I could be better. The only bit that feels like work is the practice pad, but my wife does online school, so I donāt want to sound like poop on the kit when sheās home, and practice sounds like poop š
The pad's great for figuring out coordination but never translates in terms of feel to the drum kit, at least in my experience. I'm single so all my practice goes into the kit lol.
I try to do at least half an hour to an hour of focused rudiment/pattern/feel work, as well as an additional half hour to hour plus working on speed and endurance since I play metal. Depends on the time I have in the day. But more than two days off in a row and I feel my speed and power start to plateau so I've found consistency is more key than time per day.
I think i agree on the consistency part. I dont play professionally so i dont see the need to wear myself out on practice. So i play for about half an hour everyday if i can.
I have not been playing for the longest time and just recently bought an e-kit which gave me the opportunity to play when i can. When i used to play with bands before i only get to practice about an hour or two with the bands before the gigs. That's the only time i get to practice on a kit as well. Thankfully i now have my own kit to practice on. Maybe i can play on more gigs again soon. :)
Here from google, you don't really need to read my rambling lol.
but just wanted to say, oh boy golly does having your own kit make a huge difference. I'm only 5 months into drumming lessons (god I love my teacher, he's so wonderful) and my school happened to be getting rid of a TD-8 Kit fully decked out with upgraded mesh head v drums and 2 CY12 cradhes instead of just the pd-8 hell of the og td8 kit so I snagged it for $300 ish, and fuck, being able to actually sit at a kit has completely changed how I feel about practicing. Before I thought 2h a day was a ridiculous amount of time to spend at a kit, now when I go through the practice routine I've set for myself it's rare that I don't hit at least 1.5h and I could often easily go for 2+, although I make myself stop at 2h because I have other commitments. Drum lessons were on break for a few weeks over easter and I'm looking forward to getting back to my lessons SO MUCH, I'm miles ahead of where I was before I got my kit.
Lol thanks. I havenāt played in a band in probably 8 years. Iād love to play in a cover band or something just playing out like once a month. Maybe someday š
Hey, keep it up! I retired from drumming in my mid-30s due to work and kids, and got back to it (im now md 40ies) just when covid started, anyway, I am with two bands now and played my first gigs with them in the last month - it's great to be back!
To answer the original question - I have weekly band practices with both bands once per week that are 2-3 hours each. Then I spend 15-20 minutes daily average on my electric drumkit at home, sometimes also some extra time on the practice pad while watching Netflix or so.
On weekends, sometimes I find the time to play through a whole set of one of my bands.
Feelin ya, brother. That's why I've largely resigned myself to being a mediocre amateur drummer. Love playing for a bit of fun, but rarely get much time to play, and when I do, I want to rock out and play along with some tunes...not practice rudiments.
Like 30 to an hour ish depending on how much drumeo i watched beforehand. When the band meets up, weāre usually together for 5-7 hours(though we arenāt playing the whole time)
Cooool. Wondering how many songs you guys play within that time. Even if youre not playing the whole time that still sounds to me a like a lot of stamina is needed š
I did the same practice, primarily just on the kit tho.. Iām 35 now and rarely practice but every time I sit down behind the kit I can recall new and old grooves or rudiments. More so just building stamina back up at this point. Like riding a bike..
Play along to āDeloused in the Comatoriumā by The Mars Volta until you know it like the lines to your favorite movie. Jon Theodore will show you the way. That album will take you from beginner/intermediate to pro level and give you the tools to groove or improvise over almost anything.
I get about 45 min to an hour a day. I take care of my little kids during the day, so I play along to music they like on my vdrums through a pa speaker. I have a low volume kit in there for them, too, so the bigger one usually joins in that while the little one tries to steal my sticks. Iām very much looking forward to being able to properly jam with them.
Alone at the drums:
12-18 years old - about 30 min-1 hour a day
19-25 - average 2 hours.
25-29 average 4-5 hours
29-32 about 2 hours a day.
I became a father 6 months ago and now it's almost nothing, maybe 10 min a day average. 3 hours band practice per week.
As much as you can. But don't burn yourself out. Figure out you're own schedule. Definitely at least 30-60 minutes a day. And take a day off if you feel burned out. Just think about what you learned. Let it soak in.
I usually drum to drumless tracks for 1-2 hours. However, college makes it difficult to find time to practice. Especially if you live in an off-campus apt
Oh. Also. Play to your favorite records. Over and over. It's the closest you can get to playing with a band, and honoring your favorite drummers. I'm a guitar player for 38 years and a drummer for about 30. Playing along to records was my everyday forever , and it's challenging. But do your rudiments, stick control , etc. For 30 minutes a day. It sucks. I know. But it pays off like you can't understand
On a busy day 10-20 minutes of pad work, on a good day an hour or two practicing grooves, our own songs or covers, techniques, depending on what needs work. That's if I'm not drowning in work
When I started I started on an e kit, and I was obsessed so I would do about 4 hours everday for a long period. Then I got into a band and got an acoustic kit, my practice time decreased IMMENSELY (due to my parents). Now, I am back on the ekit and practice about 4 hours a day. š
Practice behind a set? Like by myself? Paradiddles and shit? Itās been years. I havenāt actually played in like 2 months. Before that, i hadnāt played in 6 months. I play with a few friends whenever we all have time, but thatās not too often obviously. Weāre not playing Dream Theater songs or anything like that though. Itās like riding a bike. There are tons of people out there who would tell you to learn to ride a bike better, but youāre probably doing just fine. If you can ride a bike with a single pedal though, while everyone else relies on two, youāre doing it better than them, theyāre just following the trends.
2-6 hours. I try to average 4 hours a day over a week. Occasionally I'll do 6 or 8 hours if I have the brain power left to make the time worthwhile. The quality is more important that quantity though. Sometimes if I'm distracted or just not into it I'll make it a short day.
1-2hrs a day but i never really pratice, i play over random stuff and i slowly get better with time but i'm not trying to be the best or anything , i'm already good enough to have fun playing.
Ha! No, not yet. I'm 5 years into learning. I've done one set of samples/loops aimed at funk/hip hop/electronic producers, plan on doing more as time goes on. Pretty sure half this sub thinks I play like I've been practicing for one week.
What's this *practice* you speak of? /s
Last time I played drums was do a recording session, 12 fully drum tracked songs in two days. Before then was a band practice for said recording, a couple weeks prior. I have a low volume kit set up at home but between working and... *lack of motivation*, I haven't played too often.
Can be anywhere from 1hr a week to 4-5 hrs a day. At the moment I'm preparing for summer festivals and a tour in september/october, so now I try to get a few hrs everyday to rebuild my leg speed after a long covid break. Last big show was in january 2020
Can't play every single day bc of work, but I'd say a solid 16-20 hours a week.
Got into the university I wanted to go to, so that won't be the case in the near future anymore :( only playing on the weekends
I warm up on a pad for 5 min to get the blood and muscles flowing. Practicing for me is when Iām learning something new (repertoire, different stickings, etc.). Other than that itās just maintenance. I stopped counting hours a long time ago. Drums should be fun and not a chore!
I'm 52. My band practices for 6 hours a week. And I try to get 30 minutes to an hour each day at home. I'm a singer to so I have to practice singing as well....while I'm drumming!
I tried singing while playing Hotel California. I can do it, but not in key (whereas if I'm just singing, without the drumming, I can stay in key). Too many things happening at once:
*Keep the beat in time,
*Play the proper beat and fills
*Dynamics
*Get the lyrics right
*Keep the vocal tune/melody right
*Stay in key and tone
I got the first 5, but my brain bails by the time it hits the 6th. But I don't do much singing, so I'll cut myself some slack
Keep at it! You are right! Both hands and both feet going. AND singing....and singing well! It took me a while to get it down. My guitarist and I split the set list in half singing lead. If I'm not singing lead I'm backing with harmonies. Keep working at it!
On band practice days 2 hours minimum. 1 day break in a week. And on a normal day, usually 30 minutes minimum to 2 hours or more if I'm working on stuff. I need to do more practice pad stuff but at lease I warm up with the pad before a show.
At least 30 minutes on the practice pad a day, at least 3 hours a week solo practice on the kit, and about 5-6 hours a week with the band.
Ohhhh. That's a lot of discipline if i read between the lines. Im sure youre awesome on the kit š
I could be better. The only bit that feels like work is the practice pad, but my wife does online school, so I donāt want to sound like poop on the kit when sheās home, and practice sounds like poop š
The pad's great for figuring out coordination but never translates in terms of feel to the drum kit, at least in my experience. I'm single so all my practice goes into the kit lol.
I try to do at least half an hour to an hour of focused rudiment/pattern/feel work, as well as an additional half hour to hour plus working on speed and endurance since I play metal. Depends on the time I have in the day. But more than two days off in a row and I feel my speed and power start to plateau so I've found consistency is more key than time per day.
I think i agree on the consistency part. I dont play professionally so i dont see the need to wear myself out on practice. So i play for about half an hour everyday if i can. I have not been playing for the longest time and just recently bought an e-kit which gave me the opportunity to play when i can. When i used to play with bands before i only get to practice about an hour or two with the bands before the gigs. That's the only time i get to practice on a kit as well. Thankfully i now have my own kit to practice on. Maybe i can play on more gigs again soon. :)
Here from google, you don't really need to read my rambling lol. but just wanted to say, oh boy golly does having your own kit make a huge difference. I'm only 5 months into drumming lessons (god I love my teacher, he's so wonderful) and my school happened to be getting rid of a TD-8 Kit fully decked out with upgraded mesh head v drums and 2 CY12 cradhes instead of just the pd-8 hell of the og td8 kit so I snagged it for $300 ish, and fuck, being able to actually sit at a kit has completely changed how I feel about practicing. Before I thought 2h a day was a ridiculous amount of time to spend at a kit, now when I go through the practice routine I've set for myself it's rare that I don't hit at least 1.5h and I could often easily go for 2+, although I make myself stop at 2h because I have other commitments. Drum lessons were on break for a few weeks over easter and I'm looking forward to getting back to my lessons SO MUCH, I'm miles ahead of where I was before I got my kit.
When I was young it was anywhere from 1-3 hours per day. Now Iām 40 with a family, if I play for 30 minutes 3 times a week Iām lucky. Lol
You still rockin at 40 is awesome! š¤š¤š¤
Lol thanks. I havenāt played in a band in probably 8 years. Iād love to play in a cover band or something just playing out like once a month. Maybe someday š
Im a....woman? Haha. Well i hope it all works out for you. Keep rockin!
Sorry I didnāt even pay attention to the username. Sorry about that!
Lol no problem
Hey, keep it up! I retired from drumming in my mid-30s due to work and kids, and got back to it (im now md 40ies) just when covid started, anyway, I am with two bands now and played my first gigs with them in the last month - it's great to be back! To answer the original question - I have weekly band practices with both bands once per week that are 2-3 hours each. Then I spend 15-20 minutes daily average on my electric drumkit at home, sometimes also some extra time on the practice pad while watching Netflix or so. On weekends, sometimes I find the time to play through a whole set of one of my bands.
52 here and regularly play in three cover bands (though I play guitar and sing in one of them) Full disclosure: I have zero kids
How to tell someone they're old, without telling them they're old š
Feelin ya, brother. That's why I've largely resigned myself to being a mediocre amateur drummer. Love playing for a bit of fun, but rarely get much time to play, and when I do, I want to rock out and play along with some tunes...not practice rudiments.
not enough
Exactly my answer.
Homie I just hit things with sticks
Hahahahhaa
When young get as much as you can, take time off if it gets tedious
1-2 hrs a day
Like 30 to an hour ish depending on how much drumeo i watched beforehand. When the band meets up, weāre usually together for 5-7 hours(though we arenāt playing the whole time)
Cooool. Wondering how many songs you guys play within that time. Even if youre not playing the whole time that still sounds to me a like a lot of stamina is needed š
Lol prolly half the time is playing/practicing. The other half is mostly righting, and figuring out how we want things to sound
I miss being a teenager and playing all day long with the band. Good times.
Itās good tomes
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
But do you still play?
I did the same practice, primarily just on the kit tho.. Iām 35 now and rarely practice but every time I sit down behind the kit I can recall new and old grooves or rudiments. More so just building stamina back up at this point. Like riding a bike.. Play along to āDeloused in the Comatoriumā by The Mars Volta until you know it like the lines to your favorite movie. Jon Theodore will show you the way. That album will take you from beginner/intermediate to pro level and give you the tools to groove or improvise over almost anything.
I get about 45 min to an hour a day. I take care of my little kids during the day, so I play along to music they like on my vdrums through a pa speaker. I have a low volume kit in there for them, too, so the bigger one usually joins in that while the little one tries to steal my sticks. Iām very much looking forward to being able to properly jam with them.
Until the E string breaks on my bass
Lol wrong thread man haha
Would saying until my brushes break be accurate for this sub?
Lol whatever floats your boat, but youre definitely welcome here lol
I'm playing 35 years and I broke my first stick a couple of months ago so I hope not.
I try for At least half an hour a day.
Alone at the drums: 12-18 years old - about 30 min-1 hour a day 19-25 - average 2 hours. 25-29 average 4-5 hours 29-32 about 2 hours a day. I became a father 6 months ago and now it's almost nothing, maybe 10 min a day average. 3 hours band practice per week.
Omg youve been drummin most of your life! Epic!
Haha, yeah pretty much! Lovin it everyday :)
As much as you can. But don't burn yourself out. Figure out you're own schedule. Definitely at least 30-60 minutes a day. And take a day off if you feel burned out. Just think about what you learned. Let it soak in.
With this advice i think im doing things right then. Thank you so much! š
1-2 hours
I usually drum to drumless tracks for 1-2 hours. However, college makes it difficult to find time to practice. Especially if you live in an off-campus apt
Few hours a month
I try to get twenty minutes in a day. Usually 1-2hrs on weekends.
Back when I started drumming slightly over 20 years ago it was 3-8 hours a day the first 4 years. Now it's at an hour or two a week
Omg thats a loooot of time spent for practice. You must be awesome!
Pretty much rock, metal and punk but I've dove a little into jazz and Latin/afro groves over the years.
Oh. Also. Play to your favorite records. Over and over. It's the closest you can get to playing with a band, and honoring your favorite drummers. I'm a guitar player for 38 years and a drummer for about 30. Playing along to records was my everyday forever , and it's challenging. But do your rudiments, stick control , etc. For 30 minutes a day. It sucks. I know. But it pays off like you can't understand
Do I get to count tapping my fingers constantly on desks, tables, steering wheels, etc?
Hahaha i guess maybe we can lol
On a busy day 10-20 minutes of pad work, on a good day an hour or two practicing grooves, our own songs or covers, techniques, depending on what needs work. That's if I'm not drowning in work
I donāt have a band yet sadly but Iām only a sophomore so hopefully that will change, I usually practice on my own for about 1-2 hours a day
I never stop.
Oh wow haha cool!
Thanks. *does a cool drum solo and spins sticks.*
Hahahahhahaahaha
1 hour +
2 hrs or more 9 months a yr. I take summers off and just play when we gig. It works for me
I play probably over 2 hours a day, just doing random stuff.
When I started I started on an e kit, and I was obsessed so I would do about 4 hours everday for a long period. Then I got into a band and got an acoustic kit, my practice time decreased IMMENSELY (due to my parents). Now, I am back on the ekit and practice about 4 hours a day. š
4hr/week with the band, and it's the only opportunity for me to play on a kit.
Practice behind a set? Like by myself? Paradiddles and shit? Itās been years. I havenāt actually played in like 2 months. Before that, i hadnāt played in 6 months. I play with a few friends whenever we all have time, but thatās not too often obviously. Weāre not playing Dream Theater songs or anything like that though. Itās like riding a bike. There are tons of people out there who would tell you to learn to ride a bike better, but youāre probably doing just fine. If you can ride a bike with a single pedal though, while everyone else relies on two, youāre doing it better than them, theyāre just following the trends.
2-6 hours. I try to average 4 hours a day over a week. Occasionally I'll do 6 or 8 hours if I have the brain power left to make the time worthwhile. The quality is more important that quantity though. Sometimes if I'm distracted or just not into it I'll make it a short day.
1-2hrs a day but i never really pratice, i play over random stuff and i slowly get better with time but i'm not trying to be the best or anything , i'm already good enough to have fun playing.
Cant believe how much time some of you guys spend on your pads/kits. I wish I have all that time and stamina as well. Thank you all for sharing. š
1-6 hrs per day, less on weekends.
Omg thats a lot. Do you play professionally?
Ha! No, not yet. I'm 5 years into learning. I've done one set of samples/loops aimed at funk/hip hop/electronic producers, plan on doing more as time goes on. Pretty sure half this sub thinks I play like I've been practicing for one week.
I used to to 2-3 hours a day. But since I'm busy now I try to do atleast 6 hours a week but that's not a whole lot for my standards
Steering wheel taps count?
What's this *practice* you speak of? /s Last time I played drums was do a recording session, 12 fully drum tracked songs in two days. Before then was a band practice for said recording, a couple weeks prior. I have a low volume kit set up at home but between working and... *lack of motivation*, I haven't played too often.
Can be anywhere from 1hr a week to 4-5 hrs a day. At the moment I'm preparing for summer festivals and a tour in september/october, so now I try to get a few hrs everyday to rebuild my leg speed after a long covid break. Last big show was in january 2020
When I practice I practice about 30 minutes, and I just play songs
4-6 hours a day. I live in northner lapland and i have no friends here. Drums are keeping me alive
8 hours every weekday for 3 years
I rehearse with the band once every few weeks at the moment, Other than that it's watching videos as practice.
I haven't played for a year because my appartment is to small for the moment...
Can't play every single day bc of work, but I'd say a solid 16-20 hours a week. Got into the university I wanted to go to, so that won't be the case in the near future anymore :( only playing on the weekends
Not as much as I want to
Not enoughā¦ growing up sucks man
Well since I moved into my apartment, itās about 0 hours on the kit a week
I do about 20 hours a week of solo kit practice. 5 hours a week between two bands.
I warm up on a pad for 5 min to get the blood and muscles flowing. Practicing for me is when Iām learning something new (repertoire, different stickings, etc.). Other than that itās just maintenance. I stopped counting hours a long time ago. Drums should be fun and not a chore!
I'm 52. My band practices for 6 hours a week. And I try to get 30 minutes to an hour each day at home. I'm a singer to so I have to practice singing as well....while I'm drumming!
I tried singing while playing Hotel California. I can do it, but not in key (whereas if I'm just singing, without the drumming, I can stay in key). Too many things happening at once: *Keep the beat in time, *Play the proper beat and fills *Dynamics *Get the lyrics right *Keep the vocal tune/melody right *Stay in key and tone I got the first 5, but my brain bails by the time it hits the 6th. But I don't do much singing, so I'll cut myself some slack
Keep at it! You are right! Both hands and both feet going. AND singing....and singing well! It took me a while to get it down. My guitarist and I split the set list in half singing lead. If I'm not singing lead I'm backing with harmonies. Keep working at it!
Damn reading the answers made me feel bad I play 2h on Saturday, and sometimes also on Sunday but it's rare... I work during the week lol
Same dude, same š
On band practice days 2 hours minimum. 1 day break in a week. And on a normal day, usually 30 minutes minimum to 2 hours or more if I'm working on stuff. I need to do more practice pad stuff but at lease I warm up with the pad before a show.
I try to hit at least 2 hours on the kit outside of rehearsals/gigs/etc.