Playing the drums can be quite a workout, maybe even more than you think. BBC News reported about an ongoing study into the health benefits from drum playing. The drummer from Blondie, Clem Burke, has been participating in the study which was conducted jointly by the University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chichester. BBC News reports:

Burke was connected to equipment to measure his heart rate and oxygen uptake, and the levels of lactic acid in his blood. … A hour in concert could burn between 400 and 600 calories, he said.

He found that during a performance, his heart averaged between 140 and 150 beats a minute, peaking at 190, levels comparable to other top athletes….

…”It is clear that their fitness levels need to be outstanding – through monitoring Clem’s performance in controlled conditions, we have been able to map the extraordinary stamina required by professional drummers.”

For more information about the study, check out the Full Article

Proper placement of all the elements in a drummers kit is very imporant as it determines how easy it will be to play the kit, and affects the endurance of the drummer. It is best to try to keep all of your toms and cymbals at the same angle, so your wrist does not need to change positions when playing different drums. The height of the drums is also very important. When striking any element in your kit, you arm should as close to a neutral as possible position. Your arm should be relaxed, your neck should not be tense, and you should not have to reach too far to hit any object in the drum set. Any unnecessary strain on your muscles is wasted energy and will make you tired faster.

The style of music a drummer plays can affect their ideal drum set setup. The drums and cymbals that are used the most often should be the easiest to reach for the drummer. When first setting up my drum set, I like to start out with the snare and hi-hat, as these are the two things I use the most. After that I start positioning the mounted toms, then floor toms. For the cymbals, try to position the ones you use most frequently in front of you. Less often used cymbals and other percussion instruments can be fit in to any spaces you find and on the sides. What is great about drumming is that there is no “correct” position for the drums in your kit. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different setups to see what feels the most comfortable for you.

The Zildjian DIP series of drumsticks are high performance sticks that can really take a beating before breaking. What sets these sticks apart from your regular high quality drumsticks is that these have a unique rubber grip on one end. The end of the stick that you hold in your hand is dipped in rubber during the manufacturing process. This thin coat of rubber gives the stick a slightly tacky feel and an improved griping surface. The coating also provides an alternate sound when striking a drum with the butt end of the stick.

I have been using these sticks by Zildjian for a little over a year and I am quite happy with their performance. The Zildjian DIP sticks are great if you are like me and you have sweaty hands. I know that especially in the summer months, my hands can get very slick when playing my kit. These sticks provide a little extra grip so you don’t end up accidentally throwing your sticks across the room. They are offered in 5A, 6A, 7A, 2B, 5B, and “rock” sizes with your choice of wood or nylon tips and a black or purple rubber coating.

Check out these Zildjian DIP Drumsticks on sale now!

One of my favorite musicians is Dave Grohl. He is a multi-instrumentalist known best for his songwriting/guitar/vocals in the band Foo Fighters. Dave started out his career playing drums and eventually became the drummer for the band Nirvana. After the death of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, Dave created the Foo Fighters as the lead guitarist and singer. Check out this video of a Foo Fighters concert where Dave Grohl joins in with their drummer Taylor Hawkins for an awesome multi-kit drum solo.

Warm Up – Before starting a practice session or a show, make sure to warm up. Play some rudiments and work your way around the kit. If you are going to play a show, bring a practice pad with you to warm up on offstage. This will help you loosen up your arms and wrists and start the blood flowing in your limbs. When you start to play on your kit, you want to be as relaxed as possible. Any tension will make it more difficult to play and will tire you out faster.

Protect your Ears – Wear earplugs. As you most likely already know, drums are quite loud. It is important to protect your ears from the constant bombardment of loud noises.

Have Extra Drum Keys – Buy a couple extra and keep them in different places. Wear one on your neck on a piece of string. Keep one in your stick bag. You never know when you will need to do some adjustments on your kit. If you only have one key and you cant find it when needed, that can be a huge problem.

One of most important parts of drumming technique is using correct drumming posture. Having the correct posture can make you sound better and have more consistency. With correct posture, you can play faster and easier, with less effort. Here are some tips to help you keep proper drumming posture when at your set.

It is important to have your body in a relaxed, neutral position when you sit down. One aspect of this is sitting at the correct height. The height of your throne not only affects the angle of your arms hitting the drums, but also how much force you will use with your feet on the pedals. Whats important is that your leg is in a neutral position, ready to strike the pedal when you are sitting down. Your leg should be parallel or slope slightly down towards the floor. If you find that your are lacking the power you want in your kicks, you should lower your seat some.

Another aspect of correct drumming posture is sitting up straight. It may sound stupid, but sitting up straight while playing the drums is very important. If you watch any professional drummer, they sit up straight at their kit. Slouching while playing for extended periods will only put unnecessary strain on your lower back. It may feel unnatural at first, but if you focus on sitting up straight every time you play it will soon become second nature.

Relax your arms, shoulders, and hands. If you feel as if your straining to keep your arms up, lower your drums down some. Try to keep the angle your wrist makes with each drum consistent throughout your set. Your arms should be in a neutral position with your elbows not too far or too close to your sides. If you reduce the energy it takes your body to play your drums, by practicing proper posture, you will become better at playing. You will feel more comfortable at your set as you play, and your body will feel better afterward.

Did you know that Stevie Wonder can play the drums? Although blind from birth, Stevland Hardaway Judkins aka Stevie Wonder learned to play many instruments throughout his life. He is most widely known for his piano and vocal abilities, but also plays the drums, harmonica, bongos, and congas. Check out this impressive video of a televised Stevie Wonder drum solo.

Expand your Music – Don’t be afraid to listen and play to other types of music. If you only listen to the same kind of music all the time, then you will start sound like it. It is best to expand your range of music styles. If you expose yourself to many different kinds of drum beats, you can create your own personal style using what your learn from other types of music.

Slow Down! – Just as babies learn to crawl before they walk, the key to drumming is to slow it down first and then increase speed. When learning a new groove, start out at a slow tempo and focus on consistent tones from each drum and hitting each drum at the correct time. After you are comfortable playing slow, the pattern will be in your head and you can then speed it up easily.

Practice Patterns without Sticks – You do not need your kit or even sticks with a practice pad to practice your groves. Tap out the patterns on your legs when listening to music on the bus or while watching TV. Doing so will strengthen your muscle memory and make it easier to reproduce those patterns on your kit.

Check out these entirely black cymbals made by Zildjian. They are called Pitch Black and came out in July 2008. Completely black with white logos, the cymbals range from medium to medium thin thickness and are intended for use in rock music.

The Pitch Black cymbals are sheet bronze cymbals that are then coated black. The bronze alloy is the same that is used by the Zildjian ZHT series, the highest quality of sheet bronze cymbals Zildjian offers. These awesome looking cymbals come in 8 varieties: 18″ China, 22″ ride, 20″ crash/ride, 15″ Mastersound hihats, 18″crash, 16″ crash, 13″ spash. Zildjian also offers a box set that includes the hihats, 18″ crash, and 22″ ride. If you are tired of the same old look of the cymbals on your kit, then you should definitely check out these stunning unique pieces.

Check out these Zildjian Pitch Black Cymbals on sale now!

Twirling a drum stick while playing is part of the showmanship skills that many drummers posses. Drumstick spinning is one way that a drummer can add some style to their playing during a show. Most other common instruments in a band are easily maneuverable. This lets other musicians such as guitarists and singers move around the stage or dance to the music. Because as a drummer you are stuck sitting down at your drum set, you are more limited in what movement is possible during a show. Spinning or twirling drumsticks while playing a groove is one way for a drummer to get more creative on their drum set and show off a little for the crowd. This video teaches you two different ways to spin your drumsticks.