Drum Accessories Setup Guide

by Ronald BlackThere are some other things you should pick up that will be essential to your drumming education. I've listed these accessories in order of importance. A metronome! It's about time! A metronome is a mechanical or electronic device that keeps perfect time. The electronic kind, preferably one with a headphone jack, is best for a drummer. Learning to work with a metronome is crucial for any drummer, because it allows the drummer to gauge his or her sense of time against the perfect time of the metronome. You'll also need a decent pair of headphones or ear buds to use with your metronome.If you plan on having good hearing for the rest of your drumming career and your life, start thinking about hearing protection now. I know you're probably not in the mood to hear a lecture, but hear me out for a few minutes. I never used hearing protection when I was young and starting out, so I have suffered significant hearing damage over the years. It's a real drag having to ask people to repeat themselves constantly and having to watch TV with headphones on because I can't hear from across the room. It's very easy to imagine that your hearing is always going to be tip top, but if you practice for hours on end (which I hope you will) without protection of any type (which I hope you won't), that type of abuse can catch up to you very quickly.Your parents are right about some things. It's not true that if you keep making that funny face, your real face will freeze that way, but it is true that you will lose at least some of your hearing if you play very loudly without using hearing protection of some kind. The sooner you get used to the sound of your drums with earplugs in, the better. I'm not trying to discourage you from hitting the drums hard when you play them. A confident playing style is important, but not as important as your hearing. I actually prefer the sound of my drums with my plugs in. When I take them out, the drums sound too harsh to me. You can find suitable earplugs not only at a music store, but also at a drugstore or supermarket. You might have to try a couple of different types before you settle on the ones that will work best for you. I always keep a bag of them in my stick bag, and so should you.This concludes my lecture on protecting your hearing.A notebook that has a music staff instead of the usual lines to write on that you would find in a regular notebook. You'll need this for your lessons so your teacher can write down the exercises that you'll be working on. A music stand. This will come in very handy when you're working on exercises out of your book at home. It's true that you could simply put the book down on your floor tom to read it until you go to play something that actually uses the floor tom. Then you'll probably try to balance it on the bass drum or on your lap while playing, but you'll end up in frustration as it falls to the floor again and again. Save yourself this aggravation by getting a music stand.By Ronald Black who talks about his Drum Dvd and Drum Lugs and teaches beginner drummers.Article Source: Snare, Cymbals, Stands And Accessories Setup Guide Part Seven