Why is drumming important

What could be a better way of relieving stress? You know that you just need to get home, pick up your sticks and just hit the ever-loving god out of your drums. Seriously though, drumming has been proven to help reduce stress, frustration and disappointment. Even a few minutes may improve your mood. This is also due to the release of endorphins, which are the natural painkillers. It is also known that drumming can help provide a distraction to grief. As a drummer you are the main rhythmical element to your band.

It is up to you to make sure that the rest of your band is playing on time. Years of practice on the drums turns you into a human metronome without you even realising. Drumming, like most other musical instruments is a great way to nurture the creative side of your brain. There are literally endless beats to learn and create, adding your own unique flair onto your playstyle. Not only is it loud and in your face, if you want to get into a band, it will also encourage you to meet people and develop your interpersonal relationships.

There are no shortage of reasons as to why you should be playing the drums. From stress relief to brain power, picking up some sticks could really do you good. Marshall Home Live for Music Moving on up. Over years of practice, drummers appear to modify the way that the two sides of their brain communicate. Playing the drums is a unique skill. Drummers can complete different rhythmical tasks with all four of their limbs, simultaneously.

The coordination required is impossible for non-drummers. To investigate, the scientists recruited 20 professional drummers who had an average of 17 years of drumming experience and practiced for an average of They also recruited 24 control subjects who did not play any musical instruments.

Earlier studies looking at other types of musicians have shown that the brain adapts and changes in response to years of practice on musical instruments. In general, these studies have examined changes in cortical gray matter, which includes regions responsible for perception, memory, speech, decision making, and much more.

In the latest study, however, the authors focused on white matter — the information superhighway of the brain. When a right-handed person carries out a task with their right hand, the left-hand side of the brain, or the contralateral hemisphere, typically regulates it. When someone carries out a task with their left hand, both sides of the brain tend to share the load. The corpus callosum — a thick tract of white matter that connects the two hemispheres — plays an essential role in this hemispheric asymmetry.

White matter contains tracts of fibers that connect distant regions of the brain. In the past, scientists considered white matter to be little more than useful cabling. Today, though, they see it as much more critical to the everyday functioning of the brain.

In particular, the authors of the current study focused on the corpus callosum. As expected, there were differences in the structure of the corpus callosum between the drummers and non-drummers. With the heart rate of drummers during the study averaging at beats per minute, and peaking at beats per minute.

This is comparable to those of top-flight athletes! The communication between the brain and the body whilst drumming generates an on-going stream of rhythmic consciousness. The mental state achieved through drumming to a consistent tempo and meter can induce a meditative quality of mind, and arouse sensations of lightness and freedom. The powerful, punctuated sounds of drums provide excellent focus for the mind into a meditative and relaxed state, free from worry and fear.

Whilst drumming remains an intense cardiovascular workout, the repetitive motions involving various muscle groups will strengthen areas like calves, wrists, forearms and biceps. The activity of drumming will also increase muscle endurance over time, enabling you to play faster and with greater control of your hands and feet.

They also reported higher levels of positive emotions. These T-Cells are specialized white cells that seek out and fight cancer cells and other virally infected cells. The objective of the study was to determine if drumming as a music therapy had the potential for altering stress-related hormones.

The research findings concluded that drumming is a complex composite intervention with huge potential to counter the classic stress response. Psychology and science have both identified drumming as a helpful therapy for stress. The therapeutic qualities within drumming focus on the consistency and stability of rhythm, the combination of sonic qualities, and being able to alleviate stress by working the muscles in a safe and controlled way.

Mindfulness and drumming may not appear to be activities that link into one other, but the truth is that the drum has been used in the East for over years as one of the most important components for meditative practice. Even today most Buddhist temples and monasteries use drums in daily practice. The all-body experience of drumming allows an excellent opportunity to perform body scans and focus on each passing breath.

Studying music develops your listening skills as you train yourself to discern rhythm, timbre and meter found in all styles of music. From performing a wide variety of music you will also begin to recognize melody, harmony, and tonality as a listener. Being well equipped with a discerning musical ear will allow you to judge and appreciate the music you listen to more thoroughly. Learning to play the drums teaches an individual how to be effective with time management and how to improve organisational skills.

The loud nature of drums mean that they cannot be played at any time around the clock. A drummer may have to learn to manage time wisely in order to practice without potentially disturbing others. In order for a drummer to progress fast, it is important to prioritise practice time over other leisure activities.

It will also be important to structure and schedule rehearsals around life and adapt to new challenges by planning ahead and making efficient use of time. The possibilities are endless for drum kits; with hundreds of manufacturers all offering hundreds of drum woods and sizes as well as limitless colour options.

There are thousands of different types of cymbal models, and no two cymbals produced ever have identical sound properties. Drums require to be tuned with drumheads, of which there are plenty of options to cater for all styles of music and tastes. The sheer abundance on offer makes drums the most customizable instrument in the world.

A progressing drummer has the potential to expand his existing drum kit set up by investing in new equipment such as new cymbals, an additional rack tom, or a new set of bass drum pedals.

There is a large number of equipment involved in a full drum kit setup. The tuning, cleaning and maintenance of equipment teaches responsibility and the importance of owning and caring for valuable personal possessions.

Everyone can appreciate how good a drum set looks on stage, as the chrome hardware and polished cymbals shine and reflect the light back at the crowd. A drummer on stage is able to capture the attention of everyone in the room. Playing the drums is the perfect opportunity to form relationships with other musicians and to share creative ideas!

Performing in a group will also improve interpersonal skills as you learn to work with other individuals and combine your efforts. For an aspiring young drummer in a school, drumming may provide opportunities to join school bands and perform at concerts.

Young musicians at school may also find themselves meeting other young musicians with similar shared interests. Drums are undoubtedly the most awesome instrument to play.

Pursuing musical endeavours could well result in success. Growing in popularity online as well as within a local scene through performing concerts. With the increase in popularity of a musical project you will likely receive attention from not only friends but also people from around the world! Playing the drums means you possess a transferable set of skills that you can use to play other varieties of percussion.