Drummer’s Brain: Paradiddle, Smash Drums, and DrumBeatsVR

Back in the day, when I played guitar with two working bands, I’d occasionally sit behind the drum kit and play a simple 4/4 rock beat. Within seconds, I was flummoxed by my inability to coordinate my limbs, one foot on the kick, another on the hi-hat, hands flailing with sticks. My right brain and left brain weren’t coordinated. How did drummers do it? Did they have different brains?

Drummer brains. Yes, despite being the butt of many cruel jokes, the brains of drummers operate more efficiently and can communicate faster between the left and right sides, according to German researchers. They concluded that “long-term learning of complex motor tasks could lead to substantial restructuring in cortical motor networks, which could also have interesting implications for clinical applications for patients with motor disorders.” 

Drum circles. In other words, you can rewire your brain by beating on drums. A 2015 study found that regular participation in a drum circle “significantly and reversibly” improved PD patients’ quality of life and enhanced their walking gait and cognition. These results are a tribute to neuroplasticity — — the ability of the brain to change its chemistry and relink its circuitry. Drumming incorporates two proven neuroplasticity triggers: artistic engagement and physical exercise. The muscle memory and cognitive challenge of drumming improves motor coordination, aural and visual recognition, memory, and reaction time.

Musical synchrony and Dopa Beats. Playing hand drums in a drum circle (or playing a drum kit with a band) also provides the benefits of musical synchrony, which has been shown to “increase a sense of shared intentionality and decrease the experience of self-other distinction.” Doug Pickard, the exercise therapist who founded Dopa Beats, incorporated the drum circle approach for Parkinson’s patients. Using a creative mix of hand drums, primitive beats, and unique vocalizations (see clip), Pickard has carved out an effective drumming therapy that users can experience via Zoom.

Note highway. All three VR programs (Smash Drums, DrumBeatsVR, and Paradiddle) share a common arcade gaming feature: you must hit the specified drum in the proper rhythm with a song. You are guided in this goal by a multi-colored piano-roll style grid (sometimes called a “note highway”) that is coordinated with the colored drums. The goal is to hit the right color drum when the color appears in the “play” box (see video below). In some cases, the color notation is delivered via flying drums or flying disks that match a drum’s color. Smash Drums, probably the most popular drumming game, makes use of both Arcade style (flying drums) and Classic style (note highway).

What’s best for drummers. Gaming has been shown to be effective in rehabilitative treatments, and the note highway drumming games may improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and motor activity. These games also mimic complex motor tasks, and they’re progressive; you move from easy to hard, encouraging neuroplasticity. If you’re looking for fun, Smash Drums is the best choice. If you’re interested in mastering drumming, the Paradiddle app is your best choice. Designed by a drummer who wanted to have a set of drums available at his office job, Paradiddle is geared towards musicians, not merely gamers. What sets Paradiddle apart:

• the ability to import songs and sheet music.
• passthrough support allowing the user to play along with other musicians.
• over 50 drums and percussion instruments, five customizable kits, and “mallet” instruments such as the marimbas and xylophone, all of which can be easily moved and customized,
• MIDI input/output support, including the ability to use a USB foot pedal, and
• 10 built-in drumming lessons.

This is my brain on VR drums: Since my brain couldn’t play drums before PD, I wondered whether I would now be able to coordinate my limbs using a VR set. It turns out anything is possible if you’re willing to practice. I chose two Paradiddle drum lessons (Lessons 3 and 5) and one Smash Drums song. (“Lover Boy” by Kid Dope) and after eight half-hour sessions, I saw a noticeable improvement. My Smash Drums scores jumped approximately 33% . My “perfect hits” on Lesson 3 improved 238% and on Lesson 5, a whopping 463%.

A week later, I learned something else. If I didn’t practice regularly, my scores dropped precipitously.