| Before you start to play, first take care of the | | | | drums of whatever song you listen to. Get a stool |
| practicalities. Go to a music store and pick up a set | | | | that's properly calibrated, and position your drums |
| of earplugs that are designed to be used with music | | | | where you can easily get to them. Don't stretch your |
| playing, and wear them whenever you practice. You | | | | muscles too much by having them too far away. |
| can experience hearing loss and ear damage if you | | | | Your drumming skills will be dramatically improved and |
| play the drums too long without adequate protection, | | | | become far more valuable once you know some |
| and tinnitus can even occur, so be sure to guard | | | | drum fills to spice up your standard rhythms. Drum |
| your ears properly. | | | | fills are typically used to signal the end of a section |
| Also, be sure to only play the drums in a place or at | | | | of the song, or even the beginning and end of a |
| a time that won't bother other people. When you're | | | | song, meant to inject energy and a kineticism to a |
| learning the drums, you need to learn drum notation | | | | particular piece. Drum fills aren't just about bashing |
| and rhythm. Timing is essential to proper drum | | | | your sticks on the drums and ending it with a cymbal |
| playing. Find the right timing through a metronome or | | | | crash; you can find varying types of drum fills to use |
| counting out loud, regardless of how slowly you have | | | | throughout your songs, some of which work for |
| to play to start picking it up. If at all possible, practice | | | | some songs and not others. |
| every day for a consistent period of time, and stick | | | | Find good places in your songs for drum fills and |
| to it even when you're having a hard time. | | | | what the duration of each drum fill has to be. As you |
| Find a lot of music styles to listen to and study; | | | | keep listening to the song you're playing and working |
| there are various things you can learn from every | | | | out how you want the drum fill to feel and sound, |
| genre of music which you can incorporate into you | | | | decide if the drum fill would work well for a slow or |
| own playing. Tap out the rhythm that you hear in the | | | | fast song, and use some trial and error. |