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Learning to drum at home can seem daunting. Luckily, we have some tips and tricks to make it easy, affordable, quiet and space-effective.
Playing an instrument, no matter your age, is good for you. Studies show that it has benefits for your mental health and emotional wellbeing because it can expand your social circle and relieve stress. It even grows the corpus callosum, the nerve bundle which connects the left and right side of the brain. Wow! What an easy and fun way to make yourself smarter and more dexterous!
If playing an instrument is good for you, then playing the drums must be the best: it requires physical skill. Practicing develops hand-eye coordination. The drumming position improves your posture. You will learn to read music notation which is basically like having a second language. And it’s really cool.
The only thing is: the kit. It is expensive, it’s big, and it’s loud. Perhaps you live in a flat or house where you’re already short on space. Or perhaps your neighbours don’t seem like they fancy listening to you bashing away in the evenings. Surely you can’t learn to drum at home in a city?
Don’t give up yet! We’ve got some tips and tricks that will make drumming at home seem easy. No matter where you live or who you live with.
Save Money
Professional drum kits aren’t cheap, but you can do it on a budget using these tips:
- Look for a second-hand kit, either from a friend or through sites like Gumtree or eBay. Often local neighbourhood Facebook groups have sections where people are giving away instruments because they are moving or need space!
- Fix up an older kit. If your kit has a broken skin, it’s easier to replace that than get a whole new kit. Or your kit might just need a spruce – check out this inspiring article from Seb Atkinson about cleaning up old kits.
Save Space
Maybe the problem isn’t money, but space. Here’s how to squeeze your sticks in:
- Slim it down: go for a compact kit set-up. Can you get by with just a snare drum, hi-hat and bass drum for now? We call it the Stray Cat Strut after Slim Jim Phantom.
- Practice some minimalism: go for a practice pad. These can cost as little as £8.00 and can even just go on your lap!
Keep it Quiet
We know this is the big one: no one wants their neighbours knocking on the wall shouting for you to keep it down when you’re trying to let out your inner John Bonham.
- Practice patience, and your technical exercises. Go for a practice pad, so you can get the time in without it making a racket. These can cost as little as £8.00 and can even just go on your lap!
- Upgrade your existing kit with some silent skins. These go on the kit and make it lovely and quiet. We recommend the Remo Silentstroke or the Zildjian L80 cymbals.
- The Body Electric: why not try an electric kit instead of an acoustic one? Whilst they can be pricey, we think they’re great because they fold away and create more space. You can also put your headphones on and rock out as loud as you want. Your neighbours won’t even know you’re a rockstar. Amazing, right?
Learning to Drum at Home
Now that you’ve got an amazing money-, space- and ear-saving setup, you’re ready to learn to drum at home. Why not connect with one of the tutors at Make More Music? If you’re learning to drum at home then the tutors can come to your place and deliver tailored one-to-one lessons.
Or maybe you’ve decided that you just need to bash it out Rush-style on a big, loud, acoustic kit. No problem! Why not contact us to find out about London drum lessons with studio-based drum teachers?
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