Start off with the basic quarter note rock beat. Have your student count four while tapping on a table or top of a thigh with one hand while stomping with their right foot on beats 1 and 3.
Establishing timekeeping skills while learning drums will prove to be invaluable as they begin composing drum beats and fills.
Basics
Starting drumming may be intimidating at first, but don’t let that stop you! There are numerous resources to assist with finding equipment tailored to you, learning music notation and picking up some basic beats. Practice regularly so as to build muscle memory and keep in drumming shape – while initially this may require motivation, drumming will quickly become enjoyable once it becomes part of a regular routine!
Begin by playing around with different beats and rhythms on a pad or drum set, ranging from rock to pop genres. A great place to begin would be with a four-beat pattern such as counting out beats while hitting your snare and bass drum; counting will help ensure everything sounds even.
An effective way to enhance your timing is practicing with a mirror. Doing this will enable you to identify any flaws in your technique and highlight areas for improvement, making this tool invaluable when first learning. Mistakes can often be hard to spot when first starting out – this tool makes the learning experience less daunting!
Focus on relaxing your grip. New drummers often make the mistake of “pointing” their index finger along the stick, which can lead to future problems. Instead, rest the butt of the stick in the fleshy part of your palm and curl your ring and pinky fingers around it for a more comfortable approach that saves energy as your wrist and arms won’t have to continually lift the stick up using their arms and wrists. This relaxed approach will also save energy because you won’t be constantly lifting up using wrist and arms as often!
Once you feel ready to advance, try practicing a two-hand pattern using both hands – the left will play the snare drum while the right will play bass drum – counting out four beats will help give an idea of the way music works and how you will need to hit drums in order to maintain it. Doing this will give an insight into song composition as you’ll gain a feel for how beats need to be kept even.
Rhythms
Music written for drums typically features two short vertical lines on the left-hand side – called the percussion clef – along with symbols representing various components of your kit. Each symbol represents different parts of your drum or cymbal set and its value represents how long each beat should last when hitting drums or cymbals; to keep time while unleashing creative musical ideas you will need an extensive rhythmic vocabulary in order to remain musically creative and stay on time with other musicians.
To achieve this, start practicing short, one-beat length rhythms as they’ll help build up timing and strengthen muscles in your hands, wrists and arms. They can also reduce risk of bad habits in your playing style like pointing the index finger along the stick or death gripping (when holding too tight around thumb, index and middle fingers).
Once you’ve mastered some shorter, one-beat rhythms, it is important to progress by only progressing when you can play each new rhythm accurately and confidently; otherwise, you risk wasting your time or worsening the situation!
An essential rock drum beat involves hitting the bass drum on counts one and three, the snare drum on two and four counts and the hi-hat cymbal every beat – this simple pattern forms the basis of most styles of drumming.
As beginners, one of the easiest beats to learn is the ‘four-to-the-floor’ groove. You can hear this rhythm in many popular songs and it adds a rock vibe – take Stevie Wonder’s Superstition for example as an excellent example!
Other essential rhythms you should practice are shuffle and clave rhythms. These variations of four-to-the-floor beat can add variety by using accented notes – harder strokes that add dynamic to music.
Learning how to use all the cymbals on your drum set can be extremely rewarding, particularly the ride cymbal which boasts the largest and clearest tone. Crash and splash cymbals can add extra effects and sounds that round off any musical piece perfectly.
Fills
Once you’ve mastered rudiments and free strokes, it’s time to experiment with drum fills. A fill is any variation on a main groove that adds excitement or flair; its aim is not just technical proficiency; rather, each fill must show emotion from its creator if it truly stands out.
For optimal drumming, understanding counting and tempo are both fundamental. Each bar (or measure) of music consists of four quarter notes that need to stay in time with one another – so in order to be an excellent drummer fill player you must count your beats consistently and remain synchronized with them.
As soon as you start practicing a simple drum fill, it’s wise to start slowly before trying to speed it up. This will build a firm base upon which to build your skill set and strive for consistency over speed when learning each fill – this journey won’t happen overnight!
The easiest and most beginner-friendly drum fill is the alternating flam. This rhythm features two sharp hits on the snare drum alternating with triplet rhythm across toms for an exciting drum fill with classic Motown feel.
Another effective introductory drum fill is the dotted flam, an arrangement based on an alternating flam with additional notes on beat three (such as an additional snare note on beat three and double strikes on floor tom and crash on beat four) that adds character and flair to any song. This fill can add both groove and soulful vibes!
Linear drum fills are more challenging to master than their more basic counterparts and require considerable coordination and brain power to master. Instead of using overlapping strokes for their patterns, these linear fills rely on unison figures and individual hits instead. An effective way to get started with linear fills is the matched grip; hold your stick comfortably in this relaxed but comfortable grip with index finger curled slightly along top and pinky fingers lightly curled at base for a comfortable learning experience.
Technique
Now that you have a basic drum beat down, it is important to focus on developing techniques to help play drum beats consistently and accurately. Focusing on accurate playing while relaxing muscles will lead to less control and potential injuries; keeping up with regular practice routines will ensure your skills improve at an accelerated rate.
Start small by playing simple beats first – this will enable you to build more complex drum beats while locking in with other musicians in a band, especially when working alongside instruments and vocalists.
Timing and counting should also be prioritized during practice sessions, something many beginning drummers struggle with. Out loud counting is one way to ensure you hit beats at an appropriate tempo; counting mentally is another useful technique for keeping tabs on timing as you play.
Once you have the basics and free strokes under your belt, it’s time to incorporate a snare drum and bass drum into your beat. This will enable you to begin creating rhythms of your own and play along with songs on the radio.
As you build up your snare and bass drum skills, try to focus on hitting notes evenly with equal pressure. While it might be tempting to go for more powerful playing styles, consistent pressure will provide greater accuracy and consistency than power playback can do.
While practicing snare and bass drumming, another important aspect to keep in mind is using your ride cymbal effectively. As it’s usually the largest cymbal on a drum kit, its presence adds extra character and variety to drum beats. Experiment by adding hits from both snare and bass drum to your patterns using it – your drumming should become fuller and more engaging over time!
Once you’ve mastered basic beats and gained control of both snare and bass drum, it’s time to introduce more complex rhythms. Begin by mastering simple rudiments such as open and closed rolls; these will help develop timing and consistency needed for more advanced drumming techniques such as paradiddles and flams.