Ten years ago, embarking on the journey to Learn To Play Drums was a pivotal moment in my life. As someone with virtually no prior musical experience, it felt like stepping into the unknown. The quest for a beginner drum set led me to a quaint, slightly worn music store in my town, marking the first, albeit daunting, stride in my creative pursuit.
Looking back, that leap of faith was transformative. My passion for drumming ignited so intensely that it evolved into a professional path, encompassing both teaching and session musician work.
However, the initial stages of learning drums felt overwhelmingly challenging. It was like facing a colossal mountain. Simply put, I was lost about where to even begin practicing.
A quick online search reveals a plethora of drumming tutorials and blogs. Yet, for a beginner eager to learn to play drums, this abundance of information can be paralyzing. Rudiments and fills? Reading drum sheet music? Essential drum beats? And crucially, how do these elements translate into playing the music and songs I love?
I deeply understand that feeling of being directionless at the starting line. Initially, learning drums seemed as complex as rocket science!
Your Simplified Introduction to Learning Drums
This article serves as a streamlined, step-by-step roadmap to learning drums online. While numerous online resources cover various aspects of beginner drumming, few weave them together in a structured manner akin to learning with a personal instructor.
Consider this article your inaugural drum lesson in blog form. It’s designed for easy comprehension, covering all the fundamental topics essential for a beginner learning how to play drums.
By the end of this lesson, you will be equipped to:
- Play the most universally recognized drum beat.
- Jam along to 3 popular songs.
- Notate your beat ideas in sheet music.
- Adopt a professional drumstick grip.
- Practice maintaining consistent timing.
- Understand and discuss drum components.
No Drum Sticks? No Problem!
This initial part of the lesson is designed to be equipment-free. For those wanting to progress further, a helpful guide on necessary equipment is included later. However, to start jamming with songs and grasp drumming fundamentals, no gear is immediately required.
Ready to begin?
This entire lesson is designed to take approximately 90 minutes, but you’ll be playing your first song within just 5 minutes. You can tackle it in one go or use the menu below to navigate back to your last point of progress.
Let’s get started!
How to Learn to Play the Drums
(Use the links above to jump to specific sections.)
1. Understanding Rhythm: The Foundation of Drumming
What truly distinguishes a great band? It’s essential to know a key secret: exceptional bands crumble without exceptional drummers. As the drummer, you are the rhythmic heart, the pulse that animates the music.
This pivotal role comes with significant responsibility. A top-tier drummer must play with unwavering consistency and evenness, avoiding unintentional speeding up or slowing down. This rhythmic steadiness allows the music to resonate deeply with listeners, enabling them to fully immerse themselves in the band’s expression. Other musicians in the band will naturally synchronize with your rhythm, resulting in harmonious and compelling music.
Grasping Tempo
So, how does one cultivate consistent and even drumming? The key lies in understanding tempo. Tempo is the designated speed of a song, adhered to by every band member. Once the tempo is established, your primary task is to maintain this speed as precisely as possible throughout the song.
The most reliable drummers are as dependable as clocks. Even during the most energetic drum solos, maintaining the solid tempo that propels the song forward is crucial. Drummers often initiate songs by counting the tempo aloud: ‘1 2 3 4’!
Why count to four? Dividing tempo into groups of four beats provides a clear structure to the music, making it easier to follow the tempo and create musical phrases. While not the only method, it is the most prevalent way to count tempo.
After the initial ‘1 2 3 4’ count-in, the music begins. The instruments play as if this ‘1 2 3 4’ count is continuously repeated. However, instead of vocalizing the count, you will mark these beats using drums, transforming the spoken numbers into rhythmic sounds. Let’s delve deeper into this concept by immediately applying it to our first song!
2. Playing Your First Beat and Song
“Do I Wanna Know” by Arctic Monkeys is an excellent song for clearly demonstrating tempo with a drum on every beat. Give it a quick listen before we break down the drumming.
Notice the repetitive sound patterns? Matt Helders, the drummer, distinctly marks each beat of the tempo. Every drum sound you hear represents one beat of music. However, listening closely reveals two distinct drum sounds alternating with each beat.
3. Introducing the Bass and Snare Drums
The first drum sound in the track is the bass drum, followed by the snare drum. The bass drum is played on beats 1 and 3, and the snare drum on beats 2 and 4.
Try this exercise: Count ‘1 2 3 4’ along with the music, aligning the bass drum’s ‘boom’ with beats 1 and 3 and the snare drum’s ‘snap’ with beats 2 and 4. Can you hear how the drums and your counting synchronize? If you’re unsure, a short explainer video is available below.
If you feel you understand the rhythm, it’s time to start drumming!
- Tap your right foot to simulate the bass drum.
- Tap your left hand on your leg for the snare drum.
Coordinate your right foot taps with beats 1 and 3, matching the bass drum’s ‘boom’. Tap your left hand on beats 2 and 4, in sync with the snare drum’s ‘snap’. Try to maintain the rhythm with the song. Don’t worry if you find it challenging initially; timing is a skill refined through practice.
If you’re keeping time, excellent work! You’ve mastered the basic beat!
Variation: If you’re using bass-heavy speakers or headphones, you might detect faint bass drum sounds beneath the snare drums in “Do I Wanna Know.” While not essential to play, you can attempt to include these by playing a bass drum (right foot) on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4), instead of just on 1 and 3. The snare drum (left hand) rhythm remains the same, on beats 2 and 4. This means on beats 2 and 4, you’ll play both a right foot and a left hand simultaneously.
Translating these taps to a drum kit is straightforward; the foot and hand motions directly correspond to playing this beat on a kit. Before you know it, you’ll be playing along to a well-known song. Next time you listen to music, pay attention to the low ‘thump’ of the bass drum and the sharp ‘crack’ of the snare drum.
4. Understanding Eighth Notes and Your Second Song
Once you’re comfortable with the previous concepts, the next step is to explore notes that fall off the beat. Like a gymnast using bars for momentum, we use beats as anchors but can also express rhythm in the spaces between them. The simplest note type that exists both on and off the beat is the eighth note or quaver.
Counting eighth notes involves saying ‘1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and’. Playing these eighth notes, both on and between the main beats, provides more versatility for creating interesting rhythms and musical patterns.
The drumming in “We Will Rock You” is arguably the most iconic example of eighth-note drumming. Listen to it before learning more about this pattern.
Counting the rhythm of “We Will Rock You” aloud would sound like: ‘1 and 2, 3 and 4, 1 and 2, 3 and 4’. Notice how the ‘and’ after 2 and 4 are silent? We don’t need to play every eighth note; we can choose which ones to play and when. These silent spaces are called rests.
Ready to play “We Will Rock You”!
“We Will Rock You” uses claps to represent the snare drum. The basic pattern is: bass bass clap, bass bass clap, aligning with the count of 1 and 2, 3 and 4.
Now, your turn. Play “We Will Rock You” and tap the bass drum with your right foot and clap your hands on beats 2 and 4. You can see how this rhythm is a step up from the first song. As you progress, you’ll learn to play complex rhythms using all four limbs in coordination.
5. Playing the World’s Most Popular Drum Beat
Congratulations on reaching this point and grasping some fundamental drumming elements. If you’ve followed along, hopefully, learning drums seems less daunting than initially perceived!
Now, let’s increase the complexity by testing your three-way coordination with the most popular drum beat ever.
Important Note: A drum beat differs from a beat of music. A drum beat is a rhythmic pattern played over several beats and is another term for a repeating drum rhythm.
In this next drum beat:
- The right hand plays continuous eighth notes (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and).
- The left hand plays on beats 2 and 4.
- The right foot plays on beats 1 and 3.
Here’s a visual representation:
The new element, the right hand, represents the hi-hat cymbal, crucial in many drum beats.
Try this: Start by playing eighth notes with your right hand. Count ‘1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and’, tapping with your right hand on each number and ‘and’.
Next, add the bass drum. While maintaining the right hand rhythm, try playing the right foot on beats 1 and 3. This means you’ll play four hi-hat notes (right hand) for every bass drum (right foot), playing both together on beats 1 and 3. This is the beginning of coordination, which might feel challenging initially!
If you feel comfortable, try coordinating the hi-hat with just the snare drum. Continue the eighth notes with your right hand and play the left hand on beats 2 and 4. Both hands will tap simultaneously on beats 2 and 4. This coordination will require practice as your brain adapts to these new movements. Like learning to ride a bike, some wobbles and stumbles are part of the process.
Bringing It All Together
If you’ve mastered the separate parts, now combine the bass, hi-hat, and snare together.
Reminder of the pattern:
- Right hand: Eighth notes (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and).
- Left hand: Beats 2 and 4.
- Right foot: Beats 1 and 3.
If you’re starting to get the hang of it, congratulations! You’ve learned the most popular drum beat in the world. This beat is fundamental in our beginner’s guide to learn how to play drums. Becoming proficient with this beat is a significant step toward playing countless popular songs. It’s the first of 11 essential drum beats I recommend every drummer learn. These beats provide a solid foundation for your playing and are patterns I use daily as a drummer.
For guidance applying this beat to famous music, explore my beginner’s drum course, which comprehensively covers essential drum beats.
6. Essential Drum Equipment for Online Drum Lessons
I hope this lesson has shown you the rapid progress possible with focused effort. If you’re enjoying this and want to maximize the lesson’s next part, having practice equipment is beneficial. This doesn’t require a full drum kit or electronic drum kit initially.
For starting to learn drums online, a good quality practice pad and drum sticks are sufficient. A practice pad allows for quieter practice, developing technique and control before moving to a full drum kit. It’s also a cost-effective way to assess your interest in drumming, making it ideal for beginners.
I recommend this 2-in-1 pad and Vic Firth 5A Drumsticks. Vic Firth is a reputable and trusted name in drumming, ensuring high-quality equipment. This higher quality translates to a more realistic playing experience, closer to that of a real drum, compared to cheaper alternatives. Using quality equipment facilitates better technique development, which you can later apply to a drum kit. Having a pad and sticks will enhance your learning in the following sections, but you can also read along to see what’s next.
7. Beginner’s Guide to Holding Drum Sticks
Watch this incredible solo by jazz drummer Joe Morello. It demonstrates the impact of great technique on drumming. Correct drum stick grip is vital for becoming an excellent drummer. While Joe Morello’s hands seem incredibly fast, his movements are relaxed and controlled. His technique is in harmony with his body, requiring minimal effort for each note.
How to Properly Hold a Drum Stick
While specific grips will be discussed shortly, understanding key concepts will significantly improve your technique.
First and foremost: Relax! Joe Morello exemplifies this. The more relaxed you are, the faster you can play. Tension leads to fatigue and potential injury over time. Let your body move naturally.
Relaxed drumming leads to:
- Fuller, cleaner drum sound.
- More consistent rhythm and timing.
- Stress reduction and enjoyment.
Self-Check: While playing, focus on your wrist and forearm muscles. Are they tense or relaxed?
Utilizing the Bounce
Another technique is using the drum or pad’s natural rebound.
Try this: Hold a stick loosely and strike your practice pad. Notice the stick bouncing back up? You don’t need to manually lift the stick up for each beat. By leveraging the natural bounce, you conserve energy with every stroke. Eventually, your hands will primarily control the stick’s natural bouncing motion.
Minimize Large Movements
You can play effectively at almost any volume without excessive upper body movement. While dramatic stick lifts can be visually impressive, control and efficiency are key for speed and stamina. Lifting sticks high isn’t necessary for volume or speed.
8. Exploring Different Drum Grip Types
The following section details various drum grips used by professionals. Experiment with these grips to find what feels best for you. Don’t feel overwhelmed; choose one grip you like and use it as we continue. The Moeller grip is a recommended starting point.
Moeller Grip
This is my primary grip, offering excellent control and comfort once mastered.
Adopting the Moeller Grip:
Imagine swinging a tennis racket. Turn your hand over, palm down. Try bouncing the stick on your pad with a relaxed wrist motion, ensuring it doesn’t slip.
Moeller Grip Tips:
- Ensure a small part of the stick’s butt end protrudes from under your palm.
- Neatly curl your fingers towards the stick, with no fingers sticking out.
- Slightly extend your index finger away from the others.
German Grip
A fundamental grip used by many professionals, favored by traditional instructors.
Adopting the German Grip:
Let your hand relax in the position shown. Insert the stick and gently tighten your fingers. The stick should rest between the first joint of your middle finger and thumb. Position your hands as shown.
German Grip Tips:
- Stick tips should meet near the drum or pad’s center.
- Wrist motion moves the stick; practice this motion while staying relaxed.
- Maintain approximately a 90-degree angle between sticks.
French Grip
Favored by drummers like Steve Jordan and Jojo Mayer, the French grip emphasizes finger control for speed and precision.
Adopting the French Grip:
Starting from the German grip, bring hands together with thumbs pointing upwards. Your thumb should be above the first joint of your index finger – the fulcrum point for stick control.
Various stick movements are possible with the French grip. Pressure between thumb (pushing down) and fingers (pulling up) moves the stick. Thumb and index finger are strongest and often do most of the work. Arm motions can generate power, or smaller wrist/forearm movements can be used, involving a slight rotation, like turning a key.
French Grip Tips:
- Sticks should be parallel, not V-shaped like in German or Moeller grips.
- Experiment with using different fingers to control the stick (while keeping thumb on top). Try using fingers individually.
- Wrist rotation is sideways, making large up-and-down wrist movements difficult. Use a gentle rotating motion instead.
American Grip
A versatile middle ground between German and French grips, allowing techniques from both styles.
Adopting the American Grip:
This video explains the American grip, its distinctions from German and French grips, how to achieve it, and effective techniques.
American Grip Tips:
- Use wrists for power and fingers for control.
- Fingers support the stick without restricting movement.
- Practice transitioning between German and French grips to understand American grip as a blend of both.
Traditional Grip
The only grip covered here where hands hold sticks differently. Joe Morello uses this in the earlier video, essential for jazz drumming. Only the left hand uses traditional grip; the right hand uses a matched grip of your choice.
Historically, marching drums tilted right, requiring a different left-hand grip to reach the drum effectively.
While drums are no longer tilted, traditional grip persists for historical reasons and to emulate jazz masters. It adds a professional, knowledgeable look.
Jojo Mayer is a key influence on understanding traditional grip. His DVD “Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer” is recommended for advanced technique.
Adopting the Traditional Grip:
Turn your left hand palm up, thumb pointing upwards. Place the stick between thumb and index finger, resting in the soft part. Index and middle fingers rest on top, with the index finger pointing inward. The ring finger provides control from underneath.
Traditional Grip Tips:
- Stick should not touch the index finger knuckle; keep it in the soft part between thumb and index finger.
- Rotate forearm to move the stick.
- Keep thumb mostly upward; avoid rotating palm completely upwards. Only slight rotation is needed.
That’s a lot of information on grips! Don’t feel pressured to absorb it all at once. Choose one grip you like and proceed. Before applying stick technique, let’s learn about the drum kit itself.
9. Understanding Drum Set Components
Even without your own drum kit yet, knowing the parts is essential for a new drummer. Drum kits vary in size and configuration, but common elements exist. Typically, kits are 5-piece sets.
These 5-piece sets include:
Bass Drum: At the base of the kit, played with a foot pedal (Kick Drum).
Snare Drum: Positioned between the drummer’s legs, usually played with the left hand.
Tom-Toms: High and mid toms on top of the bass drum, low tom to the drummer’s right.
Tom-Toms Purpose: Beyond bass and snare, toms add variety and excitement. They create dynamic shifts and interest, preventing monotony. High, medium, and low toms offer pitch variations, typically used at section ends for ear-catching fills. These variations are drum fills, creating thrilling moments and audience engagement. We’ll cover drum fills using toms and cymbals later.
Cymbals
Cymbals complement drums, like fine wine with a meal, enhancing your drumming. Cymbal highs balance drum lows, creating a rich percussion sound. Three main cymbal types are essential.
Hi-Hat Cymbals
Hi-hats synchronize bass and snare, maintaining band rhythm. A foot pedal closes them for a tight ‘chick’ sound, as in “Billie Jean.” Hi-hats can also open for dynamic changes and drum fills.
Crash Cymbal
Crash cymbals accent key musical moments or melody notes, providing a crisp, shimmering sound, often played with the bass drum for impact.
Ride Cymbal
The largest cymbal, the ride cymbal, offers a hi-hat alternative for beat variety, creating a big, washy sound instead of the hi-hat’s tight ‘chick.’
Fun Fact: Drummers often switch from hi-hat to ride cymbal when a song transitions from verse to chorus.
10. Understanding Drum Sheet Music and Drum Tabs
Now that you’re familiar with the drum kit, it’s time to express your creativity and generate your own ideas. We’ll learn to read drum sheet music and tablature, often the quickest way to learn new beats. You’ll be able to notate and play your own and others’ drum beat ideas, even playing beats you’ve never heard before!
This is a basic introduction; a more detailed guide to reading drum sheet music is available for deeper learning.
Reading Drum Sheet Music
Sheet music provides three key pieces of information:
- Drums and cymbals to play.
- When to play them.
- How to play them.
Let’s look at the sheet music for the “Billie Jean” drum beat.
Each drum or cymbal is on a different line. Cymbals are marked with crosses instead of notes. Now, let’s determine when to play each drum.
Music starts with bass drum and hi-hat. Focus on the bass drum first. In the example, the bass drum note lasts for one beat, a crotchet, identified as a black note or cross with a single straight stick. Music sections always start on beat 1, so play the bass drum on beat 1.
Next is the snare drum (ignoring hi-hat for now). If the bass drum lasts one beat and starts on beat 1, the snare drum must be played on beat 2.
Counting aloud ‘1! 2!’, you play bass drum on 1, snare drum on 2, repeating for beats 3 and 4.
What about hi-hats? Hi-hat notes look different, joined by a bridge. These are quavers or eighth notes, lasting half as long as crotchets.
Quavers are counted as ‘1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and’, as used earlier for “Billie Jean.” In each section, you have four beats of notes to use. Decide how much time each note takes before the next is played. Start on beat 1, adding notes until you reach four beats, then return to beat 1, separated by bar lines.
Isn’t that 8 beats? Counting is horizontal, not vertical. Multiple notes can be played simultaneously within four beats per bar. If confused, ask questions or consult the drum sheet music guide for more detail.
Dynamic Symbols
Sheet music often includes symbols and letters indicating how to play, not just what to play. Here’s a common dynamic symbol:
This dynamic symbol, mf, means mezzo forte, or moderately loud. Symbols might not always be present, requiring musical interpretation for appropriate playing. This also allows improvisation and personal expression.
Designing Your Own Drum Beats
Using sheet music knowledge, try designing your own beats by rearranging bass and snare patterns. Instead of bass on 1 & 3, snare on 2 & 4, experiment with different combinations. Examples are provided with sound examples.
Try writing a beat on paper, then tapping it out like the “Billie Jean” beat. You’ve now composed your first drum music!
Drum Tablature (Tab)
If you can read sheet music, you can also read drum tab, a quicker shorthand for writing drum beats, often with less detail. Here are examples:
Basic drum tab for hi-hat, snare, and bass, with a busier bass and snare pattern than the sheet music example. More complex tabs exist, but often require listening to the song while reading to fully understand the performance. Regardless of notation method, you now have tools to create and express your own drum beats!
11. Learning Drum Rudiments
Beyond basic beats, another fundamental drumming element is rudiments – essential patterns that appear in various musical styles. Mastering rudiments allows you to play diverse music, create drum solos, and move around the kit effortlessly.
Speed Development: Single Strokes
For fast playing, learn single strokes. This simplest pattern uses alternating hands for speed. Play one note with the right hand, then one with the left. Easy at slow tempos, but challenging to keep even and balanced at speed. Aim for consistent volume from both sticks. Add accents (louder notes) on the first of every four notes. When sticks blur, you’ve achieved speed!
Smoothness and Speed: Double Strokes
Another game-changing rudiment is the double stroke. Play two notes with the right hand, then two with the left. Useful for speed as one wrist movement can produce two notes using the stick’s bounce, saving energy and allowing faster, more complex rhythms and fills.
Expanding Your Vocabulary: Mixed Rudiments
Drummers expanded beyond single and double strokes, creating a vast world of rudiments. There are 40 standard rudiments and countless variations; you can even create your own. Let’s explore the paradiddle as a final example.
The Paradiddle:
The paradiddle pattern is: Right Hand, Left Hand, Right Hand, Right Hand (RLRR), then reversed: Left Hand, Right Hand, Left Hand, Left Hand (LRLL). It’s two single strokes followed by two double strokes and its mirror image, totaling eight notes. The paradiddle is excellent for drum fills, hi-hat/snare interplay, and variations. Next, we’ll practice rudiments and apply them musically.
12. Practicing with a Metronome
For mastering rudiments (or any drumming element), the metronome is invaluable. Metronome apps are available for phones or computers, helping you maintain timing. It plays beats, helping you keep perfect time with clicks, revealing if your drumming is even and stage-ready.
Challenge #1:
Set metronome to 80 bpm. Play one note per click on your pad or kit, starting with single strokes. Anticipate the next click to play in sync, like musicians in a band. This is the first metronome challenge. If unsure of sounds, video examples are provided. Practice each exercise using an online metronome. Take your time; don’t rush.
Challenge #2:
Play quavers (eighth notes) with the metronome – two notes per beat, with one note between metronome clicks. Practice the three rudiments (single strokes, double strokes, paradiddles) as quavers, switching between them as you get comfortable.
Challenge #3:
Classic drum fills often use semiquavers (sixteenth notes), twice as fast as quavers – four notes per beat. Practice rudiments as semiquavers with the metronome. Count: ‘1 e and a, 2 e and a, 3 e and a, 4 e and a’. Once comfortable with rudiments, apply them musically in drum fills.
13. Playing Drum Fills
Every beginner drummer should learn basic drum fills. Drum fills add flair to beats, creating memorable moments in songs, like the iconic fill in Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” We’ll learn to add drum fills as a finishing touch to regular beats.
Drum Fill #1
Remember the “Billie Jean” drum beat? Play it three times, but on the fourth repetition, add a variation. Here’s the sheet music:
The two quick notes at the end are an open hi-hat and snare drum. Listen for this fill at 1:09 in the “Billie Jean” video. On the ‘and’ of beat 4, play an open hi-hat, followed by a quick snare on the ‘a’ of 4. Count ‘4 and a’ while practicing on a pad. This snappy fill is easy to learn and transfer to a drum kit, even without opening the hi-hat.
Drum Fill #2
Here’s another versatile fill for various musical situations, longer and more attention-grabbing, using the paradiddle rudiment. Sheet music:
And the sound example.
Pad demonstration.
In the last bar (fill bar), beats 3 and 4 are filled with the paradiddle in semiquavers (four notes per beat). The right hand plays hi-hat, left hand plays snare. Learning paradiddles unlocks more than one fill; rudiments can be applied in countless drum kit combinations. Practice patterns on a pad, then unleash them on the kit.
Conclusion and Next Steps
I hope you’ve enjoyed this beginner’s guide on how to play drums. Nothing prevents you from becoming a creative, unique, and inspired drummer. Congratulations on absorbing this information and hopefully learning something new!
Inspired by what you’ve learned? Wondering “where to go from here?” I’ve created a drumming survival course for new drummers, covering essential knowledge. Learn more about the course here.
I hope my drumming passion has inspired you to discover your musical talents and potential.
