{"id":27218,"date":"2021-02-12T07:49:12","date_gmt":"2021-02-12T15:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=27218"},"modified":"2023-04-27T14:43:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T21:43:37","slug":"trick-yourself-into-practicing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/trick-yourself-into-practicing\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways To Trick Yourself Into Practicing Drums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Are you a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/why-you-arent-motivated-to-drum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">chronically unmotivated drummer<\/a>? Or have you just been feeling uninspired lately? Does getting off the couch and onto the throne feel like a chore? Or have you not practiced in a while and now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/get-back-into-drumming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">getting back to the drums feels intimidating?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a solution for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#why-dont-i-want-to-practice-drums\">Why don&#8217;t I want to practice drums?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#1-accept-that-you-will-sound-bad-when-practicing\">1. Accept that you will sound bad when practicing<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#2-quantify-your-progress\">2. Quantify your progress<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#3-diversify-your-routine\">3. Diversify your routine<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#4-use-music-as-a-metronome\">4. Use music as a metronome<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-dont-i-want-to-practice-drums\">Why don&#8217;t I want to practice drums?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>But first, you need to think about <em>why <\/em>you don\u2019t feel like practicing. Aside from feeling mentally or physically exhausted from other variables in your life, these are a few common reasons why drummers get turned off from practicing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You feel like you sound horrible every time you practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No one wants to work on things they suck at. Period. But there\u2019s a reason you sound bad when you\u2019re practicing (and you\u2019ll find that out later in this article). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-convince-yourself-you-dont-suck-at-drums\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You may also be convinced that you suck even when you don&#8217;t.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re making progress in your playing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe you think you\u2019ve hit a plateau, and you\u2019ve started asking yourself, \u201cWhat\u2019s the point?\u201d If you don\u2019t think you\u2019re getting better, you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re putting in all this work for nothing. However, you might have been improving slowly over time, and you just haven\u2019t noticed &#8211; or maybe you aren\u2019t practicing in a way that\u2019s helping you level up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You don\u2019t have anything specific you\u2019re working toward.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like those who don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re making progress, you might wonder what the point is in practicing because you feel like your hard work isn\u2019t leading you anywhere. Maybe you don\u2019t have a goal you\u2019re working toward &#8211; like a gig, a studio session, or some other kind of project &#8211; and practicing seems like a waste of time. However, you can set your own short-term and long-term goals for your own playing that\u2019ll get you progressing, so when an opportunity arises, you\u2019re ready for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You find practice too repetitive and not fun.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like going to the gym, if you find a routine repetitive and boring, you won\u2019t want to go. Drumming isn\u2019t boring, but it\u2019s the repetition that can feel tiresome. How can you make practicing fun?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can address all of these things with a couple of easy changes in your routine. Let\u2019s talk about four ways you can trick yourself into practicing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-accept-that-you-will-sound-bad-when-practicing\"><strong>1. Accept that you will sound bad when practicing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of us don\u2019t enjoy doing something we aren\u2019t good at. So when we sit down to play drums, we might naturally default to playing our favorite songs, or the exercises we\u2019re already good at, because it makes us feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But playing what we\u2019re already good at doesn\u2019t help us get better. It just maintains what we already know. So we need to push through the suck. And sucking can really put us in a bad mood, especially as creatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The quickest improvement you can make in your drumming &#8211; you can literally do it right now with no drums &#8211; is to reframe your mindset. Move away from \u201cI don\u2019t want to practice because I suck\u201d and embrace the knowledge that if you aren\u2019t sucking during practice, you aren\u2019t challenging yourself enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to trick yourself to \u2018accept the suck\u2019 is to structure your practice time the way some managers structure their employee feedback: the compliment sandwich:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You warm up with something you\u2019re good at.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The meat of your practice is something you need to improve on.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And you wrap up your practice with something else you\u2019re good at, so you can leave your session feeling good while still making progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If everything is coming too easily to you, make your routine more difficult. The more you push yourself, the better of a player you\u2019ll become. Don\u2019t torture yourself, though &#8211; trying to run before you can walk won\u2019t help you progress and will just lead to frustration. You need to start slow and make sure you have control in your hands or feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Find a tempo where you can play smoothly and relaxed, and then increase the click by a few BPM until it\u2019s just outside of your comfort zone. Once you\u2019ve practiced that and it\u2019s feeling good, increase the tempo again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/stop-comparing-your-drumming-to-social-media-stars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">all of the amazing drummers you see live or on social media<\/a> have had to suck to get to where they are. Everyone struggles when they\u2019re first learning new concepts or exercises.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z9oHjAV77SI\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-quantify-your-progress\"><strong>2. Quantify your progress<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think you aren\u2019t progressing, and you don\u2019t notice any payoff, you aren\u2019t as likely to commit to a regular routine &#8211; and that\u2019s understandable. Progress in drumming is typically slow and steady, so it might not feel like it\u2019s happening. The best way to know for <em>sure <\/em>if you\u2019re progressing is to keep a record of your progress and review it regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to do this is to film and record yourself. You might do this once a week to track gradual progress, or once a practice to self-critique. Try to save the files with the calendar date in the file name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re trying to increase your speed, create a simple practice sheet with two columns: the date and the BPM you\u2019re working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Documenting your playing will help you identify and visualize your progress so even if you don\u2019t \u2018feel\u2019 like you\u2019re improving, the numbers may tell you otherwise, and this will hopefully motivate you to keep practicing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also set specific, concrete goals to give yourself something to work toward. Maybe it\u2019s to be able to play a tricky pattern, grasp an independence challenge, or hit a difficult tempo. Feel free to reward yourself when you hit your goals &#8211; just one more thing to look forward to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/5-ways-to-stick-to-your-resolution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Want to learn how to set better goals that you\u2019ll actually follow through on? This article has your name on it!<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/31154427\/Drumming-Practice-Timesheet.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/31162339\/Screen-Shot-2019-12-31-at-7.22.47-PM.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/center><p><\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-diversify-your-routine\"><strong>3. Diversify your routine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever driven for long periods of time on a prairie highway? The environment looks exactly the same for hours, and the road is perfectly straight. Your eyes, arms, and feet can get tired, and your brain might go into \u2018lazy\u2019 mode because of the lack of stimulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you get bored easily, practicing the same thing over and over for long periods of time probably doesn\u2019t sound appealing. Unfortunately, it\u2019s something we need to do to lock in our muscle memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To get around this, try to diversify your routine &#8211; both within the exercise you\u2019re working on, and between the types of exercises you\u2019re working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you need to practice your double stroke technique, rather than just playing double strokes, switch to different combinations of doubles and singles, or try leading with your non-dominant hand. You\u2019ll get to work on the same skill (and then some) but it\u2019ll be easier to stay engaged and interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make your entire practice session diverse as well. This might mean you work on different rudiments for 20 minutes, independence exercises for 20 minutes, grooves for 20 minutes, and then jam some songs at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to write down the routine so you can go through it for a week, a few weeks, or however long it takes so you stay on track. Then change it up when you\u2019re ready. But always come to practice with something to practice! If you sit down without a plan, you&#8217;re less likely to work on the tough stuff and you&#8217;re not as likely to play for as long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-use-music-as-a-metronome\"><strong>4. Use music as a metronome<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The metronome: a blessing or a curse? Practicing to a click is one of the most important elements of a drummer\u2019s routine. It helps you better gauge the space between notes and helps you improve your internal time, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, repeating the same exercise for several minutes with constant beeping or clicking can get tiring &#8211; and it\u2019s not exactly motivating. If you have trouble getting into it, you\u2019re less likely to practice it. So the next time you need to work on something repetitive, find a song that\u2019s at the same tempo and practice to that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out jog.fm or find a Spotify workout playlist for a whole list of songs to choose from at your practice tempo. Take it a step further and put together your own playlist. Practicing a groove or rudiment over a song is probably more fun than with a dry metronome.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t to say that you should completely replace the click with songs. Practicing with a metronome and clearly hearing the pulses is going to help you become a more accurate drummer &#8211; especially if you aren\u2019t as experienced. But changing up your routine will make it more interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PaHoX-xmhxE\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p>So what do you say? Ready to give this whole practicing thing another shot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No drummer got to where they are without putting in the work. You can get there too &#8211; and enjoy yourself at the same time!<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you struggling to get into a solid practice routine? Here are four ways to trick yourself into doing it &#8211; even if you&#8217;re feeling unmotivated!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":27255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4040,1870,4018],"tags":[800],"class_list":["post-27218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-mental-health","category-technique","tag-how-to-practice-drums"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27218"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45293,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27218\/revisions\/45293"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}