Top 7 Best Drum Practice Pads (2020 Review)

Top 7 Best Practice Pads For Drummers

In a hurry? Check out my top 7 picks below! Keep reading to learn more about these drumming pads!

1. Evans RealFeel 2 Sided Practice Pad
2. Gibraltar Pocket Practice Pad
3. Drum Workshop Go Anywhere 5-Piece Set Practice Pad
4. Remo RT 8” Practice Pad
5. Vic Firth Double Sided Practice Pad
6. Ahead Wicked Chops Practice Pad
7. Paititi 8” Practice Pad

What Are Drum Practice Pads?

Drum practice pads are simply portable solutions for drummers to practice without making excessive noise.

They offer a solution for drummers that want to focus on their hand skills without the added volume of a full drum kit or loud snare drum.

They also take up considerably less space than an electronic drum set. 

The most common type of practice pad design has a wooden base that has a rubber surface attached to the top.

The rubber playing surface acts as the ‘drum head’ that is struck by the stick, offering a good amount of rebound, making it easier and more effective to practice different hand patterns and techniques. 

There are also some ‘full kit’ practice pad options, which have a series of individual practice pads arranged like a drum kit...allowing you to practice as if you were sitting at a real drum kit (at a fraction of the volume).

Read More >> What Are The Top In-Ear Monitors For Drummers?

How Do I Use Drum Practice Pads?

Most practice drum pads will have a rubber bottom, meaning that you can place them on any flat hard surface, such as a tabletop or chair, and they won’t slide about. 

I’ve always found that mounting a practice pad to a snare drum stand is the best, most adjustable option. 

Be aware however if your practice pad is under 12” in diameter then it probably won’t fit in the snare basket on the stand. 

Some practice pads can also screw onto a standard 8mm cymbal stand thread. 

This means that if you have an old cymbal stand lying around you can just re-purpose it for your practice pad. 

Playing the pad

In terms of what to practice on your practice pad, that’s entirely dependent on your current ability or goals.

The most common use for practice pads is to work on drum rudiments. 

Rudiments (like scales on a piano) are the fundamental building blocks of pretty much everything you play on the drums.

Before getting stuck into rudiments and snare solos on your new practice pad, it is essential that your grip of the stick isn’t going to cause you any issues. 

If you’re gripping the sticks too tight then it may cause repetitive strain injuries, which we definitely want to avoid!

Here are some essential techniques for a beginner drummer to master:

Stick grip

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to ensure you’re gripping the sticks correctly:

1. Place the stick between the pad of your thumb and the finger joint closest to your knuckle of your index finger. This will be the main grip or fulcrum (where the stick pivots)
2. Squeeze the stick, you should see the muscle at the inner base of the thumb contract
3. Now gently wrap the rest of your fingers around the stick one at a time. These fingers should be there to support the stick.
4. Bring the stick into the middle crease of your palm
5. Pressure should be spread across the stick in order of fingers. Index finger applying the most pressure, followed by the middle, then ring, and finally little finger.
6. Now wiggle the stick in your hand, there should be some give allowing the stick to move in your palm. If it doesn't move then you’re holding the stick too tight and you need to release your grip a little. 

TOP TIP:

For a beginner, look for a pair of 5a drumsticks to get started.

The Vic Firth American Classic Drumsticks are an excellent choice and will last you for years of pad-based practicing!

Striking the pad

When you are striking the practice pad (this applies to drums too) you must make sure that you’re allowing for the natural rebound of the stick.

A good way to do this is to imagine that the practice pad is HOT, so hot that if you leave the stick on there for even a millisecond after the initial strike...it will burst into flames!

This will encourage you to generate pure effortless strokes that allows real drums to sound full and resonant instead of choked and dull. 

If you hit the pad and hold the stick against it, it will send nasty shockwaves down your arms that will feel uncomfortable, may cause injury and will make the drums sound awful when you get on a real kit. 

Once you have mastered the basics of holding the stick and striking the drums, it’s time to start looking at some rudiments. 

Here are some rudiments that are perfect to get you started: (R= Right hand, L= Left hand)

Single Stroke Roll

R L R L R L R L

Double Stroke Roll

R R L L R R L L 

Paradiddle

R L R R L R L L 

Practice each rudiment slowly, focusing on keeping the strokes nice and even whilst holding the sticks with a comfortable loose grip. 

If you want to take your hand skills further, books/DVDs such as ‘Stick Control’ and ‘Great Hands For A Lifetime’ are excellent tools to get those chops up to scratch!

Metronome

An excellent way to practice rudiments (as well as any new material!) is to use a metronome.

A metronome (also called a click) is a device that is used to help improve your timekeeping during exercises, as well as giving you a good measure of progress.

You can buy specially designed practice metronomes for drums, that have a range of features to practice specific time signatures and patterns.

Such as the awesome Tama Rhythm Watch. 

However, there are loads of apps (often free!) that have similar features and are inherently portable in your smartphone.

An excellent example of a metronome app is the ‘Metronome+’ app by dynamic app design.

For a very small fee, you’re getting a clean, easy to use metronome that has all the features you’d ever want.

Also, if you type in ‘metronome’ to google, they even have a basic one which I use all the time if I'm in a hurry or can’t get to my phone!

The measurement of time used in music is BPM, which stands for Beats Per Minute.

I would suggest that you start the above rudiments at 70BPM, with two notes or ‘strokes’ for every click.

An easy way to help practice this is to count 1 ‘and’ 2 ‘and’ 3 ‘and’ 4 and’ (repeat).

Every number should have a click at the same time, with the ‘and’ in between. 

For example for a single stroke roll:

Click!

Click!

Click!

Click!

1 and 2 and 3 and 4

and

R L R L

R L R L

To practice the other rudiments, just substitute the desired pattern of R’s or L’s in the bottom row. 

Warming up

Another excellent use for drum practice pads is to use it as a warm-up tool before practice sessions or gigs. 

Some of the portable options such as the Gibraltar Pocket Practice Pad and fantastic for this.

Drumming can be as intense and physical as many sports and drummers on a rock gig have been proven to burn more calories than football players!

This means that warming up before playing is essential, allowing you to perform at your best as well as reducing the risk of injury. 

Here’s my warm-up routine that incorporates a practice pad:

1. 10 mins of light cardio activity (jogging, box jumps, skipping) to get the heart rate up and blood pumping
2. Find a quiet area and grab a practice pad
3. Start with slow singles, doubles and paradiddles. Don’t go too fast or hard at this point as you just want to promote blood flow and joint mobilization.
4. Gradually increase the speed whilst staying relaxed. Don’t forget to BREATHE
5. At the same time keep a steady pulse with both your feet to keep them moving and warm
6. Just before going on stage do some arm swings and spine twists (trunk rotations) to get extra limber!
7. Rock out!

QUICK FIX:

If you’re super short on time but need something effective to get blood flowing to those arms and legs.

Do a couple of sets of ten star jumps.

Then hold your palms to your thighs and play a single stroke roll as fast as you can for a minute...this will quickly get the blood flowing and warm up those arms!

Read More >> How Do You Learn To Play The Drums As A Beginner?

What Should I Look For In Drum Practice Pads?

With the massive range of practice pads available out there, there can seem like an overwhelming amount of choice.

Quality

The main thing to look for in a practice pad is the quality of materials that are made of. There may be some very tempting budget options that look the same on paper as more expensive options.

However, these options often have more rigid plastic playing surfaces that are much louder and less enjoyable to play on.  

Also playing drums on a hard surface for long periods of time is known to attribute to repetitive strain injuries, especially if you’re a beginner and your technique is quite there yet. 

Versatility

Many practice pads will also have more than one playing surface, utilizing two different rubber sides with varying amounts of rebound. 

In general, hard silicone rubber has a very high rebound, which is great for percussionists and marching snare drummers to practice their chops. 

However, for drum kit players wanting to get more accuracy on a loosely tuned floor tom for example, it’s more beneficial to practice on a flat surface with minimal rebound. 

This is where two-sided practice pads are useful in giving you the best of both worlds in terms of rebound and feel. 

Portability

If you’re looking to keep a practice pad permanently at home or practice space, then a robust 12-inch practice pad mounted on a cymbal or snare stand is perfect.

However, if you need something to use on the go, a portable 8 inch or pocket-sized slim pad is the way to go. 

Often the more portable ones have knee straps making it even easier to practice when you’re out and about. 

Price

As a general rule you should be looking to spend between $20-40 on a portable, rubber headed practice pad. 

Practice pads at this price range are usually robust enough to withstand years of rigorous practice and travel.

My Top Pick: Evans RealFeel 2 Sided Practice Pad

Plus, they're such a great value for the money, check out the lowest price on Amazon right now!