Percussion How-Tos — Page 8 of 10 « Percussion

How To: Play offbeat sixteenth notes on drums

Detailed instructions on how to tighten up offbeat sixteenth notes and improve your click playing on drums.

How To: Strengthen your internal clock for drums

Watch to learn some exercises to help you strengthen your internal clock for drums.

How To: Learn to spice up grooves using the hi hat on drums

Watch to learn some detailed ideas on how to spice up your grooves using the hi hat on your drum set.

How To: Play a left foot clave on drums

This lesson explains a very complex left foot clave pattern for drums that was performed by Heracio Hernandez at Modern Drummer festival 1998. The instruction is very detailed.

How To: Transcribe a drum part

This lesson takes you through the method I use to transcribe things I don't understand. The example used is 'You Never Know' by Dave Matthews Band.

How To: Use groups of 5 for fills and grooves on drums

This lesson looks at getting comfortable playing groups of 5 1/16th notes in 4/4 time on the drums.

How To: Play the Djembe

A step by step lesson on how to play call and response exercises with the West African Djembe drum. These exercises are meant to deepen listening skills and will also assist you in learning the building blocks of how to create great solos with your Djembe.

How To: Play the Djun-Djun

An easy to follow step-by-step lesson on how to play the West African Djun-Djun drums.

How To: Play six stroke roll drum rudiment

The six stroke roll is a fun rudiment that is a combination of the single and double stroke rolls. It starts with two double strokes, then adds two single strokes at half the tempo.

How To: Play single stroke roll drum rudiment

The single stroke roll is the most common drum rudiment used on the drum set. It doesn't matter if you are new to the drums, or if you have been playing for years, the single stroke roll is absolutely essential.

How To: Count 32nd notes on the drums

In this theory lesson, you will learn how to count and play thirty-second notes. There are eight 32nd notes for every quarter note pulse. Unlike all other sub-divisions, these notes aren't counted one at a time.

How To: Count 16th note triplets on the drums

In this video Drum Lesson, you will learn to count sixteenth note triplets. If you've already watched the video lesson on eighth note triplets - the basic "triplet" idea will already make sense to you.

How To: Count eighth note triplets on the drums

The video on this page explains how to count eighth note triplets. Unlike quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and thirty-second note sub-divisions that divide time in half - eighth note triplets actually divide quarter notes in three.

How To: Count 16th notes on the drums

In this video lesson, you will learn how to count and play sixteenth notes. Sixteenth notes are to eighth notes, what eighth notes are to quarter notes. In other words, sixteenth notes are a sub-division of eighth notes.

How To: Have correct drum set posture

This beginner drum lesson explains some basic tips that can help you improve your posture at the drum set. Jared explains how to relax your back, shoulder, and arm muscles while playing the drums.

How To: Master bass drum technique

In this video drum lesson, you will learn the two most popular bass drum techniques. This includes the heels-up and heels-down methods. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it is highly recommended that you learn both methods.

How To: Play drag ruff drum rudiment

The drag ruff is a foundational rudiment that is required to play several more advanced patterns. It's fairly basic on it's own, but is still usable in a wide variety of drumming styles.

How To: Play double paradiddle drum rudiment

The double paradiddle is a fun rudiment that is based on the single paradiddle. It is a 12 note pattern that is often used in a 12/8 feel, or in beats and fills with a triplet feel. This triplet feel makes it perfect for Jazz, Latin and other world styles.

How To: Play pataflafla drum rudiment

The pataflafla is a unique drum rudiment that is sure to challenge your ability to play flam strokes. It requires that you play back-to-back flams with the same hand. This rudiment is great for drum fills and solo patterns.

How To: Play Swiss army triplet drum rudiment

The swiss army triplet is a unique one-way rudiment that can be played in both right and left hand leads. Unlike most of the other rudiments, this rudiment isn't designed to alternate. As its name suggests this rudiment has a 'triplet' feel.

How To: Play flam accent drum rudiment

The flam accent is a powerful drum rudiment that uses the basic flam within a triplet feel. The pattern is great for creative drum fills and solo patterns within a wide variety of musical genres.

How To: Play sizzling the hi-hats

This short drum lesson explains how to sizzle the hi-hats within your drumming. It starts out by teaching the basic method, and then explains various ways that it can be integrated within your own musical drumming.

How To: Play the snare drum cross-sticking

In this video drum lesson, you will learn how to take any regular drum beat, and change it up by playing the snare shots with cross-sticking. This is a simple and effective way to dramatically change the dynamics of any drum beat.

How To: Play ghost notes

This drum lesson gives a complete overview of ghost notes. In it, you'll learn how to identify and play these subtle notes within dynamic drum beats. You'll also learn the difference between ghosted and non-ghosted notes within a looped beat.

How To: Play jazz drum beats

This drum lesson teaches six popular jazz drumming beats that you can use at your next jazz gig. They build upon the basic jazz pattern covered in one of our previous drum lessons, and take your independence to the next level. Play jazz drum beats.

How To: Play punk drum beats

This lesson covers some of the most popular punk drum beats. Many of the patterns are relatively simple, but can still be challenging. This is due to the fact that they are typically played at fast tempos when performed in punk rock music. Play punk drum beats.

How To: Play funk drum beats

This video covers six popular funk drum beats that you can use when playing at a funk gig! Funk is a popular style of music that has a lot of similarities to rock, especially as far as drums are concerned. Play funk drum beats.

How To: Read the ride, crash, and toms in drum notation

In this drum lesson you will learn to read the crash cymbal, ride cymbal and toms in drum set notation (music reading). This lessons also touches on the topic of preferred sticking.

How To: Play Lodi by Creedence Clearwater Revival on the drums

Learn to play the song, "Lodi," by Creedence Clearwater Revival in this beginner-intermediate level drum lesson.

How To: Read basic drum set music and the open hi hat

In this drum lesson you will learn how to read and play the open hi hat technique. This is an extension to "Basic Drum Set Music 1," so be sure that you are comfortable with the topics discussed in that lesson before moving on to this one.

How To: Read 16th note triplets

Focusing on the sixteenth note triplet, this drum lesson is designed to teach you to count, read and play the sixteenth note triplet.

How To: Do the double paradiddle

Learn the double paradiddle rudiment and a technique to "spice it up" a bit in this online video drum lesson. The double paradiddle is simply a rudiment to practice to improve coordination but can be used in your everyday playing.

How To: Read basic drum set music

In this drum lesson you will learn to apply what you already know about reading single-drum music to reading multiple drum music, or drum set music. In order to do this lesson, you should already have an understanding of quarter notes and 8th notes.

How To: Do a buzz roll on the drums

Learn how to do a buzz roll on the drums.

How To: Read dynamics in drumming

In this two part video drum lesson, learn the dynamics markings mezzo piano, mezzo forte, pianissimo and fortissimo. In order to do this lesson you will need the beat sheets "Dynamics" and "Dynamics 2."

How To: Read dotted halves and quarters

Learn to read and play dotted half notes and dotted quarter notes. In order to do this drum lesson you already need to have an understanding of quarter notes, 8th notes and 16th notes and their respective rests. You will need the Beat Sheet in order to do this lesson. Get the Beat Sheet here:

How To: Read 3/4 time signature

Learn to read and play drum music written in the 3/4 time signature. In order to do this drum lesson, you already need to have an understanding of quarter notes, 8th notes, 16ths notes and their corresponding rests. You will also need the Beat Sheet for this lesson.