This month, the blog takes a slightly different approach than usual. We have been asked by students of all ages what advice we’d give to someone thinking of taking up playing drums as a full-time job.
This article is pure opinion – please respect it as such. However, we speak from personal experience as musicians working professionally within the music industry. We’ve compiled the following tips based on the general consensus of the teachers at Elephant Drums.
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A Career in Drumming
Tip 1 : Be unique
To have a successful career in drumming you need a USP (unique selling point) to stand out from the crowd. It might not be enough to be simply “a great drummer” – you’ve got to get out there and get noticed! Find the right balance though – don’t be annoying in striving to achieve uniqueness. Getting on people’s nerves doesn’t get you employed.
Tip 2 : Diversify
Drummers with a diverse range of core skills are more likely to establish themselves as professional musicians. Think beyond the drum kit. When we receive CVs at Elephant Drums HQ we always want to see evidence of an applicant’s full range of skills, not just the skills related to music.
Tip 3 : Know your business
The music industry is changing. Learn about past and present business models and carve out the way you see the future. Remember you are a business – working as a professional musician you’ve got to be a businessperson. You may not like this, but the harsh reality is that’s just the way it is.
Tip 4 : Accept criticism
It’s all too easy to get knocked down by people’s comments. When unsuccessful at auditions or interviews try to take criticism as a constructive and positive thing. If you turn it around so that you learn from your experiences, you multiply the chances of the next audition being a success.
Tip 5 : Set your goals
Like all other jobs, you’ve got to start on the first rung of the ladder and climb up to the top. You might have to get some unpaid work experience, or take a job in something that’s barely related to music at all But ask yourself what the top of the ladder means to you – what is your ultimate goal? If you don’t know what you’re climbing towards it will be quite difficult to get there. Remember that very few people are successful by accident!
Encouraging words –
There are numerous different types of careers involving drumming. You can play in bands, become a teacher, work as a session musician, run workshops, use drumming for therapy, work in recording studios, or get involved with music business. There are plenty of opportunities to work within the field of drumming. The most important thing of all is you’ve got to keep on doing it, and keep on trying. The harder you work at it, the bigger the rewards. Good luck with your drumming career!
Finally, a quick note whilst we’re on the topic of drumming jobs. As London’s leading independent provider of drumming tuition, Elephant Drums is expanding and requires new drum teachers to join us. For further details about joining the Elephant Drums collective of professional drum tutors please get in touch via the Contact Us page to introduce yourself.
Hi. I started playing the drums at the age of 8 with a pair of knitting needles on a biscuit tin. Ii was very lucky as my mother ran a dancing school so at the age of ten I had a snare drum and set with the piano player for a few years and learnt all the rhythms you could think of. There was a scout band locally so i joined them, they taught me how to roll on the drums properly, I joined a few bands over the years, when I got to the age of 18yrs old i bought a car and started drum lessons, taught to read the dots and sent me out filling in for bands with no rehersals. I also did shows backing artists. Hope this has been some help to you.
Regards Nigel
I’m a very talented derbug player. I’m looking for a job with that. Call me for someone who can help.
can I know more about your drumming career
Hi Nigel, Thanks for sharing your experience about how your drumming career developed. Really appreciate your feedback and thanks for following the blog. ED
Hey ! My name is soham i am from Mumbai (india) i am for drumming i want to make it as my career but my parents are worried for my future that will drumming be helpful for me in future i want to become a percussionist
I need to learn gospel music on the drums
great post, thanks for sharing
Hi. I started drum lessons at school when i was 6 years old, I loved it and went on to private lessons, I did grades 1,5 and 8 with trinity, And continued playing And gigging with many local bands, I am now 17 and I am studding drums at Brighton institute of modern music. I have wanted to be a professional drummer since I was 5 years old, I love drumming, it’s more than a hobby, it’s like my life! I am just unsure of the next step and where to go when I Finnish at Brighton, then what do I do? I just desperately want a career in drumming more than anything.
Josh.
Hi Josh, thanks for your contribution to this. Tip#5 from the article above is the key to it all – set your goals and then work backwards from there. Your next steps after leaving music college will become apparent when you know what your ultimate goal is.
Hello, I’m facing same problem. I’m Emmanuel from Lagos, Nigeria.
Hi! i have been playing the drums ever since i was 3, and i think its time for me to take it to the next level!,i am 15 and i am READY!!!!
Hi, I started playing drums just over two years ago, I’m currently playing with a few bands and gigging often, I am studying at manchester music base, uk and i am working through grade 6 rockschool, all i want to is play drums, i think what i need to do is get out there more and push myself harder
hi,i started drumming about 8 years ago and bought my first kit 5 years ago, since then ive played in jazz bands, rock bands, brass bands, wind bands, orchestras and choir bands and im about to join my church band, however ive also palnned to start making youtube videos and will start once i have all the right equipment for good quality videos, how do i go about allowing this videos a better chance to get invited to play on tour with other bands or to get endorsment oppurtunities, however im still 15 so im still in school so also is there anyway i can do drumming during holidays to earn some more money and expiereance
Hi EJ,
Sounds like you’ve got the determination to go for it, let us know when you’ve made some videos of your playing.
Playing covers in a band with friends can be good live gigging experience, plus it might mean you can get paid.
Hi, am raymond, i started playing drums 7years ago in different churches. Playing drums is my only gift from god, i stil wana go places to play drums because i enjoy that.
Visited your web site through Delicious. You already know I am signing up to your rss.
Hi, Judging by the previous postings, I suppose my story is typical of those of us who are infected by this pleasurable disease called drumming.
I too started by playing with knitting needles on a tin. I then carved my own sticks from some thin wood. As a normal teenager, my obsession was for music, girls, cars and motorbikes (not necessarily in that order!) and the number one drumming track for me at the time was ‘Alright Now’ by Free. I decided that if I could tap out the full rhythm as it was on the track, I would take drumming lessons. It took me about a week to crack the rhythm and another three years to get a job that would pay for my other indulgences, as above, and the necessary lessons.
I heard somewhere recently, that the difference between those who excel at something and the rest of us is the ‘plateau of satisfaction’. That is, those who excel do not settle for a plateau of achievement and are always seeking to improve. I guess I took the other option and settled for performing at a ‘satisfactory’ level. Don’t get me wrong, I have my small achievements to look back on (everything from punk to pantomime) and I still derive great enjoyment from my drumming, probably more so than I have ever done, but I never made it into the ‘big time’ and mainstream of drumming. I’ve earned money from it, but have never earned a living at it and I guess there are many out there who, like me, feel that being a professional musician provides a source of income that is too unreliable to meet the necessary financial commitments such as rent, mortgage, marriage and kids. Perhaps, if I had worked as hard at my drumming as I did to obtain my many academic qualifications and all the business and life experience I have, I could have been a busy working drummer. The question I have to ask myself is: would I still have enjoyed it as much doing it as a job? I suspect not.
So there is my small offering to this body of wisdom. I agree with the advice above, but would add the following:
If you love drumming, do it as much as you can.
If you want to be a professional and earn your living from drumming, commit yourself to it and be prepared to ‘do it the hard way’ by working hard for every job and success.
Do the best you can not to hurt those around you when carving out your drumming career. As they say, no person is an island, and you need the support of those around you.
Don’t be a two dimensional character. Although drumming may be your passion and your career, all work and no play makes Jack (and Jill) a dull person. This is a vast and wonderful world we live in and it’s yours to be enjoyed.
Consider a sales and marketing course. This will help in all manner of ways, from marketing your drumming services to understanding others better.
Learn an additional instrument – it can be useful to see how others see you.
That’s all from me. Now have to return to my full-time job counselling guitarists and singers.
I have been playing drums for the best part of a year, just practising in my bedroom and at school. I’m 15 in November and so far I have played two live gigs, both at my school, one with an orchestra and one with a few musical people in my year. I’m hoping to start a band soon, sometime next year when the pupils who are not interested in music have left. I want to drum more than anything, and it’s my life. Thank you for reading. x
Thanks for sharing and keep up the drumming!
I have been playing drum from I was a child.I have played at church, school. I use to play at a hotel in Trelawny. I am a good drummer and the most important thing is that no one taught me how to play.i practice by playing.now in Jamaica its very hard to get a job and i would be very, very grateful if you would help me to get in contact with you so that i can make you aware of the skill I have and how much drumming means to me. I am really interesting in playing drum.Please see what you can do to help me. thanks for putting up such an interesting site and for even taking the time out to read my comment.
i started drumming at the age of six years old and i was trained by one of the worlds best drummer’s slipknots joey jordison and i am hope to take my drumming career to the next level and make it a full time job
hi. i started playing drums 3 years ago at the age of 16 and i’m currently the drummer for the dallas based band Revengeance. After only a year of playing i was able to master many songs by bands such as dream theater, august burns red, rush, and many other bands. I’m a super fast learner and would love to make this a career. check out revengeance and my (old) drum covers on youtube
Ive been playing drums since I was about 5. I got my first kit on Christmas of ’98 when I was 8 yrs old! My brother played guitar so him & I would sit in the basement for hours jamming Metallica, Ozzy etc. I started my first band as a sophmore in high school. We had our very first show at a historic venue in Louisville, KY called “Headliner’s Music Hall!”
We played a lot of gigs around Louisville & our hometown of Elizabethtown for about 2 years. Then I joined my former band, Hurt Circle, in 2009. This is where most of my knowledge for the music industry came from. We had our first cd release in 2010 where we opened up for Sick Puppies. We opened for many national acts, including, Sick Puppies, Tantric, Fair To Midland, Otherwise, Bobaflex, etc. Ive also gotten a lot of opportunities to talk to a lot of musicians & meeting them as well! People such as Arejay Hale, David Draiman, Randy Blythe, Zakk Wylde, & Lzzy Hale!! I’m 22 now, but I’ve wanted to play drums for a living ever since I was about 15. I love the atmosphere that a concert provides, & I love playing my drums!!! My ultimate goal is to make a living with it & make a name for myself!!
Thanks very much for your contribution. Inspirational stuff!
I just want to make music for the rest of my life I’m n realy good drummer please give a Chance to prove myself
Hi I have been playing the drum since I was about 10/12 and I haven’t played them since because I found it hard to read the music and I have been wanting to play them again and want to get my confidence up. I love playing the drums I enjoyed playing them and I would love to play them again even if its just to be a career I am 16yrs old and I would like to be a drummer.
Greetings , to all! I’ve been playing percussion for 2 years and slowly going into the realm of the drumkit. Being able to branch off in a related field is invigorating and exciting. I encourage all to do so. I don’t know where drumming will lead me but love the whole exercise of the muscle memory while playing.
My son has been playing drums from the age of 8 and is Grade 8 Trinity standard. He’s now studying at Guilford ACM. All he’s ever wanted to do is play the drums and has dedicated his life to it. However, he’s been told it’s very hard to become a session drummer, as most of the big jobs always go to the same individuals. He’s also in a band and wants to try and get it noticed. What would be his way forward as both a session musician or with his band. I’m sure he’s been told at ACM but, it would be nice to hear someone else’s perspective.
Thanks!!
Hi Steve, thanks for your comment and question…
In terms of session work, it can be a bit of a ‘closed circle’ as you say. However this only really applies to theatre/band session work these days because recording session work, for example, is much more open than it was in the past due to the internet (and also due to the availability of relatively affordable recording equipment). One possibility is to do online sessions if your son wants to build up a portfolio of recording work. The down-side is this requires investment in a decent studio set-up, but once able to deliver the drum parts to clients at a high enough quality it is possible to create a catalogue of examples of session work relatively quickly. Internet sessions make it possible for a drummer to be based anywhere in the world and work on drum tracks for people based anywhere else in the world.
Another avenue is live session work and this would be dependent on making contacts so that people who may need a drummer have his number and know his name. There’s no magic formula for networking, other than just being that type of person that is good at meeting people and making an impression.
Regarding the band, assuming you’re talking about an original band rather than a covers band – then it’s all about building a strong fan base, getting people along to gigs, and finding ways to fund the music (bearing in mind that this is unlikely to be in the form of a generous record label advance even if the band got signed to a label) – crowdfunding is popular at the moment.
Hope some of this is useful. There isn’t a secret formula – it’s all about keeping going at it until the right set of circumstances click into place.
I really like this article… Reminds me of a book just read on my Ipad from Amazon.. It combines the business of music and drumming.. Everything you talk about in this article.
Hi friends,
I just wanted to put my story up here.
I started playing drums at age 10, after watching a video of Mr Lars Ulrich! From then on his playing and my obsession with all things Metallica began. Fast forward 22 years, and I love playing more than ever, and have had some great experiences in my old metal band ‘Serpentine’ from 1996 – 2011 and ‘Charcoal Sun’ from 2011 – 2013, releasing a few CD’s, playing many shows throughout Wales, and odd trips into England. I also ventured into some session gigs for local established acts/artists, playing out of my comfort zone on many occasions! Have the great pleasure of obtaining a silver level endorsement deal with Stagg cymbals in 2012, whose cymbals I have been playing since 2007, and love them. However I am currently struggling to capture my life long dream of being a professional musician, and tomorrow will attempt to shoot a video CV that I can be happy with to send off to possible labels/studio’s etc.. In the hopes that I can push forward and achieve that dream that so many of us crave! I will always want it, and will always go for it! \m/
Hey Ryan what was the name of the book? sounds interesting?
I want a career in drums……
I have been playing music since I was 12. I took 7 years of classical piano, 2 years of guitar. I have also played the violin and others. Currently I have been playing drums for our local church for 8 years and playing gospel gigs for the past 3 of those 8 years. I would LOVE to quit my corporate job and be a fulltime musician, it’s truly what makes me happy. I have played drums on one album and LOVED the studio work. I just need to make connections and work at getting even better…I love all types of music, just can’t get enough! I’m 24 and just graduated with a business degree (wish I would have gotten one in music).
Chis,
Hey can you guys tell me place in South Africa where I can do drumming me and my mum/dad have been trying to find a place for that
I have played as a professional musician in many settings and let me tell ya for all of those thinking about starting a career in drumming please know that it takes the kind of sacrifice that can take a serious toll on you. For starters, if your not careful you can easily get wrapped up with the wrong kind of musicians that will use you up and spit you out as soon as they get an opportunity to gain some kind of success. If you aren’t careful you will be put on the back burner and unfortunately drum beats cannot be copywritten. I hope this helps Drum life is not for the faint of heart. On the bright side, if you can keep it a hobby many of these obstacles and the “business” side of things won’t disturb your chi. If you are seeking a professional career I recommend studying under kris Myers, Buddy Rich, Jon Bonham, Rick Latham, and George Kolias…
Thankyou
Hi folks,i have been playing drum for 8yrs now and i still look forward in improving.I just recently clocked 15 of age,i love everything related to music.I know how to play the conga, school drum,jaz just name it.I know how to rap and sing, i look towards making a carrier in the drums aspect.I don’t know any band around that i can join although i play drums for my church and others churches,i feel druming is not a subject you should take alone but all other parts of music along.
Anybody start a career or learn successfully as an adult?
How do I get into your class I’ve been playing the drums for 20 years and I’m looking to become a professional drummer can you let me know please.
Hi… i am a drums player.. i can play bollywood,european drums but i have never participate in a show
Haven’t drummed in 25 years, played with a garage band whom actually went to the big leagues while I took a different path into EMS and firefighting and on to truck driving . Now at 45 I have a new lease on life and I have found that I still have my groove, very rusty but it’s there. Key to it all is be determined and practice! Don’t forget the basics and don’t hang about in your comfort zones too long. Expand and push your self and simply enjoy what ever occurs. I’ll never get back what I gave up but I’m not dead yet! Roland v Drums has became my new friend to revive my drumming in near silence…
Hi
I am 25 year old and hav just started to play drums.initially its difficult but it makes me feel good when i am on kit.I have a 9 to 6 job in which i am least interested and it also sucks most of my time. Is it a good option to think of drumming as career at this point of time. Waiting your response 🙂
Hi, I started playing drums at age 5, which was side snare drum in a military band which really helped with development. At the age of 13, I started to play Drum Set and I really enjoyed it. I developed further more by going to a higher institution (The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria) to study more about drums, which is my Major instrument. I graduated from the school on September 2016, with OND certificate, and really looking forward to studying more so as to get the HND certificate. Later I will go for my Master certificate in Drums.
Hey!
I am 15 and I am playing drums for 4-5 years….
I just love it and I also have a drum kit.
But now, I am passionate about earning money by drumming….
Not too much…
Just like a part time job for a student.
I have been playing the drums for about 3 years now. I have been taking lessons, to hopefully make me better. I have bot even figured out how to play any songs yet. I am working on 2 songs right now call monster-by skillet and the devil in I-by Slipknot. My dream is to become a drummer in a band. I am 13 years old.
Hey Kylie! That’s awesome! I’m 13 too. Drumming is so fun. I have really enjoyed playing at school and at home. I love getting some random song and just playing along with it. I hope I can help other people understand my love for drums, and maybe teach them how to play them too.
Super advice! Cheers
Bro it was very helpful for me i have got a drumming job in bands thankyou very much encouraging me
I started playing the drums when I was 8 years old, but then took a break when I was about 13. Towards the end I lost a lot of steam and wasn’t practicing much. I am now 18 and have gotten back into it, I’m practicing consistently and getting better than I was before. I finished my first year of college and I’m thinking of being an environmental studies major. The thing is that it really isn’t what I want to do, I want to be a drummer. I don’t feel like at this point I have enough skill or classical training to get into music school, and I don’t know what to do. Should I just stay in school and keep at the drums until I’ve gotten good enough to gig, and take it from there? Should I seek out lessons again and try to fast track my way into a music school transfer? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
-Auden
I am not the conventional drummer. i started playing at the age of 11 and i am 17 now, i haven’t been formally trained at all, whatever i can do on the drumkit, like playing songs and freestyling, is all self taught, and i made the decision of making a career in drums in december 2019. i come from a family of musicians and music is the only thing that i truly love in this world, how do i go about this? what should be my nextstep. my ultimate goal is to perform with my own band worldwide and be a big name in the industry
Hello. I came across your website whilst searching the net. I am 65 (yes sixty five) and I have just had my first drum lesson. It was something I always wanted to do. And I am glad I have started. You are never too old!