The learning curve in drumming

Believe it or not there is a theory that can be applied to learning to play the drums.

The Learning Curve Theory is a simple concept that suggests that the more a person repeats a process or activity, the more skilled they become at that activity.

This theory can be used to explain why practice is so important when learning the drums, or any other instrument.

The Learning Curve is shown in a graph like this one. The graph shows the more effort and time you put into practice, the more skilled and efficient you become at playing.

Now, that’s the boring theory bit over with, phew!

There are quite a few factors that influence how good you can get at playing the drums. You might identify with some or all of these as you go through your own learning journey.

These include:

• How much time you spend practicing – consistent and focused practice is essential for making progress.
• How committed and motivated you are – do you want to learn and improve your playing?
• Personal goals – the more complex the goal, the longer the learning curve will be.
• Natural talent and aptitude – some people are gifted at rhythm and coordination, which can make the learning process faster.
• What support you have around you – having the time, space, equipment, and people around you to help you focus on your passion.
• Good instruction and guidance – a good teacher can guide you, help you focus on your goals and give you feedback, which can accelerate your learning.

In the music world you might hear the terms proficiency and mastery being banded around. This means being able to play complex pieces of music with ease, fluidity, and creativity. However, to get to a proficient level of playing, there are several stages that a drummer will go through.

New to drumming

Within the first few weeks or months you will learn the basics (fundamentals) of drumming. This will include techniques like how to set up the drums, hold the sticks, play the bass drum with your foot, basic rhythms and counting.

This can be a challenge without a teacher to guide you. That’s not to say it cannot be done without a teacher as there is a wealth of information available on the internet and through instructional videos. However, without the personal guidance and instruction from a teacher, you can pick up bad habits, technique and lose focus, motivation, and commitment.

In the beginning stages it is important to set small achievable goals so you can start to see progress quickly. This will keep you hooked into drumming and wanting to practice and learn more. Don’t get me wrong, learning drums is not a walk in the park, but this is where having good guidance can help. A good teacher can help break down your learning into bite sized chunks that fit with your individua learning pace and style.

Exponential Learning

Drummers often find the learning process is slow at the very beginning. However, their learning is quickly accelerated once they build on the foundational skills of drumming. Drummers often find they learn quickly once they get some basic skills and rhythms under their belt. This next part is where practice becomes important. The more they learn and practice, the quicker they learn new skills and techniques. A bit like a computer, the mind and body can be programmed to learn new skills based on what is already knows.

Intermediate stages

It can take months to years and focused practice to learn to play along to songs. You will be learning multiple patterns within a song, transitions between grooves and fills and building on your repertoire of musical knowledge and skills. Playing in time to a song or along with other musicians can take time and practice to develop.

Hitting a plateau

All drummers hit a plateau at some point where they start to feel like progress has stopped and they are feeling frustrated with themselves. This can often be the time when drummers give up all together. However, you will be pleased to know that this is all part of the process of learning.

A plateau occurs for a few reasons:

• You have conquered the basic rhythms quickly and easily as motivation to learn was high in the beginning. However, as grooves and rudiments become more difficult to learn and require more effort, frustration increases and the motivation to learn decreases.
• Motivation and focus can have a big impact on ability to stretch passed the plateau. This can be because learning something hard can start to be challenging and not so much fun and progress is slower.
• The strategies for learning that you had in the beginning may not be working now the drumming is becoming more challenging.

Top tips to overcome the plateau:

• Try finding resources online like videos or documents that other people have broken down and explained a particular technique in different way.
• Ask for feedback from a teacher or other musicians about the parts you are stuck on and get some guidance.
• Break it down into smaller goals, work on each simpler step before moving onto the next. This can help overcome the urge to give up as the overall goal feels too bug or unachievable.
• Connect with other drummers who are learning to share, get support, and stay motivated.

Proficiency and mastery

Drumming really is a lifelong journey. It takes long-term commitment to continue to play at a higher level. If that’s where your drumming journey is headed, then you are in for a ride! You will hit many ups and downs along the way as your motivation and focus are tested along the way. However, speaking as an eternal optimist, you will be pleased to know that it is all part and parcel of the learning curve.

Part of the journey is being able to reflect on where you are now, where you want to be in future and setting yourself realistic goals from there. There is always a new challenge on the horizon with each new song, genre, or style that you want to learn. This is what makes learning the drums so fulfilling, as progress is continuous. By setting yourself new goals and achieving them, you can continue to manifest that feeling you had at the very beginning stages, which got you hooked on drumming in the first place.

TOP TIPS FOR YOUR DRUMMING JOURNEY

• Get a good teacher who understands your goals, learning style and can give good instruction, guidance and help you stay motivated and focused.
• As early as possible get yourself set up with a structured practice diary, which starts with identifying your goals, then breaking down what you want to work on, what went well, what was challenging, when you will practice.
• Celebrate your achievements and continue to challenge yourself. Try something new like a new style, genre, or song to give yourself a fresh perspective at times to combat stagnation in your learning.
• When you hit the learning plateau remember this is normal – don’t panic! Reassess your goals, break it down, seek guidance and support – stay committed and motivated!

DARWEN DRUM ZONE’S PRACTICE DIARY

As I like to share, I have created a Practice Diary for you to download for free and try out.

You can print off the diary sheets to complete each week in your lesson and during practice.

I welcome any feedback on this. If you have tried it out and it works, let me know.

Equally if you think it could be improved, please also tell me so I can tweak it.

Change is coming…how to beat the winter blues with group drumming

As I look out the window now and step outside in my winter coat, it all seems gloomy, grey and wet. I’m optimistic that this will clear and we can look forward to some beautiful sunny autumn days and sunshine.

However, despite the weather yesterday I volunteered at an event in Manchester helping to facilitate a drum circle. Yes, it rained and it was chilly but thankfully there was a large tarpaulin for cover. The feeling afterwards was so worth it!

After a 45 minute drive, I arrived at the wrong venue. Having realised there are two Tibetan Kitchen’s situated in parks in Chorlton – who knew? I made my way to the right place.

Arriving a bit flustered and apologetic, I soon relaxed as I was welcomed by the crew and the peaceful woodland park atmosphere of the festival. It was a small family friendly festival with some ethically sourced homemade products on sale, a stage for jamming musicians, the Tibetan Kitchen selling their famous momos and other delicious food and drinks and outdoor yoga.

Everyone I met was a friendly face, so I instantly felt happier and excited for the drum circle we were going to facilitate. Similar to many festivals and events, things don’t always run on time, so the volunteers and I sat around chatting to each other about anything and everything until it was time to set up. It was great to have time to network and made new connections and experiences.

As soon as the drumming was announced over the microphone, people seemed to appear from nowhere. We had a good thirty or so people grabbing a seat by a drum ready to join in, including many children with their parents.

There were families there, who I met at a previous drum circle run by Drum Happy, who are clearly hooked on the power of group drumming. It was lovely to see so many children being free to join in, run around, dance and bond with their families whilst having fun playing rhythms.

TIPS TO BEAT THE WINTER BLUES

• Get outside even if the weather is rubbish. Put your wellies and your big coat on and brave the elements. The feeling when you come home into the warmth and dryness is amazing too!
• Go to an event like a drum circle where everyone is equal behind their instrument and you are free to express yourself and get lost in the meditative rhythms. Your guaranteed to feel the lasting effects of the mood enhancing benefits of drumming!
• Volunteer at community events where you meet other like minded people who are searching for connection and enjoyment from the outdoors, music, art and wellbeing based activities
• Try something new, you never know who you will meet and what you will learn and what doors may open for you.