5 Tips For Self Taught Drummers - How To Get Better Quicker! 🚀

Check out this video if you've decided to take the 'self taught' route and see the five tips that will surely accelerate your progress! SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL for more great free drum lessons, tips, advice and cool product reviews.

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[Kentavious]

Being a self taught drummer myself, another important tip I could add comes from a discovery about how our brain works. Apparently Scientists discovered that we have a "learning center" in the brain and after we've learned something through repetition it is transferred to another region in the brain for instant retrieval. The scientist that made this discovery referenced someone learning a piano piece. They determined that after practicing something roughly 100 times the brain has fully absorbed the information and it is then moved to the section for retrieval. Repetition is very effective at creating habits both good and bad. It's used in advertising and even brainwashing because it is so effective. SO, my point is, if you practice something at least 100 times it will be indelibly printed in your mind. Beyond that, each time you play a piece that you've learned will become exponentially easier and eventually without need for conscious thought at all. I have tested this theory out myself. Very often I have struggled for hours on something without success, only to go to sleep and then wake up the next day and play it perfectly on the first try! I have to smile every time that happens!😁

[wcw]

"It requires a lot of skill to play drums, but you don't need a lot of skill to have fun on them"

This is one of the best things for a beginner drummer to hear!

[clava]

“Play along to your favorite songs”

Me, someone who basically only listens to metal: nervous shivering

[scott]

40 years self taught. Just bought a pad after starting to watch your videos. Amazing to discover where I'm barely a novice in some areas and beyond advanced in others, with hardly a clue which is which.

[qoodrink]

Hey Rob I'm a self-taught drummer as well and been following you since the early days. Thanks for all the help so far and keep on doing what you do!

[DavidOakesMusic]

I started in 1995 and immediately could hold a beat. I started playing in church / along to CDs and was in bands after 1 year. I just never bothered with rudiments until 2019. When the Pandemic started I decided to get an e-kit and start properly learning rudiments. I now have a nice hybrid electro acoustic kit.

[Divizoro]

Rob, this video has come at such an opportune time for me. I've been playing for 5 years now (self-taught) and I've always struggled with getting a routine down to practice. I always have to force myself to do it because it's just not that fun for me to hit a pad for 15 mins a day, personally. When I first started, I would always just play to my favourite songs and that first year of playing I improved an insane amount. Since then I've somewhat plateaued and lost sight of what made it fun for me in the first place. I've been so caught up with trying to get better that it became a chore, something I had to do, rather than something I WANT to do. So yeah, thanks for the content my man, always appreciated, this video was just what I needed to fall back in love with practicing!

[SPINNINGMYWHEELS]

started in 1999 at age of 26 after being a Turntable DJ for 10 years. Being a DJ helped big time to understand rhythm transitions and tempo. I played in bands as a DJ and the percussion aspect also was being solidified as well as an Encyclopedic knowledge of 'Beats' also coming from producing music with a sample based structure (hip hop / electronic) . I remember the first year, I was playing a guys kit at an audio studio and he kind of sarcastically said 'in 5 years you might be good'... I wasn't asking for an opinion and wasn't trying to upstage anyone (just trying to have fun!) and I KNEW I was lacking some fundamentals especially with hand work on the snare, he was a Punk drummer - and I was doing some funk stuff that he couldn't do..but I took his words 'to grow on' . Some drummers are very insecure I found out very quickly ! The thing I cherish about being mostly self taught is developing your own mode. You WILL stand out. I get people all the time saying how they want to play with me of all music types - if they hear me messing around, from country to metal. I don't really do metal but I can play it in an 80s method that they seem to appreciate - because i grew early teens up on Skate Thrash rock which much metal now is based on but now to a computer grid. Thanks Rob .. I love that little Yamaha mic.. might look into getting it for it's ease of use .

[cristianmk]

Self taught drummer here, still in early stages, and your videos have always been part of the trip from day one. So thank you for all the tips and information Rob!

[Hwashburn]

Rob, I'm incredibly impressed that you are a self-taught drummer. After watching and learning from your videos over the last few years, I have always assumed that you must be formally trained because . . .you are so freaking good! Wow. I'm self taught ( other than watching Youtube videos, especially yours), and to know that you in fact are self taught gives me a lot of hope! Thanks for all the videos over the last few years!

[ericneal]

Excellent info sir. I always wanted to play drums, finally started self learning when the pandemic hit. Your videos are helping this 50 yr old beginner figure it all out. You are greatly appreciated Mr. Brown!

[vasileskialeksandar]

Greetings from Macedonia. I've been drumming for 2 years now, I am a self-taught drummer and 90% of the stuff I know about drums came from this man. Thank you Rob!

[steverichdrummr]

Hey Rob. I try too watch as many of your videos as I can, because I think you're great, and fun. You seem so nice and down to earth. I am retired now, and have been drumming just shy of 60 years. Let me tell you man, this is your best video ever, hands down. You're going to help a ton of drummers with this one. Thanks so much.

[SquizbarDeAlienOfficial]

I’m a self taught guitarist of 20 years, self taught bassist & Synth player for 5 years and now day 1 of drumming with my E-Kit. I’m glad I found your channel!

[BryanM]

Nailed it Rob! One that I would add, is playing with other musicians, i.e. Jamming.. Of course, you have to reach a basic level of proficiency to do this, but I saw a big jump in my ability when I started trying to make music with other musicians. It helps put things in a big picture perspective.

[Takelow]

I am mainly a self taught drummer too, and I agree 100% with these tips. The « Do whatever you want, whenever you want » is gold. As long as you are focus during your practice time, and work on new things, you’ll make some progress. Guaranteed! 😉

[sanchtodd]

Thanks for your statements from experience. I'm in my 2nd year of exploring this wonderful instrument at age 58 and take as much as I can to do better. Great advice.

[gregwonhoff]

Great job, Beatdown. I spent 39 years teaching and 45 years coaching, and your approach and your delivery is spot on. Thank you for taking your time to help us out here get to be better.

[dvvalant]

Thanks for the advice Rob. I was a garage band drummer in the early 70s. Then took about 38 years off, but finally bought another drum set and began again. I've never had an in-person lesson but YouTube has helped. Mostly I play along with music for fun. Am teaching my grandsons the very basics as well. Keep up the great work sir!!

[mesawolff]

Thanks Rob, I used to beat myself up all the time because of “practice guilt” it actually started to become no fun. Then a couple years ago I started to play to have fun and it changed everything.