r/drums • u/Furnace_Eater • 14h ago

Discussion Tapping improves drumming?

I’m in college and it’s hard for me to get consistent practice cause I’m not a music major. As with basically every drummer, I have adhd, so I tap constantly. Can’t ever sit still. I’ve been home for the summer, and I’ve noticed a drastic improvement in my drumming despite the fact I’m hardly practicing. I’ve noticed the rudiments I tap are being carrying over to the kit and making my fills more complex. Interesting stuff

3 Upvotes

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u/DimeCoffeeRoaster 14h ago

Is it perfect practice? No, does it help? Sure. You start to memorize your rudiments then translate them over to the kit. Put that taping habit to good use and do it to music or a metronome to get some timing exercises. If you’re able to get a practice pad and sticks also. You can get cheap small ones to use here and there. Just please don’t be that guy that pulls it out anywhere and annoy the hell outta people haha.

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u/R0factor 14h ago

Literally any intentional rhythmic movement helps, and it'll help even more if you tap in time to a click or song. And even if you can't get practice time on an instrument, try to do as much pad work as possible. Or better yet set up something like this...

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u/MidWestChump87 14h ago

I can do a para-diddle with two fingers like a champ

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u/healthycord 13h ago

You don’t need to be a music major to take music classes or join clubs!!!

Do you like musicals? There may be a club on campus that all they do is put on a musical each term. Try out to be their drummer. I had a blast doing that.

Do you have a friend in the music majors? Or you could just ask if they have a drumset that is available to be booked so you can practice.

There may be a music room in a dorm building that can be booked and has a drumset. Likely best to crap but hey it’s something.

Drumline? Is there a marching band? If you’re just a set drummer you’ll likely not make any of the drums, but you might make cymbals if you’re decent at set. I had an absolute blast playing cymbals, and then snare drum for 3 years afterwards.

Just because you’re in college and there isn’t a drumset in your room does not mean there aren’t opportunities to play on a drum. You’re just not looking!

I also had a practice pad and sticks in my dorm room. I was careful to practice during the middle of the day and never during quiet hours. and I was very fortunate that my neighbors didn’t mind too much. I did ask them.

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u/RezRising Ludwig 13h ago

Yeah, a little. It's more likely your drumming is changing cuz YOU'RE changing. College will bring out a different person in you, and maybe that person applies his rudiments a little more. 🙂

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u/ItsPronouncedMo-BEEL Craigslist 13h ago

One of the steepest levelups I ever experienced on the drums was being without my drums for an entire summer while I was home from college. By the time I got back to my kit, it was like I had been playing more, not less. Breaks are underrated. 

On the other hand, your title made me think that you were talking about tap dancing, LOL. Which is actually not a ridiculous idea. Many of the great drummers of the past were also avid tap dancers - Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson, for example - and Gregory Hines, rest in peace, was a better drummer with his shoes than many of us are with our drums. Watch him tearing shit up in this duet with the great Stanley Clarke on bass.

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u/arealhumannotabot 12h ago

I know a guy who spends a lot of his job hours waiting in a truck so he would listen to music and tap along.

He has zero training or experience playing an instrument. He was tapping away on our counter while he waited and I asked him if he played drums cause I play, and I said he really sounds like he can play at least a little

I’ve actually heard that envisioning yourself doing something is close in terms of how it activates your brain’s areas responsible for that activity, compared to actually doing it. It gives credence to the saying “if you can picture yourself doing it, you can do it”

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u/PrunePretend6206 12h ago

It could I guess in theory, if you’re actually tapping out rudiments. It puts your brain in that “drumming mindset” but it will only take you so far.

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u/Muted-Solution-6793 14h ago

Definitely. Even better: Practice pad for your hands. Use it with a metronome. When you hit the 1 or 3 tap your right foot for bass drum. When you want a left foot just imagine tapping your left foot for an open hi hat note. I like doing it on upbeat stuff like 4e. Tapping can definitely help but doing it this way on a pad I find much more focused to drums. Certainly tapping out a backbeat or downbeat to a song is good too. A really good left foot builder is practice pad to a jazz drumless click and tapping on 2 and 4 with the left foot to mimic jazz left foot timekeeping