Advanced Drum Lessons There comes a point point in every every drummer’s drummer’s life when when they have have outgrown outgrown rudimentary techniques. Everyone wants to challenge themselves. The reason reason most of of us are so drawn to to our instruments instruments is solely solely due to to the fact that they are so complex and bring forth so many possibilities. Learning how to play the drums takes persistence, patience, and some good lessons.. There also comes a point when when you may have hit the the wall’ and run out of new ways to challenge yourself. !o matter what your reasoning for wanting to advance your skills and open your mind, these advanced drum lessons will help you do "ust that. #e will be taking an outside approach to doubles bass and snare using concepts such as odd time signature and syncopation. $et ready to have your body and musical spirit pushed to the limits%
Lesson &' Extreme !ote (alue )hanges
*sing $uitar +ro to to transcribe, this lesson involves the usage of odd drops in note value. *sing only your bass pedals, we will also be exploring an uncommon time signature- &/0. This exercise uses thirty second notes, sixteenth notes, and eight notes. !otice the oddness of the groupings of notes. This exercise has a very progressive metal feel to it, utili1ing experimental, yet functional, groupings. The twenty twenty two thirty2se thirty2second cond notes followed up by the four eighth eighth notes notes makes makes for a very di3cult exercise. This exact exact tactic was was employed employed to help you open your your minds to drastic tempo tempo changes and the ways that they can change the overall feel of the piece. 4t is important that you use a metronome to practice this exercise, starting o5 at around 672&77bmp.
Lesson ' 8yncopation, 9rastic !ote (ariation (ariation and :dd ;ests This exercise exercise is a lot more more di3cult. *sing the snare to accent the the thirty2second thirty2second note bursts, this exercise could take you months to learn. The syncopated sixteenth notes in place of eighth notes make for an interesting
!ot only is this exercise extremely di3cult, it is also in an abnormal time signature- =/0. >efore you even sit at your kit for this one, try clapping out the beat to memori1e the rhythmic pattern. ?nother highly progressive and "a11 in
Lesson A' !on2$rooving :ur @nal lesson has a more improvisational feel to it. The piece doesn’t have a groove, but more of an experimental feel. :nce more, this piece utili1es both odd rests and note groupings.
The hardest hardest thing for a drummer drummer to learn learn is to not always play like a drummer. drummer. 4f you listen to bands like 8piral ?rchitect or 8pastic 4nk, you will see the full scale of this. #hen playing this last piece, as with the others, use a metronome, metronome, and be patient. They may seem wild at @rst, but but these these pieces will be invaluable invaluable tools in helping you to create your own image as a drummer. :nce you have mastered these exercises, your will @nd it easier to approach music from a whole new level.
List of 4ntermediate and ?dvanced 9rum Lessons' B& C Essential 8nare Techniques ?nd 9rills Dou !eed to now Fost drummers use the snare drum as a method to keeping time but the use of the snare isn’t limited to only that. 4n this lesson, we will explore the di5erent ways in which the snares could be used.
B C A 8teps to 4ncrease Dour Level of G9rum2manshipH 9o you want to get better at your drummingI *sing A simple tips, we will give you the tools that will help you achieve a higher level of playing in no time. BA C ?dvanced Tom Tom >eats to )hallenge Dour 8kills Tom toms are often overlooked beyond the beginner beats. 4n this article, we will show you examples of advanced tom tom patterns that will enable you to challenge yourself and have fun at the same time. B0 C 9rum Jills to 8pice *p Dour +laying Kow do you breakaway from the repetitive beats and rhythms in songsI ?s drummers, we can apply @lls and improvisations to spice up your style and create your own signature sounds. B C )ommon Traits ?mong $reat 9rummers 4mitation is the highest form of eat Kigh Kat ;hythms Jor ?dditional Jlair Learning how to play an o5 beat can really add esides standing out with your own style, it can help you improve on your cymbal skills too. B6 C +roduce *nique 8ounds #ith ?dvanced )ross 8ticks ;hythms )ross2sticking is an interesting way to create new sounds and tones. !ot only is it easy to learn, it can also add a whole new library of complex rhythms to your arsenal. BN C The >ene@ts of the Foeller Fethod The Foeller Fethod is one of the most versatile and useful technique that was ever created. 8ince the &Nth century, it had stood the test of time and is regarded as an essential technique in every drummer’s skillset. B&7 C )reativity in Dour 9rum >eats #henever the discussion of improvisation and creativity is brought up by my
students, 4 always tell them that they need to keep an open mind and experiment with things that they had never tried before. B&& C 4magination ?nd 4dentity 4f you want to establish your own unique style for people to identify you with, it is time to start thinking outside the box. 8etting yourself apart from other drummers is the best way to build up your reputation. B& C =/6 $rooves ?nd *nconventional Time 8ignatures #hen we talk about odd timings, many drummers cringe at the thought of expanding their play to new areas of music. 4n =/6 measures, it can create an impression of un@nished music and help expand your musical knowledge. B&A C >asic 8yncopated $rouping +atterns 8yncopation patterns can be attained through the additional o52beat strokes in a bar of music. This changes up the groove by making it slightly un2ordered and the trick here is to make it sound natural.
Snare Drumming Lessons And Techniques to Master
The snare drum is the most basic of voices in your drumming kit. #e use the snare drum so often that we usually overlook "ust what it is. 4 mean, it’s there, and it helps us keep tempo. Det do you really know how much the snare drum is capable ofI Fost drummers simply use the snare drum, as stated above, to keep tempo. :r they simply use it because they believe they have to, that it’s proper’ for a drummer to use the snare drum. >ut that shouldn’t be the reason we do anything as musicians. 4n this article, we’ll discuss di5erent uses for the snare drum that you may not have thought of before. Kopefully, some of these uses will be interesting enough to change your playing, even in the slightest of ways.
Kolding Dour 9rumstick
Jirst, before we delve into this snare drumming lesson, you need to observe how you hold your drum stick. >elieve it or not, all of your creativity is transferred through your mind, down your shoulder, into your arm where it makes a pit stop at the elbow, then out of your wrist and into your hand. This means that if you have a bad grip, you’re already a step behind. >ad grip leads to pain. +ain leads to bad form, which leads to a bad little thing called in in"ury. 4n"uries will put your away from your kit for months. Jor general purposes, we will simply discuss a traditional matched grip. +oint your palm towards the ceiling and lay your stick across it diagonally. !ow wind your index @nger and middle @nger you’re your stick. Dour hand should be three quarter of the length down your stick. Dou shouldn’t have a death grip on the stick, either- a loose grip is su3cient. !ow turn your palm towards the
#ays :f 8nare 9rumming !ow that you know how to properly grip the drumstick, we can talk about how to use the snare drum to make your music more interesting. *se accents. ?ccenting notes will help bring a note to the forefront. !ot only this, but it will take your playing away from the generic time keeping properties. #hen you accent a note, your stick should fall roughly eight to ten inches to the snare drum head in order to generate su3cient power. 4f you love accents, you may simply cherish the grace note. ? grace note is meant to be felt, not heard. That being said, your stick should fall no more than two inches onto the drum head. This helps to create a whisper. ?gain, this helps to highlight other notes, once more taking away from the general time keeping purpose of the snare drum. Jinally on our snare drumming lessons is the o5 beat. :5 beats are simply every other beat in an eighth note pattern. These, for obvious reasons, are odd feeling beats. They can also make a pattern more interesting. There are no set ways to play the snare drum, so in the end, try not to limit yourself. eep your mind open, and overall, have fun.
3 Steps to Increase Your Level of Drumming Today!
Every drummer wants to get better. The world of music is such a vast pool of talent, and nearly everywhere we go we see someone who makes us envious and we wind up wishing we were that good.’ 4n this article, using three simple steps, we will give you all of the tools that are sure to make you that good.’
8tep :ne' +ractice 8top being la1y% There is no overnight program to becoming a drumming god or goddess. !o amount of 9(9’s are going to help you if you don’t practice. +ractice is the only key component to making you a better drummer. 8it behind your kit every single day. 4f you make an excuse not to, don’t try and fool yourself- you’re weaseling your way out of practice. 4f you are okay with this, then you are also okay with not living up to your full potential as a drummer. 4f you believe that simply watching other drummers and commentating on their skills and techniques or lack thereof will make you any better, you have a whole world of other things coming. *nless you are putting in your hours every week, you’ll be at the same skill level next year as you are right this moment. >ut at least you won’t be in for a surprise now, because you have been told. Dou can spend all of your time wishing, or you can spend it doing. The choice is yours, but let us warn you that wishing isn’t a proven way to accomplish anything at all. 4n fact, it is the number one component to la1iness. ? good way to get started is with using good drum lessons on 9(9s. Dou might want to check out our review page for programs on di5erent genres of playing.
8tep Two' +lay ;ight Jlailing about your drum steps like some kind of animal isn’t going to make you any better. 4f you believe that you can make up for your sloppiness by twirling sticks and "umping up and down, you obviously need to reevaluate your current situation.
4t is true that fans go to shows to be entertained to a certain degree. !o one wants to hear an awful drummer smashing his kit to bits like a drunken man. 8it up straight and conduct yourself like a human behind your kit. +utting on a show is @ne and dandy, but playing your set well should come @rst on your list of priorities. 4t will separate you and your band from every forty year old cover band that still thinks they are a bunch of rock stars because they can play Jree >ird. >e professional, and take pride in your execution.
8tep Three' ;efer to 8tep :ne Des, yet again we are telling you to practice. ?nd for good reason. There are no cheats to becoming a better drummer. Dou need to practice. There is no way around this, so you might as well learn it now. 4f anything, you should have been halfway to your kit after reading step one. 8ince you are reading step three, you obviously aren’t, so please take this as the incentive to get behind your kit and start practicing. Dou owe it to yourself, and any potential fans you may ever have- so do it.
Advanced Tom Tom eats to hallenge Your urrent S"ills 9rummers grow. ?s they do, they require more challenges. 4f there aren’t any challenges, how is playing the drums even remotely funI :ne of the fun ways to advance your skill is through the use of the tom toms. 4n this article, we will go over two sample advances tom tom beats that will allow you to challenge yourself, as well as give you some ideas on how you can change your playing to create more challenges for yourself. >efore we get into the bulk of the article, it is important that you look at your skill level. 4t is dire that you are honest with yourself. Konesty is the key to proper learning. 4f you attempt to tackle a lesson that is far out of your reach, you may have issues with mechanics. 4f you understand the use of syncopated rhythms and know how to play syncopated patterns, you are halfway there already. 4f you aren’t or you are new, head to the beginner drum lessons section to hone your skills @rst.
The other thing you need to assess is how comfortable you are with rests. :ur examples will have odd rests, which means that you need to be completely comfortable with odd timings in order to tackle them. 4f you’re comfortable with your syncopation, and your rests are as good as they’ll ever be, then it’s time for our examples.
?dvanced Tom Tom >eats Example &'
4t is best that you clap this pattern out before tackling it on your kit. Fake sure you know the timing of each note, as well as the rest placement. ;emember to focus on each note as it comes. Thinking ahead will simply "umble up your hands. :nce you can comfortably clap the pattern, use a metronome to play it. 8tart o5 slow and allow your hands to memori1e their strokes.
?dvanced Tom Tom >eats Example '
?s we mentioned earlier, clap this pattern out before you dive head @rst into it. The rest placement is a bit odd. This is why it is important to be comfortable with odd note placements. :nce mastered, they can be your best friend as a drummer. The key is to take it slowly and allow your hands to do all the work. 8ome of the rests come on the primary beats, while some come on the secondary beats. Fake sure that you are fully comfortable with this before you decide to sit at your kit to play the pattern.
>roaden Dour )reativity
!ow that you have seen some examples of advanced tom tom drum beats to spice up your drums playing, try creating your own. Trying di5erent note groupings, and di5erent patterns can have great results. !otice how the second example ascends and descends whereas the @rst mostly descends. 9on’t limit yourself to linear patterns- try di5erent techniques. 4f you notice that most of your tom tom grooves are descending, try mixing it up and use some ascending patterns or some mix the two up. The only limits are those of your creativity. Try playing your favorite patterns in di5erent ways. ?dd rests and di5erent note values. Dou may notice we used all sixteenth notes- you don’t have to do this. eep your mind and ear equally open, and above all, practice.
#sing Drum $ills to Add olor to Your %ractical %laying
!o one likes to hear the same drum patterns throughout every song. Likewise, no drummer wants to play the same patterns day in and day out. The only problem is no one wants to rush to ruin a song. 8o how can we, as drummers, spice up our drum playing without sacri@cing the integrity of our pieceI The answer is simple really- through drum @lls. 9rum @lls are, as the name implies, @lling in spots with a quick run. They can add extra
?void Fessing *p Dour +iece The key to not ruining your piece, as most of us don’t want to do this, is being tasteful. 9rum @lls can be extravagant, or they can be purely simplistic. The length and the style of the @ll should depend on the piece itself. This means, in simplistic terms, that your @ll should be an extension of the song you are playing it in.
4f you are playing a "a11 piece, it is quite obvious that 7bmp double bass drum @lls are out of the question. They will simply ruin the piece, as they won’t @t well. >e intelligent- you know what style you are playing, and thus you know what techniques are used within that style. 4n most cases, a simple run on the toms is su3cient. 4n other cases, you may want to use a cymbal choke. 4t’s all about context. 4f you are playing a country piece, or a ballad, you want to keep you mind within that style of music. )onsider it beforehand, and plan out your @lls. >eing spontaneous can lead to some great things, but it can also lead to some awful things. :ne of those things is playing to an extreme opposite. Dou may think it is a neat idea to add a blast beat @ll to your blues song, but no one else will. eep your listener in mind at all times as in the end, they are always right.
+racticing Dour Jills 4f you plan out your @lls, it is important that you practice them. Jills can be used in a variety of ways- to enter a chorus, to accent a ri5, to outline a solo C anything, really. The important thing is that you take the time to practice, as you don’t want your great idea translating poorly due to poor execution. 4f you have an idea of what you want to add to a song as a @ll, play it for your band members. Fost of the time, they will tell you a complete honest opinion up front. This is because, not only are you playing over your song, but you are also playing over their song. They want it ruined "ust as much as you do. 4n the end, the best approach to spicing up your drumming through use of drum @lls is to be careful. :utline your ideas thoroughly in your head, put them to work in practice, and if they sound good, use them. 4f not, chuck the idea and wait for something new.
& ommon Traits Among 'reat Drummers You Should Ta"e After
Learning from the pros C this is probably the most inspiring way to educate and nurture the skills that you already possess. This concept is applicable to almost any @eld that needs learning. 4f you are trying to learn drumming, this same notion is a great way to learn.
?lthough practicing and reading the technicalities of drumming is an imperative part of learning, understanding the common traits among professional drummers can provide with tips to reach success. This article will give you the common traits among great drummers. Fost of the traits are observable from the performance and the music of the great drummers of all time.
Traits ?ny 8uccessful 9rummer 8hould Kave 4f you are a real drummer, you should be able to detect those traits quite easily. Kowever, "ust for clarity, this article enlists them. Dou can examine this list to ensure that you are developing the traits any successful drummer should have. &. Early birds C ?ny drummer should have a sense of urgency. This is especially true if you are a budding drum player. ;egardless of the event that you will be attending, it is important to be early or at least, on time. This also holds even during practice sessions. . Diligence C 4t would take more than "ust talent to succeed in the @eld of learning how to play the drums. Dou need to be diligent enough to attend all of your practice sessions. 8ome great drummers are even practicing in their home after their practice sessions. 4ndeed, taking full responsibility of your own skill will pay in the future. A. Creativity C ?ll drummers should be considered artists. 4f you are planning to be one, you should start developing a great sense of appreciation for art. )omposing beat patterns will indeed need creativity, so you should be able to articulate yourself freely using notes. 0. Eagerness C To succeed in a @eld like drumming, you would need an unending source of eagerness, the most important trait in the common traits among great drummers. ?ll of your idols today have grabbed every opportunity given to them to reach drum mastery. This is the reason why you should be eager enough to face every opportunity in reaching success. . Adaptability C Kand in hand with creativity, adaptability should also be a trait you should possess. 8ince most drummers can make sudden changes in the music they provide as dictated by the surrounding, it would be a very important trait. Dou should develop this characteristic as early as your beginner years.
. Musically inclined C This trait seem to be the most obvious, but you should still develop it as a musician. 9rummers use their set of ears to create masterpieces, and your goal to do the same. eeping your mind sensitive to what is good beating will help you through composing your own solos. The common traits among great drummers listed above should not serve as a borderline. Every good drummer possesses more than "ust the six traits listed above. The question now lies on how you can become develop your own traits. Fake it your goal to surpass the number of traits that you can enhance.
Accented Semi (uavers )hythms to Spice #p Your Style The sixteenth note has made quite a name for itself. 8peed metal, "a11, hard rock- those are only a few of the genres that incorporate the sixteenth note into their music regularly. >efore we get into accented semiquavers, @rst you need to take a look at your drums playing. #hen you are striking, how high o5 the drum is your handI Kow even are your notesI Kow even are your accentsI 9o you use too much or too little powerI :nce you analy1e your playing while keeping these questions in mind, undoubtedly, you end up with quite a few answers. 8ome might even shock you. 4f you play with greater stick height, keep in mind that your strokes take longer to fall. 4f your power is distributed unevenly, work on keeping your notes within an equal volume range. The same goes for your accents- you don’t want a pleasant accent to be followed up by a cringe2inducing ear splitter. The key to learning to accent notes is to be able to keep your accents the same, and your regular notes the same, that way listeners can easily distinguish one from the other.
Kere ?re 8ome Examples :f ?ccents Kere are some examples of semiquaver accents, transcribed using $uitar +ro .
This @rst example shows the accent on the @rst beat. Dou want the accent to have as much power as possible, while still maintaining pleasantness. Dou don’t want your friends and family going deaf. ;emember that the power is mostly in your wrist and forearm, so don’t drive the stick with your bicep like a wild man, either. This second example has accents on every other beat. This means that you will be accenting with both your main hand and your o5 hand. ?ccenting with both hands will make the piece more di3cult, but it will also help you control the power of both hands much more e3ciently.
To help yourself remember the pattern of accents so that you can maintain your accent consistency, count your one2two’s Oone and two and one and two andPQ. Each time you say one’ or two,’ you will be accenting the note. Each and’ is a regular note. )ounting along is a great way to help muscle memory as well. The third and @nal example is a little more di3cult. #ith doubled accents, followed by doubled, regular notes, your power has to really be in check. This exercise is a good tool to gauge exactly how in control of your striking power you truly are.
#hen accenting the @rst two notes, be aware of stick height. 4f you end the second accent with your sticks too high, you will inevitably strike much harder
than you intend. This will mash together your accented notes and your regular notes, making them indecipherable from one another.
*sing Dour Fetronome #ith your metronome, slowly practice these drum exercises on your pad. >e sure to take note of your form. ?s 4 said earlier- stick height is very important when accenting notes. #ith accented sixteenth notes in your arsenal, you will have the ability to begin to take on "a11, hard rock, and even fusion. eep your form good, and practice hard%
*ff eat +igh +at )hythms to Add $lair in Your Style 8tyli1ed playing- everyone wants it, but not everyone knows how to obtain it. :ne of the easiest ways to give your playing a new
Jollow The Jirst +attern *sing the information we have gathered about o52beat patterns, get your metronome and try one out for yourself. This simple pattern, made using $uitar +ro , uses high hat o52beat rhythms.
?s you will see for yourself in this drumming lesson, your @rst foray into o52beat accents may be a little di3cult. 9rummers are primarily taught to follow a groove, and this can make learning o52beat patterns take a bit more time, as o52beat patterns tend to follow a stranger course. #hile they do have their own groove, o52beat patterns, to some, may seem odd and unpleasant. !otice that this simple pattern uses only the high hat and the bass drum. This will help you to establish o52beat coordination between your legs and arms. This is usually the hardest part of learning o5 beat patterns, as when using both of your hands the groove seems to "ust
8ee The 8econd +attern :nce you have mastered the @rst example we can move on to a bit more di3cult version of the o52beat high hat rhythm. This example involves the use of double bass and the snare, utili1ing both of your hands and one to two of your legs Odepending on how you want to play itQ.
4 do suggest running through the piece at least once using all four limbs, as this will increase the di3culty greatly and help you to gain better awareness of your limbs as well. #ith better awareness, you increase both accuracy and
4mplement :5 >eat #hen +laying
#hen you are able to play these to examples without error or hesitation, try implementing the o52beat into your own playing. 4f you have some favorite grooves you "am out on a steady basis, try accenting them on the o52beat. This will help you accent the o52beat later one when you are improvising. Jor now, keep playing, and don’t stop challenging yourself
Advanced ross Stic"ing )hythms to Impress %eople #henever the sub"ect is an GirregularH way to produce sounds using the drums, the @rst thing that comes to my mind is how 4 believed during my @rst drum lesson that using drums you can produce "ust about any musical sound. 4 did not know anything about drumming techniques, rhythms or grooves- all 4 knew that the solo my drum teacher played to me at the beginning of the class seemed so complex and astonishing that 4 immediately become a believer of Glimitless drummingH. )ross sticking is not something that pushes your skill limits too far' it is basically an interesting way to produce sounds using your drums that is rather easy to learn.
Kow 8hould +roper )ross 8ticking be 9eliveredI 4n order to execute a proper cross stick hit, put the tip of the drum stick on the middle of the area between the center of the drum head and your left hand. $rab the shoulder of the stick with your left hand Oin some cases you might use the right side, tooQ, and hit the facing side of the rim with the butt of the drum stick. +ay attention to the direction of the drum stick' too many drummers execute cross sticking with the butt touching the drum head. +roper stick direction results in a brighter, cleaner sound C and even if it might feel harder to deliver in the beginning, after a little practice it will surely feel natural.
#hen is )ross 8ticking *sedI )ross sticking is mainly present in afro2cuban rhythms. Fost reggae rhythms feature cross sticking, and so do a large portion of Latin rhythms. Kowever, cross sticking is really "ust a di5erent sound that can be added to almost any drum rhythm. Jor example, a slow rock rhythm quite often gains a deeper character when played with cross sticking.
The Limitations of )ross 8ticking ;hythms C #hatI% ?s 4 said previously, 4 became a believer of what 4 call Glimitless drummingH as soon as my @rst drumming class. 8ome people try to categori1e di5erent techniques and tricks and assign di5erent genres or playing scenarios to them. 4 preach something else C why would you limit yourself to use cross sticking only in reggae rhythms when your metal beat might become more interesting if you add a cross stick stroke at the third eighth note. There are two particular use cases of cross stick hits that 4 would like to mention.
Kow )an 4 *se )ross 8ticking *nusuallyI Jirstly, you should forget about the common belief that cross sticking only works on the snare drum. +roving the contrary is quite easy. Rust play some cross stick hits on your
The enefits of the Moeller Method And ,hat It an Do These days it seems that every single drummer has their own method on how to improve skill. 4 would be lying if 4 said that all of these methods work, or if even half of them are bene@cial. 4 would also be lying if 4 said the Foeller Fethod fell into that negative category. 4 have come across very few drum methods that are even half as helpful as 8anford Foeller’s method.
The Foeller Fethod is a method based around the snare drum. 4t was developed in the early nineteenth century, and has stood the test of time for a great many reasons.
The Foeller Fethod Teaches Kow To +roperly )ontrol +ower Fany drummers believe that they have great control, but the fact of the matter is many of them are wrong. #e all tend to think we are better o5 than we truly are. Foeller teaches how to properly control power to help di5erentiate between di5erent notes such as accents and grace notes. 4f you are interested in a 9(9 course specially dedicated to this, check out Foeller Fethod 8ecretsP 4 know 4 have personally heard Cand feltSmy fair share of over powered accents that made me cringe. 4 have also heard grace notes so light that they couldn’t be felt with a stethoscope. +roper balance in power is an extremely important foundational skill for drummers, and you can’t master styles such as "a11, blues, funk, punk, or heavy metal without it. 8tick grip form may seem like a basic piece of knowledge, and that is because it is. Rust like any other basic, it is also often overlooked in favor for "umping head @rst into impressive techniques and show o5 skills. Foeller teaches how to properly hold your drumsticks to better control your power, and also elaborates on how to properly use the wrist to generate proper force.
4mportance :f Foeller Fethod This skill is more than important, it is necessary to avoid in"ury. The wrists aren’t muscular- they are fragile. eeping your wrist sti5, while
+roper wrist technique also leads to quicker strokes. ;egardless of what style you play, e5ortless speed is far more help than hindrance. 4f playing in"ury free and developing proper form are within your range of interest, the Foeller Fethod can be an invaluable tool to help you further your drumming. >alancing your power can not only help you groove more e3ciently, but it can also help you to learn to play drums more dynamically, giving contrast between strokes and techniques.
+o- to Infuse reativity in Your Drum eats #hile the ability to read drum notation is still very important, the ability to look at the drum set C or any other instrument you might be playing C as one of your childhood toys is even more important. #hen you were a child you probably did not care too much about rules and constraints. Dou found the easiest and most beautifully simple way to express your feelings and emotions the most appealing.
Fake Dour Listening Liberal Jirst and foremost, you should reevaluate your "udgment on what is GgoodH and what is GbadH music. 4f there is a tune that was made public or is played in front of a public, than either the author or even the public believes that the melody2 rhythm combination in question is valuable. 4t might not be in your style, or it might not meet your criteria regarding musical abilities. >ut it de@nitely meets those who listen to it and play it. Every music conveys a message to someone, and we do not have the right to decide what message is correct or not and what tools should be used or not. >y opening up your ears and heart to all sorts of music, you will have the opportunity to @nd interesting elements in that kind of music and maybe GstealH some of those and reproduce them in your own tunes. ;emember, ignorance is bliss.
?pply #hat Dou Kave Learned for )reative 9rums +laying There is no point in playing paradiddles, ratamacues,
what it is good forI 4 have seen cases like that before' well, apply it in your rhythms, in your @lls, build up a drum solo. The list is endless- all you need to do is to make your practice practical' use what you have learned.
Do Not Fear The Unknown Evolution is not brought by the people who live the same way every day and are satis@ed with their current state. Evolution is the product of those who always question things, who are not afraid of entering the void, who are comfortable with trying out new things. 4f you want more creativity and freedom in your drumming, try something that you have never tried before. Faybe play a beat backwards. :r chop o5 an eighth note from a 0/0 beat and only play the @rst seven eighths on a loop. Kave you ever thought of "ust deliberately changing the function of one of your limbs in a beatI Let’s take astandard rock rhythm scenario. 4nstead of playing the hi2hat, move your right hand and play eighth notes on your y letting go of conventions, you will soon discover that the drumming world has a lot of undiscovered treasures to share with you C you do not even have to be too brave Othere is nothing to fearQ. Dou "ust have to be a bit playful when learning how to play drums.
+ay ?ttention to the :ther Fembers of the >and #hen playing in a band, it is not only you who can come up with interesting rhythm patterns. Even if it is the drum that is mainly responsible for the rhythm in the music, every instrument has a rhythmical function apart from their melodic one. Thus, a lead guitarist can come up with a ri5 which has a rhythm that changes the whole song. ?nd you can play along with that fancy new rhythm, creating something new, something wonderful C again. ;emember, creativity in your drum beats holds no boundaries.
+o- to Develop Your *-n Imagination And Signature Identity
This is the single most important aspect of playing any musical instrument. #hen drumming you need to set yourself apart from other drummers if you want to be a success, and having a lot of imagination is the best way to do this. 4f you play the drums then it’s about time you start think outside the box. Try to play the drums di5erently to people that you hear on the radio or on recordsestablish your own unique identity.
The 9rummers 4dentity 4t can be very di3cult not to copy other drummers. >ut remember, people already have Rohn >onham or Rimmy )hamberlin. They don’t want to listen to rip o5’s, they want to @nd someone new. There is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from your favorite drummers, everybody does it. Kowever you should try to make conscious e5ort to at least present what they are playing in a di5erent way. ? good exercise to follow is to listen to some of your favorite drum tracks, preferably from two di5erent drummers. Take the best beat and the best @ll from the songs and then try to splice them together. This method is commonly used by drummers that want to add their own speci@c
Thinking :f !ew 4deas The best way to come up with new ideas is to learn as much as possible. Dou should always be trying to increase your overall drumming vocabulary, and the best way to do this is to learn new techniques such as rudiments. There are 07 rudiments in total. Learning all of them will increase your speed, control and most importantly your imagination. :nce you learn a rudiment you should always try to incorporate it into your playing. Trying to turn it into a beat, or playing it on multiple drums can be a great way to get started. Eventually you will @nd that new ideas will come to you and you will be able to hear them in your head before you’ve even picked up the sticks.
Learn !ew 8tyles
Fany drummers are very one dimensional. They can play certain drumming styles and genres very well, and others poorly. 4f you learn to master a number of di5erent styles then you will be able to take ideas from one style and incorporate it into another. This is a great way to add your own speci@c y following the exercises and ideas in this article you will @nd yourself in a better position to create.
./pand Your 012 Drum 'rooves olca4ulary The chances are high that the ma"ority of the music you have heard or played was set in a 0/0 time signature. Fusic does not stop there, and by dedicating some time to the studying of alternative time signatures you will even develop a better sense for understanding and analy1ing music. Even though the A/0 time signature is the second most common, it still can be considered an even time, as it is analogous to /6, "ust as four quarter notes are equivalent to eight eighth notes.
*nderstanding the Essence of the =/6 Time 8ignature The overall feel of a =/6 measure will be as if it was an un@nished 0/0 measure. 4t sounds rather unexpected and you usually have the impression that the drummer forgot to @nish his beat. 4n order to be able to deliver solid rhythms in this measure, we @rst have to learn how to count in the =/6 measure. 4n the example below 4 show you the four most common ways to count notes in the =/6 time signature. Jirst, you can count every single eighth2note in a measure, like this' Gone, two, three, four, @ve, six, sevH C you should not utter GsevenH entirely, as the second syllable might confuse you. The next two variations are the most common. These are Gone, two, three, four, one, two, threeH and Gone, two, three, one, two, three, fourH.
There exists another rather accepted way of counting in =/6, that goes like Gone, two, three, one, two, one, twoH. 4n the divided examples 4 have added a bass drum for every count of GoneH C you should practice like this in order to develop a command of this rather odd and nifty time signature.
)rafting >asic >eats in This Time 8ignature There are two basic ways to compose simple beats in the =/6 time signature. The @rst of these Oexempli@ed on the @rst line belowQ is based on the augmentation of the most common bass2snare pulsation by adding extra eighth notes on the hi2hat between these two. The other alternative Osee the second line of the example belowQ is to treat this time signature "ust the way 4 described it in the introduction' as an un@nished 0/0. That way, you should "ust lay a standard 0/0 rock beat over a =/6 measure and let the unneeded remains fall into the void. This will create a fascinating, interestingly syncopated beat.
)omposing and )ounting =/6 Jills )orrectly Rust like any other time signature, =/6 is not limited to rigid, common beats. 9rum @lls are sort of necessary in almost any kind of music, and the =/6 time signature provides you with a very interesting and surprisingly simple platform
to do that. The only thing you have to do is to count what you play until you have accumulated = eighth2notes. The @rst example shows the simplest possibility to do this. :n the other hand, the second alternative goes a little bit further by incorporating eighth2note and sixteenth2note triplets into a bar of seven eighths. 4t is all "ust mathematics, so it is up to you to verify that the examples are correct. The procedure is the same as it is for 0/0 beats.
asic Syncopated 'rouping %atterns $or 'ood Dynamics Fost of the patterns and beats that beginner drummers are introduced to at @rst are driven by a constant pulsation of the hi2hat. 4n these beats, the other played parts of the drum kit C usually the snare drum and the bass drum C are synchroni1ed to the hi2hat strokes. 8uch a straightforward beat can very often be played with wonderful dynamics and it can rule the entire piece of music through its simplicity. Kowever C let us face it C there are situations when you need to spice up your playing so that it will match the music of your colleagues better. 8yncopation can help you in that manner. 8yncopation can be basically achieved through the addition of unexpected, o52 beat strokes to a beat, giving it a slightly unordered groove. )omposing such beats is easier than you would ever expect C let us take a look at how it should be done%
The Fost >asic ind of Example for The +attern #hen you are about to learn something new on your instrument, the @rst step you should take is to break the new material into small pieces, into building blocks. The easiest way to do that is to add o52beat sixteenth notes played on the bass drum or the snare drum between the standard eighth2note throbbing of the hi2hat.
4n the example below 4 have noted some of the simplest possible syncopated patterns. 4n the @rst two bars you can see four examples where only one o52 beat is added to a group of a quarter length, whereas in the last two bars you can four examples of how two eighth2notes can be replaced with four sixteenths in a dynamic, interesting way.
Embedding 8imple 8yncopated +atterns in 9rum >eats 4n the example below we show how incorporating one or more of the patterns presented above can bring some interesting vibe to your beats. The @rst line shows how two syncopated building blocks can turn a standard rock beat into a rather interesting groovy beat that goes nicely with funk music when played with clever dynamics. Dou might want to play the o52beat snare strokes from the second measure as ghost notes in order to create a really smooth groove. The second line shows a rather complex example of syncopation. 4t is interesting to note how sixteenth notes are seemingly randomly assigned to the snare or the bass drum and the result sounds cool, even that way.
*sing These +atterns as >uilding >locks for 9rum >eats :nce you have a solid command of the di5erent building blocks, you can combine them in any way you want C "ust make sure that you are not leaving your time signature without purpose.
There are no rules on what order these blocks have to follow and there are no limitations regarding the inner composition of these groups C that is, you can come up with almost any combination of notes featuring o52beat strokes and end up with a nice syncopated beat. 4n the @rst two measures 4 have added an extra bass drum for counts one and three, so that the beat would not feel that strange at @rst. Kowever, the third and the fourth measure illustrates that beginning a beat with a bass drum is not compulsory and experimenting around can yield awesome results.
