Afraid to practice because people might hear me

[utetwo]

Oh. You mentioned your teacher’s comment so I assumed you had lessons.

There are lots of free videos from Drumeo. Stop watching TV. Watch drumming videos. You don't need to follow them and some may be bad for you but just absorb information for now. It will give you some perspective on various options.

Post a separate thread on learning drumming. Detail what you know, how long you’ve worked on that portion, tell what you want to work on, and ask people to please post YouTube examples or tutorials. What type of music do you want to play?

I have a drum teacher. I've been playing for a year now.

 

[CherryClassic]

I just don't know how to play a good beat or do any advanced fills.

Try listening to a song you would like to play, close your eyes and listen, get into the mood and feel of the song. Then transfer that feel to the drums. Sing it out loud or hum it to your self and play along. Keep it simple at first, don't worry about the fills for now. Just feel in the mood.

Re read what Murat said.

sherm

 

[Gunnellett]

You'll get over the worry by just doing it more. Bonus: learning to play and practice quietly on an acoustic kit -- with sticks -- is a superpower that will open more doors down the road.

This is true. I hadn't played in 20 plus years and when I was last playing it was out in the country where I wasn't bothering anyone hammering the skins to some 80's rock so I had no volume control whatsoever. Fast forward to 10 years ago I picked the sticks back up and started jamming with some guys in a really small acoustically challenged space. I had a really hard time keeping the volume down while keeping the pace and groove. Our guitarist was a pain in the butt about it. I feel I still have a long ways to go but I recently started jamming with a fairly accomplished guitarist and he has remarked more than once I have great dynamics and volume control saying it is rare with drummers. It made me feel good like I was getting somewhere after all of the effort. Learning to play at a lower volume is a superpower for sure!

 

[Tufty]

The most helpful teacher I ever had told me “practice what you aren’t good at” He would always scratch his head when he would hear people in other practice rooms playing things they were already good at for hours on end.

 

[varatrodder]

Get some mesh heads and some L80 cymbals. No one will hear you. Until we moved last fall, I had a kit set up in my office at home, and I played every day. Neighbors to the right and left about 50 feet away, and no one could hear me.

 

[Loud]

I have a drum teacher. I've been playing for a year now.

You need to tell us what kind of music you want to play. Different music emphasizes different skills. What are the three songs you want to play?

 

[the_dude]

If you suck the only way to get better is practice. As long as you're not violating local noise codes, nicely wave hello to the neighbors.

Hey mods next time you edit my post just remove the offending part but don’t please don’t add words that I did not type!

 

[WLVN]

You have to face your fear. It's not irrational to think about what others may think. It is irrational to worry about it and do nothing. You've recognized it for what it is and that's a big step! Practice for short periods and you'll come to realize more and more that what people might be thinking is not that important and that nothing is going to harm you and it will go away. You will overcome it!

I used to take my anger and frustrations out by playing when I was a kid. And I was mad at everybody sometimes especially authority. It's no big deal to endeavor to get better by practicing. People might even admire your perseverance. Think of it that way. When I was a kid the lady neighbor that lived behind us sent us Little Drummer Boy Christmas cards every year. Hang in there!

 

[cruddola]

How do I overcome the fear of others judging me while I practice? I have an acoustic kit, and there's a house about 50 feet away.

Never let what others may judge stop you. Let it reinforce your drive. Let the naysayers fuel your drumming! They ain't you. When the cops show up you'll learn of any limitations then. Here in the Barrio (Latino ghetto) no one gives a crap and no one's gonna rob me or my place either. They will go to your neighborhoods where the pickings (burglaries) are better. No one here calls the cops for anything. The cops won't come unless it's four squad cars minimum with two cops in each car and a helicopter. Beautiful. There are mighty good reasons for my living in a crappy neighborhood on the wrong side of the freeway and railroad tracks. I grew up here. Cost of living and great security can't be beat. Neighborhood justice rules. Crime is non-existent because all the city's crooks live here. Everybody knows everybody. We even had all-night jam sessions until CoVid. Here, 6am-10pm is open season legally, but nobody here gives a crap if I play from 2am to 1pm. 8 cops and a helicopter ain't gonna be sent to tell me to shut-up. That's why I returned upon retirement and left the suburbs. No wife, no kids, no mortgage, 100% debt-free except for utilities and cable. Jam all I want, when I want. Four blocks from the markets, ten from the hospital, a mile from the interstate, don't have to lock the doors either. Keep drumming like your life depends on it because it just might will. Drumming and photography got me out of a few combat missions.

 

[Soulfinger]

Your neighbors should be grateful that you are not starting out on violin. Play with confidence!

 

[Hypercaffium]

I have the same problem somehow, even if I don't care about my neighbor's opinion on my playing. I literaly hate disturbing other people, I hate the idea of causing any kind of problem to my neighbors. That's why I bought an electronic kit in the first place. I play since a month, and last week my neighbors knocked on the wall because I was practicing double strokes on the kick drum and I was loud, but I didn't realize that because of the headphones. I didn't play for a couple of days because I felt somehow blocked, I was afraid to disturb them again. I started again but I try to play softer and during different time of the day.
I can feel the OP, but the reasons are different.

 

[utetwo]

You need to tell us what kind of music you want to play. Different music emphasizes different skills. What are the three songs you want to play?

I like bands like depeche mode, U2, muse, etc, as well as some producers/individual artists like david bowie and Brian eno.

I would really like to play any song off the live version "songs of faith and devotion" by depeche mode... I probably could, actually. I'll get back to you on this.

 

[Ralph27]

"Be who you are and say (PLAY) what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind."

– Dr. Seuss

 

[Rock Salad]

I like bands like depeche mode, U2, muse, etc, as well as some producers/individual artists like david bowie and Brian eno.

I would really like to play any song off the live version "songs of faith and devotion" by depeche mode... I probably could, actually. I'll get back to you on this.

That's great, it's kinda older and established music. The beats are still popular and the style is neighbor friendly, not all agro.
Perfect.
My first band I got in was when my neighbor who knew how to play heard me experimenting with a new instrument at high volume.

 

[wflkurt]

Get some mesh heads and some L80 cymbals. No one will hear you. Until we moved last fall, I had a kit set up in my office at home, and I played every day. Neighbors to the right and left about 50 feet away, and no one could hear me.

This is exactly what I would suggest. I'm not worried about people hearing me as I have been playing for almost 40 years. I just like to be considerate of those in my house and I use L-80 cymbals and sound off pads on my 70's Gretsch set. It certainly doesn't replace the feeling of going all out on a real set with real cymbals but I can practice away as hard as I want and I barely bother a soul. I have never tried the mesh heads but I would bet those are really cool too.

 

[bigbonzo]

How do I overcome the fear of others judging me while I practice? I have an acoustic kit, and there's a house about 50 feet away.

I never even thought about this. I guess I figure, why worry? Do you think they really care? People learn how to do new things all the time.

 

[utetwo]

That's great, it's kinda older and established music. The beats are still popular and the style is neighbor friendly, not all agro.
Perfect.
My first band I got in was when my neighbor who knew how to play heard me experimenting with a new instrument at high volume.

2000's music... Sucks. All music passes through the same 8 record companies, and so it's all terrible, aside from some indie stuff and a few good bands.

 

[BennyK]

A. Warner Bros. representative might be out for a stroll while visiting his in laws who just happen to live in my neighborhood and hear my inverted twister beat .

Ya just never know ....

 

[RogersLudwig]

I used to care, but now I'm old, mean, and cranky. Don't worry, be happy, and play on the drums all day. Screw the critics.

 

[Cauldronics]

I tried this for a while. I can do an assortment of paradiddles variations, steady 16th notes at high tempos, double stroke rolls, flam triplets, accents, etc.

I just don't know how to play a good beat or do any advanced fills.

Forget about advanced fills for now. They barely matter in the scheme of things.

I propose that the reason you think you suck and no one should hear you play is that you're not playing music in a band (if you are you sure didn't say so). The minute the coast is clear and air is safe to breathe around everyone again, I strongly suggest that you go out and join a band or make one of your own.

There's no better way to get yourself to play a good beat than hearing how you sound in a band context. If you do this, make sure you record yourself playing from day 1 and listen back to what's missing. Try to find what's missing. If you still can't play a good beat after trying for a long time in band situation, then drumming might not be your thing.

My point being, you need drumming to be a creative outlet first, before you can play that good beat. By the sound of it, you're just practicing technique, not music. That's why JDA's suggestion of playing along to records is a very good one.