Wednesday 27 January 2016

Necessary Fitness Issues for Drummers to Improve Drumming Techniques

Drumming Exercise
Image by Pixabay







We all know that drum is one of the most energy-consuming instruments to play, with large arm and hand movements making up most of your technique, but many people don’t realise that drumming can actually help improve your health if used as part of a regular exercise regimen. Many people who are new to drumming will quickly feel tired with all of the work involved, but seasoned drummers know that keeping fit is key to boosting your stamina to keep going.

Drummers, more than any other musician need to keep healthy and exercise as part of their playing to minimise the risks of causing injury whilst playing. Many drummers suffer from the same kind of injuries such as wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries that could not only ruin your day, but also your playing ability.

Elbow Injury
Image by 123RF








At Drummers Paradise customers often share many thoughts such as this kind of injuries, and we always encourage them to stay fit and keep drumming to avoid any major injury. But truly we thought we are obliged to share these important message to everyone involved in drumming, so bear with us with an open mind and courage.



Fitness is the Key for Your Technique

Drummers fitness and musicians fitness isn’t really talked about as a problem or an issue within the musicians circles, but it is a key aspect in any instrument playing that to stay fit and healthy will only benefit your playing in terms of having the perfect posture for playing, as well as having the perfect technique to give you stamina throughout playing.



Warm Up and Take Some Preparations

Warming up and staying supple in your arms is key to improve your drumming stamina, and with a few simple exercises you can stay in shape and improve your stamina for longer periods of drumming time. Not warming up or not staying in shape can result in injuries, which can be avoided if you follow a few simple warm up exercise tips before you start playing.

Upper Body Exercise
Image by 123RF




One of the best ways to warm up is to move your arms and wrists in their full range of motion for few minutes to allow your muscles to warm up and be prepared for extended use whilst drumming. Standing toe touches are a great way to stretch the muscles in your arms, as well as keeping your back supple and ready to play.

Holding your drum sticks in your hands and turning your wrists also play an important role in making sure that your wrist muscles and hand tendons are nicely relaxed and aren’t too stiff before playing. If you feel any sharp pain then you should call it a day for now, and stop playing your drums if you continue to feel pain in your shoulder, elbows, wrists, and fingers.



Don’t Forget Your Lower Body!

It is also important to stretch your calf muscles in your lower legs if you are going to be using the bass drum and high-hats for extended periods of time. It is easy for a drummer to start playing from cold and get cramp in the lower leg muscles – something that can be avoided with a little warm-up!

Lower Body Exercise
Image by 123RF

Drumming itself can be a great tool for exercise on its own due to the muscles involved and the length of time in which you drum. Using your large muscles in their full range of movement is the best way to burn calories and work your heart and lungs for great cardio-vascular exercise. Your upper body uses more energy than your lower body, and so with a well-positioned back and posture, you could be doing great work for your body when drumming on a regular basis.



Don’t Push Yourself, Know Your Limits!

Drummers often push themselves when it comes to stamina, and whilst pushing the limit on how long you can comfortably play for has an argument that stamina is built using ever lengthy stretches of time playing, it is important to know when to stop. Over-doing it and playing for extended periods of time will only increase the damage you may be doing to your ligaments, tendons and muscles. So if you feel any twitches, cramps or pain, just pause playing and take some time before you make the situation worse.


Warm up gently and slowly work into your regular playing rhythm. Use the full motion of movement of your muscles when warming up and ensure that you are sat in a comfortable and upright position to give you the best purchase on your kit, as well as ensuring that you aren’t going to feel tired sooner. Take breaks every now and again to get a rest, and ensure that your playing technique isn’t hindered by pain or cramps that regular exercise will be able to eliminate over time to become a fit drummer, ready for anything!

Thursday 7 January 2016

Find Your Beat at One of This Summers’ Beach Party Festivals in Sydney

Beach Party Percussion


The summer will be the perfect occasion for a beach party this year in Sydney, with a whole host of public events such as summer fest being hosted on Sydney beaches. You will be able to find your groove thanks to the many variations of drumming that perfectly accompanies a beach party, with percussion instruments such as bongos, congas and djembes to set the party atmosphere as the sun sets.


Bongo Bongos!

Percussion instruments such as the bongos are the perfect idea for a beach party, due to their relaxing sounds which add to the groove of the type of music being played. Derived from Central Africa and the Congo, these soothing backing beat makers are both relaxing and dance-inducing when it comes to party atmospheres, and perform great with all kinds of traditional and modern music.

Bongos Percussion
Image by Garry Knight / CC BY 2.0

Bongos keep the beat perfectly and with the addition of a few acoustic guitars and a little wind instrument will set a perfect tone for your Australian beach party.



Congas Percussion
Image by 4028mdk09 / CC BY 3.0

Latin Conga Percussion Grooves

Congas are used in many forms of music, from west-African beat-driven songs, Latin American and Cuban music that also features many other percussion instruments to the music of the South Sea Islands such as Tonga, Polynesia and other ethnic groups.


For any South American themed party, the congas are an absolute must! They work great with all kinds of music and can even turn modern acoustic music into a special atmosphere with their additional rhythmic power.




Relaxing Rhythm of the Djembes

Drums such as Djembes are the perfect accompaniment for African beat-themed music, as well as world music which makes a great theme for your beach party. For the best beach party, pounding dance music and modern rock music may be a little too much, so toning it down with a few instruments and some Djembes will add a personal touch to your music, and let the rhythm take your guests.

Djembe Percussion
Image by Pumpmeup via Wikipedia / CC BY 2.0

Being a simplified percussion instrument which is used in music that demands the simplicity of a rhythmic beat, friends and family can turn their hand to the drum skin to join in and enjoy the music.



Looking for the Perfect Beach Party Sounds?

Like many people who take a group of friends or family down to the beach, you will understand that the music sets the mood perfectly. So if you are an instrument enthusiast and love to take a guitar to all of your parties, why not find turn your hand to a percussive instrument?

Drummers Paradise is having a collection of the top names in drumming equipment such as Pearl in their drum store in Melbourne. You can pick up many different modern kits, as well as ethnic and world music instruments such as congas, bongos and djembes to highlight your own personal musical touch.

So if your next get-together is a traditional Australian beach party why not pick up one of these atmosphere-setting percussion instruments and add a little rhythm to your celebration. Being the backbeat of a summers’ evening at the beach is one experience you won’t want to miss this summer!