News and Blog

  1. The Bass Drum – 5 Essential Facts

    Posted in: Blog
    March 16, 2020

    The bass drum (also known as the kick drum) is the largest drum in your set, and is played using a bass drum pedal. Like most drums, they come in a variety of different sizes, shell types and setups, and this article highlights five essential facts that every drummer should know to get the best out of their foot powered boom maker! If you need help understanding any of the terms in this article, you can view our free and… Read More

  2. The Snare Drum – 5 Essential Facts

    Posted in: Blog
    February 10, 2020

    Your snare drum is the workhorse of your drum set. Along with your bass drum, you will most likely play this drum more than any other on your set, so understanding the components and nuances of your trustee back-beater is essential! If any of the names and terms below are new to you, we have a helpful glossary, perfect for jargon busting! Helpful related articles. Jargon busting! Understanding drum terminology. How do I get rid of snare buzz? What is… Read More

  3. Looking for a drum teacher? 10 questions that will help with your search. Part 2.

    Posted in: Blog
    January 15, 2020

    Online video drum lessons are a great way to learn how to play the drums quickly, and on your own terms. There is, however, great value in taking the next step with a reputable drum teacher – someone that can fine tune your specific needs, and help you achieve your goals. While Drum Ambition is a video drum lesson platform formulated specifically for beginner drummers, our Founder and Presenter runs a physical teaching studio in San Diego, and is very… Read More

  4. Looking for a drum teacher? 10 questions that will help with your search. Part 1.

    Posted in: Blog
    November 19, 2019

    Drum Ambition is an online drum lesson platform, but our Founder, Simon DasGupta, also runs a physical teaching studio in San Diego. At this studio, we routinely help students of all levels achieve their goals, and as you can imagine, we’ve learned a lot along the way about those goals, expectations and the individual needs of our students. If you are a regular visitor to this blog or a subscriber to our video lessons, you will already know that we… Read More

  5. The top 5 drum innovations of the last 20 years.

    Posted in: Blog
    September 18, 2019

    We live in a truly inspiring time, where innovation seemingly has no boundaries. While the way we manufacture drums, hardware and cymbals hasn’t changed very much in recent years, there are some outstanding innovations that have reshaped our instrument, and to an extent, our industry. Here are my personal top 5 drum innovations of the last 20 years, based on my experience as a working drummer and educator, as well as drawing on my past experience running one of the… Read More

  6. How do I hold my drum sticks?

    Posted in: Blog
    August 5, 2019

    Why is it important to hold our drum sticks in a certain way? Simply put; we need to develop full control of our playing if our goal is to play the drums competently, and how we hold our sticks is a big part of that. But most importantly, you will have a lot more fun with this instrument when you spend time on this, because control is the key to musicality, dynamics (how hard, or soft we play), speed and… Read More

  7. How do I play a smooth drum roll?

    Posted in: Blog
    June 18, 2019

    I remember the first time I developed drum roll anxiety. I didn’t study drums at school, and I didn’t have a good teacher to point me in the right direction until I was in my twenties. Yet some time in the mid 1990’s, I was playing a residency on a cruise ship, and as part of a game show, I was asked to play a drum roll. With no time to think about it, and somewhat terrified, I took the… Read More

  8. How do I spin a drum stick? This short video will get you started!

    Posted in: Blog
    May 16, 2019

    How do I twirl a drum stick? Whether the term spinning or twirling is used, we are essentially talking about the same thing. This question comes up in most beginner drum lessons. It may not be essential to playing, but it’s a lot of fun! Showmanship definitely has its place in drumming, and in this video, we show you how to spin your drum sticks. Simon also references drummers that tastefully blend showmanship with the most important task of all -… Read More

  9. Are practice pads good for learning drums?

    Posted in: Blog
    April 13, 2019

    You’ve had your first drum lesson, and are itching to get home and practice your first beat or rudiment. Or perhaps you just watched an online video and are ready to get to work! The problem is, you have nothing to practice on. It’s too soon to run out to the music store, or make a potentially expensive online drum set purchase, so your teacher has suggested a strange little device called a practice pad. It’s a curious rubber pad… Read More

  10. Video Blog Episode 12 – How long does it take to learn the drums?

    Posted in: Blog
    March 19, 2019

    How long it takes to learn the drums depends very much on your personal goals. If your goal is to play basic beats and fills, and play along with slow to mid-tempo songs, then just 5-10 minutes of focused practice per day will get you there after a few weeks of playing. Like any musical instrument, you get out what you put in, and your practice time, and the quality of practice will ultimately lead to the fulfillment of your… Read More

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