How much should I practice?

Immediately after the lesson. It's sometimes the last thing you want to do when you finish a lesson, but it's very important to keep the concepts fresh in your mind.

Every day. It's better to do it a little bit every day than trying to cram right before your lesson.

Focus. Whenever you play, really give it all of your attention. 30 minutes of focused work is better than 2 hours of slop.

You assigned me a lot of stuff! Do I really need to do all this every day? Not necessarily. When you're struggling with a new and difficult concept, it may be better to learn a few key patterns perfectly than to do several pages poorly. As the concept becomes more familiar, you can get through more and more of the patterns.

How many hours? Every student should try to do at least 30 minutes per day. Serious middle- and high- school students should practice 1-2 hours per day. Most great drummers practiced a minimum of 3-5 hours per day for a period of at least several years at some point in their lives.

Does time spent playing in a band or in band class count? Not completely. Playing real music and practicing are two different things. The exercises we work on in lessons are designed to condition you to handle real-life playing situations better.

What if I never practice? Am I wasting my time and money? No. If you just show up to your lessons you will improve over time, but not nearly as fast as you would with a little regular, focused practice.

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Drum lessons by Todd Bishop
toddbishop@cruiseshipdrummer.com
(503)380-9259