymbals more quiet at the expense of sometimes wanted overtones. If you want quiet cymbals, you really need to learn to play them more quiet with finesse. This is an important skill to work on especially when you're in the studio. If you are playing your cymbals too loud, it will bleed into the other microphones requiring you to gate or use other production techniques. It can also completely take over your overhead mics forcing you to turn down the overheads at the expense of losing bulk and essential overall room sound. Keep that in mind if you buy this product.

Drum Hack
There are some cheaper options to achieve this but they may not work as well as the Meinl tuners. I used to put duct tape on the underside of the cymbal but it left a nasty residue. Then I heard about these super strong neodymium rare earth magnets online for a fraction of the cost. You just need to put some sort of adhesive felt on them so they don't scratch your cymbal. I have not tried this but have heard that they work just as well. Comment below if you have tried this!

Gibraltar Shock Mount Cymbal Adapter

I usually have more cymbal stands sitting around rather than mic stands. This is perfect for that. It mounts to most cymbal stands. This product is intended for use on a cymbal stand when you have a cymbal mounted as well, that is why it also has shock absorption. It also absorbs the shock when you mount the stand on a rack.

I have wrapped tape onto cymbal stands so I could mount mic clips on them but this only works for a while until they fall off, damaging your microphone. I was definitely happy to find this product! I see the reviews aren't very good but that's because the rubber piece, which absorbs the shock, breaks...just be careful!

Drumgees

Drumlites

These Drumlites are amazing! I have an acrylic "see-through" drum set but these also work great with wooden kits. The remote control allows you to pick a bunch of different presets and colors. I chose to buy the Global DMX Controller so I could have the lights react to my music. This is definitely the way to go because with DMX control, you can do anything.

I will mention that the Global DMX Controller only allows you to show the same color on all the Drumlites you have (hence the name global). However, the Independent Controller with DMX Function allows you the ultimate control to do anything...at a really hefty price tag!

They also sell Drumlites that are triggered by sound, but they are not interchangeable or upgradable to the DMX controlled lights. I easily found a way to trigger the DMX controlled lights by sound with my setup in Ableton Live. But, in order to use it on each drum separately, I would have to buy the independent controller. That's where the triggered Drumlites are much more affordable. I still chose the Global DMX Controller for now with hopes to eventually upgrade to the independent controller.

My drum transcription video of "Moon" by Little People shows the first time I programmed my Drumlites in sync with the music. Check it out here: Moon by Little People - Drum Transcription by Robin Rapsys

Here are a couple official videos from Drumlite with Coop3rDrumm3r explaining their setup and uses. The second video shows their "triggered" version which cannot be interchangeable with the DMX controller. Like I said, with a little setup, you can easily do this with Ableton and a DMX controller. I will be releasing some videos on how I do this soon.

Trick Drums Cymbal Quick Release

The Trick Drums Cymbal Quick Release is by far the best of its type. There's a reason they're so expensive! They screw onto almost any cymbal stand, include felt washers, adjust for tightness, and of course...quick release when you pull on the top. And trust me, they do not "accidentally" pop off.

The KickStrap - Bass Drum Creep Solution

Meinl Cymbal Bacon

The Meinl Cymbal Bacon is a pretty well known product to create a sizzle effect on your ride or crash cymbal. I found this one to work the best because it's not so bulky and the built-in washer fits right on top of your felt washer. I didn't like the Pro-Mark Sizzlers because they were too bulky. The built-in felt and plastic piece didn't fit on some cymbal stands too.

Drum Hack
Of course, you can always take a necklace and drape it over you cymbal stand. Sometimes you need a piece of tape or something to secure it to the cymbal stand. I found that the "dog tag" style necklaces create the best sound which is the same material as the Cymbal Bacon. However, most necklaces will cost more than the Cymbal Bacon and require an extra step to secure it. But, if you have an extra necklace lying around, it could be a quick solution.

Zildjian Anti-Vibe Sticks

Have you seen the Zildjian Anti-Vibe Sticks before? They've been around for a while, but they've come a long way. They now offer them with colored dip grips, birch, natural, or maple and nylon or wood tips. There is a little nub on the back end that drastically reduces vibrations from coming down the stick which can cause wear on your wrists, elbows, and shoulders. They feel really nice but the rebound is very different and they take some getting used to. If you have any sort of pain in your hands, wrist, or arms, these sticks can help with that. I think the vibration reducing sticks will become more common in drumming. Anything to prolong the ability to play drums is a good thing!

Pearl Drum Key (Multi-Tool)

I used to keep a little ziplock bag in my stick bag with allen wrenches, screwdrivers, drum keys, etc. This Pearl Drum Key Multi-Tool alleviates all of that. Vic Firth, Tama, and Zildjian all make a similar version of a multi-tool but Pearl's design is better. It has more allen wrench sizes, more screwdriver sizes, and longer shafts. CruzTOOLs also makes a very similar product that is great, but Pearl 'one-upped' them by adding a bottle opener and a couple more screwdriver sizes. I prefer using this to tune my drums as well because the grip is better than any standard drum key. Definitely the best drum multi-tool on the market.

Tama Tension Locks

Tama Tension Locks lock your tension rods in place so your drums don't go out of tune while you're playing. There are a bunch of other products out there for this issue but these are the best ones. Why? Well, some of the other products out there wrap around the tension rods underneath the drum hoop which make tuning and changing heads a complete headache. The products that snap onto the top of the rods (Gibraltar Lug Locks, Pearl Tension Keeper, Tuner Fish Lug Locks) are easier but Tama Tension Locks are the only product that allow you to tune the drum while they are installed.

They just push onto the top of your troublesome tension rods and the O-ring allows you to tune the drum while they are on. These are probably one of the more expensive products of this kind but that is because they are the best! You don't need to put these on every rod of every drum either. Only install these on the lugs that seem to fall out of tune due to rim shots.

Evans Torque Key

I am a big proponent of tuning your drums by ear. Recognizing pitches and overtones is an important skill for any musician in general. That is why the Evans Torque Key is the best aid in getting your drums close to "in tune" followed by fine tuning by ear. The DrumDial and Tunebot are so much more expensive of a product when you are only using them to get close.

To use the Torque Key, just turn the bottom dial to a desired tension and turn the key on the tension rod until it clicks. After tuning that same tension on every rod, the drum should be very close to in tune. Record your "tension number" when you find the best tuning for each drum.

I will mention that the Torque key only works well with higher quality drums and tension rods free of rust. Lower quality drums will tend to have inequalities in their tension rods that can lead to uneven torque.

Thank you for reading! I hope the products and/or hacks were helpful in simplifying your drumming life. If you haven't checked out some of my other helpful articles, do so below!

Part 2 of this series:
The Coolest Drum Gadgets you Didn't Know You Wanted - Part 2

Other articles that may interest you:
Everything You Need to Become an Online Session Drummer - Part 1 – Getting Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 2 - Practice Session

**Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click any of these links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.**

If you didn’t see part 1, go to: 

Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear

It covers some very important things like scheduling what you practice and when. We’re about to move onto our actual practice session, but there’s one topic that I need to cover: lessons.

Should I get lessons?

I have an opinion on “lessons vs. self-taught” that I would like to explain so I can help you decide on whether you should get lessons or not. If you are self-taught or would prefer to be a self-taught drummer, then ok, but hear me out.

When you self-teach, in any subject or discipline, it only takes you longer to reach your goals if you do it without the direction of someone that has already reached similar goals. I understand that everyone learns a bit differently, but as long as you have a good teacher, they will always find a solution faster than you can. Otherwise you're just taking shots in the dark to try to figure out techniques, licks, etc.

Bottom line is, good teachers will always help you reach your goals faster. But, if you prefer to take longer in facilitating your drumming skills just so you can have the pride of being self-taught, then I won’t stop you. I understand there could be other reasons, but hopefully it’s not the pride thing. Anyway…

Setup

I am sure you already have some sort of setup that you may be particular about. If it’s working, then that’s great. Just remember that the “no pain, no gain” model is not ideal here. You’re essentially doing millions of repeated movements over time and if that movement is causing pain, it will become a problem. I would like to point out that I am not a doctor and you should consult a physician for any definitive answers. I just have some suggestions that could help you on a basic level.

Seat Height

Your current seat height will almost always feel the most comfortable because your accustomed to it right now. However, a physician did tell me that in the seated position, the human body will have the most control of it’s leg movement when the knee is at a 90 degree angle. I would urge you to try this seat height. I chose to “get used” to this seat height and it has worked well for me.

Cymbal Height

When you extend your arm above your head, or your shoulders past a 90 degree angle, you increase the wear on your shoulder. Your arms naturally hang downward as the most relaxed position so you would like to be as close to that as possible. As a suggestion, it’s better to keep your cymbals at eye level when seated or lower.

Stick Grip

I have a simple exercise that has helps me dramatically when it comes to stick grip. Stand up, drop your hands to your sides and completely relax them. Then, freeze one of your hands in that position and bring it up to look at it. Your fingers will naturally be curled a bit. This is your hands most relaxed position. Now, with your other hand, place your drumstick in your frozen hand. After that, you can unfreeze your hand to grip the stick with your thumb and pointer finger as the “fulcrum” while the other three fingers lightly touch the stick. With minimum movement from a fully relaxed position, you should be able to hold onto the stick with the fulcrum and guide the stick with the other three fingers.

Warm-ups

Warm-ups are essential to a fruitful practice session. To really get the most out of it you should get your body temp up so your not “cold”, then stretch, then play some exercises. All in all, this should not take more than 10 minutes. I know it seems like a long time when you don’t have much, but it is essential. You only have to do it once in a day. If you work out in the morning, you should already be warm and stretched and then you just need to play a few exercises. Just take about 3-5 minutes and stretch these areas out:

Here are some stretches explained if you are unfamiliar with these stretches:

Wrist and Arm Stretches on aaptiv.com
Body Stretches on Self.com

Also, this drummer specific stretch feels great: the stick wrist twist. Just grab your drumstick in the middle and use your other hand to twist the wrist either direction until you feel the stretch and hold for about 10 seconds.

Hand Warm-up Routine

I have a hand warm-up routine that warms up my hands AND integrates rudimental practice along with polyrhythms over a metronome click to work on timing. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

I select two tempos; a slow starter tempo and a fast tempo. I set the metronome so that instead of a click on every beat, it clicks every four beats, or every downbeat. I just divide the tempo I want by 4. So if I want to play this at tempo 60, I have to set my metronome to 15. This might take some time to get good at it so don’t allow it to frustrate you too much! I actually have this setup in an Ableton Project if your metronome doesn’t go this low or if you would like to bring some metronome work to a new level. (look below)

It can be very difficult at first. If you need to, you can start at 80 bpm (which means you would set metronome at 20 bpm). I repeat each segment as many times as necessary and move to each segment without stopping while maintaining the same tempo regardless of the polyrhythmic activity. I have provided a PDF download of my warm-up exercises for you below.

Foot Warm-up Routine

For the feet, I do alternating right-hand/right-foot AND left-hand/left-foot groupings. I play them at a slow tempo and a fast tempo and repeat each segment as necessary just like the hand warm-ups. These really wake up my feet and help me sync my hands and feet better in all of my playing. This exercise is also notated in the warmups PDF below.

Metronome Tools

The last piece of the warm-up I sometimes do I call the “Hold Groove”. I pick any tempo and play a groove for 32 bars using my “Hold Groove” clip in Ableton Live. Basically, the metronome plays fewer and fewer times throughout the 32 bar clip. First it’s on every downbeat, then it’s every two bars, and eventually it doesn’t click for 4 measures. This is a test to see how well you can maintain the tempo. Make sure you try drastically different tempos each day.

In this Ableton project, if you switch over to arrangement view, there is a clip that progressively adds 1 bpm to the tempo every four bars. This works great if you’re trying to work up a new lick or groove. The instructions on how to use all of these features will be in the email I send you.

Practice Session

Finally it’s time to practice! So what do you practice? That question could ask a million more questions. What are your goals? What styles do you like? What are you good at and what do you need to work on? I’m hoping I can help you answer those questions by making some suggestions here.

Books

First of all, it is quite difficult to learn new musical styles or exercises without being able to read music. To play music, it’s not essential, but, it will help you move forward so much faster if you learn to read music. It opens an entire world of interesting books with exercises and concepts that would be difficult to utilize without knowing how to read music. Most beginning method books for any instrument teach how to read music. Here are some of the tried and true, best drum books out there.

Snare Drum

Rock

Jazz

Both written by John Riley, an amazing drummer and educator in his own right, these two books are staples for learning jazz drumming. Not only are the exercises interesting and relevant, these books teach the entire concept behind bop music from forms and phrasing to motifs and soloing. (Art of Bop Drumming on Amazon.com / Beyond Bop Drumming on Amazon.com) (commissioned links)

World Music

Drum 'n' Bass/Electronic

All Styles

Concepts

Stick Control, written by George Stone, is a very old book of relatively simplistic patterns in sticking and rhythm for which it was used to teach snare drum for marching music. Since its inception, people have taken Stick Control to a whole new level and reconfigured the use of the patterns in very unique ways. It has become one of the most important drum set practice books ever written. Many years later, Joe Morello (of notoriety from Dave Brubeck's classic "Take Five"(Listen on Amazon Music)) a student of Stone, wrote the book Master Studies which takes the patterns and a slew of new ones in Stick Control and explains the different ways you can use them. “Master Studies” is the perfect title for this book. (Stick Control on Amazon.com / Master Studies on Amazon.com) (commissioned links)

I will also implore you to check out the comprehensive list of timeless drum books from Modern Drummer:
Timeless Drum Books from Modern Drummer

Now, here are some practice tips to keep your eyes on the prize.

How do I work on my "groove" ?

The great Jon Fishman of Phish once used a great analogy to describe time and groove. Just picture a road where the yellow line represents perfect time and the outer white lines to the left and right represent playing on top of the groove and behind the groove. The road's center is usually defined by the rhythm section in the band and where they are implying the song's time exists.

It usually goes unspoken about where each musician chooses to lie on this road. Sometimes the bass player will sit on the back while the drummer pushes the time a bit. Sometimes it's the opposite. The years you spent listening to the music you love by master musicians has given your playing a natural feel that probably sits on its own unique position.

At your next rehearsal, try to start a conversation about where everyone likes to sit in each song. Sometimes when you talk about it, it can solidify the groove. But it can be a confusing concept to some so don't push the idea too hard.

If you are playing slow funk, soul, or any music that asks for a relaxed feel, you would want to consistently play a little bit behind the groove. You should also make sure you relax your shoulders and body when you play. At first, you may feel like your falling behind but as long as you consistently hit your beats a little bit behind, it will have a naturally relaxed feel or sometimes heavy feel.

If you want to give the song some energy, you can sit on top of the beat. This sounds like your speeding up but if you consistently playing a little bit ahead of the beat, you will give the song a front-edge sort of energy. Most rock and metal drummers play like this naturally. If you're not aware of this, it can limit your ability to offer different feels for other songs that might require a relaxed feel like ballads or slow heavy tunes.

Some great examples of drummers playing laidback feels that sound great are ?uestlove of The Roots on the album "Things Fall Apart" (listen on Amazon music), Jeff Porcaro of Toto on the album Toto IV (listen on Amazon music), Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the album "One Hot Minute" (listen on Amazon music).

Some great examples of drummers playing a front-edge energetic feel are Stewart Copleland of The Police on the album "Regatta de Blanc" (listen on Amazon music), Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden on the album "Piece of Mind" (listen on Amazon music). (commissioned links)

These are just a few but there are countless other examples you can explore. Here's an article from DRUM! magazine that lists some of the best groove drummers of all time: 15 Greatest Groove Drummers of All Time

This article from DRUM! magazine covers the idea of groove and what kind of feel fits with different styles/genres. Check it out here: Vital Beats Every Drummer Must Know

To work on your groove without a band, you can experiment with a metronome. Try taking different grooves that you are working on and consciously play them on top of the beat, then behind the beat, and then right in the middle of the beat. The more you practice different grooves and styles this way, the easier it will be to hear the differences and apply them to music.

Is it a physical limitation or a coordination issue?

Depending on how long you have been playing and how developed your muscles are, you could find yourself with some physical limitations. These are limitations that require muscle building over time in order to execute. One of the best examples of a physical limitation would be speed.

Hand or foot speed is not something you can work out in a day…it takes time. So, you have to differentiate the elements of what you’re working on so you don’t get frustrated. If there’s an element of speed as part of the groove or style you are working on, allow yourself the time to build the muscles. You could set a time aside during your practice session to work you hand or foot muscles until they burn! If you stay consistent, you will eventually build up that speed.

If you are finding a coordination issue in what your working on, it usually takes a lot less time to work it out. If you slow down the exercise and repeat it over and over slowly, the coordination with come around. You can also work on coordination with mental practice and visualization which I will cover in the next section!

“Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.”​ -Unknown

Mental Practice

Sometimes we don’t have the time to practice…or, maybe we have idle time when we are away from our drum set. How about when your riding the bus home from work? …when your on an airplane? …when your working out? These are all times that you could visualize practicing and receive the benefit of practicing. Visualizing your practice helps you almost as much as actually practicing!

Here’s a great article from the reputable “Scientific American” which explains that this actually does work:
Can Visualizing Your Body Doing Something Help You Learn to do it Better?

As I said, visualization is a great way to work on coordination. While your riding the bus, plane, treadmill, etc., think of the groove you were last working on and visualize yourself completing the necessary movements to kill that groove.

You can also use mental practice for memorization. Repeating patterns over in your head will engrain them into psyche so you can improvise with them comfortably—especially odd meters! Also try repeating that complex song form in your head so you stop going to the bridge at the wrong time at band practice!

Ari Hoenig wrote a fantastic series of articles for Modern Drummer with the idea of mental practice called “Polyrhythmic Coordination”. He talks about one way to practice mentally is to teach yourself rhythms you couldn’t hear before. The articles he wrote appear in the July 2012, September 2012, November 2012, and February 2013 issues of Modern Drummer. Unfortunately, there’s only the fourth part available online unless you have a digital subscription to Modern Drummer. Here’s a link to Part 4:

Modern Drummer: "Polyrhythmic Coordination" - Part 4 - Six Note Base Rhythm

I hope you enjoyed this article and got something out of it. Be sure to check out some of the other articles I have on my page and keep up the good work.

Be well!

Other articles that may interest you:
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear
Everything You Need to Become an Online Session Drummer - Part 1 - Getting Gear

**Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click any of these links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.**

“Every positive change in your life begins with a clear, unequivocal decision that you are going to either do something or stop doing something.”   - Anonymous

Practicing a skill in any medium takes a lot of dedication, love, and discipline. Every sports player, musician, or professional in any field, spent countless hours working on their craft. The idea of being born with talent is simply a myth.

If you ask any one of these individuals if their “talent” came naturally, they would give you one of two answers. They would either tell you that their level of mastery came with extensive practice and sacrifices, or they would tell you it came easily. The individual providing the latter answer would simply not remember the time they put in to their craft because they loved it so much and they have no recollection of the “grueling” work they put in.

What I am getting at is if you want to get good at drums, you have to put in the time. Just like in anything else, experience is key. You need to practice and play with musicians as much as you can. When you are amazed by a drummer’s playing, you are actually amazed from the time and effort they put into it. “Wow, that would take a lot of practice to be that good!” It sounds silly but it’s true.

If you already have the basic gear necessities to play and practice, you can skip to the “Scheduling” Section.

If you literally have nothing to play drums on, then I'm going to help you figure out what you need. Some items will seem obvious yet others will not. I am going to share with you everything you need to start playing drums.

What You Need to Buy

Sticks

​Every drummer needs drumsticks, but what kind? There are literally hundreds of different types of drumsticks. So, if you are playing drum set, a good size to buy is 5A in any brand. This size is pretty standard for drum set. They are the “just right” size—not too heavy, not too light. If they seem a little heavy or too loud, you could go with 7As. 7A is the standard jazz drumstick size.

If you are joined school band or a community band, then size 2B is what you'll need. They are a bit bigger but they work better for concert snare drum and tom work.

Drumset, Snare Drum, or Practice Pad?

The next thing you need is something to hit with those sticks. Obviously there are drum sets of all sizes and colors. But you don’t need to start out by spending $800 on a drum set. You could start out with a snare drum or a practice pad. This would get you started practicing techniques like single stroke or double stroke rolls. Even learning to hit a drum properly can be tricky at first.

Drumset

If you are ready to buy a drum set, I have a great cost effective choice linked right here. Ludwig is a brand that has been around for over 100 years and they have always made great products. One other thing is that not all drum sets come with cymbals, stands, drum throne, or sticks. This one does! I’ll admit the quality of these cymbals aren’t very good but they will work great to start out. Good cymbals can cost anywhere from $200 to $500 a piece so that is an expense you can wait on! However, the drums are great quality Ludwig drums.

Snare Drum & Stand

If you want to start now but don’t have the money for a drum set, get a snare drum. This snare drum I have listed here is also a Ludwig so the quality is there. Snare drums are ideal if you are going to play in school band or a community orchestra or band. If you do buy a snare drum, you will need a stand to go with it. I have an affordable option shown here:

Practice Pad

For around $20, you can get a practice pad and work on almost all the drumming techniques you will need in order to sound good on a drum set. And you will always need a practice pad. I have three myself and I use them all the time. You can use them for warm-ups backstage before shows, late night practice when you can’t be loud, practicing on a beach, or on the john! They’re smaller and easier to transport than a drum set!

Percussion Kit

When a student joins the school band, a lot of schools require that you purchase a percussion kit. This is a kit that includes sticks, practice pad, bell kit, mallets, and a multi purpose stand. I would highly suggest getting a good quality one for two reasons. First, the cheap ones are really bad and will fall apart before school years end. Secondly, the resale value on a brand name kit will not go down by much. It will sell without trouble because people are always looking for these.

Metronome

One item that musicians overlook is a metronome. This is an essential practice tool for any musician. A metronome is a small electronic device or a phone app that makes a “click” noise at a perfectly constant speed that you set it to. The clicks are measured by “beats per minute” or BPM. For the math junkies, a metronome set at 60 BPM will click 60 times in one minute.

Almost all music is set to a constant pulse and it is essential for all musicians to have a solid internal pulse that doesn’t speed up or slow down (unless intentional). The only way to practice your internal pulse is to practice along to a metronome set to a perfectly constant tempo.

As a drummer, it is a bit more difficult to practice with a metronome because our instrument is naturally loud. And, as a beginner, it is difficult to control the volume at which we play. So, a lot of metronomes are too quiet to hear while we practice with them. The solution is to get some sort of an in-ear monitor or headphones. This helps block the outside sound allowing us to hear the click.

There are many metronome apps available on our phones that are free. If you go that route you could get these sound isolation headphones: Shure SE215-CL Sound Isolating Earphones. Or, you could use other headphones you already own for the time being but they might not provide very much isolation. Otherwise, you can purchase this ‘all-in-one’ in ear metronome: Korg In-Ear Metronome.

So here’s where we’re at for items needed to start playing drums:

Let’s get on to scheduling.

Scheduling

So how do you find time to practice?

Believe it or not, many players do not know how to practice.

The magic is in “learning how to practice”. You need to be aware of how to practice, how much to practice, and what methods to use to reach your goals.

Sometimes players have the speed or facility, but they don’t know what they are listening for with aspects of groove or feel. Sometimes players have good time and feel, but don’t know the techniques to push their chops.

When practicing drums, there are the two aspects of time management:

You need to schedule out your weekly practice time, and you need to schedule out what you work on during your practice time.

You can get so much more done in a week if you do this. 

Weekly Practice Schedule

With weekly practice, you have to spread out your time. Your brain needs time to digest what it has learned.

If you practice 15 minutes every day for 5 days, it’s better than one 2 hour practice session in 5 days.

Have you ever worked on a lick or beat to death and you just couldn’t seem to get it down? So then, you quit practicing for the day because you are frustrated. Then, the next day you come back to it and nail it on the first try? That’s because your brain muscle memory need time to process what you have learned to be able to repeat it the way your ears want to hear.

I have made a flexible 12-hour, weekly practice schedule for you. I am telling you that I need this to stay sane! I have ADHD so I need to have tasks scheduled out or I meander through the day and get nothing done! Sound like you?

Use this schedule to plan out your week so you know when you should be practicing! You can enter the time that you normally start your day and continue for 12 hours in 30 minute increments. If there is a extended period of the same activity (ex. WORK), just put a dark squiggle line below that time period and start with a later hour of the day below that.

Fill in these slots with your normal weekly schedule like WORK, GYM, CLASS, LUNCH, WALK DOG, and PRACTICE. You can print a new one out every week if your schedule changes a lot, or just print one out every season. This schedule will help you out with life in general, not just drum practice…but drumming is life right?

I would urge you to start the schedule in the morning even if you work early. If you got 5 minutes on the practice pad with your coffee, you would be doing yourself a great service!

Once you have your weekly schedule figured out, now you need to plan what you do during your practice time.

Practice Schedule and Log

I created a practice schedule and practice time log to help you here. I use this practice schedule with all of my students. It gives clear start and end dates of your lesson week, the materials to work on for the week, and a log of practice time. I even use this for myself every single week!

The practice materials list keeps me focused on my goals so I don’t get distracted, and the practice log holds you accountable for the actual amount you practiced all week.

This is a visual reminder and it helps tremendously. Remember, you have to spread out your practice time—no playing catch up on Saturday! If you did, you will see that from the previous week.

So you’ve honed your drumming craft by practicing and performing. You have good feel, rhythm, and time and you make good musical choices when you play. Why not share your talent with even more people and make extra money in the process? I make it sound simple but it really is. People would say I’m crazy but I am here to tell you why it’s not that crazy.

There are 3 reasons why I know you can be an online session drummer:

Yes, $1500 is a lot of money. There are some work arounds. There are free pieces of software you could start with. You could borrow microphones and other gear from friends. But, in this article I am going to focus on the most inexpensive gear that will get you professional results right out of the box.

You really don’t need to be an amazing drummer to do sessions. You don’t use virtuosic chops in a session gig…like EVER! You just need a solid feel and some experience in different musical styles.

Music that requires session drummers is very functional and rarely virtuosic or complicated.

A lot of times, the music calls for a very simplistic or cliche version of a style you have heard, because that’s what will get the point across in the track for the average listener. If a track is supposed to sound funky, it needs to sound like the most cliche funk you can think of, like Tower of Power or James Brown. Get it?

You don’t need to be Kenny Aronoff! If you don’t know who Kenny Aronoff is, he is basically the quintessential modern session drummer. He’s been on hundreds of huge recordings and played with artists like John Mellencamp, Stevie Wonder, John Fogerty, Jon Bon Jovi, Smashing Pumpkins, John Mayer, Alicia Keys to name a few. But, you don’t need to be him. He is the “goto guy” for huge name acts and has been doing it for 40 years! His name gets him gigs but also a hefty payout for the one hiring him! You’re affordable!

Also, do you ever think about all the media we see on a daily basis these days? Back in the 90s, you only heard music on TV, in movies, at malls, and in elevators.

There’s a greater demand for music now than there ever has been in history.

Almost every single business has a YouTube ad or some type of corporate video with music behind it. Apps, YouTube channels, Podcasts all have music!

And, just like indie bands that don’t have a big name, don’t get a lot of plays on the radio, or win Grammys yet still making a good living; there are countless indie filmmakers making short films and artistic pieces yet still making a good living. And they need music with session drummers too!

So, you don’t need $10,000 in gear, you don’t need to be drum set wizard, and the need is out there. You need to fill that void! Let’s get down to what you will actually need to get started.

What I Assume You Have

I have lead this article with some assumptions about you and your situation. If you’re reading this, you probably already knew what an online session drummer was which also means you probably are a drummer and you have a decent sounding drum set and some sort of practice space or room that you practice in.

I would also assume that you are reading this post on a computer. Not an ancient computer, but something that is no more than 5 to 8 years old with decent memory. A computer with at least a dual core processor and at least 8 gigs of RAM (you can get by with 4). This will get you started. Obviously, things will run more smoothly if you have more.

I am also assuming you sound good, play solid time, make good choices musically, and have experience in many different styles. There are a lot of different styles that can be specific but the main idea is that you can play all the “cliche styles” in music. Styles like rock, jazz, funk, “latin”, etc. This is where making good choices comes into play. You have to fulfill what the composer is going for so you need to be familiar with many styles. More on this later.

With online sessions, 99% of the time everything is sequenced to a click track (metronome). This means that you have to be able to play solidly to a click track so you can record something that will sync well to the writer’s music.

Some would say that being able to read music is a requirement. I would highly suggest learning how to read music if you don’t know how. But I personally don’t think it is essential.

So you already have a decent drum set and practice space, a decent computer, and intermediate to advanced drumming skills including the ability to play to a click track. Let’s move on to the gear you might still need to get.

What You Need to Buy

Audio Interface & Music Production Software (Digital Audio Workstation - DAW)

An audio interface is a piece of equipment that converts an analog signal (from a microphone) into a digital signal and then into your computer (usually connected by a USB cable). I love my Focusrite Scarlett 18i20. Focusrite makes very solid gear for their price point. This particular unit has 8 high-end mic preamps which is enough to record an 4-piece drum set. It connects via USB and is easy to set up. This will be one of the essential pieces you purchase because it is difficult to find someone that is willing to borrow out an interface. I am not kidding when I say that Focusrite is the way to go if you want professional level recordings.

There’s another reason why this particular purchase is so important. The Focusrite units come with Ableton Live Intro for FREE! That’s the music production software that you need to record with. It’s basically impossible to borrow someone else’s software so you will need this! You can always upgrade to the Standard or Suite version later but you will be able to record with the Intro version right away.

There is a lot of chatter about which DAW is better (ie Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, etc). I can put all those debates to rest right now. All of these DAWs basically have the same quality and recording capabilities. They all can use the same high-end third party plugins.

The reason you should definitely buy Ableton Live is because the live performance capabilities blow all other DAWs out of the water.

If you perform live at all as a musician, you need Ableton Live. Even if you don’t run backing tracks to your music, you still need it for segues, cues, sounds, live recording, DMX lighting controls…you name it. This is the end all for live performance and it’s recording capabilities are just as good as any of the others. Period.

In-Ear Monitors or Headphones

Microphones

Microphones are essential to capturing the best sound from your drum set. There are so many different microphones out there that do a good job, but I literally have the most affordable options listed right here that will give you professional quality recordings.

Shure Drum Microphone Package

Again, Shure is a top brand. I will tell you right now that all the microphones in this package are literally industry standards in almost any recording studio. That means, these microphones are as good as you’ll ever need and they are extremely affordable. This Shure DMK5752 Drum Microphone Package comes with the amazing Beta 52A kick drum microphone, three SM57 microphones for two toms and your snare drum AND three microphone clips to mount to the rim of the drum. This package gets you well on your way to pro level recordings.

Rode NT5 Condenser Microphone - Matched Pair

Accessories

Sometimes you can find microphone packages that come with cables and stands which always saves on the budget. But, to setup the overhead microphones, you will need some tall boom mic stands and cables. These are solid choices I have listed here and you'll need two (2) of the boom mic stands for the overhead mics and one (1) short mic stand for the kick drum mic. I prefer the weighted base over the tripod so you're not tripping over the tripod legs in the walkway in front of the bass drum.

You'll also need as many microphone cables as you have microphones. You usually get a better deal with cables if you buy them in multi-packs. This one I have listed here is a pack of two. You'll probably want 20 foot cords but you could maybe get by with 15 footers.

I would also suggest you pick up the book “The Drummer’s Bible” by Mick Berry and Jason Gianni. It covers a very extensive range of styles with audio examples of the beats and it lists the artists that were best known to play the style. Playing styles for film and TV is all about “cliche styles” and what they sound like to the average listener, not a musician. (commissioned links)

That’s all the gear you need! If you’re not sure what to do next, I will be releasing part 2 of this series soon to keep the momentum going. It will be all about getting a good quality sound recording from your drum set. But, I will urge you that you need to start, and start now. You won’t get better at recording unless you do it…a lot. You can start practicing recording and getting quality sounds from your drum set while you work on promoting yourself. The networking and promoting portion will be part 3.

This checklist is very helpful after reading this article. It's laid out, plain and simple, so you can check things off as you go and plan your strategy.

I have provided a checklist of the gear I spoke about to get you going. Print this list out and put it next to your drums or work area. Goals need to be visible. I truly believe you need to see your goals on a daily basis to inspire you in order to have them manifest themselves into your life.

Thanks for reading!

Other articles that may interest you:
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced - Part 1 - Scheduling and Gear
Definitive Drum Practice Guide from Beginner to Advanced – Part 2 - Practice Session

**Full Disclosure: I earn a commission if you click any of these links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.**

The definition for 'genius' reads as such: 

1. exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.  
"she was a teacher of genius" 

2. a person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative, either generally or in some particular respect.  
"one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century" 

I'm pretty sure most people would define a genius as "really smart" and regard that person pretty high in our society. I guess that's pretty close to the definition. However, there's a few words that stick out to me in these two definitions: "natural ability" and "in some particular respect". 

The first definition states "natural ability". So they were born this way? They didn't have to do anything to nurture this ability? Does that make them smart? I really think this label gets thrown around too much. Most of the highly regarded musicians and composers would scoff at the idea that they didn't work hard to achieve their status. Some might've worked even harder without getting any notoriety for it. But the geniuses just wrote music that they heard in their head. One could say, genius is natural and automatic therefore it is not an achievement. 

Some contemporary musicians and composers who have studied at some of the most prestigious colleges have regarded the rapping rhythms of hip-hop music as genius. Was there a well thought-out procedure to procure these intricate rhythms? I would agree with this statement pertaining to some rap artists. But what the hell is a musical genius then? Somebody that is naturally creative at the right time in pop culture? 

Geniuses are rare. Having six toes is rare too! 

I bring this up because a lot of people talk about their favorite musicians as "a musical genius". We're talking about music here, everything is subjective! If nine people told me that Frank Zappa was a musical genius, the tenth person would tell me his music is terrible. Sure, he's creative, but is he genius? Years back, I once argued with a friend that Trent Reznor has been regarded as a musical genius and therefore I should check him out. He thought that it was a waste of his time because he didn't hear any genius in his music. Sure, he's influential, but is he genius? 

To me, a "musical genius" is an oxymoron. How can a personal taste qualify as being intellectual or "smart"? What do you think? Is there such thing? And if so, who are some of these musical geniuses? What did they specifically do to show high intellect or creativity?

During the mid to late 2000s, EDM and DJs were taking over the world. EDM, as general as that term is, was exciting and it had a bit of everything for everyone. It seemed like the edgy kids could still jam to dubsteb EDM while the trendy club jumpers could still dance to their 120 bpm dance music as soon as the bass dropped. It was definitely the most popular genre in the US and in most other countries. And let's face it, there's a lot of cool EDM out there. I could finally hear some of the weirdest and coolest electronic "extended techniques" of the most sophisticated 90s techno in almost any top 40 song now. I thought it was pretty cool! But, as the technology advanced and the tolerance of experimental electronics found it's way into mainstream, I also noticed a lack of something else: human feel. 

Now let me explain. I love instrumental electronic music and I realize there are rarely any human elements in the music itself. That's fine. I can like music for what it is. I'm actually not complaining about the lack of human traits in the music at all. I'm simply just noticing it. I am always one to embrace new technologies all the while paying my respects to the history as well. Give me a chance to explain where I'm going with this. 

Just like the highly-produced, image-driven, 80s American music scene, it was bound to change. In the 80s, pop music was mainly driven by MTV music videos and the image of the bands. This kept the human element while losing some of it in the music. All the records were produced with more synthesizers, more reverb and more gain! Everything was just more. During this time, the best selling album of all time, Michael Jackson's "Thriller", had drum machines driving the songs. It was commonplace. And all that was awesome too! I love a lot of the music from the 80s. 

The thing was that the next generation would want something of their own. And like any pop music shift, they would go almost completely in an opposite direction: Grunge. The image changed from drag queens and bikers to people dressing like they were homeless. The music was still loud, but it was raunchy. The singers were yelling, or yarling or whatever the hell they wanted. The production quality went from pristine and shiny to dingy and garage-y (grunge). It was like the grunge movement went back to basics and embraced human emotions, mistakes, and imperfections--also a great musical movement in my opinion. 

So with that movement in the history books and teaching us a little something about ourselves, where did that bring us after the EDM storm in the early 2010s? First of all, this is the storm that not only brought entire songs of completely synthesized instruments except the vocals but infected many other genres as well. Even in genres that have always been driven by live musicians! I have heard albums in country, hard rock, metal, and even folk genres with perfectly pitch corrected vocals, pristine drum replaced sounds that are aligned to a rhythmic grid, and guitar parts that no longer have feel or character because they were played too perfect and mixed into an oblivion. 

The significant change I noticed in 2012 was from the one group that was led by actual robots (allegedly ;-). They released an insanely popular electronic/pop record only they had a live drummer on every track. Daft Punk's album Random Access Memories was not only on every radio station but it also won "Album of the Year" at the Grammys. It's as if the populace wanted a bit more of a human feel to their music. 

Now I see a lot more groups adding live musicians, not only to their live show, but to their recordings as well. Even despite the expensive studio costs in recording live musicians vs programming the parts. It seems obvious to me that this shift is happening. Do you see it happening? Do you disagree? What do the most popular albums of 2017 and 2018 so far reflect?