3 days ago a student of mine asked me how many hours a day should I practice to be really good. In my head I was like dang I have no idea what to tell this kid you know so I told him try as much as you can but do not over due yourself try to actually keep focus on what you're aiming for and do not be noodling (Thomas Lang term for screwing around) Be slow and solid when you do your rolls and all the rudiments you know. Was it correct what I told him or is there an amount of hours you should practice because that is a question I had so myself. Anyone know around how many hours someone should practice? I do mostly rudiments for about an hour and a half 5 mins each rudiment should I increase time myself?
pwc
Posts: 9775
Joined: Jan 16, 2005
Location: Pattaya, Thailand
Not sure there is set time to recommend. 1 minute of any correct and precise rudiment will beat 5 minutes of sloppy rudiment. I say that purely from use of logic as I confess that I always hated such practice and never did any ....
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
drumster15
Posts: 37
Joined: Aug 28, 2012
Location: Drummer Island
so you mean 1 minute per rudiment? My way of practicing I do singles doubles triplets and quads 4 times and switch for example 1111 1111 1111 1111 switch 2222 2222 2222 2222 switch 3333 3333 3333 3333 switch 4444 4444 4444 4444 back to one or backwards.. I developed that habit because of Thomas Lang I noticed he would play some rolls and he would mix back and fourth
LOL!! Back in the olden days; Jr. High and High school; yes they called it Jr. High back in those days. Anyway our band director (we only had one) made us practice at least 30 min every night and 1 hour each day on the weekends. To keep us honest our parents had to sign a time chart. LOL!! And those 30 minutes had to be mostly rudiments only 13 in those day if I remember correctly.
I got so board I would try to play rudiments in 3/4 time and or jazzy to blues style anything to have a little fun. And sometimes I would get so into it I ended up practicing for an hour or more on some evenings.
Now days...I wish I had time to practice.
sherm
StillKicken edited on Dec 10, 2012 1:09 AM
K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple System
technique2012
Posts: 207
Joined: Aug 11, 2012
Location: Illinois, USA
Practice till you can confidently play something without even trying. That's when you know you've practiced enough or properly. Proper practice is better than lengthy practice. I quit piano and for a while I was still better than my friends who practiced all the time but didn't practice properly till they nailed it.
"Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple." -Charles Mingus
drumster15
Posts: 37
Joined: Aug 28, 2012
Location: Drummer Island
singlestroker yes that is exactly what I meant.. I do everything in 4s and switch i go backwards from 4s to 3s 2s 1s or i mix i go 1 3 2 4 and so on...
I need more effective techniques to practice because I only have like an hour or 2 for pure practicing since I have a daughter and work and I noticed today I have gotten really freaking sloppy my gospel chops, fills and a lot of other things have gotten weak.. I need like advice on getting my hands faster moving around the kit and precise my feet I am currently doing pure paradiddles the flam rudiments and thats it what do you guys think I should do?
P.S I told my students today to practice 30 mins at least what we learned and on weekends 1 hour haha funny thing I come on and someone above me said the exact thing made my day..
StillKicken
Posts: 2209
Joined: Jan 16, 2005
Location: Buda, Texas
P.S I told my students today to practice 30 mins at least what we learned and on weekends 1 hour haha funny thing I come on and someone above me said the exact thing made my day..
I see well for me I am trying to play fast paradiddles like Thomas or at least somewhere passing him or around him because its something i would love to adapt to of course I do not want to be like him because every drummer is different in style and all that but I would like to find the thomas in me Lol and you have a lot of time to practice on your kit i only have saterdays for that..i just practice rudiments on a pillow slow to fast 5 mins each but yeahh its complicated when you want to try them on the kit since im limited on practice time..
Mendell
Posts: 518
Joined: Jul 1, 2008
Location: Quebec City
@knightcrawler: isn't it Vince Lombardi who used to say that?
Gretsh Renown Maple 10, 12, 14 and 16 toms, 22 bass drum, Yamaha, Spaun and Pork Pie snares. DW 9002 and Iron Cobra Powerglide double pedals. Many cymbals, here it is:
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No. 1 Posted on Dec 7, 2012 10:54 AM
