Can you practice drums away from home?
Is this possible?
Yes, definitely!
I know this first hand. 🙂
And these are my 7 best ways to practice drums away from home:
1. Train Your Technique On A Practice Pad
Table Of Contents
Practice pads are quite useful.
You can not only practice your drumming technique with less
- distraction and
- volume
on them.
It’s also possible to use them as a mobile practice station.
And yes:
There are even full practice drum kits available!
These kits are like a regular drum practice pad, but come as a full set up.
You can even combine them with a single or double pedal.
- You’re planning a vacation?
- Maybe you’re going to live in a van for some time?
- Or you’re frequently on the road due to work?
In these cases, a
- drum practice pad or
- a drum practice set
might be a great tip for you.
They are relatively compact and not too heavy to carry around.
When I was on the road more regularly some years ago, I always made sure to bring my
- practice pad
- a good pair of drum sticks and
- a suitable stand for my pad
along with me.
2. Practice Drums On A Soft Surface Like A Pillow Or Towel
There are times when you can’t get access to a practice pad.
The good news is:
There are alternatives to it.
Do you have a
- pillow,
- towel or
- jacket
at hand?
Perfect!
You can use them to practice drums away from home as well.
And how do you do so?
Soft surfaces like a pillow or a pillowed-up jacket don’t generate a lot of rebound.
You can use this characteristic to train
- the strength of your arms and
- wrists.
Also, practicing the drums on pillows is a great way to build up your accuracy.
You simply need to concentrate to play your rudiments or other hand exercises properly on such surfaces.
Plus:
You can almost always bring a pillow with you.
Especially when you’re staying overnight somewhere but home.
3. Rent A Rehearsal Room On A Hourly Basis
Here in Germany you can rent professional rehearsal rooms on a
- daily or
- hourly
basis.
This option is quite common, especially in bigger cities like Berlin or Munich.
Still, I know that smaller towns also offer such shared rehearsal spaces.
It’s worth looking for them, as they can be a perfect solution to practice drums away from home.
And yes:
You can also rent them quite spontaneously most of the time.
4. Practice The Drums Away From Home Mentally
There’s a concept of practicing a musical instrument mentally.
I first read about this some years ago in the great book The Inner Game Of Music by Barry Green.
In short:
Mental practice means you imagine what you play, for example, on the drums.
You think about your exercises in the most realistic way possible.
Maybe you even can “hear” the drums in your head.
This would be perfect!
It helps you
- be more aware of your drumming,
- focus on your coordination and
- challenges your creativity.
I really like mental practice.
Also, it can help you ease stage fright.
After all, you lived through a situation before, just in your mind.
5. Combine Mental Practice With Air Drumming
Mental practice is great on its own.
However, you can also combine it with air-drumming.
Ever seen somebody play a drum fill or groove without a kit?
Yes, I think we all have.
It’s likely that the musician was air drumming.
This is not only fun, but also an interesting exercise for your
- limb independence and
- creativity.
6. Verbalize Your Drumming
Ever heard the phrase
“What you can say is what you can play?”
Honestly, I think this one nails it.
If you can
- sing,
- count
- or speak
your rhythms, you surely understand them.
There’s no way of verbalizing a rhythm properly otherwise.
Or at least I haven’t heard of it by now. 😉
So, verbalizing your drum fills or beats is a great way to practice drums away from home.
Just like our final idea:
7. Play Drums On Your Body
Body percussion is another superb way to drum without a kit.
You just need
- your body,
- your brains and
- some rhythms
you want to practice:
For example, you can clap rhythm exercises for drummers.
You can also assign such exercises between your hands and feet.
If you want to, you can even assign the instruments of the drum set between your arms and legs.
- The kick can be stomped,
- the hi-hat could be snapped and
- your snare could be a clap.
Want to practice drum fills with body percussion?
You can assign the different toms to your
- knees,
- thighs or
- belly.
Be creative!
Body percussion is another awesome way to practice drums away from home.
Speaking of:
Which idea do you like best?
Overview: How You Can Practice Drums Away From Home
Train Your Technique On A Practice Pad
- Use a practice pad or a full practice drum kit as a mobile practice station.
- Suitable for vacations, living in a van, or frequent travel.
- Compact and easy to carry equipment.
Practice Drums On A Soft Surface Like A Pillow Or Towel
- Use items like a pillow, towel, or jacket to practice.
- Helps strengthen arms and wrists due to the lack of rebound.
- Great for building accuracy.
Rent A Rehearsal Room On An Hourly Basis
- Rent professional rehearsal rooms on a daily or hourly basis.
- Common in bigger cities and some smaller towns.
- A perfect solution for spontaneous practice sessions.
Practice The Drums Mentally
- Imagine playing the drums, visualizing exercises and rhythms.
- Enhances awareness, coordination, and creativity.
- Useful for easing stage fright.
Combine Mental Practice With Air Drumming
- Pair mental practice with air drumming to simulate playing.
- Improves limb independence and creativity.
- Fun and practical for drummers without access to a kit.
Verbalize Your Drumming
- Sing, count, or speak your rhythms to understand them better.
- Helps internalize rhythms and improve accuracy.
Play Drums On Your Body (Body Percussion)
- Use body percussion to practice rhythms.
- Assign different drum set components to various body parts.
- Encourages creativity and is a great portable practice method!
All the best to you. 🙂
Manu
