Importance of Drumming Warm Up Routines

Drumming can be great exercise. Anyone who has drummed a gig for a few hours or just practices for a few hours a day can tell you that you can get a great workout by drumming a certain way. But, just like you wouldn’t want to run a marathon without warming up first, you don’t want to simply start a hard-hitting drumming session without a warm up routine. There are a few reasons for the importance of drumming warm up routines and some of them might surprise you.

First of all, we have the common reason for any warm up routine: injuries. It actually is possible to hurt yourself drumming, so it is always good to warm up and go slow in the beginning. Give your wrists some time to get used to the actions they will be performing over the next hour or so. You want to be considerate of your body, allowing your muscles time to get warmer (hence the term “warm up”) and stretch. You can pull a muscle in your arm, just as you can pull a muscle anywhere else in your body. If you want to be able to enjoy your drumming, don’t underestimate the importance of drumming warm up routines to help avoid injuries.

Another reason to have a warm up routine is that it gives you time to practice the basics and rudimentary techniques. It is a good idea to practice these regularly, but sometimes we just want to move on once we figure we know what we are doing. Practicing the basics on a regular basis keeps us in good shape. It keeps our minds focused and it keeps our bodies properly programmed. Any time we think we have moved on from the basics, we may get sloppy in our playing. A drumming warm up routine that incorporates the rudiments can help offset that tendency.

Drumming warm up routines are also important because they give us time to get into the proper mindset. When you sit down to enjoy your drums, you may be carrying around a lot of mental baggage from the day. Warm up routines allow us to clear our heads and get focused. They help align our thoughts and energies so that we can become one with our drums. This time is important and shouldn’t be overlooked when considering the importance of drumming warm up routines. Just as with any other creative and expressive act, preparation is vital.