Individual Practise Strategy

What is your primary instrument?

My primary instrument is the drums.

What is your current practice routine? [i.e how often and for how long?  Do you warm up?  Do you practise scales/modes or any specific techniques?  Do you work on a particular piece or just jam?

My current practise routine consists of a varied palette of exercises and practises. I try to warm up as much as I can starting with slow movements building up and slowing down to get my feet and arms working. Its important to warm up when playing the drums as it really is possible to harm yourself if you don't especially if you are playing for hours at a time. I find that practising technique and having 'jam time' is all important. Like having a balanced diet you need to have a balanced practised routine including the jam time where you can just let loose and play to your iPod and have fun because I find it important to play along with the styles that you like as well as playing to the music that you have loved that got you playing from the beginning.

What skills to you specifically want to improve? 

Specific skills I want to is of course all the basics which can always be improved such as stick control and rudiments which will always make you a better player but something I am quite keen to improve would be my palette. By this I mean how versatile I am and how I can use the drums in ways thats other people would necessarily always think of. I think it's important to be able to use what you have in te most creative ways and this is something specific I want to improve.

Devise an effective practice strategy that will improve technical ability, explaining how this will help you and why. 

I have been using a rehearsal plan which enables me to practise all parts to practising from genre building to rudiments. This is a plan for each day you rehearse giving you specific things to work on. This is very effective because it allows you to find what works for you and which part of practising you enjoy more and you can adapt it anyway you like. I like to try and practise all areas including stick technique and building speed but there's also time for jamming to song and playing with other musicians.