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Thread: Keeping track of drum practice

  1. #1

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    Default Keeping track of drum practice

    I am just curious how many of you keep track of your drum practice and how do you do it? Myself I am keeping track of my practice by logging in each practice on a practice sheet that I made copies of from a drum book by Alfred's. Working out of several different books like: stick control,Alfred's drum book,and Tommy Igo's groove's.

    Keep drumming

    Gregg

  2. #2

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    I hate scheduling/tracking/logging activities in general. It takes the fun out of life. I practice when I feel like it, for as long as I feel like it...which is basically never. However, my band practices for 4hrs every Sunday afternoon. If tracking practice helps keep you focused, productive and "on task", then by all means do it. Practice and dedication are the key to success, and those who excel at whatever they do are usually very structured in their approach.
    -Brian

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    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  3. #3

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    My ekit does a lot of this, once i reach a certain accuracy level, I increase the speed on preset metronomes...yea, ekits rock for practicing
    Yamaha DTX 500 module
    Anatolian Kappadokia 14" Rock High Hats
    Sabian El Sabor 20" Ride
    Zildjian A 18" Crash Ride
    Istanbul Agop 16" Trash Hit
    1950's Zildjian 14" Splash/light crash
    Istanbul 8" Splash (pre 1997)
    Mapex Black Panther Steel Piccolo
    1965 Premier 3 piece 10, 16, 22


  4. #4

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    Playing drums is one of the few care-free, less structured parts of my life. I don't keep track of practicing.

  5. #5

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    yeah I don't structure my practice... I just get excited if I find to actually practice... having a baby is not good for being a drummer... momma doesn't allow playing when they are home right now.

  6. #6

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    I use an iOS app called Praxis, which is awesome if you want to keep track of your practice. However, Lately, I've been more lax. The software taught me to be organized, and now I find it flows better if I don't track every last thing I do -- but rather pay attention to what needs work and just work on it (as opposed to keeping a schedule of what I think I should be working on).

    In short, I've found that just keeping a focus on my weak points and what new things I'd like to learn is what drives my practice instead of a pre-determined regimen.

  7. #7

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    I play whenever, however, and as loud as I like. If I had to log all of my practicing, I would absolutely hate the drums. Reminds me of when I was learning piano when I was younger. I had to do books of music theory. That was the worst.

    Whenever I get behind the kit, I basically play a long solo for myself.
    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    There is intelligent life out there. The problem is that there isn't any here.

    -Mike

  8. #8

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    No. Practice as much as I can and work on stuff I know I suck at (and there's plenty).

  9. #9

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    No, I don't keep track but I make sure to practise every day if I can for an hour minimum if possible. Rather than going for a straight hour, I take breaks every now and then. Gives me a chance to let what I've practised sink in and gives the neighbours a break, too.
    SPLAT-BOOM-SPLAT-BOOM-SPLAT-BOOM-GIGGA-TISH!

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    No. Practice as much as I can and work on stuff I know I suck at (and there's plenty).
    +1


    Normally, I just run through the set list we are playing and ensure I have it down..............wish I could spend time every day..........but "real life" tends to get in the way!

    I have plenty of weaknesses, so when I do get time................there is no shortage of material I need to work on

  11. #11

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    I don't log my practice either but I do discipline myself to
    1. Keep it varied
    2. Keep it productive (avoid too much jamming)
    3. To repeat everything often enough to commit it to memory.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by drummer View Post
    3. To repeat everything often enough to commit it to memory.
    In other words, not just practice till you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong.

  13. #13

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    I like to practice original material then I can't get it wrong.

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    In other words, not just practice till you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong.
    Yes!

  15. #15

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    For many years I did not keep track of my practice in an organized fashion.

    When I got serious about my hand percussion skills (conga) I found it helpful to start tracking my practice time as to make sure both instruments got equal time. I started serious study of bass guitar a year or so after diving deep into conga studies. At that point keeping track of my practice time became essential.

    A funny thing happened when I started practicing all three instruments in such a structured fashion, my playing started improving at a faster rate. I start my drum set practice with rudiments around the kit to a metronome these days. When I practice my bass I warm up with scales to a metronome. Admittedly, both types of practice may seem tedious to some, but the benefits in the long run have been worth it.

    I give this type of practice a lot of the credit for my post-stroke recovery. Repetitive practice of this sort seemed to be a key to getting past the issues that I had. After a while it became part of my practice drills and no longer was it as difficult to stay with.
    Last edited by drummer5359; 11-20-2016 at 03:24 AM.
    -Mike


    "We don't stop playing because we grow old.
    We grow old because we stop playing."

    "I wish that my playing reminded people of Steve Gadd. But they seem to confuse me with his little known cousin... E."

    "Snare drums happen."

  16. #16

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    How I'll do it is I'll take either Iron Maiden's "Piece of mind",Sabbath's"Masters of reality,Or Purple's"Machine head" in vinyl.I then carefully place it on the turntable and run over to the drum kit before it starts and then jam to a whole side. when the needle lifts.. Practice is over..
    I had a lot of time to think it over lying in this hospital bed...
    I monkeyed with another monkey's monkey
    And her gorilla whupped upon my head!~Johnny Paycheck

  17. #17

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    ^^^^I like it I like it!

  18. #18

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    I go downstairs about once a week and beat on my drums for a hour or 2.

    I'll break the Zoom out every other practice and watch to see if I like anything. Past that, I've never had anything that even came close to looking like a organized practice. I just play what I feel like playing at the time and that approach has served me well for 6 decades.

    I don't fix what ain't broken.

  19. #19

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    ^^^^^^ sounds just like me but for only 5 decades, due to the fact that Rick is older than dirt......


    Jim
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  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by js218 View Post
    ^^^^^^ sounds just like me but for only 5 decades, due to the fact that Rick is older than dirt......


    Jim


    Dirt is actually older than me by about 20 seconds.

    I had to have something to stand on and I couldn't find a guitar player.

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