FOR GREAT DRUMMING
RESOURCES
/ 01
THE RIGHT KIT
IS THE KIT THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS
- What size drum set do I need?
- Do I choose an acoustic drum kit or electric?
- Will my neighbors complain if I choose acoustic?
KITS FOR KIDS: JUNIOR DRUM KITS
For 5-10 year olds, DDrums makes some excellent starter drum kits that are smaller in scale for little kids. One challenge younger children may have is reaching the foot pedals. Having a smaller drumset that is more accessible will allow them to reach the pedals and have more fun being able to experiment with their feet. The last thing you want to do is have this gigantic drum kit that takes up all the space in your living room! The other great point about DDrums is the price point. You can find a new beginner kit anywhere between 200 to 350 dollars.
BEGINNER KITS: 12 TO ADULT
Another great beginner option is the Pearl Forum series drums. These are more full scale drums so will be more appropriate for 12 years and up. They can be extremely versatile as well. Use them to learn Jazz or Rock! While you can generally play any style on a forum series drum set, what will really make the difference in the styles you want to play are the drum heads, tuning, and the cymbals choices.
ACOUSTIC OR ELECTRIC?
If you live in an apartment and have neighbors, an acoustic drum set might not be an option for you. In this case there are things you can do to keep the volume down. An electric drum kit might be the best option. Electric kits can be a lot of fun! Not only can you experiment with the various sounds and programs but many electric kits come equipped with metronomes and/or various playback tracks which you can play along with. The technology of electric kits today is quite good and prices can range anywhere between $800 to $5000 dollars! The disadvantage of electric drum sets is usually the “response” or “feel” of the drums is never the same as an acoustic kit. That being said, with proper technique and training anyone can easily make the change from electric to acoustic and vice versa. It really is up to you and what your options are. For some people going the electric route is the best solution to apartment living.
/ 02
THAT QUIET PRACTICE
WAYS TO MAKE IT WORK
In addition to electric drum sets, there are a number of ways to achieve a quieter acoustic practice set for drumming at home between lessons. Quiet practice has been a sought after commodity by all drummers, especially city dwellers in apartments and condos.
For those of us without a studio, garage, or basement, sometimes becoming a drummer can feel like an impossible task. But fear not! Quieter acoustic practice is possible! I have lived in every type of situation. I was even able to practice in my college dorms!
DRUM MUTES
The easiest way to mute any acoustic kit is to simply pick up tom, snare, and kick drum mutes from your local music store. The great thing about these mutes is they can be removed or added within seconds and they maintain the tone of the drum so you still feel like you’re playing music.
The disadvantage is the “feel” of a mute. Tom snare and kick drum mutes have little to no rebound at all making it very difficult to practice rolls.
MESH HEADS
For an alternate way to quiet your toms, snare and kick drums, you can install mesh heads on your drums instead of using removable mutes. Mesh heads have a high rebound response so you will get a more realistic drum set feel from these than you would with drum mutes.
The disadvantage of mesh heads, however, is that you cannot simply remove them to play your regular drums again as they must be installed like a regular drum head.
CYMBAL MUTES
Rubber cymbal mutes can be tricky because you have to “aim” for the rubber mute every time you strike the cymbal. The best cymbal mutes I have found are from a company in England called Cymbomute. These mutes usually have to be special ordered but it is well worth the investment! Rather than having to aim for the mute, the stretchy rubber film wraps around the entire cymbal allowing you to strike it normally. Not only do you get the “real feel” of the cymbal but you no longer have to aim for the rubber pad.
/ 03
SO MANY CYMBALS
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
If you are a beginner, cymbal choice probably doesn’t make too much difference yet. As you begin to progress, however, you’ll probably want to upgrade. There are literally thousands of cymbal choice combinations you could make.
At the end of the day the best way to choose a cymbal is to go into a music store, hit every cymbal, and find one that you like. While cymbal choice is largely subjective, I do have a few general guidelines that I believe can help you out.
ROCK AND METAL
If you are going for Rock or Metal then you want loud cymbals that cut through all the sound. Washy cymbals have very long sustain and are a popular choice. They will continue to make sound long after they’ve been struck. Pingy Cymbals have a “sharp attack” sound I like to equate almost as a bell sound. In general, the choice is up to you. Try out cymbals and pick the ones that sound good to your ear.
JAZZ
If you are going for more of a Jazz style, picking a Ride is the single most important thing. Many Jazz Cats swear by the “Dry” and “Dark” Ride. This is a ride cymbal that has very low sustain, dies out quickly, but still has a very good stick definition. In general, very washy and pingy rides are quite bad for jazz as they tend to “wash out” The definition of the skip beat and are usually too loud. By studying jazz you will quickly learn the importance of having good “swing time” and having the other musicians and audience be able to hear the definition of that skip beat is the most important part of being a Jazz drummer.
JAZZ HI HAT
The second most important part of Jazz style drumming is having a consistent “Chick” sound on the 2 and 4 with your hi hat foot. When choosing a Jazz Hi Hat, pick a cymbal that has a very solid definitive “Chick”. If you are a beginner and want a general upgrade option hi hat that gives you a good chick sound while still being able to play other styles, the Zildjian New Beat Hi Hat is a good versatile choice. For a truly superb and brilliant hi hat, I recommend the 14”inch HHX Legacy hats.
ONE OF A KIND...
One last thing. No two cymbals are alike! Even if they are the same model. Cymbals are usually hand made and through the process of hammering and molding each cymbal is truly unique, similar to a snowflake.
/ 04
KICK PEDAL CHOICE
A FEW POINTERS
Should I play a Tama Iron cobra? A DW 5000? 3000? What about a standard Yamaha single chain drive? At the end of the day, choosing pedals is very similar to choosing cymbals and all comes down to personal preference. With that in mind I do have a few pointers.
HEAVY
If you are playing rock, you can usually play just about any type of pedal. Some of the bigger name brands such as Pearl, Tama, DW, or Axis really design their pedals for fast, loud, and heavy duty drumming. Oftentimes these pedals come with heavy reinforced steal components designed for nonstop touring and heavy metal slamming. I played an Iron Cobra and DW 9000 for years and even tried to adapt it to my jazz drum set. I learned quickly that while good for heavy duty drumming, it’s simply not necessary to have so much pedal for a lighter softer kit.
LIGHT
Lighter Yamaha pedals will do just fine! In fact the speed of your foot comes more from pedal technique than it does from spending hundreds of dollars on a fancy mechanical pedal with loads of features you will probably never use. In all honesty, the factory setup of a kick drum pedal is usually golden. That being said, your body can learn to play any pedal and setting as long as you learn good technique followed by healthy practice habits. Just don’t over tighten the spring tension or have the beater too far or too close to the drumhead and you’ll be fine.
MY CHOICES FOR ROCK AND JAZZ
- For my rock kit, I currently use the DW 9000 and love the feel of it.
- For my jazz kit, I use a Yamaha FP 7210A and it runs for only $70! With this pedal I can get just as much speed and control as I can with my DW 9000 which runs for around $330.
/ 05
STICKS
HUNDREDS TO CHOOSE FROM
Stick choice is again largely a subjective option. There are virtually hundreds of types of sticks to choose from, all with various applications. Different sticks make different sounds, especially on cymbals.
Some sticks are designed for marching band—playing very tightly tuned snare drums or Quad Toms. Others are made for concert Band drumming. When you are first starting out, the type of stick probably doesn’t matter too much, but as you hone your skills you may find you want to try different options.
JAZZ
If you want a more natural “earthy” sound, wood tip is the way to go. Most jazz cats prefer to use wood based tips as they have a darker more natural sound. However, the disadvantage of wood tips is their durability. Wood tips tend to chip a lot and they lose their definition over time. Sometimes they will outright break in the middle of a performance!
ROCK
Nylon tips are good for rock, durable, and have a lot of attack or ping in their tone. If you want your ride cymbal to cut through the various sounds in a group, playing with a Nylon tipped stick might be a good choice, especially with a ping ride
MY PERSONAL FAVORITES
GENERAL:
For general drum set playing, I recommend Vic Firth 5A drumsticks nylon or wood tip.
JAZZ:
For jazz drumming, I highly recommend Regal Tip Jazz sticks as they are smaller and produce a lighter sound with less pingy overtones on the ride.
HOT JAZZ AND FUSION:
Another fun stick choice is Peter Erskine’s ride stick. It has great rebound and can be used to play up tempo jazz and fusion grooves.
ROCK:
Finally, my personal favorite stick of choice for Rock would be Neil Peart’s Pro Mark 747. These are wood tips, so I tend to go through a few pairs if I’m playing a lot of shows.
/ 06
DRUM RUDIMENTS
AND FOUNDATIONAL DRUMMING PRACTICE SHEETS
DRUM RUDIMENTS - DOWNLOAD PDF
The Percussive Arts Society's 40 International Drum Rudiments are the fine ingredients for building tasty drum licks. Learn them and you can combine them into endless delectable musical treats.
INTRODUCTION TO STROKE QUALITY - Download PDF
The 4 main types of drum strokes used in drumming are High, Low, Up, and Down. Stroke quality for efficiency of motion is critical for developing into an advanced drummer capable of a broad range of dynamics. I’ve included a few examples including the Paraddidle to demonstrate where various strokes can be executed.
SINGLE STROKE WARM UP - Download PDF
One of the top 3 most important drum rudiments, Single Strokes! This should be one of the first rudiments you learn! So much of what we do as drummers is made up of singles.
Keeping time in a groove must come from a relaxed natural motion free of tension. Doing these exercises using the wrists and fingers with a loose and relaxed grip will give you the freedom you need to start developing your creativity.
DOUBLE STROKE WARM UP - Download PDF
Rebound control is one of my favorite techniques. We think of “hitting drums” or “playing drums” but what we are actually doing is dribbling sticks. This exercise focuses on dribbling. The intention is not on “wristing doubles” or “push pull” techniques—also valuable—it is about rebound control. It allows the drummer freedom to execute closed style double stroke rolls with touch, lightness, and finesse. Once rebound control is in place, I encourage open style doubles using the wrists, and/or push pull techniques.
Drum Fills Skeleton Grid - Download PDF
This sheet can help all drummers learn how to better execute fills with intentionality rather then simply fumbling through. In 4/4 time signatures, drum fills can be executed in 1 of 4 primary spots. The drumset skeleton grid guides the drummer through these various spots (beats) using simple and easy-to-read 8th notes and 16th notes. Once proficiency of this fundamental system is achieved, the drummer can begin to replace basic fills with more advanced concepts.
Kick Drum Permutations - Download PDF
Using the Kick Drum Permutation can greatly enhance your ability to improvise the kick drum in rock drumming. In 4 /4 time signatures, there are 16 possible locations where the kick can be played using 16th notes. Learning to play the kick drum on each of these locations will help you to understand the relationship between the kick drum and how it fits within the overall groove. Kick drum permutations can also be applied using the snare drum for beginning funk exercises!
Double Diddle Double Run - Download PDF
Here is a fun drum solo I wrote which uses all open style double stroke rolls! Some double stroke rolls do not alternate the leading hand. To ensure that both hands execute each roll in succession, I use 5 stroke rolls to switch the lead hand. Practice the drum solo slowly with a metronome using a loose and relaxed grip.
good technique will give you freedom to play
/ 07
Definitive Listening List
ESTEBAN'S PICKS
If you are looking for drumming influences and finding your voice, here you’ll find ingredients to add flavor.
Tom Sawyer- Rush (Neil Peart)
Hailed as one of the greatest rock bands of all time, with drummer Neil Part at the helm, this explosive tune is basically a staple in the diet of todays modern rock drummers. Any serious drummer studying classic and modern rock will have likely learned some aspects of this tune. Peart’s signature hi hat groove will challenge not only your physical chops but your mental chops as well with its odd time signatures and syncopated open hi hat patterns. You will also get to play some of the funnest drum fills of all time! If you haven’t yet listened to or learned this tune, you need to. Plain and simple. What are the signs of a great tune? Every time you listen to it it makes you go, “Yeahhhh!!!! Ooooohhhhh!” Everyone gets sick of Free Bird. No one gets sick of Tom Sawyer.
Big Swing Face- Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich, everyone has heard of him. And rightfully so. Some have called him the greatest drummer of all time. Buddy was a monster, both on the kit and off the kit. While this particular tune is not necessarily Buddy’s most virtuosic performance, it is one of my all-time favorite tunes and every time I listen to it I have the most excellent experience. Be sure to take note of Buddy’s explosive style and the simplicity of how he plays the shout chorus sections. This is the type of tune that explodes right into your face. It doesn’t just explode in your face, it explodes into your face and when you finally get around to learning some big band Jazz you will appreciate it even more.
Spoon Man- Sound Garden (Matt Cameron)
No vocalist rocks harder than Chris Cornell, in my opinion. Matt Cameron’s drumming really nailed it and supported Chris’ vocals. There are many great Sound Garden tunes but none of them speak to me the way Spoon man does. It’s easy to create an odd time signature intentionally and then write a song around it. It’s much harder to write a song with an odd time signature organically. Sound Garden excelled at this. Letting the music speak for itself. What I love about Matt Camerons drumming the most is how he wrote the parts organically rather than mapping it out mathematically. Its time spent in the studio trying out different riffs and combinations, and listening to what makes you feel the “goosebumps” and the “chills”. Spoonman gives you the “Ooooos” every time you listen to it and it will challenge your mental chops just like “Rush’s” more mathematical concepts.
Sakeenas Vision- Art Blakey
No other drummer could keep that steady chick on the 2 and 4 on the hi hat like Art Blakey. A fantastic performance by my all-time favorite Jazz Drummer. At the Drum Lab we are continually talking about phrasing as one of the most fundamental skills a drummer needs to acquire to solo well. Understanding the form, the melody, and how to “manipulate” it to make it your own. Art Blakey not only does this, but it does it with power and conviction. Art has a very distinctive style and set of his own phrases that he uses on all of his albums. If you listen to him enough you will start to hear those steady usage of single stroke 7s and 4s but in swinging fashion! This particular drum solo takes you to the top of the mountain and then back down again with that thumpin’ Gene Krupa dancefloor swinging feel.
Texas Skies- Freddie Jones Band (Mile High Live) (Performed by Simon Horocks)
There are many hidden gems and artists in the music industry. Some are long forgotten or not given an honorable mention where it is due. The Freddie Jones Band is one such band that made it to my top 10 listening list. This album is a hidden gem featuring some superb drumming by drummer Simon Horocks, who later in life transitioned from artist to music manager. In classic rock feel, Texas Skies opens with a highly explosive drum feature definitely worth your time even if you’re not a rock drummer. In fact, I would encourage you to listen to this entire album. Be sure to check out the way Simmon plays his fills. You can tell he understands jazz and it comes through in his playing, especially the way he doesn’t always hit the 1 at the end of fills and phrases. It is worth noting this band excelled at “jamming live” and improvising their solos and fills the way a jazz musician would. If you enjoy listening to this tune, I would also highly recommend checking out “In a day dream” on the same album.
Sound of Muzak- Porcupine Tree (Gavin Harrison)
No drummer plays as uniquely as Gavin Harrison. And no musician writes songs as uniquely as Steven Wilson. Gavin’s drumming is not only highly controlled with impeccable technique, but his collaboration skills and ability to artistically translate Wilsons song writing into rhythmic form is out of this world. Every detail and shade of color can be heard on this album and Gavin carefully crafts the groove with textures that both enhance the quality of the song but don’t overshadow it. In addition, the song features another classic time signature in 7/8! This tune is worth learning and taking the time to get into Gavin’s excellent execution of ghost notes and rhythmic illusions. If you want to learn what a rhythmic illusion is I would highly recommend signing up for drum lessons at The Drum Lab. After all, Gavin Harrison is my all-time favorite drummer.
Recoradme- Joe Henderson (Performed by Tony Williams) (Live Version)
Just listen to the opening drum solo by Drum Legend Tony Wiliams. Your jaw will drop to the floor! This live performance by Tony is addicting and I can’t get enough of it. Ever y time I listen to it I catch something new. Even the metal heads could take note of Tony’s ability to play quick singles between a single hand and foot. This is the exercise blast beat drummers need to learn and Tony pulls it off and makes it swing. There is value in listening to every style of music, even if its not your preferred style. Next up, one of the catchiest jazz standards of all time, but not cheesy. For those hard core cats who’ve been doing standards for years, and get tired of “all of me”, “Four” or “Girl From Ipanema” this one is for you. Recordame has that catchy latin jazz feel but doesn’t get “Cheesy” or “old”. If you get into some of Joe Henderson’s other work you also won’t be able to stop listening.
Slo Funk- Tribute to Buddy Rich (Performed by Omar Hakim) Also check out Buddy Rich’s official version and Peter Erskine’s
This is the Funk of all Funks. Nothing funks harder than Slo Funk. Nothing sounds Funkier than Slo Funk. You can’t beat it. And do you want more funk? We’ve got about 4 different versions of this funk all over YouTube. Buddy Rich, Peter Erskine, Omar Hakim, all fantastic drummers. Pick your flavor. My personal favorite is the one performed by Omar Hakim. They really took it to another level. How much funk can we fit into the choruses? More funk then you can handle. Trust me guys. Once you listen to this you’ll be coming back for more. Plus, you want to challenge your big band reading skills? This chart kills it. Not only do you need to read in cut time, but you’ve got to do the setups and ensemble figures in some tight spots. Forget about Funky music white boy, funky town and some of those other 70s funk tunes. Get into the Slo Funk.
Reunion- Greg Howe (Gianluca Palmieri)
Fusion needs an honorable mention. Come to the table, Greg Howe, Fusion Jazz guitar soloist. Reunion features a delightful chaotic collage of latin drumming, rarely giving you the one, always moving the rhythm along in intricate syncopated fashion featuring a plethora of 5 stroke rolls on the closed hi-hat. Probably one of my favorite rudiments to use on the hat Gianluca Palmieri’s drumming fulfills my hi hat lust with buttery smooth execution and then rockets into an explosive Chorus section on the ride with a solid back beat, yet still not giving us the one. This song is a tasty piece of Fusion and rock and will inspire you to learn “Songo rhythms”, except in virtuosic terms.
Blue Matter- John Scofield (Dennis Chambers Drumming check out the live version)
Dennis Chambers brings some sweet drum-a-licious kick drum funk in this jazzy fusion tune by world reknown John Scofield. However, beyond Dennis Chamber’s Funk is his groove. Considered to be one of the top groove-oriented drummers, this tune is included in the list for Chamber’s impeccable timing and feel. 90% of the time what we do as drummers is keep time. Take note of Chambers ability to keep it “Simple” and “in the pocket” while comping at just the right times until finally unleashing the beast. Both studio versions and live versions of this tune are worth checking out.