Free Drum Lessons
Double Hi-Hat Technique
This lesson focuses on playing the hi-hat with both the stick and the foot pedal at the same time, a technique that Chad Smith often uses.
Here Comes The Half-Time
You may not be familiar with the technical term half-time, but you probably have already recognized the unique feel of a half-time groove.
Hat This Way (Aerosmith "Walk This Way)
Borrowing from the classic and instantly recognizable intro groove from "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith, this lesson focuses on the concept of playing the open hi-hat on beat 1 of the groove.
Move It To The Snare
Moving your right stick to the snare instead of the hi-hat can produce a unique sounding groove. You can further develop the groove by moving the right stick back and forth around the toms.
Chorus Groove and Fill from Shut Up and Dance
This week's lesson examines the main chorus groove and fill from Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon. This sixteenth note groove uses the open hi-hat to accent the up-beat, bringing a feel to the groove that makes you want to dance.
Four Drum Fills to Start the New Year
Start your year with a few drum fill ideas and a simple technique for re-orchestrating drum fills around the toms to create a melodic layer.
Wrapping Your Head Around Syncopated Notation
To a lot of drummers, syncopated notation (and playing the notation, for that matter) seems to be an alien concept. However, taking a step back to examine a few of the most common syncopated patterns can ease our syncopated woes. They're not as difficult to read as they may appear at first glance.
Syncopated 'E' Drum Fills
This lesson explores four drum fill ideas that feature the crash and bass to accent the Es.
Learn the Half-time Bridge from Heavydirtysoul
Learn to play the half-time bridge section from Heavydirty soul by Twenty One Pilots.
Lane Boy's Reggae Rock Fusion Beat
This lesson explores the main groove from the Twenty One Pilot song Lane Boy.
Accented Six-Stroke Roll Techniques with Stewart Jean
We've teamed up with Musicians Institute (MI) in Hollywood, CA to bring you lessons from the staff. In this lesson, Stewart Jean (Drum Program Chair at MI), demonstrates unique accent exercises applied to the six-stroke-roll.
Basic Linear Training Exercise with Stewart Jean
The third lesson in our exclusive Musicians Institute Hollywood lesson series, this time Stewart Jean explores exercises that are designed to help you feel a repeated linear pattern of three sixteenth notes that travel over the bar. By doing this exercise you will be able to feel syncopated linear patterns in all possible sixteenth note subdivisions.
