Benefits of playing drums and percussion

A sense of rhythm you can rely on

A percussionist's main job is to hold the pulse steady. It seems simple until you try playing the same pattern for five minutes without speeding up, or keeping it going while the guitarist loses their place. That steadiness takes practice, and it's what makes a group sound tight.

• You learn to subdivide: to feel the eighth and sixteenth notes within each beat.
• You practice with a metronome and backing tracks until the beat settles into your body.
• You distinguish straight rhythms from swing, and a meter in four from six-eight time.
• You learn to read rhythms, a skill you can later use on any instrument.

Hand and foot coordination

On a drum kit, your right hand might play the hi-hat, your left the snare, your right foot the bass drum and your left foot open and close the hi-hat, each with a different pattern. At first your limbs copy each other; slow exercises help each one become independent. The day you play a complete groove without thinking about it is one of the most celebrated moments in lessons.

In hand percussion, the challenge is different: your hands strike the drumhead directly. On a conga or cununo, you learn to produce different sounds from the same drum (open, muted, bass, dry) depending on how and where you strike it. This involves finer coordination of fingers and palms.

Energy, movement and a physical way to make music

Few instruments involve the body so much. Playing a complete groove moves your arms, legs and torso, and many people experience it as a way to release energy built up during the day. Children and teenagers who need to move often connect with the instrument right away.

That doesn't mean playing wildly. Much of the technique involves using the stick's rebound, relaxing your wrists and shoulders and managing your force. A relaxed drummer can make it through a whole concert; a tense one tires after two songs and sounds worse too.

The driving force in any group

Percussionists rarely play alone. Their natural place is in a group, and Colombia has plenty:

• Marching and school bands, which parade on national holidays and at school events.
• Rock and pop bands, and church worship groups, where drums underpin the whole repertoire.
• Salsa and tropical music orchestras, with congas, timbales, bongos and cowbell.
• Vallenato ensembles, with caja and guacharaca alongside the accordion.
• Cumbia and gaita groups, with alegre, llamador and tambora drums.
• Chirimías and Pacific-region groups, with cununos, bass drums and snare drum.
• Carnival groups and batucadas at carnivals and festivals.

Playing in a group teaches you to listen before showing off: lower your volume in the verse, signal the move into the chorus and keep everyone else steady when something goes off track.

A gateway to Colombian rhythms

Colombia has enormous rhythmic richness, and percussion is the most direct way into it. Here's a quick overview:

You don't have to choose between drums and hand percussion forever: many drummers adapt these rhythms to the kit. If you're unsure where to start, read drums or Latin percussion and, to explore the styles, Colombian rhythms explained.

Real challenges and who tends to enjoy it

The challenges

• Volume. An acoustic drum kit in a Bogotá apartment is a serious issue for neighbors. A practice pad or electronic kit with headphones solves much of the problem.
• Space. A full kit takes up more room than you might expect; see alternatives in how to choose a drum kit or cajón to get started.
• Hearing protection. Playing acoustic drums for hours without earplugs isn't a good idea; get used to wearing them from the start.
• Patience with rudiments. Rolls and paradiddles with a metronome aren't the most exciting exercises, but they're the foundation for everything else.

Who tends to do well

• People who move when they hear music and tap on tables without realizing it.
• People who enjoy playing with others more than playing alone.
• People who want to join their school, church or friends' band.
• Salsa, cumbia or vallenato lovers who want to understand rhythm from the inside.

In percussion and drum lessons, you can focus on the kit, hand percussion or both, depending on the music that moves you.

Frequently asked questions