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When I first started taking drum lessons many years ago, my teacher “Mr. Quist” started me on an instruction book that emphasized “rudiments”, meaning basic to advanced drum stroke patterns, or “sticking” that becomes the foundation on which to learn to play drums. I spent months practicing on nothing other than a slanted wood block with a glued-on rubber pad…working slowly at first, and gradually increasing speed.

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Although practicing rudiments with the hands is an essential part in learning and becoming proficient, I think introducing drum set technique for the beginner and understanding how to coordinate the four limbs is also important. Plus it’s cool when you can start playing to songs at the same time you’re working on your paradiddles! So I follow a curriculum of combined rudimentary exercise as well as drum set playing to songs. In this way, it’s a combination of a concentrated effort on sticking and “muscle memory” through repetition, with a payoff of actually playing in a band type setting…learning to not only listen to yourself but to the other instruments as well, and improving you sense of time.

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I hope you’ll join me in exploring this unique and super cool instrument whether it be for your school band, your garage band, or if you always wanted to rock out to your favorite band and dreamt you were really the drummer!