It’s a popular topic, and all drummers have wondered, “How do I play faster?!”. The simple answer is to practice and play more, but that is far too vague for a question requiring multiple angles of response to achieve real progress. Here are a handful of helpful tips that will help you increase your playing speed.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
The same story that applies to the tortoise and the hare applies to a drummer looking to increase their speed. The quickest way to be capable of playing fast is to practice playing slowly. Master the exercises you’re working on, ensuring they are played solidly without mistakes. Once that is achieved, you can gradually increase the tempo of the exercise.
Start simple by focusing on each hand (or foot) you want to exercise. Play eight or more beats on each limb, ensuring each stroke looks and sounds the same. If you execute your stroke consistently, speed will come easier, as there is less room for error.
From there, use the same method with applicable drum rudiments of your choice. A few of my favorite rudiments for increasing speed include paradiddles, double paradiddles, doubles (or a double stroke roll), and the Swiss army triplet. Play these rudiments at slow tempos, alternating which hand or foot you begin the rudiment with. Once you feel comfortable, increase the speed and repeat this process.
Natural Rebound and the One-Inch Punch
The natural rebound of a drumstick is a crucial ingredient to increasing speed. When you strike a drum, the stick should naturally bounce back up. If the stick or bass drum beater stays down at the level of the drum head, you will have to raise it back up to strike the drum again. This additional motion holds back the potential speed at which you can play.
Find power in short strokes. The further away your stick gets from the drum head, the longer it will take for the stick to reach the drum head. This mindset is similar to the martial arts exercise the one-inch punch, which was made popular by famous actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. As you build up strength in each hand or foot, you will be able to achieve a wide dynamic range in a small range of space.
Hold Yourself Accountable and Track Your Progress
These tips above will increase your playing speed if you hold yourself accountable and routinely repeat the process. One single visit to the gym won’t get you looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and one go around of these exercises won’t have you playing blast beats as fast as El Estepario Siberiano.
Set aside time daily to work on these exercises. Ideally, these exercises are a warm-up and cool-down for a more extended practice session, but even ten minutes daily will go a long way toward increasing your speed.
Use a metronome and start each exercise at the same slow tempo each time you practice. Make a note of the highest BPM (beats per minute) that you can comfortably play each exercise. Over time, this BPM should increase as you become a faster drummer.
All in all, these tips are a good place to start your journey to drumming faster. Each of the above exercises can take years to master, and the sky is the limit regarding their potential to help your playing. You can incorporate countless other methods along with or instead of the above tips. Each drummer is unique, and what works best for one could feel uncomfortable for another. While drumming really isn’t a race, increasing your playing speed can help you get and keep a gig. Good luck out there!