After a five-month break due to sports injury, I finally was able to practice drumming again today at a local studio in the Itabashi Ward of Tokyo, Japan.
Handmade Drum Practice Pad from 100 Yen-Shop Items
I recently came across a video by a Japanese YouTuber, and followed his suggested approach to fashion a drum practice pad out of items found at a 100 Yen Shop.
In today’s drumming practice, I expanded on some hi-hat patterns from the previous lesson, and explored drumming along the intro to Strawberry Fields Forever.
Drumming Lesson, Komagome, Tokyo, January 31, 2026
During today’s drumming lesson, the first in 2026, we began to work on “adding a fourth limb” into the mix, as in starting to use the hi-hat more consciously.
At my local Tokyo music studio in Hasune, Itabashi Ward, I did my first practice of 2026 today. Re-capping some of the 16th-note accents from the last lesson.
Drumming Lesson, Komagome, Tokyo, December 13, 2025
Today’s drumming lesson was a continuation on limb independence, and then switched to orchestration, i.e. distributing fills across different parts of the kit.
Today at my neighborhood music studio, I did another 2-hour practice session to work on limb independence and hi hat accents from the previous drumming lesson.
Drumming Lesson, Komagome, Tokyo, November 29, 2025
The focus of today’s drumming lesson was on limb independence - the ability of a drummer to coordinate their limbs to play different rhythms simultaneously.
Today, I went to my local music studio to practice some of the accentuated drum patterns from my previous lesson. I tried drumming along to a few songs.
Drumming, Bento and Eki Stamps, Komagome, Tokyo, November 8, 2025
During today’s drumming lesson in Komagome, Tokyo, we continued to work on accentuated patterns as started in the previous lesson at the end of October.
After kickboxing training before lunch, I went to my local studio this afternoon to practice some of the 16th Note Accents from last week’s drumming lesson.
Drumming, Lunch and Vinyl, Tokyo, October 26, 2025
After a longer summer break, I resumed my drumming lessons today. Afterwards, my wife came to join me for lunch, and then we went to a library in Bunkyo Ward.
After kickboxing training in the morning, I went to my local studio this afternoon for a little drumming practice. I will resume lessons later this month.
I’ve been taking my drumming slowly during the hot Tokyo summer, but since it has been almost a month since my last practice, I went to my local studio today.
It was a rainy and muggy day in Tokyo today, but I wanted to do some drumming practice - so I went to the local studio again that I had discovered last month.
Hard to believe that it’s already been five weeks since my last drumming lesson. Today I went to Komagome again. The focus was on bass drum 8th-note patterns.
Today I went for some drumming practice. I recently discovered a rental music studio just two subway stops from my place, and I registered as a member today.
Active Saturday: Drumming, Cafe Lunch, Kickboxing, Yakiniku; May 24, 2025
Today was an active day here in Tokyo. I had a drumming lesson, then café lunch with my wife, went to kickboxing training, and then we had a Yakiniku dinner.
Today, I did two hours of drumming practice at the usual rental studio in Ochanomizu, Tokyo, in order to work on some 16th-note beats from the previous lesson.
I went to my third drumming lesson today at Komagome in Tokyo. Afterwards, I walked to Sugamo, from where I took the subway to meet my wife for a cafe lunch.
Health Checkup, Cafe Lunch and Drum Practice, April 28, 2025
Busy day today: After going to the clinic for my annual health checkup, I had lunch at a cafe and then went to a rental studio for some drumming practice.
Komagome, Tokyo - Second Drumming Lesson, then Lunch in Nezu
I had my second regular drumming lesson today at Komagome in Tokyo. Afterwards, I went to Nezu, where my wife joined me for lunch after her weekend sports.
Komagome, Tokyo - First Drumming Lesson, Lunch and Shotengai
Today, I went to my first regular drumming lesson at Komagome in Tokyo. Afterwards, my wife joined and we had lunch at a cafe, then explored an old Shotengai.