Short Consistent Practice
Improving at an instrument takes commitment. Here are some ideas of how to get some practice in on busy days.
Put a practice pad, sticks, and your Stick Control book in the kitchen, or somewhere you will see it. Put in minutes, instead of hours. Small consistent chunks make a difference in your muscle memory and building/maintaining chops.
When can you fit it in? When you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, for the toaster to ding, for the oven to get to temperature, for dinner to finish in the microwave, for junior to call you on the toilet, waiting on hold with the bank, whatever it is, spend just 5 minutes practicing! Having the practice pad somewhere you see it every day will help you to put in some time. I know of a drummer who played a little bit at each red light on their commute home (do NOT drum while driving).
Make it a part of your schedule. Discipline kicks in when you are scheduled. Just keep doing it to make it a daily habit. Every day at breakfast, every day right after work, every day as you’re having your second cup of coffee… whatever it is, make it a part of your schedule.
If you are a busy parent with a kid that doesn’t like to play on their own, use the timer on your stove as a visual for when you will become available. Having a visual timer along with an alluring project for them to work on will help get you a little space to do some drumming.
If you’re a parent, get your child playing along with you with their own practice pad! If they aren’t interested, get them started on a safe solo activity.
When you’re consistent about making it a dedicated practice time, both kid(s) and the dishes will learn to wait those 5-10 minutes for you do to your routine. Yes, it means putting yourself first. Ok, maybe put a bowl of cereal in front of the kiddo to buy yourself time, but just DO IT. You will not regret the time you invest in yourself!
Before you start a practice routine, set some goals or priorities to make the most of your time. Do you want to work on left hand strength? Foot speed? Learning a song? Learning a groove? Improving limb independence? Sight reading charts? Learning a snare drum piece? Memorizing rudiments? Choose your goals for the week ahead. Make a schedule. Then practice with intention.
Have a little more time? Warm up for no more than 5 minutes. Get limber. Stretch. Slow to fast single strokes or slow to fast double strokes are enough. Then spend 10 minutes on improving a specific task or skill which may or may not be part of your main goal, and the last 10 minutes on your main goal. Still have time? Take a 5 minute break. Reset, and start the process again! Maybe move to a different warm up or use that extra 5 minutes for some problem you ran into.
Consistency will get you there. Perfection will not!
My Mantra is: Discipline Over Motivation
My second Mantra is: Practice with Intention
My third Mantra is: Be Kind to Yourself
Celene Yohemas is a Percussionist, Drummer, and Educator from Calgary, AB Canada. She teaches clinics, private lessons, and group lessons. Zoom and in-person lessons available.