How to Play Drums

Guide Note

Whether you dream of rock stardom or just want to bust out some beats on the weekend, How to Play Drums will provide you with the tools necessary to get started behind the set. From reading basic rhythmic notation to tackling odd time signatures, you may find both information and inspiration in the steps below.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Drum like a pro. (Creative Commons photo by Alex)
Drum like a pro. (Creative Commons photo by Alex)
  • Every time you see a band on TV, all you can think about is how much fun it looks like the drummer is having. You lose sleep at night, tossing and turning with dreams of beating cylinders rhythmically with sticks. The last time you heard someone singing along with a song on the radio, you were surprised to realize there was anything more to that song than a killer beat.
  • If this describes you, or even if you just have a fleeting curiosity about playing the drums, then you're on the right page. But before you go wowing fellow music store patrons with your drum skills, you'll need to bone up on a few fundamentals. Like any instrument, drumming takes years of practice to master and has complex intricacies that you can't learn in just a few hours. Luckily, it isn't too hard to get up and running with the basics of playing the drum set. By the time you get through this how to, you'll grasp the concepts of drums and will be able to play some basic drum beats—and determine if investing in a drum kit is in your immediate future!

Step 1: Learn Basic Rhythmic Notation

Quarter Notes

  • Drummers have to keep the beat, so before you start learning the drums you're going to have to familiarize yourself with reading the basics of rhythm notation. But fear not—as long as you can count to 4, you should have no problem keeping up!
  • In fact, if you count to four, that is one measure (or "bar") of quarter notes. Quarter notes have a "stem" (a vertical line coming off them) with no flag. They look like this (we're using Xs because we're not talking specific notes right now, just rhythms):
  • Here is an audio example of 2 bars of quarter notes:

NOTE: The rectangular figure on the left is called a "percussion clef." It is used in place of other musical clefs like the treble clef to denote that the lines and spaces represent percussion instruments, not notes.

Eighth Notes

  • The next rhythm is the eighth note. There are 2 eighth notes for every quarter note (8 in a measure), so they are half the length. An easy way to remember how eighth notes sound is to say "and" after each beat from one through four. Eighth notes have a single flag on the top of the stem. When there are multiple eighth notes next to each other, their flags can connect in a straight line.
  • Here is one bar of eighth notes:
  • Audio of 2 bars of eighth notes:

16th Notes

  • 16th notes are four to a beat (or 16 to a measure). Count 16th notes by adding an "e" (pronounced "eee") and an "a" (pronounced "uh") like so: 1 - e - & - a - 2 - e - & - a ("one eee and uh two eee and uh"). 16th notes have 2 flags and can also be grouped together by using straight double lines.
  • Audio of a bar of 16th notes:

Combining Rhythms

  • Applying your shiny new knowledge of rhythm is easy now. Take a look at the figure below. If you subdivide each beat into fours using the syllables we discussed above, it's easy to figure out when each note sounds. The circled beats are where the rhythm falls, so out loud you would say "ONE eee and uh TWO eee AND uh THREE EEE AND uh FOUR eee and uh." Try clapping out the rhythm as you recite the syllables until you can clap it without accompaniment.
  • Take it slow at first, and soon it will become second nature.
  • For more practice with reading rhythms, check out FreeDrumLessons.com or pick up some instructional books at your local music store!

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Step 2: Know Your Drum Set

  • So you can read some rhythms now... Good! The next step is to apply those rhythms to the various pieces of a drum set (also called a drum kit). Once you know how each drum or cymbal is represented, you will have the skills necessary to start learning some drum beats. A drum set can be as big and complex or as small and stripped down as you like, but here are the basic components of your standard set (along with how they are represented in drum notation):
Components of the basic drum set (Creative Commons photo by Niels Heidenreich)
Components of the basic drum set (Creative Commons photo by Niels Heidenreich)

Snare Drum

  • The snare drum is the drum that you will be using the most in the set. The "snares" are metal wires on the bottom of the drum that give it its sharp, percussive sound. The snare is positioned to the left of the bass drum. When you sit down to play, however, it will be right in front of you (like in the photo above). The part of any drum that you hit is called the "drumhead."
  • Drum notation varies, and most sheet music will specify where each drum or cymbal is represented on the music staff (or "stave"). On this page, the snare drum will be on the second space from the top.

Tom-Toms

  • The toms are the lower-pitched drums arranged around the set. There are usually one or two rack toms (they are attached to the top of the bass drum) and a floor tom (which stands directly on the floor). As you go from left to right, the toms descend in pitch with the floor tom being the lowest. Toms are usually used for fills (discussed in Step 4) but can also be used in regular beats.

Bass Drum

  • The bass drum, or kick drum, is the largest drum which sits on the floor. It is the lowest in pitch and is played with a foot pedal. The bass drum is essentially the heartbeat of the music and has a deep, thud-like sound.
  • The bass drum is on the bottom space of the music staff.

Hi-Hat

  • The hi-hat is the set of two cymbals to the left of the snare drum. Using a foot pedal, you can close them together so they make short, choppy notes, or you can open them apart for longer, more sustained notes. Hi-hats are very bright sounding and are usually used to keep the tempo.
  • In notation, cymbals are denoted with an "x." The hi-hat is in the top space.

Ride Cymbal

  • The ride cymbal is commonly used as an alternative to the hi-hat for keeping tempo. It has a very long, ringing sound and is much darker in tone compared to the hi-hat. It is typically around 18-22" in diameter.
  • The ride is an "x" on the top line of the staff:

Crash Cymbal

  • Most sets have at least one or two crash cymbals. They are called "crash" for a reason, as they make a loud, crashing noise when you hit them. Crashes are most often used in fills or to accentuate certain beats in a measure. They are usually around 16-20" in diameter, and the different sizes allow for varying sounds.

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NOTE: Although most drum kits are set up in this left-to-right fashion, left-handed drummers arrange them in the reverse order.

Other Components

  • Although we will not specifically cover them on this page, there are many other cymbals, accessories, and auxiliary percussion options for your drum set.
    • Splash Cymbal: A smaller cymbal named for its "splashy" sound.
    • China Cymbal: A loud, unique-sounding cymbal that resembles the sound of hitting a trash can lid.
    • Tambourine: Often used instead of a hi-hat, it can be attached directly above it.
    • Wood Block: Literally a block of wood (but hollowed out for resonance), it is used for its loud click-like sound.
    • Cowbell: A metal bell. You can find cowbells in all different sizes and pitches.
    • Gong: The large circular cymbal-like piece sometimes seen behind the drummer, it is struck with a special padded stick and has a loud, sustained, Eastern-sounding tone.

Step 3: Play a Basic Beat

  • If you don't have a drum set yet but want to practice your coordination, you can play these examples with your hands and feet if you are seated at a table. Just tap your right hand for the hi-hat, your left hand for the snare drum, and your foot for the bass drum!

Proper Form

  • By applying your newly gained rhythm reading ability to the drum notation we just learned above, you're finally ready to start learning some beats! The first step, of course, is to sit down at your set.
  1. Just like your mother always told you, be sure to sit up nice and straight.
  2. Sit close enough that your feet can sit comfortably on the pedals (left foot on the hi-hat pedal and right foot on the bass drum pedal).
  3. To play the bass drum, place your toes and the ball of your foot partway up the pedal surface and press it down by kicking in a slightly forward motion.
  4. Although you may want to put your whole foot on the pedal and stomp down, you will get greater control and speed using the other method.
  1. You should hold the sticks loosely between your thumb and index finger (palms down), with the rest of your fingertips touching it loosely so that the stick bounces back a bit when you hit the drum.
  2. This is called matched grip, but there are some other grip styles as well.
  3. Remember to keep your body loose... Stiff drumming kills the feel and will cause fatigue much quicker, possibly even wrist pain.
  4. It's also a good idea to stretch beforehand (shoulders, arms, fingers, wrists, etc.) and to take frequent breaks as you learn. You need to build up some strength to be able to play for longer intervals, and the only way to do that is to practice!

NOTE: It's always best to play with a metronome. Even if you think you're playing in time, you may not be. The only way to be sure is to play along with a click. If you develop this habit early on, you will be much better off in the long run.

The Basic Rock Beat

  • The easiest place to start is with a basic rock beat.
  1. Play eighth notes on the hi-hat with your right hand (Example 1).
  2. Keep your left foot pressed on the pedal to keep it closed, and do it at a tempo you feel comfortable with.
  3. Any time you start losing your place, slow it down a little. You will be able to speed things up as you get better.
  4. Keep playing the eighth notes continuously as we move on to the snare.
  5. Rock music stresses beats 2 and 4, so that's when you will be playing the snare. Use your left hand to play the snare drum on beats 2 and 4 while you play eighth notes on the hi-hat (Example 2).
  6. You'll have to make sure your arms are positioned so the sticks don't hit each other since you are crossing them.
  7. While you want to hit the drums firmly, don't flail the sticks too high in the air as it wastes energy and can cause mistakes.
  8. The final element is the bass drum. This is where coordination kicks in (no pun intended), but if you take it slowly you will get it in no time.
  9. Play the bass drum on beats 1 and 3 (Example 3).
  10. As you play eighth notes on the hi-hat (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) you will be playing either the bass drum or the snare on each quarter note beat, alternating.
  • Did you get it yet? You've now played your first drum beat! Play it over and over until you feel completely comfortable with it. Take breaks and try it again. The goal is to get the coordination between your hands and your feet into muscle memory. You don't want to be thinking about what your hands and feet are doing at all. As soon as you start to think, the beat will break apart.

NOTE: A lot of drum notation splits up notes so that drum pieces played with your arms (like the snare) have stems facing up, while drum pieces played with your feet (like the bass drum) have stems facing down. For the purposes of this how to, it is easier to quickly read the rhythms when all notes are grouped together.

More Rock Beats

  • When you're ready for the next challenge, it's time to change the bass drum pattern a bit. Any time you feel like you're in over your head, go back to the original beat and start again. You will get it eventually - the easiest way to get frustrated is to keep trying to play something you're not ready for!
  • For the next pattern, play the basic rock beat, but add a bass drum on the & of beat 2. So you'll play the bass drum on beats one, the & of 2, and 3, like so:
  • Alternately, you can play the third bass drum beat on the & of 3 like this:
  • Now you can play 3 rock beats! They may be simple, but they are extremely useful! Think of how many songs you've heard that have used one of these patterns.

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Step 4: Expand Your Horizons

  • Since there's more to life than a few rock beats, when you feel like you're ready to learn some new patterns and techniques, there is no shortage of avenues to explore. The next step should be to learn more complex rhythms. Here are just a few examples of the things you can learn.

The Beat Goes On

  • Different styles of music have different beats that typify them. Funk music often consists of 16th notes. Here is a 16th note pattern that fits well in the funk genre:
  • Funk and hip-hop beats are easily interchangeable. Try playing the above pattern with 8th notes on the hi-hat instead of 16ths, and you'll have a good hip-hop drum beat.
  • But that's not the half of it. There are countless beats for jazz, Latin, metal, blues, pop, etc. For more ideas for new beats and styles to learn, there are many online lessons to sift through, or go to your local music store and pick up an instructional book or two.

Switch Up the Cymbals

(Creative Commons photo by Kaex0r)
(Creative Commons photo by Kaex0r)
  • You've already noticed that you have some cymbals other than a hi-hat at your disposal... Don't let them go to waste! Try using the ride cymbal instead of the hi-hat in the drum patterns you've already learned and notice how it changes the sound. Now try playing the crash cymbal and notice how the energy—and volume—goes up. With these three to choose from, you've now already tripled your options for drum beats!
  • You'll also want to utilize the open and closed positions of the hi-hat to add variety to your playing (kind of like the intro to "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith). In drum notation you'll often see a + underneath the beat when the hi-hat is closed and an o when it is open. You can even stomp your foot to close the hi-hat and "play" it without even using your stick.

Drum Fills

  • Drum fills add an interesting new element to your playing and can be great tools in making smooth transitions from one section to another in a song, or even just adding excitement to your drum part. The best thing to do to come up with fills is to experiment and listen to what other drummers are doing. Keep it simple at first - try just hitting a crash cymbal to accentuate certain beats in the measure. Then start incorporating the tom-toms. What ever you do, take it slowly at first. The most important thing is keeping in time and not losing the beat!
Learn Basic Drum Fills

Rudiments

  • Once you've mastered the basics of drums and would like to move on to something bigger, better and more advanced, it is essential that you begin practicing rudiments (drum rolls, paradiddles, flams). Rudiments will allow you to take the steps necessary to becoming a great drummer and can be applied to both your beats and fills.

More Techniques

  • As stated in the introduction, most instruments can't be completely summed up in a few simple steps. Drums are no exception. Here are some other techniques that you will learn as you delve further into the world of drums:
  1. Ghost Notes: Very light tapping on the snare drum, almost like dropping the stick on the drumhead so it bounces. Also called a grace note.
  2. Double Bass Drum: This either uses a specialized double pedal or two bass drums, allowing you to strike the drum rapidly using both feet.
  3. Rimshot: By striking the snare with the stick nearly horizontal (almost parallel to the drumhead) and hitting the head and the rim simultaneously, it creates a much louder, fuller sound called a rimshot.
  4. Rim Click or Cross Stick: Reverse the direction of the drum stick in your hand, place the tip on the head of the snare (in the center or near the edge), and strike the metal rim with the fat end of the stick. This creates a clicking sound that is often used in place of a regular snare drum hit in quieter songs.

Step 5: 6/8 and Odd Time Signatures

  • Everything we've played so far has been in the 4/4 time signature (four notes per measure, quarter note gets the beat), but there are many other time signatures that are used.
  • 6/8 is one of the most common alternatives to 4/4. In 4/4 time, a triplet consists of 3 notes played evenly over the course of time that 2 notes are normally played. In 6/8 time, triplets are the basis of the beat, with each measure consisting of six 8th notes.
  • Take, for example, "We Are the Champions" by Queen. Listen to the song and count along with the measures in groups of six ("ONE two three four five six ONE two three four five six"). This is a perfect example of 6/8 time. 12/8 is almost the same, only the phrases last 12 beats instead of 6 (like "Texas Flood" by Stevie Ray Vaughan).
  • Some songs are in 7/8 or 7/4. It can be hard to make odd time signatures sound natural, but there are plenty of popular examples of it, like "Money" by Pink Floyd. You could also think of it as a measure of 4 beats and then a measure of 3 beats like the verses in The Beatles' "All You Need is Love".
  • If you prefer to get even more complex, there are lots of other time signatures like 11/8 (The intro to "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers, 15/8 ("Limo Wreck" by Soundgarden), and 5/4 ("My Wave", also by Soundgarden, and "Take 5" by Dave Brubeck).

Step 6: Listen and Play!

(Creative Commons photo by Christina Rutz)
(Creative Commons photo by Christina Rutz)
  • Now that you've gotten the basics down, the best way to get better and have fun playing drums is to play along with the music you love. Learning your favorite songs is a great way to practice because it isn't as dry and bland as doing exercises. Listen closely to your favorite drummers and discover new techniques and how to play with good feel.
  • Here are some YouTube videos with examples of drumming in multiple styles and feels. Some of these parts are extremely simple, while some are extremely difficult... Maybe you can find something you like!

Simple Examples

Advanced Examples

More Stylistic Examples

More Famous Drummers

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Resources for How to Play Drums

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Have any great tips on How to Play Drums? Post your thoughts to the discussion board or email them to Evan: EvanB at mahalo dot com.