How To Practise Drums While Overseas Or After A Long Lay-off

[therippersx]

Hi drummers and everyone else,

Something that I hope other experienced drummers here can share with me:

I will be going overseas for 3 weeks soon due to work and 10 days after I return home from overseas, I have a public performance. My worry is that due to the long layoff while being overseas, I might get rusty by the time the performance day arrives.

Therefore, I'd like to ask around if there is anyone who can share with me any drumming routine that I should do while I am overseas without any drum kit or drum pads so that I will not get rusty for the public performance. I did think of lugging pads, bass drum practice pad and single kick pedal but I cannot fit any more stuff into my luggage (already got laptop, projector and corporate gifts to lug). But I will be bringing a pair of drum sticks.

For me, my main area of concern is not so much about practising rolls but practising more of the hand-feet coordination, bass drum pedal, hi-hat pedal, etc.

So I really appreciate any kind words and advice from you drummers out there.

P/S: Please do not post hypothetical and digressing comments like "Dude, if I were you, I would have canceled or postponed the gig/concert"....

 

[alvinthedrummer]

Does your pedal have foot-plates? If yes, bring it along with a piece of anti-slip mat (Can easily get one in petrol stations or auto section in carrefour). Put it in a pdeal bag n check it in separately if you have no more luggage space. In your hotel room, set a pillow standing against the wall, set up your pedal (sit the anti-slip mat under the foot plate). Setup up a chair so you can place the yellow pages on it. Use it as your snare.

Important note:- Remember to retract the spurs on your pedal. I forgot once and created some nasty marks on the hotel floor...

 

[antony-vincent]

what i alwasy do is bring a parctice pad whereever i go and my stick bag, and bring a pedal and set it up against a wall with something soft on it and practice like that, practice rudiments and stuff. last resort would be using pillows and ur feet with no pedal

hope that helps

 

[SolGrundy]

one not so mainstream alternative would be using imagery/visualization if u cant bring much drumming stuff with you.

can maybe use it to practice your hand and feet coordination, or if you hav a particular beat you wan to work on. if its about coordination juz make sure you do it in the 1st person view : )

pro athletes who can do this well can rewind these images, slow down and speed up, can try that as well.

its supposed to work according to neuropsychologists. haha

 

[blurred]

i second the imagery thing. it works for me alot

 

[alvinthedrummer]

The imagery thing works for me alot too, but only for general coordination work. I still find it necessary for sticks and pedals for me to refine or even just maintain my fine motor skills...

 

[underaged]

The imagery thing works for me alot too, but only for general coordination work. I still find it necessary for sticks and pedals for me to refine or even just maintain my fine motor skills...

+1. air drumming takes u that far, without the sticks, it'll still take you some time to regain your coordination.

 

[SolGrundy]

+1. air drumming takes u that far, without the sticks, it'll still take you some time to regain your coordination.

yea good point, most literature suggests it best when complimented with the usual practice sessions.

so......die die muz bring sticks.

 

[SolGrundy]

or find a jamming studio there ?

 

[flipthescript]

Ill do either:

1. Find a jamming studio while in the country of residence which you will be in for 3 weeks. Thats gonna cost some money JUST to practise your drums, but well i guess u dont have a choice.

2. Contact some relatives/friends in the country you will be in and hopefully they have a drumset in their house for you to practise with

3. Save the songs u will need to be playing in your iPod or whatever MP3 player you are using, then, with eyes closed, blast it loud and imagine that you are playing to it. Power of visualisation

Just make sure there isnt anyone around you while you are doing that or they might mistake you for a lunatic with fits :mrgreen:

 

[xenOgenesis]

i do visual imaginary for practice cos i don't have a drumset at home...it works for me though

 

[therippersx]

Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions...

I will try drumming with pillows or air drumming... if i can somehow squeeze in my pedal, that'd be good... at least i can place the pedal nearer a wall and hit the beater against it, as suggested... (and I'll take care not to cause any damage to it or to disrupt other activities within the building)

On a side note, I'm quite interested with the suggestion that I should be looking for a jamming studio when I'm overseas.. sad to say, at the point of typing,there is no jamming studio in the rural areas of Cambodia, yet...

Perhaps there's one in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap but I've been in those two cities and I've yet to find one... even though I'll be staying in the city for a couple of days, due to my working schedule, I doubt I have enough time to jam at a jamming studio in Phnom Penh/Siem Reap even if I manage to find one... anyway the countryside that I'm staying is hundred kilometres away from the nearest city so... yeah.. no jamming studio for me...

But, just as matter of interest, is there anyone out there who knows the location of jamming studios in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap?

Once again, I really thank all forummers for your valuable suggestions... I will surely incorporate your tips and feasible suggestions as part of my private drumming practice schedule whenever I have to go for overseas working trips in future...