Keeping the rhythm while playing the drums is never easy. Even when you’re practicing and the pressure of a live performance in front of others isn’t there, you might still find it hard to keep the rhythm, particularly while learning or practicing some challenging new tracks.

Whether you’re a beginner or your skills are intermediary, it’s important to follow a few basic but somewhat challenging tips to help you improve your rhythm:

One thing you can do is practice with a metronome. Most drummers these days are required to play and practice with a metronome or click track, and they claim to make excellent progress as a result. You can find metronomes and other drum accessories at any local drum shop.

Another method is to alternate between playing and stopping. This is a great practice technique, since it basically forces you to lock your practice into a steady tempo.

Finally, it’s important to try practicing at different tempos. That way, you can gradually phase out times when you tend to rush through parts that are meant to be played slowly and slow down when you’re supposed to go full speed ahead. Practicing different tempos will assist you in not only correcting those areas of your practice, but also in learning to switch between tempos during a challenging piece, where that move is required.