Drum Solo Tips

There are several key ingredients to a good drum solo. It's been said that you can either take something difficult and make it look easy, or you can take something easy and make it look difficult. Either one should get a reaction from the crowd, and which one you choose is up to you. Just remember these steps;

Comfort. Make sure your throne is adjusted to a height that won't put strain on your back or legs. Comfort is extremely important.

Always know where you are and where you want to go. If your playing a pattern on the snare and you want to go to the toms next, remember to build up to the toms. Don't just jump into it in a way that doesn't make sense.

Use dynamics. If you start your solo loud and aggressively, make sure you have a place in mind to bring it down to a softer level. This will allow you to bring the solo back up again for a more exciting climax.

Tempo. Never forget the tempo you started your solo at. During your solo, there's nothing wrong with changing time signatures, or creatively changing tempo. As long as the tempo change makes sense. You can gradually bring the tempo down then built it back up again, but remember to build it back up to the temp you started with.

Creativity. During your solo, be creative. Use roto toms, cowbells, octabons, or whatever else make different sounds. This will keep you and your audience interested.

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