DRUM MYSTERY

AND MUSIC SET

In other words, this list is in no way comprehensive or in order of importance. Beyond the first

couple of issues, you can reprioritize any of these items. For example, you may have a teacher
who prioritizes hi-hat technique (7 on the list) over executing drum fills (6) or playing a basic

beat. That’s totally cool.

Try prioritizing these drumming basics — as well as any others you may consider — to tailor

your practice to your needs.

1. Drums, Cymbals, and Sticks

The drums, cymbals, and sticks themselves are obviously not skills, but managing your gear is.

This includes choosing the right tools and how to take care of them.

The Drums
Drums are the easy part. You don’t need brand new drums or the top of the line to sound great.

As long as the shells and rims are in good shape, you can put new heads on them and tune the

drum to a desirable sound.

Cymbals
For beginners, the type of cymbal is more important than the quality. As long as you have a set

of hi-hats and a ride cymbal, you’re in business to work on the drumming basics.Try prioritizing

these drumming basics — as well as any others you may consider — to tailor your

practice to your needs.

Drumsticks
Sticks are a whole other issue. You don’t want to play with juck sticks. Used sticks lack

balance and can affect the feedback from the drum if they are broken in any way. So

buy new sticks that are comfortable for and fit the application.

Different applications of drum sticks can include the differences between playing drum

set or just snare drum. Snare drum sticks generally have a round tip to produce precise

attacks on the drum and tend to be thicker than drum set sticks.

Drum set sticks attempt to accomodate the needs of a cymbal — providing more

surface area on the tip for attack — and the roundness needed for playing drums. This

is often achieved through an acorn-shaped tip.

2. Gripping the Stick

Your grip determines how well you control the drum stick. It’s a balance between

gripping the stick enough to stop the stick from rebounding away from the instrument

and being able to stop the stick from motion after an attack.

Gripping the stick comes in many forms. For drumming basics, I always suggest

learning American grip, which is a type of matched grip. This means both hands will

hold the drumstick the same way, as opposed to traditional grip.

3. Stroke Technique

Most drumming consists of two strokes: rebound and controlled strokes. The rebound

stroke allows the drumstick to bounce off the drum and return to the preparation stage

of the stroke. Controlled strokes stop the drumstick from returning to the preparation

stage, controlling the rebound generated by the stroke.

You are either letting the stick bounce or stopping the bounce. Almost all drumming can

be broken down into these two simple decisions.

Rebound Strokes

Rebound strokes are great for building speed. This is especially true because practicing

rebound strokes helps drummers focus on accuracy, relaxation, and the economy of

motion.

 Accuracy – Focus on striking the drum so the tip hits the center. This will train
your brain to play the area of the instrument that you want, making consistent
sounds.
 Relaxation – It’s imperative to play with relaxed muscles. If you tense up too
much, not only will you not develop your technique properly, you may injure
your hands or arms. Breathing is key to relaxation. If your practice feels a lot
like meditation, you’re on the right track, for sure.
 Economy of Motion – The rebound stroke starts with a preparation by raising
the stick so it is perpendicular to the playing surface. The next movement is an
acceleration of the stick toward the playing surface. The stroke is played with
a wrist turn, and the wrist moves back to the preparation position, allowing the
rebound to raise the stick up with the wrist.

4. Basic Drum Beat

All I ever wanted to do was play a basic drum beat. It’s why a lot of drummers start
developing the drumming basics — we want to play along to our favorite songs or jam
with friends.

The basic drum beat below can be played with the cymbal pattern on a number of

different instruments. Start with the hi-hat or ride cymbal, and move on to other timbres

like a cowbell, tambourine.

5. Hi-Hat Technique
Growing up a huge fam of Carter Beauford, I learned early in the development of my

drumming basics that the hi-hat is very important. Some think it’s the most important

instrument on the drum

Hi-hat technique should offer a wide range of motions that produce a variety of sounds.

The technique should also compliment the other techniques we develop, such as the

definition of accented and unaccented notes.

The drumming basic for hi-hat, in my opinion, defines accented notes as being played

with the should of the stick on the edge of the cymbals. The unaccepted notes are

played with the tip of the stick on the top of the cymbal.

DRAMATIC MUSIC SET

DEEP AND GLORIOUS NOTES OF DRAMA