A Few Free Drum Lessons In PDF File Format.

See The Bottom Of The Page For The Latest Drum Lesson

Note: To Drum Instructors:  You Can Print And Use These PDFs For Your Lessons As Long As You Leave The "Author" And The  "Drums And Ivory" WWW. link on each copy.

1: Beginners 8ths And 16ths. - Here are some 8th and 16th notes for the beginner as applied to simple 4/4 Rock beats. This page also includes the sticking for the Open Roll, and the Paradiddle. Be sure to keep the timing (meter) even when changing from the 8ths to 16th notes.

2: Hand Development Exercises. - A few handy exercises for building up steady chops. Watch out for the time changes on Exercises 1 and 2.

3: Accented 16th Notes For Snare Drum. - Suggestions: These accented 16th note exercises are great for developing steady timing, even strokes, and can also be played around the kit. In these examples all accents fall on the right hand. Follow the instructions on the page for further study. For example the non accented notes can be played off the hi hat (or toms) and only the right hand "accents" are to be played on the snare. Also practice these exercises while first playing a bar of straight "16ths Hi Hat Disco" ( RLRL-RLRL-RLRL-RLRL ) etc. "Play the Snare drum on the 2 and 4 beats and the Bass Drum on all Quarter notes" before each bar of the exercise as explained above. - Alternate this 16th Disco pattern between each bar of the 16ths exercises. Also try playing a 4 bar sequence repeating three bars of 16ths Disco and 1 bar of the written exercise. 

4: Free 8th Note Ride Cymbal Exercise Template. Print And Make Up Your Own Exercises.

5: - 52 Bars Of Rock. This page contains most of the basic 8th note rock grooves found in straight ahead Rock as well as a few slightly syncopated ones.   If you can already count basic 8th notes you should have no problem playing this page. There are some addtional practice suggestions on the page. For beginners the key is to "Count" "Concentrate", and take it "Slowly and Evenly" - Many beginners ( Including some of my students ) are impatient and attempt to play at full speed right off the bat only to crash and burn when a syncopated passage or drum fill comes up. That approach makes as much sense as trying to run 100 metres with your shoe laces tied together. It's a great way to practice if you want to become a sloppy drummer and never plan to perform with other musicians. Suggestions: First practice each bar over and over again until you are playing comfortably and evenly. Then play 2 bar patterns - grouped and repeated as grooves 4 - 8 - 16 times or more. Next practice the 4 bar lines as phrases repeating  4 - 8 - 16Xs.  Next try randomly jumping from one bar to another without losing the meter. Try repeating each single bar 3 times and then reslove the 4th bar of the phrase with a drum fill. ( Try 1 - 2 - 3 and 4 beat fills in that last bar ) - ( Another cool trick is to resolve these basic 8ths phrases with a final bar of "Funk Groove" )  Next repeat that method while playing each of the 4 bar lines as written - resolving with a fill on the last bar. See the animation below for extra suggested Ride/Hi Hat patterns shown in 4/4 Time.

If you can't understand any of this find a good drum teacher. 

If that doesn't work take up the Kazoo or flower arranging.