X8 Drums Blog

On any given spring day, you can hear the soft jingle of a local band of tambourine players as they glide through the meadows, ribbons trailing behind them, punctuating each step with joyful sounds. Well, ok, that doesn’t really happen so much anymore, but, it is a great visual for anyone who sees the tambourine as more than just an accent percussion instrument, but, a true instrument in its own right. Tambourines have been around since ancient times, where they were mostly seen in the …

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 …

We all know that shot of energy from a couple of Twinkies or a super-double-crunk-mocha-latte-with-a-twist-of-B-12 are two ways for any drummer to keep up the momentum during the hours of practice required to be great, up on a stage or in the throes of a drum circle. But, there is also a lot of talk about how drumming can be just as much exercise as running a marathon. Hours of drumming has an impact on your body – you sweat, you burn calories, you thirst and you hunger. Marathon r …

Have you ever noticed that Latin drummers are unnervingly happy? If you take a look at the great Latin drummers, they have a totally different vibe when drumming than so many other percussionists and musicians. They’re in the groove so hard, they almost become the focus of the song. Latin drummers are the sound of Latin music, and those rhythms are what make us all want to jump up and groove right along with them. One of the great things about Latin music is that the same basic rhythm …

The holiday season can make us all crazy. We’ve got families to visit, meals to cook, office parties and a whole lot of shopping to get done in just a few weeks. Because this is such an important part of the year for everyone, it only makes sense that at the end of it all, we just want to relax with our loved ones and enjoy the feeling of not running ourselves ragged. So, you should get everyone you know drums and percussion instruments for the holidays. Drums are natural stress relie …

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 …

The hand drums we see today in drum circles represent a lot more than just a gathering of hippies (or, hipsters) drumming together as an exercise in music, rhythm and creative expression. Most of the hand drums used in drum circles, like djembe drums or cajon drums are modern representations of the drums used by African slaves in all parts of the Americas. These drums have evolved over the centuries into the instruments we are familiar with today, but, there was once a time when …

Drumming is loud. It doesn’t matter if you have a whole suite of drums on a rack, or just a djembe strapped around your neck. Drumming is loud, and there isn’t a whole lot you can do to reducethe volume of your drums and still play like the maniac you are. But, there is a good reason you should be concerned about how loud your drums are: your hearing. Hearing loss is a documented problem for many drummers and musicians, from Lars Ulrich to Rod Morgenstein, and an estimated 60 percen …

Few will argue the benefit of physical activity for reducing or relieving stress, especially activity that encourages keeping a rhythm, striking an object and creating music. For these reasons, and many others, drumming is fast becoming one of the best ways for people to reduce stress, whether alone with a drum pad and headphones, during an aerobic workout with sticks and balance balls, or in a group setting like a drum circle with djembe drums. Music therapis …

Drums are a great means of communication. Drumming has been used historically as a form of communication between people. The Djembe drum was first used by tribes in Africa to communicate over large distances. They were also used in the cultural celebrations of these tribes. Drums have always been a force that brings communities together to form important relationships. In today’s corporate world connection between people can be difficult due to the fast pace and high demands plac …