Well if you think for a minute. The vacuum salesman knows that in the law of sales if he knocks on a certain number of doors he will get an overall measurable response rate. In sales it has been proven for a long time that out of 100 potential clients, only 10 will come to the point of considering the purchase. Out of that 10 only two or three will actually buy. the more time you spend knocking on doors the more vacuums you will sell.

If you are diligent about your practice routine and make it a habit of practicing or should I say ‘knocking on that drumming practice door” every day, you will improve by a measurable amount. It’s simple logic. What you put in, you get out. The great drummers of today didn’t get there by making the odd time for a practice. They diligently applied themselves knowing that the payoff would be earning a good living in their career and gaining respect for the efforts they made.

I know that sometimes it sucks (no vacuum cleaner pun intended) to find the discipline and focus that it takes to improve on your drumming skills. The mind often wants to wander, anything to get away from having to do the work. We all know it as distraction and there are an endless amount of distractions just pulling at us all the time.

We are not all out to become great drummers and have the fame and fortune of some, but our drumming efforts should be showing improvement on a regular basis. After all we are paying to have this happen and with regular organized, disciplined practice time it will.

A half hour practice every day will do far more to help you improve than four hours of practice every Saturday. Incidentally if you did one hour a day, five days a week for a year it would be the same as practicing more than 6 full weeks of 8 hour days even if you took weekends off. Anyone up for the six week course?

Make an effort to measure your own practice by using the metronome and marking down your speed at a relaxed pace. Then after a week or so move up the metronome a few points. It’s all measurable and as you look back in a month or two you will prove this to yourself by checking the numbers.

A couple of points worth remembering.

Practice with a relaxed body manner
Always warm up for 15 mins. before working out on the kit
Keep the hands and fingers loose
Push to get faster but keep the sound and feel of a slower pace
Lower the height of sticks when trying for greater speed

A number of you who takes lessons from me have been working extra hard to improve and I see that improvement every time you come in and it makes my day to know that I have helped you and made you feel good about your efforts and its all about “Your Efforts”.

PS

I had a request recently from a person out of town who wondered about drum lessons on Skype. So if you know of anyone who is not living around the Victoria area, please mention my name and the SKYPE possibility. Get them to contact me at address below.

Cheers, Barry

bcasson@speakfilm.com Ph 250-721-2113 www.drumboy.ca