It’s not about time. It’s about what you’re doing with it.
What I want to do this week is give something practical. A reminder for those that need it, and something that is expanding on what we discussed last week.
I mean, it’s all well and good for me to call you out in last week’s newsletter, but it’s probably a good idea to give you some actionable steps… right?
Whether I’m working with amateurs, pros, or teachers, the pattern is often the same – they show up, put time in, yet nothing happens. Why?
Well, let me take you back for a second…
When I was 16 years old, I found a sheet of 8 basic hand exercises online, with a comment that said, ‘do these daily’.
This was my first taste of patterns and stickings outside of grooves from songs. Exercises designed for broader development.
I looked at it, but at that point, with no plan, no teacher, and no guidance. Just me, and the simple desire to get better. I was determinded.
And right then, without knowing it, I made one of the most important decisions of my drumming life. I decided to treat that page like a training plan. One exercise at a time, for a set amount of time. One single layer of focus.
This was well before I started my fitness journey and learned the value of having a dedicated ‘workout plan’. But looking at that sheet, it just made sense that if I wanted to improve, then I had to do these exercises… a lot!
At that moment, I learned something I still carry to this day – progress is built through deliberate, repetitive, and often unexciting work.
Not everything we practice is supposed to be fun. In fact, the things that feel the most dry often lead to the biggest breakthroughs.
Here’s the thing though. When you’re young and free of responsibility, a lot of the time this just happens by default. You can actually afford to lose hours in that kind of work, because you have the time.
There’s no risk in the attempt because you have no worries. You can lean in. Life is simple.
But guess what. Over time, that window closes.
Life starts to kick in. Work gets heavy, you’ve now got kids and a partner, the bills need to be paid, a business to run etc… LIFE!
Now you’re managing time instead of losing yourself in it.
And slowly, the quality of your practice starts to deteriorate.
Without realising, you start going through the motions and just repeating old ideas every time you sit down.
On the odd occasion, you might start exploring something new, but the problem is, you start trying to use it waaaay too early.
And then? Well, you get frustrated – and I know you know what I am talking about. You feel like you are working, but nothing is sticking.
Here’s the truth:
You didn’t lose your edge. You simply lost your process.
Most drummers hit a wall not because they’re lazy (ok, some are), but simply because they forget how they got good in the first place.
They’ve mistaken movement for progress. And progress, as you know, leaves very honest clues.
So here’s what I did, even back at 16. I built a simple but powerful structure to my practice sessions.
It would be many years before I named this system, but at the very least, I had created something that worked.
A system I could follow when I felt lost.
A system that worked whether I had ten minutes or two hours.
A system that produced results without ‘hacks’, or guesswork.
A system I could trust.
This is what I call The Perfect Practice Formula.
Let me break it down for you…
1. Foundation – Learn the movement.
Before you even think about applying ‘it’, you need to actually know how to do ‘it’. Inside and out.
Slow it down, be methodical, and go for quality. Lock it in and show the body and mind what is expected of this new-found idea/concept.
Do not move forward until you’re clear on exactly what the task is – dynamics, note values, all of it. If you’re guessing, you’re still not ready. Guesswork does not lead to growth. Clarity and quality does.
2. Application – Time to do the work.
This is by far the most crucial step, yet the step that most people skip – especially as we get older.
They learn the movement to the point where they kind of understand it, but then jump straight to trying to use it in their playing. This is fatal as they’ve skipped the most important aspect of growth – the work!
We set some rules, honour them, turn the metronome on, turn on a show or podcast on, and lose hours with no distractions.
The goal here? Second nature. This is where the real growth happens. This phase is all about those reps, reps, reps!
3. Exploration – You’re FREE young grasshopper!
Once things finally feel natural, it’s time to explore.
We take this new idea and start to make it our own.
No rules. No boundaries. We take risks, we try things out, and we fall over so we can learn what works and what doesn’t.
So how long do I spend on each phase?
It’s not an even split. Far from it. Roughly 5 percent of your time should go into the Foundation phase, just enough to get clear on what you’re doing.
Then, and most importantly, around 85-90 percent of your time should be spent in the Application phase. This is where the real work gets done.
The final 5-10 percent goes to Exploration, but only once the reps are locked in and the idea feels second nature.
Over time, less time will be spent in the Application phase, and more in the Exploration phase. This will happen naturally, but the work has to be done first.
Most drummers are stuck with their practice simply because they’re jumping from Step One to Step Three – skipping over the most important part. The work!
They’re touching on ideas. Skimming past. But not actually locking them in.
Remember, an average approach gets average results, so tighten up! Actually, a better way to say it is, an amateur approach gets amateur results.
When you skip Step Two, all you’re left with is frustration.
You feel like you’re practicing, but you’re not actually improving and, to be honest, there isn’t really a worse feeling. It’s like trying to run in mud.
You start wondering if your time is just being wasted and if you should even bother. You even start questioning if you’ve hit your ceiling as a player.
But let me make this very clear – you have not! Not at all. No one has EVER ‘hit a ceiling’.
You’re just not working the way you used to, and you’re missing the most crucial part – the grind. The Sweat. The work. Don’t forget that.
Let me leave you with this…
Alan Watts famously said,
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and obvious and simple. Yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.”
Think about that.
The goal isn’t to race through your practice material. There is no finish line here. There is nothing to ‘winning’. The aim is simply to show up and do the work so you become someone through the process. So you can experience some true growth.
Every time you sit down to practice, you’re not just playing notes.
You’re making a declaration about the kind of player you want to be. The kind of person you want to become.
Ask yourself honestly – who do you want to become?
Do you want to be average at what you do? Cool. Easy. Just keep glossing over things.
But if you’re someone who wants to experience real change and growth, great! Easy! Just give your mind and body the time and respect it needs and do the work. Because that is all you have to do. The work.
Earlier this week, I picked up The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Man I love that book! This line stood out:
“Victorious warriors win first, and then go to war. Defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
Practice is very much the same.
Don’t walk into your session hoping for progress. Walk in knowing that the work you’re about to do guarantees results because you understand this simple but effective formula –
Step 1. Foundation. (5%)
Step 2. Application. (90%)
Step 3. Exploration. (5%)
Know you’re doing exactly what’s required to create real change.
No guesswork. No ‘hoping’ for the best. Just results.
Now, get off your ass, grab those sticks, and go get some real work done… you can thank me later. 😉
Let’s leave it there for this week. I’ve got to get my workout in, then I’m jumping on the bike and heading to the studio. Big day ahead.
Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read these. I appreciate it.
Stay hungry, (and healthy),
Stan.