Learn Drums Now

April 21, 2012 Playing Music No Comments

Should You Learn How to Read Drum Music?

Buddy Rich Didn’t Read Music Some drummers have had very successful careers without learning to read music. Buddy Rich, one of the greatest drummers of all time, did not read music. He played with the best musicians of his time and is still admired by drummers of all ages, all without reading a note. Listen […]

April 14, 2012 Playing Music No Comments

How to Play Drum Fills Between Song Parts

It’s time to review the individual skills you’ve learned and use them all together to play a song. What you’ve learned so far is how to play a basic drum beat (see “Play Your First Song with Drumsticks”), how songs are structured (see “The Parts of a Song and What They Mean To a Drummer”) […]

April 7, 2012 Technique No Comments

What Are Drum Fills and How Are They Played?

I remember the day I got my first drum set like it was yesterday. The first thing I wanted to learn how to play was a rock beat like the one you learned in “Your First Drum Beat (No Drums Required).” The second thing I wanted to learn was a short, 8 beat drum fill […]

March 31, 2012 Playing Music No Comments

Quiet Verse plus Loud Chorus equals Dynamic Drums

What comes to mind when you hear that something or someone is “dynamic”? I think of someone with a dynamic personality as being interesting, outgoing and always having something to offer. I also think of the weather in Seattle, where I live, as being dynamic. A sunny sky can turn to rain and back to […]

March 24, 2012 Technique No Comments

How to Play a Closed Hi-Hat

Have you ever watched a drummer and noticed how they play a lot of the time with their arms crossed, one over the other? It looks very odd the first time you see it but there’s a reason why drummers play with crossed arms. It has to do with hitting the hi-hat cymbals (instead of […]