If there’s one lesson that we encourage you to spend a lot of time on, it’s this one! This will be a “work in progress” lesson for much of your drumming career – something you should always be looking to refine. In preparation for more intermediate-level playing, it’s time to start thinking about the dynamic strokes. This will take a lot of practice and repetition, and is essential in becoming a controlled musical drummer. Simon also talks about the importance… Read More

Now we add some drum fills to your shuffles and introduce the concept of counting in triplets. These practical fills will be the perfect practice tool for developing this new groove. There is also a new type of sticking used here, which you will find helpful when playing triplets. We’ll also throw in some eighth-notes and sixteenth-notes to mix things up! Don’t miss the extra ten audio files below!

The shuffle beat is the final piece of the groove jigsaw for our first module! Such a cool groove and a great feel – but surprisingly challenging to play well for the first time. Simon walks you through the concept while highlighting some common challenges and ways to overcome them. We’ll discuss the different forms of counting shuffles and the differences between regular and half-time variants. Don’t miss the extra ten audio files below!

Get ready for some fun coordination! Now that you have worked through all of the exercises on eighth-note and sixteenth-note drum beats, it’s time to add a sixteenth-note to the bass line to give you some super cool drum beats. Simon walks you through adding the “A” to the bass line. We also discuss practice options using the ride cymbal and hi-hat. Don’t forget the ten additional audio files below!

Simon shows you how to add extra 16th note snare beats to your 16th note grooves. A demonstration at different tempos shows you the full potential and possibilities of these catchy drum beats. They’ll take some practicing, but it will be much fun when you get them down! Don’t forget the extra ten audio files below!

Now that you have become comfortable adding these extra snare drum beats, we make the bass line more challenging and fun! We’ll also introduce you to tap strokes and talk about how different dynamic strokes can make these beats even more musical. Don’t forget the additional ten audio files below.

We start this lesson with a check-in to make sure you are where you need to be in the curriculum. You will learn to add extra snare drum beats on 16th notes to enhance your eighth-note groove options! This is a must-do exercise for aspiring rock drummers, although these beats are used commonly in many genres of music. We’ll talk about some new coordination challenges and the importance of counting these beats.

Using the hi-hat foot pedal, Simon will show you how to add hi-hat opening and closing motions to your 8th note hi-hat beats. These are musical, great fun, and challenging at the same time! We’ll discuss some of the hand/foot coordination challenges while demonstrating five different patterns, including a classic disco/club beat. Don’t miss the additional ten audio files below!

Now that you are comfortable with three-limb coordination, it’s time to get that left foot working. We call this four-way coordination, and it’s a great part of the challenge of drumming! We’ll play some ride cymbal patterns while bringing the left foot in to play, and we’ll also add a fun drum set percussion item to mix things up for some super cool grooves!

In this lesson, you’ll learn why we wait for you to develop your coordination and timekeeping before showing you these important drum beats. They sound solid and clinical at slower speeds, and you’ll be surprised how fast you can take them when the time is right! There are also some different ways we can play these for changing musical situations, using the ride cymbal, crash cymbal, and loose hi-hats. We’ll discuss using ¼ notes as an alternative to 8th notes… Read More