Learning Drums: The Top 10 Benefits of Drumming [With Infographic]

Are you thinking about learning drums? There are several excellent reasons for both adults and children to learn drums. Here, Philadelphia, PA teacher Andrea I. shares the top 10 benefits of drumming…

What Are The Benefits of Learning Drums?

Are you on the fence about drumming? Maybe you’re trying to decide between a few different instruments. Let’s take a look at what the research says about the top reasons to play drums.

• Reduce stress
• Increase academic performance
• Boost brain power
• Develop confidence
• Improve communication skills
• Be a global citizen
• Make new friends
• Play cool instruments
• Get fit
• Lifelong learning

1. Reduce Stress

Playing drums can relieve frustration, disappointment, and stress. Whether you’re behind a drum set, hitting a djembe in a drum circle, or beating a marching band bass drum, drum therapy is a real thing. Even for just a few minutes, playing drums can boost your mood.

Like a “runner’s high,” drummers’ brains release feel-good endorphins immediately after playing music. Researchers concluded in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, “it is the active performance of music that generates the endorphin high, not the music itself.”

So if you’re trying to find a new hobby that brings you more joy, grab some drumsticks and start learning drums! 

2. Increase Academic Performance

The correlation between musical training and academic performance has been documented several times, particularly when it comes to English and math. When you learn drums, you can grow various academic skills like English because drumming helps you identify emotional cues, a skill you can use to identify characters’ thought processes and motives.

According to this study, “Music enables students to learn multiplication tables and math formulas more easily (T. Mickela as cited in Kelstrom, 1998); rhythm students learn the concept of fractions more easily; students who were taught using rhythm notation scored 100 percent higher on tests of fractions; and a child may use the ability for logical thinking that was developed in music class to solve problems quite unrelated to music (Kelstrom, 1998).”

So parents, if you’re hesitant about your child learning drums because you’re afraid it will take away from their studies, rest assured. It may actually help your son or daughter perform better in school.

3. Boost Brain Power

When you play drums, you have to coordinate all four limbs to work together simultaneously. If you’re right-handed, chances are you don’t do much with your left hand. Your brain has to work your non-dominant side to strengthen and coordinate your non-dominant limbs.

In a recent study, researchers found that playing drums can measurably boost brain power, specifically when it comes to IQ. “Playing the drums makes the brain think in a way that very few activities can,” said Pat Brown, International Drum Month chairman, and Percussion Marketing Council co-executive director. “Being able to understand musical notes and dissect how rhythms work and go together is a very complicated thought process. The most recent study shows that being constantly exposed to this type of brain activity can actually improve one’s IQ level.”