5 tips for drummers to avoid rushing or dragging

By now, musicians all over the world are familiar with the famous scene from Whiplash. It became one of the film’s most quotable moments and inspired countless memes on social media. But as drummers, how do we actually avoid rushing or dragging?

To answer that question, we first need to understand the root cause of the problem. Rushing and dragging often come from the same issue: practicing at specific tempos that feel comfortable to us. As creatures of habit, we all have preferred tempos that we fall back on when practicing grooves.

For example, some rock drummers might feel most comfortable playing in 4/4 at 100 bpm, while jazz drummers may default to 120 bpm in 6/8. This problem is compounded by the fact that many of us neglect practicing with a metronome. So when the rock drummer is asked to play along to a song at 80 bpm without a metronome, they may end up dragging. Likewise, when the jazz drummer is asked to play a rock groove at 100 bpm, they may end up rushing.

1. Practice With a Metronome

It goes without saying that the easiest long-term solution is to play along with a metronome or click track. Rushing tends to be more common than dragging, so make sure to practice your grooves at slower tempos, such as 40 bpm.

This will train your muscle memory, help you internalize the rhythm, and, counterintuitively, enable you to play faster in the long run.

2. Separate Your Grooves and Fills

We often insert fills at the end of a groove by default, and rightly so. However, it is important to separate the two during practice.

Many drummers fall into the habit of knowing the groove better than the fill, then rushing to move their hands into position to execute the fill at the end of a bar or phrase. Knowing a fill front to back will allow you to play it wherever it appears in a song, instead of only being used to playing it after a specific groove.

By practicing this way, you will not only build chops, but also improve your timekeeping and reduce rushing and dragging errors.

3. Record Your Practice Sessions

When you are in the moment, it is easy to get lost in the music. While this is not a bad thing, you can become less aware of your playing when your body goes into autopilot mode.

That is why recording yourself can be so useful. By watching what you just played, you can quickly identify timing inconsistencies and fix them during your next play-through. To keep yourself accountable, you could also keep a video log to make sure you are constantly improving.

Try uploading weekly practice videos and tagging us @soundbrenner to stay motivated.

4. Use a Vibrating Metronome

Speaking of Soundbrenner, our wearable devices are designed to help with rushing and dragging issues. By feeling the beat instead of hearing it, you can more easily perceive the tempo of a song and play more accurately.

If you are rushing, you will feel physical feedback as the vibration falls after you have played a note, and vice versa if you are dragging. This allows you to correct tempo mistakes quickly and on the fly. Even better, the lack of a click track means you will not be distracted by annoying noises.

5. Lock In With Your Bassist

If you are playing in a band, try focusing intently on what your bassist is playing. The two of you are responsible for holding down the rhythm section, so developing strong synergy with your bass player is a must.

While it is a general rule of thumb that the bassist follows your rhythm, you should actively listen to each other and provide rhythmic feedback where necessary. A tight bass-and-drum combination is what makes good bands sound great.

And there you have it: five tips to help solve your rushing or dragging issues. If you follow the steps above, you will never get a cymbal thrown at you during band practice, hopefully. Good luck, and happy practicing!