10 Ways to Really Start Drumming in Rock Band

Anyone who has ever seriously played Harmonix's Rock Band series normally agrees that playing the drums is the most satisfying aspect of the game. This may be because playing the drums well is the most difficult skill to learn in the game and everyone loves a good challenge. Playing well on the drums gets notably harder on the hard/expert difficulty settings. Drummers have the most trouble with the bass drum, particularly when the drummer has to hit pad/pedal notes simultaneously and even more when the pedal beat is different from drum hits (Message in a Bottle is a good example of a song where this is the case). The following is a set of tips to help you get through songs on these higher difficulty settings:

1. "Dance" a bit while you play. Have you ever noticed how much drummers of actual rock bands move while playing? Doing this helps them keep in sync with the feel and the beat of the song. Things are no different in Rock Band. So bob your head, tap your non-pedal foot and even sway a little bit. It might not look as cool as people who don't do this when they play but it (particularly swaying) will help immensely in hitting pad/pedal combinations and keeping the pedal notes separate from pad notes when they differ. There's an extra bonus in doing this--your foot naturally starts to tap to the pedal notes and stomping them out will start to come naturally. Another bonus is that the game is even more fun to play this way. If you're following this tip correctly, you should break a mild sweat for faster songs. I also found that getting my entire body involved while playing made my pedal shin less sore while playing (I'm sure you know what I'm referring to). Just like dancing, you will have to change the rhythm as the song rhythm changes.

2. Really feel the music as you're playing. This may be obvious after tip number one (if you incorporate tip one you will have to be doing this anyway) above but drummers sometimes have trouble getting into a song if they don't like it and rely primarily on visual cues to hit notes. If you rely primarily on the on screen notes, you will not get through the songs on higher difficulty settings.

3. Alternate sticks when hitting faster pad notes. The game actually suggests this but I didn't see the tip until further along in the game and some people don't read the tips. After you start doing this, those rapid pad hits will come naturally.

4. Adjust the height of the pads to one that suits you. This makes a huge difference in hitting pad notes. If you find yourself constantly hitting the rim of the pads instead of on center, chances are you might not have the drum pads adjusted to the proper height.

5. Hold the drum sticks lightly about 2-3 inches from the base. Holding the sticks like this will let you hit the pads faster and will naturally let the sticks bounce up after each hit, ready to hit another pad.

6. Purchase the Rock Band 2 drum set. Harmonix made some substantial updates in the drums for Rock Band 2 that not only make playing the drums easier but also more enjoyable. Improvements include a metal bass pedal, heavier sticks, and springier, quieter pads. The quieter pads make hearing the song much easier and you will no longer distract yourself with the old, noisy pads. Prices vary, but the updated set costs about $90. If you love playing the drums in this game as much as I do, the cost is worth it.

7. Don't let the flashing red screen and crowd booing distract you. Songs in Rock Band often have sections in them that are more difficult than the main drum line. If the crowd starts booing you, maintain your composure and try to get through the section. You can later build the crowd up by hitting the chorus. Use the in game tip of breaking the beat down, starting with the pedal and adding pads after that. If it's too complicated, drop a pad or two (but not the red pad).

8. Really focus on the red pad and bass pedal. If you start to miss these two, the crowd will notice and you will fail the song. This is reiterating another in game tip.

9. If you fail a song once, play it again before you select another song. This is crucial when you attempt a song that you're unfamiliar with. You'll be amazed by how much easier it is the second time around.

10. Don't get too drunk. I'm saying this because Rock Band is a big party game and many people drink while they're playing. Performance on the drums declines severely with drunkenness. Performance with the other instruments declines with inebriation also, but I found it to be more substantial with the drums.