How To Play Drums (Tutorial For Year 1-5)

Current version of the electronic drum kit I am using in this video: https://amzn.to/2L7fWge
Drum sticks I use (5A or 7A): https://amzn.to/2N8WDE5
Stick Control book: http://amzn.to/1kzvfvW
Another book: https://amzn.to/2Jg7Vnq

If you are starting from day 1 it should take approximately 1-5 years to learn everything in this video. If you have a better estimate leave a comment below. Practicing 1 hour per day, five days of the week, is better than practicing 5 hours on only one out of seven days of the entire week. If you practice 2-5 hours most days of the week and have a goal each time you practice and aren't exclusively messing around playing stuff you already know how to play, that will speed things up dramatically. It may not be a good idea to practice EVERYDAY, 4-5 days per week is probably more optimal.

IN SUMMARY, here is what to do as a BEGINNER:
- After mastering the foundational beat by playing it smoothly with no resistance, master many variations of the beat. This is includes adding kicks and snares in different positions (listen to your favorite song to get inspiration if you want), as well as mastering all those variations with 4th notes, 8th notes, AND 16th notes on the hi-hat/cymbal. Continuous 8th notes on the hi-hat might be easy to play but you might mess up when trying to play the beat with 4th notes instead! If you mess up, that is an opportunity to slow the beat down and work it out until you can play it at regular speed.
- Master the RLRL hand pattern so you can play it as 4th/8th/16th notes smoothly from 80 to 160+ BPM - this takes hours/days/weeks/months+ of diligent repetitive practice. Practice other patterns in the same session, such as LRLR, LLLL, RRRR, LRRR, RLLL, LLRR, RRLL, LRLLRLRR, RLRRLRLL, LLLR, RRRL, etc. as well as hitting L and R both at the same time continuously as 4th/8th/16th notes. +/- velocity. http://youtu.be/WSC7iujjg_o and http://youtu.be/ONTwonwbnNA
- Learn to play many of the patterns above with just your feet, then add a hand pattern and play both feet and hands simultaneously.
- Master triplets, rolls, rim-shots (when on acoustic), flams, ghost notes, and a basic shuffle on the hi-hat and cymbal.
- Mess around and have fun and play whatever you can/want, as well as playing along with songs you like, but know that you won't really be able to improve your speed without practicing the boring stuff listed above. Be able to play everything with and without a metronome or song.
- Here is an example of what a really good practice session looks like: https://youtu.be/XKaST7sII-E

Some INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED level stuff:
- Master playing two or three 16th notes as a single-pedal kick as it comes in handy.
- Master 16th notes on the hi-hat with one hand instead of two (see funky drummer video below)
- Learn to play all your beat variations with triplets on the hi-hat
- Learn how to play all beat variations using your left hand on the hi-hat if right handed
- Master different stick holding positions
- Master one handed rolls
- Master metal brushes if on acoustic.
- different time signatures and styles, such as jazz, somba, etc. None of that is covered in this video. Only 4/4 time signature is covered here, but 3/4 and others can be learned. https://youtu.be/Om0qHSyWMfE
- Master your playing speed to 200+ BPM

Some stuff you COULD practice but is IMPRACTICAL to practice 99% of the time:
- Systematically master all possible stick/feet combo patterns.
- Talk or sing while playing drums at the same time
- Play with human voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InbaU387Wl8
- Learn stick tricks, throws, floor-bounces while playing with the sticks on fire, blind-folded, outside as it is raining while doing ridiculous/unusual tricks like playing a 5th drum with a stick in your mouth, jumping, drumming while running, underwater, skydiving, in space, etc. with nails in the drum stick. You could MIDI-trigger your eye twitches

Once you get all that you should be able to play pretty much anything possible with no resistance and be at God Mode 9000 of drums ("Drum Independence"), as there is nothing more you can really do to possibly progress further than that.

If there is a beat in a pre-recorded song you want to learn how to play but don't know how to decipher what you are hearing, there are a few things you can do: 1- slow the beat down a lot ideally using software/hardware and decipher it out on your own by listening carefully. 2- find an instructional tutorial video on YouTube that breaks it down for you. 3- go to a drum teacher and have them figure it out and teach it to you.

Some beats for learning/study/inspiration:
Amen break https://youtu.be/j3FqkDrhuLc
James Brown "Funky Drummer" https://youtu.be/JJGBfV7xFOo
Bernard Purdie shuffle https://youtu.be/0x8Fz5KFygo
Neil Pert solo https://youtu.be/LWRMOJQDiLU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJsybbSHfx4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0gl9LXq3LA
DnB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRnirtNVbrA
ShYRzNL1LHc


Did you miss our previous article...
https://learningvideos.club/musical-instruments/deeply-relaxing-guitar-music-for-deep-sleep-and-good-night