Drum Tips & Articles
To Become A Better Drummer

This page is full of articles containing valuable drum tips and advice from professional drummers, primarily my dad, James Morton. You've definitely come to the right page if you want to improve your drumming skills.

Whether you just picked up some sticks for the first time yesterday or you're already a savvy professional, everyone can always be a better drummer. No one ever hits a point where they stop learning about the art.

One of the best ways to improve your skills and mature as a drummer is to draw on the wisdom and experiences of others, people who have already been there and done that themselves.

These articles do just that, offering you drumming tips, insight, techniques, and advice to help you on your way to becoming the best drummer you can be.

Enjoy!

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Got your own drum tips, knowledge, or stories that you'd like to share with others? Click here to find out how you can.

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Reading and Playing Drum Charts

• Reading Drum Music
  Try to capture the feel and style of each individual chart. Whether a chart is simple or complex, be true to the musical context...


• Using Drum Charts To Get Over The Hump To Success
  Michael was a solid drummer and a veteran of the Top-40 band circuit. When he came to me for lessons, I was a bit surprised...


• The Top 10 Drum Songs you've Never Played Before
  We tend to gravitate to what is known to us, but these are some songs off the beaten path. Each of these drum songs offers much in enjoyment, challenge, and guaranteed satisfaction...

Inspiration

• The Night My Career Changed -- Mental Attitude & Playing Focused
  Let's go back three decades to an Italian restaurant/club called Lorenzo's. I'm a young energetic drummer, and I'm playing a nice cushy job six nights a week. The gig lasted over three years....


• Self-Analysis at Lorenzo's -- Playing Relaxed
  It was a Saturday night, and the place was jumping: lots of dancing, the room was full of smoke (this was the '70s), and drinking and carousing.... Honest self-analysis is one of the best things you can do your yourself, and when I was a young drummer, my way of doing that was...


• Hone Your Skills -- Minimizing Weaknesses and Maximizing Strengths
  ...if you're at all serious about drumming, your goal should quite obviously be to minimize your weaknesses and have as many strengths as possible. If your goal is to play professionally, then that is what gets you the job...


• Drumming Is Dancing -- Inspiration from a Martiniquen Shirt
  My wife and I were on the island of Martinique (where the merengue dance originated) more than 25 years ago, when we came upon this shirt...I asked the shopowner what the inscription (tambou ka dansˇ) meant...

Sound

• The Properties Of Sound
  It was a dark and stormy night. Suppose you heard a sound in the middle of the night that was later connected to a crime. A detective comes to interview you...


• The Importance Of Vocalizing -- Engaging Multiple Senses
  In 1979, the great violinist Isaac Stern visited China, to perform and give master classes. A young violinist was struggling through a musical passage...