Drumming Blog
Ideas for Your Drumming JourneyDrumming Injuries and How to Avoid Them
Drumming-related injuries. These are common injuries that can be preventable and it’s possible to work through these injuries even while you continue to drum.
Non Instructional Drumming Books
This is a list of non instructional drumming book to help you with your motivation for learning the drums.
More Drum Instructional Books
Here are five more with insight into each one and links where you can get them.
5 Drum Instructional Books
This blog post came about from a couple of podcast episode of The Drum Set Shrink Podcast, where I discussed a list of my top drumming method books.
Upbeats (ands) Beats Study
This is the upbeat note version of the Basic Beats Study with the hi-hats on the "ands". Play each exercise with a metronome at different tempos. Download the page and audio of the beats below.
13 Stroke Roll Application
The 13-stroke roll has a natural cadence that sounds good when moving it around the drums. Here is a concept you can use for a drum groove or fill.
Iconic Drum Breaks 2
There seems to be an endless amount of songs with great drum breaks in them. Here are some more.
Iconic Drum Breaks
Related to the blog posts about songs with great drumming intros, here are some songs with Iconic drum breaks.
120 Drum Miking Techniques
This free guide includes more than 120 miking techniques, together with basic concepts on recording, mic placement, and practical information on how to avoid the most common recording issues;
Drum Tip: Defend Your Toms from the Snare Drum
A quick and easy way to protect your toms from getting scratched by your snare drum.
Great Drumming Intros, part 5
More songs with great drumming intros.
Student Spotlight: Zarik Boghossian
Recording Practice Time
I know how difficult it is to watch yourself practicing and making mistakes, but doing so has some good benefits. Here is a list of reasons to record and analyze your practice sessions.
Microphone Clip Tip
Quick microphone tip. If your microphone clip is a little loose and the microphone won't stay put, try adding a hair tie or a rubber band to the rear of it to help keep it secure.
The Responsible Timekeeper, part 4
Working on timekeeping skills by omitting certain parts of the 8th note triple measure.
The Responsible Timekeeper, part 3
Working on timekeeping skills by omitting certain parts of the 16th note measure.
DrumTip: Compressed Air
Using compressed air to clean hard to reach parts of the drum set.
Drum Tip for Moving Hi-Hat Stands
Keeping your hi hat rod safe when traveling with your hi hat stand.
Drum History Podcast Intro
This is my homage to The Drum History Podcast Intro. Check the podcast out at DrumHistoryPodcast.com
Drum Tuning Tip: 3 Ways to Listen to Your Drum
3 ways to listen to your drum when tuning to dial in the sound.
Drum Tip For Stripped Tension Rods
Drum Tip For Stripped Tension Rods
Using Hose Clamps as Memory Locks
Using Hose Clamps as Memory Locks
Resonant Tom Heads Shootout
This video demonstrates different resonant heads all tuned the same and using the same drum and batter head.
Shallow vs. Deep Toms
This video demonstrates the difference between a standard depth tom and a deeper power tom.
The Drum Set Shrink Podcast
This is a show with brief episodes about the challenges that come with playing the drums and what you can do about them, so you enjoy your drumming journey.
Great Drumming Intros, part 4
A song with an interesting drum introduction can grab your attention and pull you into wanting to hear more. Here is a list of a few more of those songs that start with great drumming intros.
Hi Hat Cymbals Shootout
These shootout/comparison videos are useful to demonstrate the subtle differences that changing little things on your drums can make. This video demonstrates the sonic difference between 18 different hi hat cymbals.
10 Signature Snare Drums
The Drum Center of Portsmouth has made this video showcasing ten different signature snare drums. It’s interesting to hear how the shell material and depth affect the character of the drum.
Zildjian Cymbals Shootout
This video demonstrates the difference between the current lines of Zildjian cymbals.
Combining Subdivisions 2
We are combining triplet subdivisions to come up with interesting fills and hi-hat patterns.
Combining Subdivisions
We are combining subdivisions to come up with interesting fills and hi-hat patterns.
Tom Head Brand Shootout
This video demonstrates side-by-side comparisons of different double-ply drumheads from Aquarian, Evans, and Remo drumheads.
Unique Drum Setups (part 2)
Here are a few more interesting drum setups to add to the previous ones.
Student Spotlight: JayCee Porter
I’d like to introduce you to JayCee Porter.
Drumstick Tips
The tip of the stick (what it’s made of and its shape) affects tone and articulation, specifically on cymbals. Here is a brief video with an explanation of how the tip affects the sound.
Cymbal Terminology
Describing what a cymbal sounds like) can be confusing because the words used can mean different things to different people. Here are definitions of the most widely used terms to describe cymbal sounds.
The Drum Archive
The Drum Archive is a collection of visual drumming catalogs from companies from around the world going back decades.
Unique Drum Setups
A drum set is a personal collection of drums and cymbals that can reflect that drummer’s personality and playing style. Here are just several unique setups that stand out, in some way, from the typical drum set.
Bass Drum Head Shootout
This video demonstrates the difference between different Remo, Aquarian, and Evans bass drum heads on the same drum.
The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa
The U. S. Marine Band has compiled six volumes of John Philip Souza marches that you can check out for free.
Tuning to the Drum Shell
This video investigates whether or not tuning a drum to the resonant pitch of the shell makes a difference and checks to see how much the resonant pitch of the shell changes with and without hardware intact.
The Stuff Cymbals Are Made Of
Cymbals are more than just pieces of metal that we strike. This article goes into the alloys that make up the various cymbals we play.
Cymbal Sounds
Cymbals are so versatile. You can change their sounds by how you strike them, where you strike them, and what you strike them with. Let’s take a look at the different sounds you can get from your cymbals.
Star Drum Set Shootout
This video demonstrates the difference between maple, bubinga, and walnut Tama Star drum sets.
Functional LEGO Drum Set
Joshua Hanlon from BrickPodcast.com talks with Brian Melick about his drum set constructed out of LEGO.
Snare Sounds Shootout
For this shootout, we are going to learn about five different snare sounds from well-known recordings and how to achieve those sounds.
Drum Shuffles
While it is prevalent in blues, the shuffle rhythm is used in almost every style of early and modern music. Here are some common shuffles, how to play them, and musical examples of each one.
Crash – Ride Shootout
This video demonstrates side by side comparisons between different crash- ride cymbals of different companies.
Double Bass 301
Here are some more double bass grooves using different subdivisions. There are written with quarter note leads hands, but also play them as 8th notes on the ride and hi-hats.
Double Bass 201
Now that we have a double bass foundation from our previous lesson, let’s add some different rhythms to your footwork.
Double Bass 101
Let’s start playing some double bass. The following lesson will get you started using both feet to play using two bass drums or a double pedal.
The Drum Shuffle Interview
Thanks to Jamie Eads for having me as a guest on The Drum Shuffle.
Snare Drum Head Shootout
This video demonstrates the difference between different Remo, Aquarian, and Evans snare drum heads on the same drum.
Drum Wood Shootout
This video demonstrates the difference between birch, maple, mahogany, poplar, and walnut woods on the same sized toms.
Basic Beats Study 2
These are a continuation of the basic beats to further your drumming vocabulary.
Snare Hoop Shootout
Here is a video demonstrating the difference between die-cast and triple flanged hoops on a snare drum with same heads and tuning.
Video of the P.A.S. Rudiments
If you are new to the rudiments, here is a video of them played slowly so you can make sure you practice them correctly. There are also separate links you can click for each one.
Quarter Note Basic Beat Study
These are the quarter note version of the Basic Beat Study
How to Pack and Ship a Drum Set
Here is a video on how to prepare and package a drum set for shipping or storage.
Drumming Podcasts
As drummers, we now have an abundance of great drumming podcasts to listen to and learn from. Each of the following podcasts has its own personality and take on drumming.
Shuffle Metric Modulation
You can make the same guitar rhythm sound and feel completely different depending on what you play. Here, we will take a shuffle and modulate it to a straight 4/4 beat by dropping one beat.
Great Drumming Intros, part 3
A song with an interesting drum introduction can grab your attention and pull you into wanting to hear more. Here is a list of a few of those songs that start with great drumming intros.
Where To Find Sheet Music
If you’re looking online for drumming transcriptions, http://www.DrumSetSheetMusic.com has indexed over 16k drum transcriptions.
Great Drumming Intros, Part 2
A song with an interesting drum introduction can grab your attention and pull you into wanting to hear more. Here is a list of a few MORE of those songs that start with great drumming intros.
Great Drumming Intros, part 1
A song with an interesting drum introduction can grab your attention and pull you into wanting to hear more. Some of these parts are just as iconic as the song’s guitar riff. There are many to choose from in different styles. Here is a list of a few of those songs that start with great drumming intros.
2.5.3
This is a coordination exercise written in 4/4.. This can create rhythmic tension in your songs and solos.
Ahead Crossroads 5B Drumsticks
Check out the Ahead 5B Crossroads drumsticks!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Nate S.
I’d like to introduce you to Nate.
Bad Drumming Days
We all have those days when you sit down at the drums and nothing seems to be going right, the playing is sloppy, the timing is off, and it just isn’t inspiring. Here are some things you can do about that.
Deep Listening
Along with analyzing other drummer’s parts, also analyzing what the other musicians are doing in your favorite songs will help you to become a more musical drummer. Here is how I suggest you go about doing that.
More Than Drum Lessons
Lessons are about much more than music. They teach you life lessons that you learn along the way.
Accents in Five
This is a basic beat in 4/4 with accents phrased in 5 on the hi-hat. This can create rhythmic tension in your songs and solos.
Exploring Creativity
If you’ve ever gone through a period of time where you feel like everything you play sounds the same or you just want to come up with some new ideas, here are some things to help you get creative with your playing.
Protecting Your Drums
If your drums are in good condition and you want to keep them that way, I recommend investing in cases or bags for when you transport them.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Dustin Rasmussen
Ladies and gentlemen, Dustin Rasmussen!
Helpful Apps for Drummers
Here is a list of apps that will help you with your drumming journey.
Drum-less Practice Tracks
A good way to work on your musicality is to play and record yourself playing along to music, with and without a click.]Here are some places where you can find tracks with no drums that you can play along to.
Hybrid Songo
The Cuban songo is an interesting syncopated rhythm that can sound really funky and can really groove. Here is a variation done by moving the right hand quarter notes around the drumset.
Shuffles with Quarter Note Triplets
Let’s take a basic shuffle beat and throw in quarter note triplets with the different limbs while playing the shuffle.
Shuffle Modulation
We are going to take a couple of triplet shuffle rhythms and modulate them to 8th notes. This can me make the time feel elastic when done right.
Grooving with the Bass Player
As a musician who plays the drums, your partner in rhythm in the band is the bass player. Here are some examples of how the drums and bass work together in different musical situations.
Single Kick Tom Groove Breakdown
We are going to break down this tom groove. It is done with one bass drum, but it can give the impression of double bass depending on how you tune the toms and how fast you play it.
4 Limb Independence (part 4)
Independence using paradiddles.
4 Limb Independence (part 2)
Even more exercises played against the standard jazz ride pattern.
4 Limb Independence (part 3)
More exercises played against the standard jazz ride pattern.
4 Limb Independence
The ability to play rhythms against each other is important no matter what style of music you play. These exercises vary the three limbs against the standard jazz ride pattern.
“Totally Awesome” Polyrhythm
This is a creative use of a 4 over 3 polyrhythm.
Bass Drum Polyrhythm in 3
You can play a really cool sounding polyrhythm by phrasing the bass drum every 3 sixteenth notes in a standard 4/4 pattern. This can add some rhythmic tension to your playing.
Stronger Double Stroke Rolls
These exercises will help to strengthen your double stroke rolls. Practice these with a metronome and only play as fast as you can execute these comfortably.
More Beats Study
These are a continuation of the basic beats. Here are some more advanced beats and fills incorporating different styles.
Jazz Modulation
In this lesson, we will modulate the jazz cymbal pattern by subdividing quarter notes into quarter note triplets, and then subdividing each of those triplets into eighth note triplets as a polyrhythm. It’s easier than it sounds.
Six Stroke Roll Applications
The six stroke roll is also commonly applied to the drum set. Let’s explore some of the ways we can orchestrate it.
Double Paradiddle Beat Ideas
The double paradiddle is a versatile and musical rudiment to apply to the drum set. Let’s look at a few ways to do that.
Even Double Stroke Rolls
Making each stroke of the doubles dynamically even.
Playing Dynamically
Sometimes the difference between a good performance and a great performance is expression; playing and moving the music dynamically. One of the best ways to improve your playing is to work on your dynamics. This article discusses some things that will help you play more dynamically.
The Hi-Hat Foot
This is an introduction to using the hi-hat foot in your playing.
Hi Hat Control
You can get some really cool sounds playing 16th note hi-hat beats with alternating hand and foot patterns. The challenge is to alternate the hi-hat with the hand and foot without getting any open hi-hat sounds. This exercise explores some things you can do with this concept.
More 16th Note Linear Beat Variations
Here are some more linear beats to work on.
16th Note Linear Beat Variations
Use these exercises to build your linear vocabulary.
Paradiddle Fills
Use the paradiddle to get some melodic phrasing around the drum set.
16th Note Basic Beat Study
This is the 16th note version of the Basic Beats Study. Play each exercise with a metronome at different tempos.
Basic Beats Study
The beats and fills in these four measure phrases are a good introduction to what’s most commonly played on the drums.
Linear Drum Beats
Linear drumming (playing only one drum or cymbal at a time) has a funky, syncopated feel to it. This lesson will get you started.
Hand-Eye Coordination for Reading Rhythms
Working on reading drum notation is primarily about developing hand-eye coordination. This lesson will help you to do just that.
Basic Modulation
We are going to take a basic beat and modulate it using different subdivisions. This gives the impression that you are speeding up or slowing down but the actual tempo does not change.
The Single Stroke 4
The single stroke 4 is frequently used as a popular fill around the drum set. This rudiment seems plain enough but if we apply it to different drums, experiment with the phrasing, and work it up to speed, it can sound really impressive. Here are a couple of variations.
The Anatomy of a Drumstick
When you’re trying to find drumsticks that feel great to play, it is helpful to know the characteristics that affect their performance. Let’s take a look at the things that make the difference.
Telling Stories with Drum Solos
Have you ever been told that your solos sound like drums falling down a flight of stairs? Here are some thoughts on making drum solos musical.
2 Limb Independence, Part 3
Even more 2 limb coordination exercises.
2 Limb Independence, Part 2
More 2 limb coordination exercises.
2 Limb Independence
The following are two-way independence exercises to help increase coordination between the limbs. They will make it easier to play complex patterns on the drum set.
Playing Open Mic Nights
If you play the drums with the goal of being in a band, the sooner you can start playing with other musicians, the better. If you are having trouble finding other musicians to play with, an option could be to attend an open mic night jam at a nearby bar or club.
Why Do You Wanna Play the Drums?
The following questions will help you think about your drumming goals to keep you on track towards a year of progress and improvement.
Practice Tips for Parents of Drummers
You can help your child by encouraging them to practice. Here are some tips that will help.
Switching Gears, Part 3
Now we’re going back to the first gear exercise to add accents on the first of every 4 notes in each subdivision.
Switching Gears, Part 2
Once you feel comfortable with the subdivisions from the previous exercise, go through these pages to switch between all of them.
The Rudiments’ Greatest Hits
One of the many benefits of practicing the rudiments is the control and coordination that you get by applying accents, flams, and drags to various stickings. These exercises extend that concept by using triplet marching grids.
Teacher Interview
“Voyage LA” Magazine recently did an interview with yours truly.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Ranjeet Chakraborty
5 questions with Ranjeet Chakraborty.
Intro to Jazz Drumming
This is an introduction to playing jazz swing time on the drums. These exercises will give you the basic independence needed to play jazz.
Mastering The Metronome
Working with a metronome will help to improve your sense of time. Include it in your practice routine. Here are some tips to help.
Your Drum Diary
Keeping track of what you practice can show you what needs attention and give you the motivation to keep going. You can use this log below to keep track of your progress. Write down when and what you practice, metronome settings, and other info.
9 Ways To Get Out of a Musical Rut
If you’ve lost the motivation to play or practice, here are nine things you can do to bring back the desire and passion you once had for the drums.
Speed and Control
This is a great way to build your speed and control using hertas.
Switching Gears
You can subdivide notes into any denomination. Practice the following exercise to get used to the feel of each subdivision.
How to Get the Gig (Dealing with Auditions)
Whether you’re auditioning for a local band, national tour, or a recording session, here are some tips to help you with the auditioning process.
3 Reasons To Practice With a Metronome
Love it or hate it, most drummers would agree that they should practice with a metronome on a regular basis. Here are three reasons to make metronome work a part of your practice activity.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Joshua Skinner
Here is a brief interview with my student Joshua Skinner.
5 Tips To Simplify Your Set up Time
Here are five suggestions that can simplify your setup and tear down time.
10 Ways To Change Your Snare Drum Tone
Experiment with getting different tones out of your snare by playing it in different spots.
Dealing with Stage fright
For some, performing in front of others can produce feelings of terror and anxiety. Here are some strategies and thoughts on what you can do to deal with stagefright.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Amanda Sciulla
I want to introduce you to my student, Amanda.
Developing Your Weaker Side 3
In this third exercise, we will continue using singles and doubles to balance the limbs.
Developing Your Weaker Side, Part 2
This second exercise is commonly known as a paradiddle pyramid. It uses the strategically placed singles and doubles to balance the limbs. The concept is to play two single (paradiddles) followed by two doubles and two triples; then back to two doubles and two...
The Rudiments
The rudiments are the ABCs of drumming. Practicing them consistently can do wonders for your control and co-ordination.
Developing Your Weaker Side
Drummers naturally have a stronger and weaker hand (or foot). This is a deceptively simple exercise that is designed to even out both sides.
Music Staff Paper
If you need staff paper to transcribe your music, feel free to use these. Click the links to download and print them.
The Responsible Timekeeper (part 2)
In the previous lesson, we worked on our timekeeping skills by articulating the sixteenth note subdivisions. It’s a good idea to do the same with other subdivisions. Today we will look at eighth note triplets.
The Responsible Timekeeper
Generally, when we play with a click track, it gives us the first part of the beat and we are responsible for the rest of the subdivisions. These exercises will help you to sharpen your timekeeping skills by focusing on those subdivisions.
Drum Notation and Reading Basics
Being able to read music is so beneficial to a musician and it’s not that hard to learn. This explains the essentials of reading drum notation.
Get Your Drums Ready For Recording
Recording acoustic drums is one of the most difficult studio tasks. The following are some tips to get your drums ready before you enter the recording studio.
The Helicopter
This exercise is a sweep around the drum set designed so that the right-hand moves counter clockwise while the left-hand moves clockwise. This is good for developing mobility around the drum set but you can also use it creatively for solo and fill ideas.
Buying Your First Drum Set
If you are planning to buy your first drum set either for yourself or for your child, here are the basics of what you need to know to make an informed buying decision.