Drums are part of a class of instruments called percussion instruments. They are often called the heartbeat of any musical group.

Drumming is a crucial part of music because it sets the rhythm so that other musicians within the group can follow the beat to make a song. Drums have a rich history, spanning from the ancient drums made from gourds to modern times' electronic drum kits.

The history of drums goes back millennia across Asia, Mid East, and Africa. While drums have evolved over time, even the modern drum sets are based on the concepts of the early drums and cymbals. And all across the world, humans have come up with techniques to create drum heads from animal skin.

Learning the Beat Through Drums

Drumming helps develop kids’ skills, such as motor and listening skills.

Drumming isn't just as simple as it may sound. It's not just about tapping the drum with your hand or your drum sticks. Playing the drums involves using your entire body - your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, even your legs! It calls for complete focus and coordination between your body parts. And while drumming, you have to know which body part to use, when, and how.

While drumming is a great musical activity for everyone, it is specifically beneficial for kids because it helps develop their skills, such as motor and listening skills. Because the drum is mostly a background sound, you may not realize its sound when listening to music. But keeping in time and feeling the beat is extremely important for a drummer, which makes it a useful skill for children at young ages.

Why is it Important to Keep a Steady Beat?

As early as 22 weeks into conception, a baby can hear their mother's heartbeat! On top of this, they have an innate ability to keep their own internal beat. While this is not a surprise, the fact is that having a steady beat is extremely important to a child's development. Hearing, feeling, and being moved to the beat helps children understand and become aware of themselves, which further helps coordinate movements.

Yes, you got that right - having a steady internalized beat is what helps children move! Rocking, nodding, patting, and even learning to walk later - all of this can be attributed to having a steady internal beat.

This doesn't stop with babies, though. Having a steady beat also helps with coordinated and timed movements like playing ball, catching falling items, and other activities. A steady beat also helps with enhancing speaking and reading skills, which makes communication better! Studies even show that math skills and behavior are improved in children with steady beat internalization.

With how essential beats are for children and their development, it is no surprise that activities that help with internalizing steady rhythms will be beneficial to them in the future.

Benefits of Playing Drums

Learning to play the drum is a great way to relieve frustration.

Drum lessons come with an array of advantages. Getting your kids to learn drums means you're introducing them to the following benefits:

Reducing Stress

Learning to play the drum is a great way to relieve frustration. Because they are loud, the physical and auditory stimulation help release negative emotions. And you'd find that after a few minutes of playing, you feel a lot better than you did before. For children who are still growing and don't often have a good way to relieve stress, drums can help with their moods and reduce stress.

Brain Power

As mentioned earlier, playing the drums requires coordination because so many of your body parts are involved in playing the instrument. That means you have to simultaneously use both sides of your brain, which can improve your IQ level and particularly help with math! Drummers have to count their beats, after all!

Drumming helps with language too. The rhythm that you internalize while playing drums improves learning vocabulary and even pronunciation of foreign languages! You never expected drums to be good for your Spanish classes, did you?

Motor Skills

Playing the drums needs you to create sync between your brain and your muscles. As such, it helps with controlling motor functions, giving you a higher degree of dexterity and making you better at physical activities. For younger children, this contributes to their physical development and helps with athletics.

Physical Fitness

Did you know that playing the drums for half an hour can burn more calories than walking, hiking, or even weight lifting for the same duration? That's a lot of calories, considering you'd be sitting in one place! Drums are a great way to break a sweat, all while having fun.

Scientific Understanding

Learning to play drums is also an excellent way to understand some scientific concepts, such as the physics of sound and how your body functions properly by keeping a steady rhythm. Drums are designed to create vibrations and sounds. This hands-on experience provides a better understanding of how sound works than a textbook lesson in science class.

Drums are also made of different kinds of materials that produce different sounds, which helps with understanding sound a lot better.

Drum Fun Facts

The modern drum set reached the peak of popularity in New Orleans in the 1920s.

The oldest drum in existence is the Alligator Drum. It was made in 5500 BC.
The modern drum set reached the peak of popularity in New Orleans in the 1920s.
The world's largest drum set comprises 813 pieces. Its construction took 36 years.
Soldiers used the snare drum to transmit coded messages in medieval and Renaissance Europe.
Macaque monkeys drum objects in a specific rhythm to show social superiority and power. Tapping objects is also a part of their communication methods.
The most expensive drum is Ringo Starr's Ludwig. It sold for $2,100,000 at an auction.

Famous Drummers From History

Many famous drummers have gone down in history. Most of them were known for the sheer passion and spontaneity with their playing. People like Cindy Blackman, Tommy Lee, Dale Crover, Tony Allen - all of them were known for the personality that shone through when they played the drums. Even Phil Collins, who most people now know as a pop singer, was a drummer before he got into singing!

If you now want to have your child learn how to play drums, don't worry! You can start whenever and with anything. You don't need a whole drum set to create a beat! Tapping on the dinner table is just as fun, and your child will definitely enjoy it!

Enroll in Drumming Lesson

If you're looking for a formal and professional drumming lesson, Stage Music Center has got you covered. We provide music education for people of all ages and skill levels.

If you're in Winchester, MA, and want to get drumming lessons for your child, you can sign up for our private lessons! We teach a wide variety of music courses with all sorts of instruments.

Explore what parents and children are saying about our music school. Or contact us for more information.

Rhythm Through The Drum Set