INTRODUCTION

Progressive Beginner Drums assumes that you have little or no prior knowledge of music or playing the drums. This book begins with learning the parts of the drumkit, how to sit at the drums and how to hold the drum sticks. You are also introduced to:

• Reading and understanding music as it relates to the drums.
• Learning to play using all the drums and cymbals around the entire drum kit and gaining control of all four limbs.
• Playing drum beats in a variety of styles including Rock, Blues, Funk and Jazz.
• How to invent your own drum beats and fills.
• How to make your drum parts work with other instruments, in particular the bass and guitar.

After completing this book you will have a solid basic understanding of the drums and will be ready to move on to more advanced study of specific musical styles. All drummers should know all of the basic information contained in this book.

The best and fastest way to learn is to use this book in conjunction with:

• Practicing and playing with other musicians. It is surprising how good a basic drums/bass/guitar combination can sound, even when playing easy music.
• In the early stages it is helpful to have the guidance of an experienced teacher. This will help you maintain a steady practice schedule and obtain weekly goals.
• To be sure to develop a good sense of time right from the beginning, it is essential that you always practice with a metronome or drum machine. If you choose to use a metronome, use an electronic one with a volume control and earphones input, as an old style metronome will not be loud enough to hear when you are playing.

Using a Metronome

A metronome is a device that plays a continuous beat. It is used to help control your timing so that you do not rush or slow down. The beat is heard as a ticking or beeping sound and the speed can be adjusted. The speed of the beat, which is called the tempo, is measured in beats per minute (BPM).

The accompanying photo shows a mechanical metronome and an electronic metronome.

Music is commonly written with a tempo mark to indicate what speed the piece should be played. For example, 60 BPM is represented as 3 = 60. If learning a piece at the written tempo is difficult, try lowering the BPM of the metronome (slowing it down) until you can play evenly and in time. Then gradually speed up the metronome until you can play it at the correct speed.