First, we need to understand the type of exercises that we generally practice as a drummer to answer those questions. We should have covered these in class and in this article, but either way, let’s get a quick refresher.

• Coordination
• Rudiments
• Strokes and techniques
• Speed
• Mental/Ear training

Not all exercises make sense to work on the practice pad. You probably have realized that by now. We recommend these exercises for you to focus on at different stages for beginners.

– Initial stage

• • This is the point where you probably just started drumming and are eager to start playing to some tunes and do some fancy stuff that you have seen online. However, at this stage, what you should be practicing the most should be stokes and techniques.
  • You need to set the proper foundation for you to feel comfortable around the drum kit and allow each and every stroke to be as efficient as possible. Having a proper flow also prevents bottlenecking when you are trying to build up speed. This should be what you should focus 100% attention on when you are trying to learn the drums.

– Stage 2

• • This is the point where you start to play a little bit more relaxed and can move comfortably with the flow of your sticks. From here, the focus of your practice should move on to the next stage. In this stage, you should focus more on:

• • • Rudiments
    • Speed
    • Mental/Ear training
  • This will allow you to have continual progress on your drum kit by using different sticking patterns and increasing your speed. Your ear training is crucial as you need to be able to slowly identify your different subdivisions and to be able to hear them clearly. This will ensure cleanliness with the fills you are doing.

– Stage 3

• • From this point on, you should able to play several songs at relative ease. This is the point where you need to go back to your roots and keep observing your playing to spot any bad habits that you might have developed along the way. Exercises that you should focus on are:

• • • Strokes and Technique
  • Start exploring different techniques like the French grip, transferring from the bigger muscles (Arms) to smaller ones (Wrist, Fingers), and exploring the different dynamic ranges. This will allow you to have versatility around the kit and help you move along faster when picking up new coordinations.

From stage 3 on, you are probably no longer a beginner. Moving on from here, you need to focus on your flow and your dynamics at all tempo ranges (strokes and techniques). You will need to practice exercises from all categories to efficiently build up your skillset in tackling more demanding challenges on the drumset.

One of the biggest misconceptions that most beginners have when they buy a practice pad is that they can practice anything on that single pad. Although technically accurate, it might not be the most efficient way to practice some exercises on just one pad.

• Coordination exercises
• • For beginners who are not adept at the drumkit, not only do you need to practice your coordination as is, but also on the positioning to be able to fully integrate your practice to the set. This is rarely a problem for more advanced drummers as they already have proper foundations of techniques, speed around the kit, and proper spatial awareness to translate efficiently. For beginners, the translation only adds another additional problem to your journey.
  • Includes: Beats, fills, songs, or rudimental application around the kit
• Flow around the kit
• • We talked briefly about flow on the drumset. This includes how smooth you are on the kit, which stems from your strokes and techniques. Even if you have perfect flow moving around your one single pad, rest assured that you will have the shock of your life when you try to translate your 10 hours of practice on the drumset.
  • Includes: rudiments around the kit, strokes, and techniques (drumset application)

• – Speed around the kit
• • Working on your speed on the pad is essential for your progress. However, you must set your expectations right. The speed you have achieved on your single practice pad will not be fully transferrable to the kit. This is because of the spacing and different elevations of the drumset. You WILL need time on the drumset separately to have the speed around the kit.

*There are a couple more exercises that you cannot practice on the kit, like tone, finesse, and time feel. However, we will not cover those in this article as those are slightly more advanced concepts.

There are a few different kinds of practice pads on the market that is available. We have written an article with a more in-depth description and recommendation, but below is a quick sumamry

Regular rubber pads

These are the typical pads that you see most of the time in the market. These small little rubber pads are more than enough for the average beginners. They have a sufficient bounce (maybe even slightly more than your average drums) and sufficient dynamic response required for beginners. The volume is also soft enough for you to practice in your bedroom at night.

We recommend Ahead 12” Double-sided Brush Pad.

Price: $50 SGD (prices excluding shipping)

Where: Singapore Drum Shop

Low rebound practice pads

Once you have developed your strokes, you can start exploring different options to enhance your playing. The low rebound practice pads could be an excellent option for you as the increased resistance from the rebound can help you in your speed building.

We recommend Reflexx pad

Price: $60 USD (excluding shipping)

Where: https://www.reflexx.co/

At this point, you should have a pretty good idea of how to effectively spend your time on your kit and drum pad. But for those of you who do not have a drumset at home and can’t afford to make so much noise, or are not willing to invest in a e-drums, we have a perfect solution for you.

Enter the practice pad kit; these 5 piece kits are built for drummers to practice round the kit exercises while maintaining a low volume. The proper practice pad kits would also have a slightly different pitch in each of its pads to allow you to have more resemblance to the drums itself. The best part is it doesn’t break the bank!

We recommend DW smart practice kit

Price: $300 SGD (prices excluding shipping)

Where: Excel Singapore

Practice pads are essential to all drummers, no matter which point of your journey you are at. The pad allows you to have easy access to low volume practice and can cater to a wide range of exercises and technicalities required for your day-to-day playing. You could do all of those exercises on a snare though, but your family will probably would not appreciate the constant hammering on the snare (think construction noise).