From the moment you were born, music has been one of the constants in life. You may not remember it perfectly, but when you were a baby, you may have had a rattle or a similar toy that you liked to shake because it made interesting sounds. Sometimes, you would even bang your toys on a surface of the house to hear the sounds it would make.
Music is a part of life, and learning music has its benefits. One particular instrument that people love to imitate when coming across a good song is the drums. It’s an instrument that makes you want to dance to the music while it emphasizes the rhythm. The drums add such flavor to the music that you may have even pretended to bang on a drum set when you listened to an amazing drum solo.
Instead of air-drumming when your favorite song plays on the radio, you may want to consider learning how to play the actual drums. You don’t have to purchase a drum set right away; in fact, a practice pad can be enough. As a beginner, the important thing is to hone your skills first and familiarize yourself with the basics before moving on to complete gear. You can get lessons from a teacher or even online from websites like Begin Your Drumming.
Some people play the drums for fun, while others play to make a career out of it. No matter what the reason, playing the drums has its benefits. Here are some reasons why you should start picking up those drumsticks and banging on those drums:
1. Improves Your Concentration And Coordination Skills
When you play the drums, you don’t just use your hands to create the beat. All four limbs are involved with your one foot on the bass pedal, the other on the hi-hat pedal, and both hands to play the other drums and cymbals. Playing the drums help you develop your coordination skills by using all four limbs at the same time to create music.
There’s also sheet music available for you to better understand how to take on a piece or song. Sheet music provides a detailed rhythm notation, which helps you give a more precise interpretation of a song. Though not all drummers learn sheet music, it can be a great way to improve your concentration.
2. Explore Your Creative Side
While there is sheet music available for a song or piece, it doesn’t mean that you always have to stick to it whenever you play something. Doing so can make you sound and feel robotic, that you and listeners may even find the song boring. Once you are able to master a song that you have been learning, you can put your own spin to it.
The drums represent you, and you want to show the people listening to your music your personal style—what sets you apart from other drummers. You can always experiment with new beats, tills, and other techniques to get creative with your drumming. Discovering new routines can also help you in improvising during a performance.
3. Can Be Learned With Basic Equipment
You may think it’s expensive to learn how to play the drums because of the equipment needed, but that’s not always the case. It may sound tempting to have the full gears and equipment before taking your lessons; however, if you start as a beginner, drum pads may be the most practical option for you. When you first begin learning an instrument like the drums, you can always start with the simple equipment, then work your way to better quality ones as your skills improve.
4. Relieves Stress
Have you ever had a stressful day that you wanted to scream into a pillow or punch a hole in the wall? When you’re stressed, you’re full of this tension inside your body that you just want to do something to help relieve it. Drumming can let you do that.
Imagine being so stressed after a day of work and then coming home to your drum set. You would probably sit on your drum stool in an instant and play until the sounds of the snare, bass, and cymbals make you feel better. After playing the last beat, all you can hear is silence, and then you can take a deep breath and get on with the rest of the day peacefully.
It’s a great way to relieve stress, express yourself, and create music all at the same time!
5. Develops Confidence
Whenever you learn something, you often start with the basics and slowly build your way up to the more complicated lessons. This process also applies to the drums—you have to master the basics to build your confidence in performing more advanced patterns. Drums are a loud instrument that gives rhythm to the music, and it takes guts to play a routine and be sure of each hit you land on the drums.
There are also chances for you to play for a band and perform in front of an audience. It’s a different atmosphere when you’re playing the drums at home and when you’re performing for a large group of people on stage, and that can be nerve-wracking. The best way you can overcome stage-fright is by continuously practicing and slowly building your confidence to perform whatever stage you find yourself in.
6. Enhances Your Communication And People Skills
Playing the drums on your own while jamming to the music on the radio can get lonely, and sooner or later, you may find yourself being part of a band. When playing in a band, you’re no longer a single drummer, but a drummer that your bandmates rely on to keep the song together and provide a strong beat. Some musicians consider the drums as the backbone of a band.
Before performing, you have rehearsals with your bandmates and coordinate with each other to improve the performance. As a drummer, you also learn to read non-verbal cues and adjust accordingly to keep the whole band in the right beat. You may not be the leader of the band, but you’re like the human metronome that helps keep everyone in tempo.
Conclusion
Learning how to play the drums has many benefits. Apart from learning how to make music, you also unconsciously learn many aspects that you can apply to your everyday life. Playing the drums can help you grow both as a person and a musician, as learning is a continuous process.
There are several reasons why people learn how to play drums. Whether it be for fun or a living, what’s important is that you’re passionate about what you do, so you can enjoy what you’re doing, and at the same time, reap the benefits.