How Long Does it Take to Learn to Play the Drums

How Long Does it Take to Learn to Play the Drums How Much Time Does it Take to Learn the Drums? ChaptersWibbly-Wobbly TimeThe Ten Thousand Hour RuleWhat is Your Intent?Laying Down the Drum BeatsIf I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I’d like to do... - Jim Croce, Time in a BottleDon’t we all wish we could save time for the things we want to do, to prolong the moments spent with those we love, and merely gloss over school, work, doctor’s appointments and traffic jams?A sort of fast-forward over the mundane parts of life so that we can savour the delicious aspects of our existence?Unfortunately, time, like money, has its own priorities, spending itself relentlessly and inexorably, in measured increments, with no regard at all for our desires.Such as the desire to make music by learning how to play the drums!Knowing that time is limited, pressing and in ever-diminishing quantity â€" in more ways than one, it is quite natural to wonder how long it would take to learn any skill.Let us now look at other facets that govern the time needed to learn the drums throu gh and through.Time spent on unpleasant tasks seems to drag on forever! Source: Pixabay Credit: Xavi Andrewdrum lessons for kids are enthusiastically partaken of!Conversely, if all you want to do is bang on the drum all day, as Todd Rundgren does, everyday concerns like meetings and sales calls might feel like aeons passing before you can once again pick up your drumsticks.It is a very human trait to quantify everything through measurement.That, in turn, ties in neatly with trait theory, which postulates that, if we are likely to do something, it is most probably because we are predisposed to doing so.And here were are again, back at cause and effect!So: do you like to play the drums because an affinity for music is an innate quality you possess?Or do you measure each drum beat against the clock instead of your metronome or the pages of your drum books, because you would rather be anywhere, even the dentist’s chair, than behind a drum set?And what does all of this have to do with the time it takes to learn the drums?Why, everything! Read on...How you hold your drumsticks can have an effect on how long it takes to learn how to play drums Source: Pixabay Credit: TookapicThe Ten Thousand Hour RuleIn the book Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, we are confronted with the postulate that, in order to master any task, one must devote 10,000 hours to practising the correct way.Readers and reviewers of that tome especially appreciated the perspective presented in that study: that individual potential is often overlooked in the quest for competence.In plain speak: the basic theory is that, if you apply yourself to any task, hobby or occupation for that specific amount of time... you will not necessarily master it.What it really comes down to is whether you have an aptitude for the learning you’ve set yourself to.Find out what the best age is for learning the drums!Let us say you do have an aptitude for drumming and want to learn how to do it well: most likely, you will s ucceed in your goal, provided you work at it correctly â€" more on that in a moment.Still: doesn’t the idea of devoting ten thousand hours to the pursuit of excellence in drum playing seem a bit daunting?Especially if you have other commitments, such as work, school, family and friends, and other hobbies?And what does that phrase ‘practice correctly’ mean?There are a few ways to practice the drums incorrectly:playing without warming up: you should exercise your hands, wrists and grip before you hit the first drum strokenot using a metronome: without a timekeeping device, you may drop the tempo once you get tired â€" a critical error!not using a practice pad: you should spend the same amount of time with the drum pad as you do on the drum kitnot sticking to a regular practice schedule â€" remember: you are not just learning to paradiddle, you are also conditioning your arms and hands!holding the sticks improperly: this can make playing sixteenth notes more difficult, and possib ly cause injury!keeping poor posturefavouring your weak hand by using mostly your dominant handsetting your sights too high; ignoring fundamentalsAny of these variables can render any time you spend to learn to play the drums ineffective, which will prolong the time it will take you to master drum patterns and drum notation.First, because you will have to unlearn all of those bad habits, and then learn effective drumming skills.Another pertinent factor of the time it takes to learn drums is who you learn from.Discover resources for learning how to play the drums!There are plenty of online materials for you to learn the drums, and you could also invest in books to learn how to play the drums, but learning in a vacuum is seldom a good idea.At the very least, you should sign up for beginner drum lessons, if only to get a grasp on the fundamentals of drumming and someone to show you the more intricate drum grooves.Forget googling drum lessons Edinburgh; Superprof has the right drum teac her for you!What is Your Intent?Do you plan on building your life around drumming? Do you see yourself playing in a rock band, touring the world?Are you hoping to compete internationally by displaying your skill within a corps and win prizes?Would you like to audition for the Highland Drum Corps?Each of these requires different skills and aptitudes. For the rock or jazz drummer, a solid technique on a full drum set is required.As a member of a marching band, you only have to beat a bass drum or a snare drum, but must be able to walk in complicated patterns while keeping the beat.Whether you intend to play drums as an avocation or if playing drums is your life: your intent weighs significantly on the time it will take you to learn how to play drums.Playing the drum in a corps requires an entirely different skills set than playing the drums in a band Source: Pixabay Credit: SkeezeLaying Down the Drum BeatsAnyone’s ability to learn to play drums comes down to three factors, of which time is the least significant.Of primary importance is your dedication to learning drums.If you do not have the coordination, heart, patience, and desire to learn syncopation or how to read drum sheet music, it will take you an eternity to master percussion instruments, even with drumming lessons twice a week.The next vital factor is how you learn.Will you seek out a drum teacher? Or will you opt for online drum lessons; ones where you take instruction but don’t get instant feedback or correction?You can count on plenty of feedback if you were taking drum lessons Manchester or in Birmingham with a Superprof tutor!At least at the outset of your learning the drums, you should have a music teacher who will instruct you on all of the safety facets of drumming as well as teach you how to set up your kit and maintain it properly.Metallica’s Lars Ulrich has been labelled a bad drummer because he does not practice and seems generally negligent about his kit.In fact, he does not like pra ctising drum fills and beats alone. He reasons that his instrument supports the band, therefore should not be played without the band. Logical!Whether you are a fan of his or not, please do not emulate that attitude.For every hour spent in drum lessons, you should spend two practising on your drum pad.With dedication, aptitude and work, you will be able to learn the drums fairly quickly â€" say, 10 to 12 months to become proficient, and about 18 months to 2 years to get really good.And you won’t need to save time in any bottle!How ironic that the song opening this article features no drums at all...Read more FAQs about learning how to play the drums...