Introduction

Welcome to Drum Lessons by me, Sam! Did you know that learning how to play a basic beat for drums only takes 10 minutes? I will let that sink into your mind. 10 minutes is all you need if you have a strong determination to learn drums! I’m excited that you are interested in drumming. The fact that you added this book to your endless pile of readings tells me that you want to learn drums seriously. In the next couple of sections, I will give you the tools to do just that!

Dispelling a myth

Now I’m going to dispel the myth that only musically-talented people can play drums. So here it goes:

• Are you interested in joining your church’s praise band? You can be a drummer!
• Do you lack confidence in your rhythm or skills? You can be a drummer!
• Is this your first instrument? You can be a drummer!

From the questions I asked, it seems like ANYONE can be a drummer – and this is true! However, I am teaching drums with an emphasis on service in church praise. In this context, the drummer should not attract attention for personal gain, but for God’s glory. As Psalm 66:4 says, the whole world bows down before God and everyone praises His name. Praise is never about how people are impressed with the drumming skill. Instead, praise is about inviting others into God’s presence and having unity with the praise band’s vision.

Drum Set Logistics

If you want help with setting up your own drum set, please check this guide out for further assistance. It has a Youtube video at the end for the visually inclined.

You need to know what each drum piece is before proceeding, so click here to get familiar with the terminology.

If you plan on drumming for the long haul, it would be wise of you to learn more about holding drumsticks. Even if you’re not sure about becoming a drummer, going through this resource will give you a greater sense of stick control and appreciation for professional drummers.

A step into the waters…

I will give you the tools to drum! However, we must start out with some easy stuff:

• Hi-hats (2 hits/beat)
• Snare (2+4)
• Bass drum (1+3)

Next, do the following combinations:

• hi + snare
• snare + bass
• hi + bass

There you go! These three combinations prepare one for limb independence, or movement in isolation. This independence will make you an effective drummer.

After you combine the three together, you’re done! You have received your first exposure to drums!

Into the Wild

The next lessons are for those who wish to invest into drums longer than 10 minutes. Join with me if you dare!

Variations of basic beat

Let’s try out 3 kinds of bass beats

1. The first one was our last lesson – nothing fancy! Just testing your memory.
2. The second one has an extra kick, a half-note after 3.
3. The third one is like the second without the kick on 3!

I’m going to mix it up as well! Tell you to do 1 then 3 then 2 then…you mastered it!

Hi-hat control

16th notes! Can you handle it? It’s actually pretty easy once we develop balanced stick height and grip! Patience is a virtue here.

Fill

Fills happen after 3 full measures of basic beat. You can play 1-3 of the toms – or none at all! It really depends on what you want to do to transfer between verse, chorus, bridge and ending. However, there are common strategies for playing fills:

• Know how the song flows by hearing it multiple times – you’ll realize that fills work to build up, tone down or change a song’s dynamics.
• Think about the fill well beforehand – you have 3 full measures! Use that time to prepare your mind for the fill!
• Whatever fill you have in mind – be persevering! If you did not play it well the first time, practice it until you can do it well.

To show concrete examples of fills, I will show you 2-3 fills of my choice! I will also show a song and how it includes fills inside it.

Variation of basic beat – Part two

Hi – snare – hi – snare! Could be used in many ways!

This variation can be used as remix tool, pop beat, hip-hop, etc. And you could still use the bass changes I taught you in part I! Isn’t that amazing?!

Drumming Strategies for Praise

Quick question: What did I emphasize at the beginning of this webpage? The title should give enough context for what I am about to present next – the type of mindset you’ll have as you play drums for Chinese and English praise songs.

Chinese songs

A lot more predictable! Many of them sound the same actually…

• Quiet song: hi-hat/ride in verses and chorus, ride / crash in bridge, crash in ending
• Moderate song: hi-hat in verses, ride in chorus, ride + crash in bridge, crash in ending
• Loud song: Moderate song + solid bass hits + moderate crashes!

American worship

You’ll see the bass beats I have taught you used fairly often in American drumming. There are differences that you should consider when playing an American worship song versus a Chinese worship song. Chinese beats are fairly linear whereas the American beats can abruptly change from being quiet to being loud. Prepare accordingly with the praise band. As a warning, the basic beat may not be played on the hi-hat, snare and bass, so be careful about that as well!

Other styles

The next step of drumming is checking out different styles. Follow this link.

It has a bunch of genres that you can pick from; I will choose some of them from these. By the end, you will be a fairly advanced drummer, able to do virtually anything for church worship! However, do not get carried away with your drumming on-stage. Remind yourself of Psalm 66:4 as you learn other styles!

Conclusion

I have taught you the basics and brought you to a fairly advanced stage! Congratulate yourselves. If you want to learn more about drumming, go online to look for Youtube drummer videos or listen to your favorite songs for a catchy drum beat!

If you want to learn advanced techniques, buy DVDs among other things. Being a drummer takes practice and a willingness to look for tools and resources on your own.

By now, I hope that you kept Psalm 66:4 in mind. Every time before you play drums, just remember that your drumming is about bowing down before God and praising him all of your days!