Today, let’s move away from digital audio workstations and software updates, and let’s focus on how to play drums without drums !
As with any instrument, the drums require regular and meticulous practice in order to be able to master all its facets someday.
Unfortunately, drummer friends, we have not chosen an instrument that is easy and quick to work with.
It is indeed sometimes very complicated to be able to play the drums when we want to, for several reasons.
For example, a major constraint to the practice of the drums is simply to have a drum kit on hand !
Easy then, when it is late at night, or when you don’t have a drumkit available, to get frustrated and not to work on your drumkit.
However, the impossibility of bringing out your drum set should not be an obstacle to practice !
Why play drums without drums ?
What are the main characteristics of a drummer? What skills does he develop over the years?
His coordination, his muscle memory and his rhythm sense!
Is it really necessary to have a complete drum kit to do this?
Not necessarily. Personally, I discovered the drum kit on the steering wheel of my car. I remember starting to follow the rhythms of a few U2s, ACDCs, or Rammsteins, hitting this same wheel.
And this was well before I bought my first drum kit. Without knowing it, I practiced the coordination and separation of the different parts of my body: right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot. Well, I admit it, a little less for the right foot, especially in the car!
The important thing to remember is that in order to practice tempo or coordination, your brain and arms don’t need to have a real drum kit, as long as there is a surface to play on.
Where to play drums without drums ?
There must be as many places to work on your muscular memory and coordination as there are surfaces in the world.
I have already told you about the steering wheel of the car, but I also remember annoying a lot of people by “playing the drums” on the table with my fingers or, even worse, with pencils!
In the “quiet” range, we can mention the cushion, the drummer’s timeless night snare drum. Ideal to practice your rudiments without drums, and without noise !
For the feet, it is simply possible to play directly on the floor. Useful to improve coordination by doing rudiments with your feet, or by speeding up.
This last point can be a matter of debate: playing fast rhythms with your foot without a bass drum pedal can be complicated… And it is!
Personally, in any case, I find it very productive because going back to a real bass drum pedal becomes much easier.
Senstroke, an innovative solution
It is in this case that Senstroke sensors stand out perfectly.
Indeed, Senstroke sensors allow you to play drums without drums, but with real sounds!
We have developed this solution to transform your sessions on steering wheels, cushions, or other surfaces into a real drum session.
The feeling of rebound is preserved here thanks to an optimized latency and a professional sound bank.
More information on our website Senstroke.com
The final word
In conclusion, playing the drums without a drum kit is an ideal solution to work on your playing, coordination, or tempo.
If you can’t stop yourself from playing on everything that moves (or rather everything that doesn’t move), don’t worry, you’re not alone !
Finally, if you are interested in Senstroke sensors, feel free to ask us questions on our Facebook page or our Redison forum. And if you want to test it directly, we may come by your neighbourhood with the Redison Tour.
See you soon, and don’t forget, keep on drumming !
