I'm having trouble practicing

I've been playing drums for around 6 years now, since I was 9. I've always practiced every week but for some reason, suddenly I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything and that I'm not improving.

I've recently started a speed practice to help me. I was wondering if anyone could recommend anything to do during practice sessions.

Right now I find that I spend a lot of my time doing nothing but listening to songs and trying to play along to them rather than trying something that could really benefit me.

I've played in a band for around 5 years and I find it easy to come up with beats for new songs, complicated, or easy. However, when I'm at home trying to practice, I feel like a beginner and I can't come up with anything varying from fills to beats.

Could anyone give me some tips, or point me in the right direction?

Just keep practicing, you'll break through the stale period and suddenly leap forward in your playing. It happens quite often for me, it's like my brain needs to digest before it moves on to the next meal, haha.

The biggest mistake I see is that people tend to practice what they're already good at. To make real progress, I think you have to spend the majority of your time working on things that are difficult. The stuff you can't do.

I also don't know your situation, but for me, I hit a bit of a wall because I was all self-taught for a long time. It's not that I wasn't improving over time, but seeing my first teacher was both an eye opener and a huge benefit to my playing. We got over the "technique" hump pretty quick, fixed a few lingering issues that were holding me back, but I hadn't even identified.

So you're 15 now and you still don't have a teacher? I think it's time you go find one.

Bo Eder said:

So you're 15 now and you still don't have a teacher? I think it's time you go find one.

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Not once in my post did I say I didn't have a teacher...

I do have a teacher, He's my third one.

My first teacher was the drummer from Elastica if anyone recognises that band.. He was incredible and got me of to an amazing start. He moved away and then I went into school lessons which were all pretty bad so i ditched them, however every now and then they would keep me busy.

I'm now on to my third, like I said, and he really cool and good, He got taught by my first teacher so many things are easy to relate to. He's doing a really good job too.

Dr_Watso said:

The biggest mistake I see is that people tend to practice what they're already good at. To make real progress, I think you have to spend the majority of your time working on things that are difficult. The stuff you can't do.

I also don't know your situation, but for me, I hit a bit of a wall because I was all self-taught for a long time. It's not that I wasn't improving over time, but seeing my first teacher was both an eye opener and a huge benefit to my playing. We got over the "technique" hump pretty quick, fixed a few lingering issues that were holding me back, but I hadn't even identified.

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I think you've got it perfectly there, I keep on going back to things that I already know how to do.. I've been looking around for some exercises to focus on to strengthen me in different areas but I haven't found too much

Winegums said:

Just keep practicing, you'll break through the stale period and suddenly leap forward in your playing. It happens quite often for me, it's like my brain needs to digest before it moves on to the next meal, haha.

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Thanks man, I'm not planning on stopping any time soon, I just need to learn how to practice properly I think

I'm not so sure you are getting nothing from listening/playing along with songs.

Its easy to get caught up in technique and forget about composition.

I think all drummers should build in time in their routine to practice constructing parts they like....but, of course, technique should not be ignored.

having varied things to practice helps me keep moving...including cross instrument work...and keeping a decade long perspective really assisted me in monitoring my progress and finding motivation.

Otto said:

I'm not so sure you are getting nothing from listening/playing along with songs.

Its easy to get caught up in technique and forget about composition.

I think all drummers should build in time in their routine to practice constructing parts they like....but, of course, technique should not be ignored.

having varied things to practice helps me keep moving...including cross instrument work...and keeping a decade long perspective really assisted me in monitoring my progress and finding motivation.

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Huge +1 on this.

Personally speaking, I never quite understood the obsession with technique to the exclusion of context. It's all about the music. Like most, I'm a sucker for a great player but great technical playing does absolutely nothing for me without interesting compositions.

Practice playing music and relax a bit with practicing drums.

I experience this too! I sit with my band and tons of ideas bounce off like crazy! Once I'm alone on the kit I play the same boring things over and over. Its like my idea box is empty.

Maybe practice moving rudiments around the kit?

This is easy. When you are feeling that same old, 3 o'clock slump....crack open a book. You have to get out of your own head and try something from someone else's head. Instant new vista.

Otherwise, from your description JayKay, it sounds you're doing good.

In my own experience....I'm not a real good taskmaster. So I give myself permission to simply enjoy drumming, like playing along to music. Or just freeflowing ideas, freestylin Whatever comes to mind. If that's how I feel that day. It's important to include fun on purpose in everything IMO. The minute you forget the fun, then you are all serious like 99% of people you see. I guess that's OK but it's not for me.

Other days, I don't need a taskmaster because I am very focused on one thing. Well as best as my brain can stay on task. I stray, but I return, because I'm naturally driven that day.

So some days it's easy to improve, some days I just want to have fun. There's no downside. So I don't pressure myself. Drums are my bitch and I'm the effin boss. It's the only thing in the world where I am in SUPREME control lol. So I'm not going to make that unpleasant in any way on myself. I do whatever the hell I want, and no one can say a thing about it! It's perfect! Muhahaha!

I should note here that at present, I am only a bar band drummer lol.

I find it useful to focus on something specific that I want to learn. Study or practice it for 5 or 10 minutes a day, every day. For example I might study a single reggae groove. When I learn it, then I study another reggae groove. After a couple months I know all this reggae that I didn't know before.

been druming for about 7 years.... doin ok, never had lessons, maybe a good idea

MikeM said:

Huge +1 on this.

Personally speaking, I never quite understood the obsession with technique to the exclusion of context. It's all about the music.

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I'm not sure whether I'm agreeing or disagreeing, but an anecdote....

I was working on my flams last week because, for some reason, I half-assed my way through the flam section of learning rudiments. Anyhow.... I realized that I've been playing (and hearing) "My Sharona" all wrong. Even worse, I realized I was currently incapable of playing it correctly.

I guess what I'm saying is, technique 'is' context in a perception-is-reality sorta way.

larryace said:

This is easy. When you are feeling that same old, 3 o'clock slump....crack open a book. You have to get out of your own head and try something from someone else's head. Instant new vista.

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Yup, books and DVDs.

I find it helps to settle on something or I jump all over the place and end up drumming along with Steely Dan again. I find it productive to take a beat I play okay but could groove better and spend time with it. Helps to do it with a met or some other timekeeper.

Listen to some music genre that is not in your comfort zone.
I have just auditioned for a Jazz Funk band. Not the music I would chose first to listen to, but it is great for a drummer to play. I listened to the originals of 5 songs the band wanted to do at the audition and It was a new ball game to say the least. I never took my eyes or ears off the bass player during the audition.
So for the last two weeks I have been immersed in jazz funk music and learning grooves and rhythm's by listening to and figuring out what these great drummers were playing, plus adding my own slant to the sound. Instant new practice regime and another step on the learning ladder.

I got the gig, I heard this morning, but boy do I have some work to do to get up to speed.