Practice Anywhere

Drum pads or aka (practice pads) have a few uses. They are perfect for practicing your rudiments while trying to keep quiet, and the also are very portable so you could take it anywhere. Its almost become a standard for practice pads to come with two different sides. One side would be softer and quieter (Gum Rubber) than the other and give a nice bounce (Neoprene) while the other would be more of a speed pad as its harder and louder so you can hear each stroke very well. When planning out which one is best for you its recommended that its big enough to fit your lap about (10"-12").

If you've been drumming for some time now and still don't have one of these its nearly a must. Makes life easy to practice with a metronome and at odd hours of the night. Now when starting out in drumming or maybe you don't own a set just yet. Its highly recommended to get one of these and a pair of sticks to begin your practice and make sure you won't to cough up the money for a nice set. 

 (TIP: Create a challenge for yourself and work to achieve that. Example: Learn a new time signature or new rudiment. Make it achievable and set small goals like once a week to learn something new.)