Nearly 5 years ago, I moved into an apartment and had to figure out how to “make drums work” in a limited space with lots of noise constraints.

I had my usual acoustic drums that I hauled out on gigs regularly, but I had to figure out how to practice consistently in my living room without disturbing my neighbors. This ended up being quite a journey, and in the end I was able to boast that I never received a single complaint from a neighbor over the 2.5 years I lived there.

I’ll tell you a little about how I did it, but first I want to focus on the biggest things that these 2.5 years taught me. Believe it or not, these lessons are valuable for ANY drummer - no matter where you live.

• Know what you need to practice. I like to call this the “diagnose and prescribe” sequence. Be aware of your weaknesses on the drums, and diagnose them. Admit that your doubles sound horrible or your backbeats aren’t consistent. Then prescribe some action...

What if all you had to practice on was a practice pad? Imagine you have no drumset and no music to listen to, and all you have in your possession is a pair of sticks and a pad.

This may actually be your reality, and you’re shouting at the screen, “Stephen, this isn’t funny! I’ve been practicing on a pad for years now and I still haven’t been able to get a real kit.” If that’s you, this email is aimed to help direct your pad practice so that you’ll grow in your skills without a kit in your possession. And if you do have a kit, you’re probably limited as to which hours you can play and make noise anyway. Pad practice should be an important element of your regular practice as well. Today we’re finding the most effective thing to practice on a pad that has the most impact on your drumset playing.

A few years ago I was in the limited-practice-because-I-lived-in-an-apartment situation,...