This is a classic drum set up, used by most drummers.

How To Play Drums – First Steps

The first steps to playing the drums is by counting. Without being able to count or understand time , it will show that you will need alot of practice behind the kit. Everyone knows how to count to 4 – this will be the basis of your beat. Most basic rock drumming beats are in the time signature of 4/4, meaning there are 4 counts each bar. (or 4 counts before the beat repeats). From here, you want to follow your counting with your dominant (usually your right) hand. With this hand, hit the hi hat on every count. The rest is actually quite simple, now that you are counting, simply add your bass drum and snare drum on the counts. Add your bass drum on 1, and the snare on 3.  This will be your basic drum beat.

Now that you have learned the basics on how to play drums, you will be able to see how beats are built around this basic pattern. If you can count to 4, you can play the drums, as I have just shown you. This is the basics to most rock drumming beats and grooves. Next you will want to practice stick control and drum rudiments. Learning how to play rudiments will help you build independence and speed around your drum kit. But do not go too fast at first, pace yourself. Make sure you have a feel for the drum set and your sticks. Start out with the two most common rudiments, the Single stroke roll and the Double stroke roll. Become very familiar with that basic 4/4 groove, so you can play it at different tempos.

Remember, you are a drummer whose main task is to keep everyone on time, so make sure your timing is correct. Playing the drums is a lot more than just playing a beat on time – there’s much more to it. You want to feel the beat, feel the time, and feel the groove. There is also much you can learn about stick control. A drummer should be able to create the mood and groove for any song, adding fills and accents in to spice things up. Learning how to do this is not an easy task, but you are at the right place if you are interested!