Learning to play the drums might seem like a breeze at first—after all, it’s just about tapping your hands and feet to the beat, right? Well, not quite. While you can pick up the basics fairly quickly, becoming a skilled drummer takes more than just a few weeks of practice. This article delves deep into a question, “how hard is it to learn drums?”
Sure, it’s easy to get started: a few lessons and you’ll be able to pound out a simple rhythm. But mastering the kit—hitting all those beats in perfect coordination and making it look effortless? That takes time. How fast you get there depends on your goals and how much you’re willing to put into it. Want to be the next rock legend? Or are you content with jamming out to your favorite tunes at home? Either way, progress comes down to one thing: practice.
Learning the drums: Different paths to success
Learning to play drum set is like learning anything new. It requires time, attention, and (most importantly) a plan. Education can focus that excitement into learning a skill, and this is a skill every drummer enjoys for a lifetime.
The basic essentials to learn drums
When you start to play the drums, all that you need is a pair of sticks and some time in your schedule.This is the best encouragement to every person who has a gnawing question, are the drums easy to learn?. You don’t even need a drum kit to get started(try making a DIY practice pad)
Gaining knowledge from many places makes for a better musician. With an in-person instructor, you gain a better perspective on how to hold and throw a drumstick. Teach yourself with YouTube videos to stay up on the newest techniques and drumming fads. There’s a ton of free content for beginners. You can even learn something from hitting your kitchen pots and pans.
If you prefer to have an expert provide some guidance, you can sign up for an online drum lessons membership or take one-on-one lessons in person.
If you’re buying a drum kit, make sure you have enough space, and a carpet so it doesn’t slide.
Finding the right teacher or learning yourself?
The first way is to find a teacher that suits both your wants and needs. An educator should inspire a drummer week after week. You can find drum lessons online or in person. The most important thing is to choose a drum teacher who has good reviews from students and who you feel comfortable with. You can always try one or two lessons and decide if this teacher is right for you and a good fit for your learning style.
Whether you become a member of a video lesson community, take virtual one-on-one lessons with your favorite drummer, or are introduced to a local teacher through a music school, you get to choose your learning journey.
Bad habits make for bad outcomes. An improper grip can result in tendonitis of the wrists or carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s worth spending time with a pro to get hand technique dialed in. A good instructor will give feedback on the spot and ensure you have healthy hands for a lifetime.
A second path toward learning drums is self-teaching. Many drummers consider themselves self-taught, but it doesn’t mean they can’t play well. It doesn’t mean they’re poorly educated either.
Several top educators and education companies sport hefty video learning websites. Get much of the benefit of learning from a method book or a teacher, but get the freedom to learn when it’s convenient.
You don’t always have to pay for great learning material, though. Consider all the free drum lessons available on YouTube. Most companies that have paid drum lesson videos offer plenty of free content on YouTube. There are also hundreds of other reputable education-based channels on this platform too. Find someone you like and dig into their content.
Today, there’s even software to learn drums via connecting an electronic drum set to a computer, like Melodics. Whether by software or video, technology provides great learning tools. It centers learning on the basics and provides the freedom to explore music genres and styles you love.
You can also try many online lessons, and practice them on your own:
Reading the music and ways to learn drums
You don’t need to read music to play drums. In fact, there are many professional (and legendary) drummers who don’t read music, but who have made a career in music. If you can learn by listening and by ‘feeling’ the rhythm, reading music is just the cherry on top.
That said, if you learn better by reading, the language of drum notation can help you pick things up more quickly and the process is easier. Reading music can help you communicate better with your drum teacher or bandmates, and can be a valuable skill if you ever decide to become a professional drummer.
The perseverance towards ways to learn drums
The length of time it takes to learn drums depends on what you’re looking to achieve. Mastering drum basics, for example, takes about three months. At this point, you’ll know how to play drums for fun, enjoying your newfound hobby.
Should you want to take up and join a garage band, on the other hand, requires more practice. On average, it takes about six months of dedicated practice until you’re able to listen to songs and play along with them. This still might not be enough time to play shows with your band, as several years is typically the sweet spot with mastering the beats.
The hardest part while playing the drums
Learning to play the drums requires dedication and determination. Since playing the drums requires coordination of all four limbs working together, it can be taxing on the mind and body. One rhythm may be played by your right hand while the left hand is playing another. Once you learn how to master one beat, it’s time to add another one.
This is why dedication is absolutely essential if you want to master playing the drums. Since playing the drums is more physically demanding than other instruments, having determination is key. Having the endurance to play for hours at a time requires an individual to have the determination and disciple to continue to practice even when it’s physically taxing. Staying physically fit and maintaining proper form is a must when it comes to playing the drums.
FAQs
Are drums harder than guitar?
Drums are harder to learn because you need to be an expert in three-way coordination just to get started.
When you are a beginner, you should be able to play a simple beat on the drums – even if it’s just the bass drum and snare drum. However, you may not be able to keep reliable time, which is key for a drummer. It can also take a while to master the coordination of your first three-limb drum beat.
On guitar, you can get a nice sound without knowing what you’re doing, and you can start playing a few basic chords and scales relatively quickly. It’s less important that your rhythm is perfect, but it’s more important that you hit the right notes.
In both cases, there will be times when progress comes quickly and times when progress feels uncomfortably slow.
Both instruments pose a different set of challenges, which results in two distinct learning curves.
Is it hard to learn drums by yourself?
If you don’t want to learn with a teacher, it’s completely possible to learn by yourself thanks to modern technology.
The internet has made it easier than ever to learn any skill online, and drumming is a skill that has plenty of free resources to learn from.
You can find a fair number of free drum lessons to get you started. However, you’re not going to get a good timeline of guidance from these.
That’s why we suggest you go for a few lessons with a teacher to at least give you a bit of guidance.
What is the hardest part about drumming?
Drumming can be challenging for several reasons, including the need for coordination, as it requires the simultaneous control of both hands and feet playing different rhythms, which can be difficult to develop, especially for beginners.
It is also physically demanding, requiring endurance to play for extended periods, and maintaining proper form is crucial to avoid injuries, particularly to the neck and back. Additionally, there is a steep learning curve in establishing proficient hand and foot techniques, and mastering more complex rhythms, like those used by jazz drummers, takes time and practice.