• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

KickstartYourDrumming

Find the gear & lessons that'll quickly get you up on stage

  • Acoustic Drums
    • Beginner Drum Set
      • Cheap Drum Sets
      • Discount Drum Sets
      • Used Drums for Sale
    • Professional Drum Sets
    • Drum Parts
      • Drum Heads
      • HiHats
      • Snare Drum
      • Cymbal Packs
      • Low Volume Cymbals
      • Drum Thrones
      • Drum Triggers
    • Top Brands
      • Gammon Drum Sets
      • Gretsch Catalina Maple
      • Ludwig Breakbeats
      • Mendini Drum Sets
      • Pearl Export Series
      • Pearl Roadshow
      • Sonor Martini
      • Tama Imperialstar
  • Electronic Drum Set
    • Electronic Drum Pad
    • Drum Machines
    • Headphones for Electronic Drums
    • Electronic Drum Amps
    • Top Brands
      • Aerodrums
      • Alesis Nitro
      • Alesis Surge
      • Alesis Forge
      • Alesis DM6
      • Alesis DM10 MKII
      • Alesis DM10X
      • Alesis Strike Pro
      • Behringer XD80USB
      • Freedrum
      • Pearl e-Pro
      • Roland TD 1KV
      • Roland TD 11
      • Roland TD-25KV
      • Roland TD 30KV
      • Yamaha DTX450K
      • Yamaha DTX562K
      • 2Box Drumit 5 Review
  • Junior Drum Sets
    • Gammon Drum Sets
    • Mendini Drum Sets
    • Ludwig Junior Drum Set
    • Ludwig Pocket Kit
  • Accessories
    • Cajons
    • Gifts For Drummers
    • Best Drum Practice Pad
    • Wearable Metronome
    • Shoes For Drumming
    • Budget Double Bass Pedal
    • Bass Drum Pedals
  • Guides
    • Our Best Drum Brands Reviewed
    • Online Lessons
      • Drumeo Lesson Review
    • How to Set Up a Drum Set
    • Practice Drumming Without Drums
    • Become a Better Drummer
    • The Benefits of Drumming
    • 7 Healthy Play Alongs
    • Reading Drum Sheet Music
    • 7 Easy Songs To Play On Drums
    • Drums Or Guitar?
    • Health Benefits of Drumming
    • Virtual drumming
    • Drum Gear Reviews
  • Recording
    • My Favorite Recording Device
    • Drum Microphones
    • In Ear Monitors
    • Kick Drum Mics
    • Home Recording Studio
      • Best Studio Headphones Under $50
      • Best Studio Monitors Under $500
      • Best Studio Headphones Under $100
      • Best Studio Monitors Under $200
  • About
    • Write for Us

7 Health and Money Benefits of Playing Drums

August 1, 2022 by Yannick 8 Comments

Yes, drumming is a lot of fun. But beyond that, it can also improve your health. And your finances.

How? Here are 6 health and 1 money benefits of playing the drums…

1. Makes you fit

Have you ever tried to produce 232 strokes with your right hand, 29 with your left and 29 with your right foot on a pedal – all at the same time?

That’s what you do while playing a standard 4/4 groove in an average tempo (116 bpm) on the drums – within one minute.

So it’s no wonder that British researchers found that the heart rate of Clem Burke, drummer of the rock band Blondie, averages 140-150 beats per minute during a concert. That’s like the heart rate of LeBron James throughout an NBA match.

Burke also burned 600 calories per gig, and the guys over at Livestrong found that even a hobby drummer of 185 pounds burns around 272 calories during an hour-long drumming session.

So drumming is a workout. Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighter’s frontman who used to drum for Nirvana, can attest to this.

 

benefits of playing drums
Foo Fighters’ frontman and former Nirvana-drummer Dave Grohl “sweating” the drums. Source: Zildjian

Interested in a drumming / play along / workout plan? It’s right here.

2. Increases Intelligence

Yes, drummers are probably the most joked-about species in the world of music. Or didn’t you know this one:

What do you call a drummer with half a brain?
Gifted.

Yet, I’m begging to suspect that those who make the jokes are actually only jealous. After all, Swedish researchers asked people to keep the time with a drum stick before taking an intelligence test and…

…those who scored highest on the test also had done best in the time-keeping exercise. Rhythm and brain go together you jokers!

So perhaps it’s no coincidence that drumming star Jojo Mayer can not only play but also speak at a TED event.

3. Makes you happy

Do you know that amazing feeling after an intense workout? A clear mind and everything moving harmoniously within the body? And even if you don’t…

…this state is no longer reserved to runners, athletes and fitness people, because University of Oxford psychologists have shown that drumming produces a similar rush of endorphins (“the happiness hormone”).

So “Drummer’s high” is the new “runner’s high”. Steve Moore, aka “the mad drummer” knows this and is not afraid to let it show (note his face at 0:36)…

4. Reduces pain

Approximately twelve years ago I was sitting in the audience of a concert and I couldn’t believe my eyes when a seemingly ancient man walked up on stage on crutches, sat down behind the drums and started playing like he was 30 again.

This must have been another side-effect of the fact that drumming produces endorphins, and these hormones also function as the body’s morphine-like painkiller. So drumming can actually help reduce chronic pain.

I don’t have it on video, but imagine it something like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=146kfh9ANXc

5. Helps you concentrate or relax

Do you know when you’re trying to relax after a busy day at work but your thoughts are racing in circles?

Stanford researchers would probably tell you to get some grooves going. After all we’ve learned to find safety in our mother’s heart beat before we are even born.

So, their studies found that beats will cause our brainwaves to start resonating with the rhythm. Slow ones will make you all meditative and calm, and a fast beat will make you alert and help you concentrate.

A psychologist at the University of Texas found that exposure to fast beats can even increase the concentration of children with Attention Deficit Disorder – just as much as Ritalin and other medication does.

Try reading the rest of this article to this music:

6. Helps develop confidence

Are you unsure of your capabilities at times? Then try taking responsibility for keeping the time – the most essential element – in a band. If the drummer sucks, the band will suck. So here’s something to prove yourself.

And if you keep at it, you will discover that you can be a band’s solid foundation. You can be their heart beat. All while being watched by an audience who likes and respects what you’re doing. To me this is an enormous boost in self-confidence every time.

benefits of playing drums

7. Can make you money

Beyond all the mental and physical health benefits of being a drummer, there’s one more good reason:

Once you’re fairly good, you can make decent money helping others get into drumming – and without the need to go to music school or have a certificate first.

Yes, there are drum schools where you need formal qualifications. But there will be many more “private” drum teachers around your corner who teach drums just because they know how to do it and people pay them for it.

And the nice thing is: you’re your own boss. You can pick the times and set your rates – and those can be quite decent moreover (I’m charging 20$ for 45 minutes and that is pretty low).

Interested but don’t know where to start?

Get behind a drum set. That’s the only way of finding out if drumming is for you or not.

Either go to your local drum store and try out a few kits – the shop assistants will be happy to help you.

Or if you’ve already decided that you want your own drum set, you can get one that isn’t expensive (around 250$) and decent quality at the same time. For recommendations, you can check out my best beginner drum set review. Or if you’re more of an electronic drummer, you can read about the best electronic drum sets too.

Want More Benefits?

Check out this cool infographic showing 10 benefits of drumming.

And also let me know: what are your experiences with drumming so far?

Have you heard of / witnessed / experienced some other benefits? I’d love to read your comments.

Filed Under: Learning

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bill says

    August 31, 2017 at 3:54 pm

    Really like this! I have been a drummer for many years, but went through a period of concentrating on Guitars. Now I am back with my old band from many years ago, and got another drum kit. We are having a BLAST. I have to travel there but that is part of the fun of it. We play and record on a Tascam about 5 times a year.
    I love reading up on my hobbies. Thanks for providing.

    Reply
    • Yannick says

      September 1, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      Thank you very much Bill! Good luck for and lots of fun with your band!

      Reply
  2. Derek Dewitt says

    September 10, 2017 at 11:55 am

    I’ve been thinking about picking up the drums just for fun but I had no idea there were so many other benefits to learning them. I like that you mention how studies have shown that beats help us relax or concentrate. This sounds like a great way to help me fall asleep before bed. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Yannick says

      September 10, 2017 at 2:20 pm

      Thanks Derek. I’m honored!

      Reply
  3. Deniz says

    October 4, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    Such a great work man thank you for all these information

    Reply
    • Yannick says

      October 5, 2017 at 12:17 am

      Thank you very much, Deniz! It’s my pleasure!

      Reply
  4. Don Lajoie says

    October 5, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    Good stuff. Thanks. More pro-drum propaganda is needed, especially in my house, where I sometimes have to convince my wife that drums are an actual musical instrument and deserve as much respect as that crappy out-of-tune piano collecting dust at her brother’s house.

    Reply
    • Yannick says

      October 6, 2017 at 11:14 am

      Haha, Don! I couldn’t agree more! Let’s tell the world…

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Copyright © 2023

Hey, I’m Ron, and I want to help you become the awesome drummer you can be!
Throughout my 22 years of drumming, I’ve spent money on overpriced gear and time on ineffective lessons. Now I’ll help you avoid both!

FYI: This website may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something we have recommended. Please check our full disclosure policy for more details.

Privacy Policy – Terms of Service