If you’re a drummer who’s shopped around for a practice pad, you know there’s a ton of different options to choose from. They can range anywhere from $20, $40, $60, or even $100.
You can get Drumeo’s two-sided practice pad for $35 if you don’t have time to DIY it.
But if you’re on a budget, you can make your own practice pad with items from your local dollar store for less than $10!
Reuben Spyker is here to walk you through the process step-by-step.
Editor’s note: The dollar amounts shown in the video aren’t the cost of each item: they’re the total of the products. So the laptop case was $4, the cutting board was $4, and the super glue was $1.25! The total cost to build the practice pad was $9.25.
How To Make A DIY Drum Practice Pad
Total Time: 1 hour
You should be able to pick up a laptop case (or two large mousepads, or even a cork hot plate), a cutting board and some super glue at your local dollar store for under $10.
Once you remove the zipper, you should have two halves of the case and plenty of material to work with.
With your drumhead as a stencil, use a marker to trace around it on the fabric.
You should have two fabric circles when you’re done.
If your laptop case or mousepad has a smooth material covering the foam inside, you’ll want to carefully remove it from three of the four sides (the top and bottom of one of the circles, and the bottom of the other circle) to reveal a rougher surface. Otherwise, the superglue might not adhere properly. Make sure you leave one side of one of the circles smooth!
Make sure this is the one where you’ve removed the smooth fabric from both sides. Apply the glue around the edges.
Make sure the smooth fabric faces up. That’s going to be your bouncy surface! Go over any spots you might have missed.
You can now practice your drumming skills anywhere. Not bad for $10!
Estimated Cost: 10 USD
Supply:
Tools:
Reuben Spyker filmed his first lesson for Drumeo in 2015 and is a graduate of Capilano University. He excels in all styles of music, namely jazz, and has some of the fastest hands and feet you've ever seen. Reuben shares tips for technique and style on his social media channels and beyond.
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