X8 Drums Blog

Drumming is full of triumphs and tribulations, from the moment you pick up your first pair of drum sticks until that final day when you hand your sticks off to the next generation to become a legend. Just when you think you’ve mastered that slick solo you’ve been working on for months and are ready to show off your moves to friends, you hear the heart-crushing sound of a cymbal gone wrong. Somehow, that “indestructible” metal instrument has been cracked, chipped, split or just plain bro …

Social anxiety is a problem we all face from time to time. It can rear its head in a “stage fright” manner, or in the total avoidance of any public situation. If you’ve ever had butterflies before a first date, an interview or before heading off to college, you’ve had a taste of social anxiety. Others may experience a more panicked state than just a fluttery stomach when faced with social situations, and the thought of even a friendly drum circle is enough to send them back to bed.We know, …

Drummers all have one thing in common: we love exploring the sound of percussion. That’s why we always want more drums, cymbals and why we love accent percussion. We covet our case full of drum sticks, mallets and brushes, and we cannot wait each year for the latest bass pedal release. We are always evolving our skills, our “sound” and the next iteration our ultimate drum set.Drum sets, for some, can be limiting. Sure, there are thousands of different snare drums, bass drums and all of the …

There’s nothing worse than a shooting pain in your lower back or shoulder in the middle of playing your drum set. You’re in the groove, doin’ your thing and ZOW! You’re in agony! Plenty of drummers experience the natural aches and pains of drumming, like sore muscles, blisters on the fingers or hands or blurred vision from over-drumming (it happens!). But, when you’re finding yourself in a chronic pain situation from drumming, fixing it could be as simple as adjusting your drum kit to your …

Some hand drums just stand out above the others, whether with their sound, size or even just the way the drum looks. Most hand drum players start with finding the “right” sound of a drum, whether a djembe, doumbek or a set of bongos. But, appearance can always be a factor that sways even the best drummer – we’re human, after all, and we aren’t afraid of a little snazz on our drums.If you already have a djembe, for example, you can always add some personal touches to it like ksink ksink or …

Plenty of people consider the djembe drum a staple instrument in drum circles or in performances that highlight African culture. These popular hand drums are also responsible for exciting experiences in schools, for motivating employees in team building exercises and forging connections within communities. So, why is it so shocking to see a djembe drum in a place of worship?For many, it isn’t; djembe drums are just another musical way to worship.Back in the day, djembe drums served a varie …

Because drummers like to be different, we tend to gravitate toward the complexities of life. Such as choosing the right drum or drums for the music we want to play. Everyone knows that drums come in all sorts of different styles, sizes, brands and configurations. There are hand drums like djembes, doumbeks and congas or drum set and component drums like snares, toms and bass drums. While all drums have different drum heads to consider, drum set drummers may have the most intriguing spectru …

Are you a bongocero, a fan of the bongos, a lover of paired percussion? We sure are. But, we get that not everyone wants to sit behind a drum set and pound away on snares, toms and cymbals. Just like not everyone wants to sit on a box and play the cajon, or walk around with a djembe strapped to their neck. We think those people are all a little nuts, but, we love all the drums, so, we’re a bit biased.Some of our favorite drums come in small packages, and even better, they come in sets. Like …

There are as many mallets to choose from as there are keys on a marimba, and really, there are probably more than that. For anyone who is just getting into the wonderful world of idiophone percussion instruments, like the marimba, xylophone or vibraphone, you’ve probably already realized there is a lot more to these instruments than you first thought. Most percussion instruments are seen similarly – after all, how hard can it be to bang something to make a sound?It’s not easy. In fact, eve …

Being a drummer, percussionist or rhythmic artist has a lot of perks. You get to have the entire spotlight on your talent, be seen as the center of the band or the raging force in the drumming community. You are the greatest thing since music was first heard and your skills on that djembe, the congas or behind the drum set are unparalleled. Then, someone comes along and asks you to teach them how to be just like you.What do you do?If your first answer was something like, “no way you’re goi …