Music

In this blog, I'm going to teach you how to play the drums. The first step to play the drums is by counting. Without being able to count, or understand the time signatures on sheet music, you'll be useless behind the drums. The most basic drum beats are in time signatures of 4/4, meaning there are 4 counts per bar(or 4 counts before the beat repeats). From here, you want to follow your counting with your dominant 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, you’ll be able to see how beats are built around the pattern. This is the basics of most rock beats. You’ll also have to practice controlling your drumstick and drum rudiments (pre-made exercises that will help you build limb independence and creativity). Learning rudiments will help you build independence and speed. It’s best to pace yourself at first to make sure you have a feel for the drum set and your drumsticks. Start with the two most common rudiments, the single stroke roll and double stroke roll. Become very familiar with that basic 4/4 groove, so you can play it at different tempos. You can do almost anything with the drums. They’re a great way to express your self, and show your interest and style in music. It’s also a great pastime, and good exercise.