5.2.3.1.1 - d-Wizz' Online Academy of Membranophonic Instruction

Lesson 4: Basics Drum Kit Technique


OK... once you have gotten used to playing with two sticks, it's time to get ready to play a real drum kit.

A kit drummer uses both hands and both feet when playing. This requires a high degree of coordination between the hands and feet. The sticking exercises in Lesson 3 you just completed have prepared your hands for playing a single drum on its own. When you play a drum kit, you play more than one instrument, and so, a slight modification is needed to the sticking technique you just learnt so that you will be ready.

The sticking exercises in Lesson 3, only required one hand to be playing at any given time. Because when you play a drum kit, you will be required to play more than one instrument at the same time, we need to play with BOTH hands at the same time.

I will now introduce the basic drum kit groove, known as a backbeat. In a backbeat, there are three instruments playing: the hi-hat (played by your right hand), the snare drum (played by your left hand) and the bass drum (played by your right foot). For now we are only concerned with the hands, so we will leave the bass drum until later.

The basic right hand pattern on the hi-hat in a backbeat is simply 8 strokes per bar... the same as you were doing when you started: R R R R R R R R, with one extra thing - there are TWO strokes per beat this time... it's a good idea to go back to the sticking exercises in Lesson 3 and practise playing two strokes per beat with your right hand (counting in eighth notes as you do so), before you go any further.

Now we have to ADD the snare drum with the left hand on the the backbeats (while you maintain steady time with the right hand), which are the third and seventh right hand strokes, like this:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
R R R R R R R R
. . L . . . L .

You need to ensure that you bring both hands down EXACTLY together... not one later or earlier than the other..

Practise this at varying tempos (click for the metronomes): 60bpm, 80bpm, 90bpm, 100bpm, 120bpm, 144bpm, 160bpm.

Now it's time to introduce the bass drum, which gets your right foot involved, and this is usually where people have coordination problems, so take it slowly. The bass drum pattern interacts with the hi-hat pattern in a similar way to the snare drum, but it starts on the first beat, not the second. so, you need to play thus:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
R R R R R R R R
F . . . F . . .

Practise at the same tempos as before... 60bpm to start, then 80bpm, 90bpm, 100bpm, 120bpm, 144bpm, 160bpm.

Next, interact your left hand with your right foot... just the two drums together. First beat is bass drum (right foot), then snare drum (left hand), followed by bass drum again (right foot), and snare drum (left hand).

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
. . L . . . L .
F . . . F . . .

Play this for one minute, again starting at 60bpm, then 80bpm, 90bpm, 100bpm, 120bpm, 144bpm, 160bpm.

Ok.. you are now ready to play your first ever drum kit groove! All you need to do is add the three parts together and co-ordinate them. It may not be easy to begin with, but with perserverance and practice you will eventually get it. Remember to take it slow until you feel it's time to try a faster tempo.

Ready?

OK... here are the parts for each instrument:

- - - - - - - - COUNT: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Hi-hat -- (right hand): R R R R R R R R
Snare drum (left hand): . . L . . . L .
Bass drum (right foot): F . . . F . . .

Easy does it... try these tempos: 60bpm, 80bpm, 90bpm, 100bpm, 110bpm, 120bpm, 128bpm, 144bpm, 160bpm.

Sounding good? You should sound a bit like this



Lesson 1: Basics of Music Theory
Lesson 2: Parts of the Drum Kit
Lesson 3: Basic Techniques of Drumming
Lesson 4: Basic Drum Kit Technique
Lesson 5: Reading Drum Score
Lesson 6: Eighth-note Grooves
Lesson 7: Sixteenth-note Grooves
Lesson 8: Mixing It Up COMING SOON!
Lesson 9: Tricks and Tips COMING SOON!


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