X8 Drums Blog

There’s drumming for the love of music and rhythm, and then drumming for education or perfecting our craft. In truth, drummers have a million reasons for drumming and drumming has many mysteries to the non-drummer, but, there probably isn’t a person out there who can’t see how drumming is great for stressful times. Did you get all of that? We’re a little stressed with all of this holiday business going on. Stress is probably one of the most common reasons we reach for our …

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 …

From the dawn of time, people have been called into the life of drumming and rhythm-making, as if heeding the directives of ancestors and rock gods from around the planet, and perhaps beyond. In order to drum, however, these people have needed to make their own drums or percussion instruments, giving us all plenty of modern incarnations of drums to happily use in our own devotion to the groove within. With all of the options available to drummers and percussionists today, there are stil …

There’s a certain allure to drumming that is best captured in the audio or video of a song, but is somehow lost in many of the photos of a drummer completely engaged in his or her passion for rhythm. Much like any other physical activity, the still shots of a drummer can reveal some unique expressions and faces, all of which can be taken out of context and shown as the next great Internet meme (or worse). Very few of us are stock photography models sitting behind a drum set or with a djemb …

What do drummers love doing? We love to drum. We drum on our drums, percussion instruments, desks, steering wheels, and sometimes, on ourselves. Look at Kevin Bacon right there - he's playing a tambourine!  But, we have to sadly admit that drumming doesn’t always allow us to spend quality time with our family and friends. Or, if we’re sick or injured, we can’t necessarily pick up the sticks or grab our djembe and rock out. We’re only human, and once in a while, we have to put a …

Unless you’re a closet drummer, with probably the least amount of space possible for a full drum set, at some point you’re going to wonder one of the great drumming questions of all time: should you trust your beloved drums to a drum rack, or keep them safe on drum stands. With the love of rhythm and drumming comes the understanding that out of all of the members of your band, or your friends who play guitar, keyboards or saxophone, you have the most gear and instruments to care for. I …

Finding a new drum or hand percussion instrument to play is one of the best things about being a drummer. No matter if you started out on a set of bongo drums or you were a drummer in your school’s marching band, once you’re bitten with the percussion bug, it can be hard to ever let that excitement go. For the drum set drummer, all of those hours spent learning the basics and practicing rudiments can lead to a really great experience drumming in a band, on stage or in a stu …

Having an impact in the world takes dedication, motivation and a selflessness that not everyone can embrace. This impact, this hard-hitting desire to create positive change is seen in all areas of life, from the environment to health concerns, education or awareness programs. For a drummer, a person who is used to creating a new rhythm through his or her own impact, giving back to a world that has allowed such freedom may be second nature. Drummers define the motivation of a song, just …

Usually when people think of percussion instruments they think of hand percussion instruments. What people often forget is that there are other ways to make music than just with your hands. In fact, there’s a whole variety of percussion instruments that can be played with the feet. These percussion instruments include foot drums, foot tambourines, foot cabasas, and  ankle bells or foot rattles. A foot drum is a drum that is played either with the bare foot or with a floor …