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"Proper quality of sound and rhythmic accuracy at all times starts with proper practice. Use a metronome, slow things down, set practice goals and do not go on until it is right. These are the practice tools of great percussionists."
- Mike McIntosh
"Practice everything with great music. I worked hours on rudiments and stick control to great jazz, rock and latin music. Make it musically applicable."
- Bret Kuhn
"Practice the parts or sections you do not know rather than practicing the sections you do know. Drumline players––your feet are just as important as your hands."
- Giff Howarth
"The fingers never leave the stick but the stick may leave the palm. As rudimental drummers, we play the sticks, not the drum. Be a master of how to manipulate the sticks."
- Matt Savage
"Organize and divide each practice session into smaller units of time before you start practicing. Set the goals you want to accomplish during each section of your practice time and stay on schedule. After your practice session, evaluate what went well and what did not. Adjust the plan for your next practice session accordingly."
- Jeffrey Moore
"Try to use a drum whenever possible. Pads are tough to get the same feel as a drum. Try to incorporate something new at every session by breaking down a rudiment you may not know and gradually get your hands and mind used to playing it."
- Lee Beddis
"Try setting your metronome to 1/2 tempo and practice your music to a click on beats 1 and 3. This will help to strengthen your inner pulse and lessen your dependence on the metronome. Try setting your metronome to 1/2 tempo and pretending the click is 2 and 4 (as in jazz). Not only is this fun, it will also give you a different way to think about your music."
- Jim Bailey
"Find a good private teacher that is a well-rounded musician. Work on mallet skills as well as snare drum skills from the beginning. The development of the double stroke roll and the buzz roll are equally important. Practice both from the beginning."
- John Brennan
"Always remember that you are a musician who happens to play a percussion instrument. Therefore, you must always be aware of and sensitive to the needs of the entire ensemble. They need you to play musically in order for the whole ensemble to succeed."
- Dennis DeLucia
"The fastest way to learn your music is to practice it slowly. Playing the passage or the piece at a slow tempo gives you the opportunity to see each of its elements clearly. It is a very efficient way to realize what you are doing wrong which in turn makes it easier to correct. As everything gets fixed at a slow tempo, you will quickly learn the piece correctly, confidently, and with continuity. Practicing slowly, conquering the music correctly, and then gradually speeding up is a time proven way to avoid musical traps, like reinforcing mistakes."
- Dr. Michael G. Kingan
"Young percussionists should buy into the thought and theory of "muscle memory". The communication of ideas, technique and processes from the brain to the hands and feet requires much repetition. As you practice, "talk to yourself" from a physical perspective. We often understand the final goal, but need repetition and communication to instruct our bodies how to achieve the technique."
- Lamar D. Burkhalter
"Get out more. Experiencing performers who are at the top of their game can have a positive effect on your own performing. Watching a fine actor or dancer live, viewing an art exhibit, or reading a great book can inspire you to improve your own technique and generate new creative ideas that you might never have thought of before. If a guest musician (on any instrument or in any field) comes to your school, put down the sticks for a night and go check them out."
- Dan Moore
"Develop a "consistent playing" area for each instrument. It is difficult to improve if you are not always striking the instrument in the same spot each time you practice or perform."
- Jim Campbell
"If you do not have time to do something right the first time, when will you have time to do it over? This is not my original idea but it stuck in my brain and I always think of this when faced with a project, big or small."
- Frank Kumor
"Always listen to your own playing. Try recording yourself with a tape recorder or other device and listen to "your" sound quality. Try to spend a portion of your practice time in front of a mirror so you can watch your grip, hand position, and stick heights. This is a great way to fight off bad habits."
- Kennan Wylie
"Think of playing through the top head of a snare drum to get the air inside the drum excited enough to get a good snare response from the drum. Practice hitting the tenors in the correct playing spots slowly to decrease the chances of hitting rims when you play at the normal speed. To help with the "flow" between bass drummers, do not wait for the person before you to play their notes. Assume they are going to play and then play your notes accordingly."
- David Ratliff
"When learning rudiments, practice hands separately. Playing position includes your entire body. Stay relaxed. Perfect practice equals perfect performance."
- Larry Doran
"To master a skill, know how it sounds, looks and feels. Use small muscle groups for small movements and large muscle groups for large movements. Never use just your arm, wrist or fingers alone, your movement should be a fluid combination of all three. Every technique should derive from the natural shape and motion of the player’s body."
- Jim Yakas
"No matter what percussion instrument you try to play, learning the proper technique and approach is the key to achieve a great sound."
- Tom Aungst
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