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Drum pads are purposely designed to make you work a little harder than playing actual drums. They can help to build up your hand and wrist strength, and also your drumming technique, so when it comes time to sit behind the kit, you’re skilled and ready.
But besides building strength and learning beats, these also give you a feel for stick control. They’re an excellent option for all drummers to enhance precision and power, maximize efficiency and speed, and get a more consistent tone from most any drum without the extra noise.
What Are the Best Drum Practice Pads?
Pads can have a rubber surface, which is usually harder than other materials while still providing a bounce-back feel. There are also pads with a real drumhead on them and a hard material underneath, along with gel, leather and mesh pads or multi-surface ones with a mix of everything.
Choosing a practice pad depends on a few different factors. First, if you’re just starting out and looking to learn basic form and build muscle mechanics, you’ll want a different pad than a drummer who’s had a few years of experience already. It’s best to stick to a moderately hard surface, but size comes into play, too: If you’re looking to work on precision, some pads are purposely small, to get you used to hitting your sticks in a condensed area.
Choose your material carefully as well. A mesh head may be fun to play on with all of its bounciness, but it’ll most likely do the least to improve your technique. Rubber, which is a commonly used surface material, comes in different densities, but can be the most helpful to really work your muscle memory and perfect your skills.
Finally, keep in mind that these aren’t only for practicing textbook techniques — you can rehearse your actual songs on them too, whether you’re at home surrounded by roommates or hitting the road. That way, when it’s showtime, you’ve perfected your whole setlist. Here, we’ve picked some of the best drum practice pads for every drummer.
