• 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):

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• Here is an audio example of 2 bars of quarter 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:
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• Audio of 2 bars of eighth 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.
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• Audio of a bar of 16th notes:

• 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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• 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):

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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!

• 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.

• Once you're seated and ready to go, you'll need to learn how to hold the sticks.

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!

• 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.

• 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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• 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.

• 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.

• 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!

• 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.

• • AC/DC: "Highway to Hell" (Time: 3:34)
  • Bruce Springsteen: "Glory Days" (Time: 5:41)
  • Queen: "Another One Bits the Dust" (Time: 3:28)
  • Kelly Clarkson: "Since U Been Gone" (Time: 3:11)
  • Blur: "Song 2" (Time: 2:02)
  • Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: "Runnin' Down a Dream" (Time: 4:37)
  • CCR: "Proud Mary" (Time: 3:05)

• • Liquid Tension Experiment: "Paradigm Shift" (cover version) (Time: 2:55)
  • Rush: "Tom Sawyer" (Time: 4:37)
  • Medeski Martin & Wood: "The Lover" (Time: 8:33)
  • Dennis Chambers: Drum Solo (Time: 6:32)
  • Buddy Rich: Drum Solo (Time: 4:35)
  • Megadeth: "Holy Wars" (Time: 6:32)

• • 6/8 Time: Coldplay - "Shiver" (Time: 5:05)
  • 12/8 Time: R.E.M. - "Everybody Hurts" (Time: 5:33)
  • Jazz: Miles Davis & John Coltrane - "So What" (Time: 8:22)
  • Hip-Hop: The Roots - "The Next Movement" (Time: 3:53)
  • Ghost Notes: Phish - "First Tube" (Time: 6:32)
  • Funk: James Brown - "Funky Drummer" (Time: 7:00)
  • Blues Shuffle: Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Pride and Joy" (Time: 5:08)
  • Drum 'n' Bass (Time: 3:30)
  • Death Metal (Time: 4:58)

• • John Bonham: Led Zeppelin - "Good Times Bad Times" (Time: 2:49)
  • Keith Moon: The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again" (Time: 8:58)
  • Carter Beauford: Dave Matthews Band - "What Would You Say" (Time: 5:14)
  • Stewart Copeland: The Police - "Roxanne" (Time: 3:08)
  • Dave Grohl: Nirvana - "In Bloom" (Time: 4:10)
  • Ginger Baker: Cream - "White Room" (Time: 6:16)
  • Mick Fleetwood: Fleetwood Mac - "Don't Stop" (Time: 5:19)
  • Sonny Payne: Drum Solo (Time: 3:27)
  • Tommy Lee: Drum Solo (Time: 7:16)
  • Ringo Starr: The Beatles Live in 1964 (Time: 6:06)
  • Vinny Colaiuta: Drum Solo (Time: 4:48)
  • Sheila E: Drum Solo (Time: 1:54)