Adjust your tenor drum harness or stand so the tenor drums are the proper height. Like playing a snare drum, the drums should be at a height so you can comfortably play them without straining your wrists or having to raise or lower your arms below normal playing position.
Run exercises on tenor drums. Like any other instrument, these exercises improve your technique, skill and dexterity. Before you can do sweeps, blazing-fast double-stroke rolls and other complicated tenor parts, build up your ability to play fast 16th notes, sextuplets and other rhythms around the drums on a tenor set.
Practice tenor drum parts on one drum if you’re having trouble getting started on a part. Work out the rhythms and part before applying it to the multiple drums.
Play along with a metronome. This gives you consistent time and helps you keep in line, informing you whether you’re rushing or slowing down.
Play in front of a mirror. Watch your stick heights, which must match the other tenor players in your drum section. Make sure you’re not flailing your arms, unless the part demands extreme volume or your arm movements are part of a visual. Keep your stick heights to between 3 and 9 inches based on what the part asks for. Coordinate with the other drummers to ensure uniformity.
Relax and breath normally while playing. It’s natural to tense up when playing a fast or difficult tenor part, but this inhibits your playing. Keep your posture straight and your breathing flowing like normal.
Practice sweeps, slowly. Like any drum part, if you can’t play it, learn it at a slower tempo before playing it at the required tempo. In the case of sweeps, practice both inward and outward sweeps – the direction the sweep goes – making sure you’re hitting both drums cleanly.
Keep your hand under the crossing hand low when doing crossovers – when your sticks cross each other. This avoids sticks hitting each other, messing up the part.