5 Skills I wish I knew as a beginner drummer

[@christophersullivan6405]

I'm 49, my wife thinks I am having a midlife crisis, but I want to start playing drums again. I played in High School, but tried to be Keith Moon. I have been scrolling through your videos and they have been very educational and encouraging. I always admired the drummers that could keep that high hat going with their foot. You broke it down really well. Now, do you want to call my wife and tell her I need a kit?

[@storfirn8198]

I bought my 1st kit at 50. What you waiting for??

[@TheWallman456]

I’m 47 and just started 2 years ago

[@Msdivadev]

I played with a band from age 12-19 when I married and started a family. I retired last year (I’m 67) and bought a drum kit in Feb. Wasn’t sure if it would come back to me after 47 years of not playing, but it has. I’ve also been working on correcting some bad habits (there was no youtube when I was self-learning in the 70s.) I’m enjoying it so much, and have started teaching my 17-yr-old grandson, which has been an amazing experience. I had a drum kit sent to him, and he really has a knack for it. This is for your wife: Please, support Christopher in finding a kit and being able to play again. It has changed my life.

[@petermoeller5901]

Motivate her to learn an instrument and play together, wives can be negative (we all can be), try to turn it into a positive. When you are invited, do little music pieces for your friends. If you go to church, ask if you can play in the worship team. Depending on how you live, you can start with an inexpensive electric kit from Alesis or a second hand acoustic set, for example. If you can, go acoustic drums. There are many intricacies in playing an acoustic sets you cannot really learn on an electric kit. I played an acoustic kit in my twenties, very badly. Now I'm 59 and I bought an electric kit about 6 months ago. I play an acoustic set at church. Good luck!

[@christophersullivan6405]

@@petermoeller5901 HA! I think it has more to do with my guitars and ukuleles, or maybe the space that a drum kit takes up (no electronic kits for me).

[@CourtneyAnneMcNally]

2:59 #1 use your stick’s sweet spot to achieve maximum speed and smoothness on the hi hats 6:29 #2 use the rimshot grip for more pro-sounding grooves 11:03 #3 play faster, smoother, with less pain, and with a better sound by using this bass drum technique (let the beater bounce/don’t bury it) 16:50 #4 learn the “wrist twist” (actually forearm rotation) and subtle arm motion that makes kit navigation a breeze 22:42 #5 keep automatic time with your left foot on the hi hat: the technique that makes this possible

[@ralfder1.]

In no other drum channel or in drum lessons have I learned so much and valuable as in this one. Stephen not only shows solutions and ways to master things, but he and that is even more valuable shows the problems themselves. Stephen if you're reading this: Thanks ! each of your video lessons is worth its weight in gold, you have brought me so much further, thank you!

[@kanal7944]

DO AGREE ❤

[@oursongvideos]

All the above...Awesome. Sitting here with my kit you are on full screen, very helpful... :)

[@lordraven2264]

The first suggestion is counter to other suggestions I've learned. When the high hat is set too low, as you have yours, I end up hitting sticks, or worse my knuckles! Especially on faster songs. Thanks for the wrist technique. I've been doing that naturally, but keep trying to bring myself back to the German technique thinking I was making a mistake. Most of my issues are related to old age and injuries. Started playing at 47, 52 now. So on some things I have to dismiss technique due to limitations. Thanks for the video.

[@ranjanaluwihare1511]

Brilliant Stephen! No you tube drummer has ever explained these elements! Thank you for sharing dude!

[@darnelhillery4107]

Thank you! Non-glamorous, but yet SO helpful!!!

[@reniltonmp]

Thanks for your lessons.

[@TM-fj2dm]

Such awesome tips! Thank you for sharing it!

[@reniltonmp]

Fantastic explanations. You are a great drums player and have a talent at teaching drumming techniques.

[@beacon776]

I have been drumming since I was in my early teens. I'm 42 now and less focused on metal and more so on syncopation and better, more creative fills. It's hard to undo bad habits but not burying the beater has opened up a lot of possibilities I wouldn't have thought I was missing out on. I still remember laying in bed one night when I was in high school, after struggling with right foot - left hand independence and finally getting it at like 3 am. That was the biggest milestone for me but these seemingly small techniques like holding the stick in a different spot to produce more or less rebound makes for noticeable changes in playing ability (chops). Thanks for what you do Stephen!

[@steveoNOTjackazz]

Im an intermediate kit drummer, but i also played snare and quads in high school. The most valuable thing i learned is your step 1. Stick placement and wrist action to hit those fast grooves are essential!!! Thanks for the content!

[@robertreedy414]

Great stuff #Ergoman!

[@PoppaBadger]

Rudiments my friend. Rudiments. Lol The things that freak every drummer out, until we understand how to use them properly. Lol

[@drmrboi5345]

Good stuff! Thank you!

[@martimable]

Thank you for your work man, really really appreciated!!

[@joeylambert5933]

Left foot keeps automatic time. Great teaching point!

[@Skradgee]

To develop speed, practice on pillows with big heavy sticks, so that when you play on real drums with regular thinner sticks, you can flyyyyyy.

[@luissegade4029]

You are so right! I practiced so many times like that! The only downside, was later to learn to control the extra bouncing on the drums. But is always worthed.

[@anthonysprinks1253]

That's what I did - it certainly helps, but it isn't the complete answer.

[@greg3301gfhdydr]

Thanks!!!

[@daveprice5911]

As a beginner (6 months into lessons), this video mostly proved to me that my drum teacher is really good, because he already taught me most of this! Except the thing about burying my beater, I'll be practicing that today haha

[@juggernautjoff]

I’m a new drummer (two months in)taking lessons after playing guitar for the last 40 years. This is great advice!! Thank you! 🙏

[@panagoslio9136]

Time keeping and accents are the practice points that helped me develop

[@richardrichard5409]

Always noted the left foot hi hat bounce with Sina drums, nice tip, thanks ❤

[@harshitasrivastava]

I have literally only been to a single trial drum class, but i have been wanting to go since forever! So i have been watching your videos for this past hours, hoping to learn more stuff before i properly start my lessons! I must say, you're such a great teacher! I feel like practice this bit even without owning drums of my own, and i can't wait to try these out on a proper kit! Thabk you!!

[@garydoherty600]

Great video

[@cw3271]

Great tips. 1st for me will be the right foot technique and 2nd the left foot time keeping. Thanks!

[@robb7565]

Bro my knees are jacked so badly.- I was in denial because I didn't wan to have to stop playing - So glad I check out your vids - saved me a lot of grief in the past

[@paulvoivodich7457]

There is so much to consider if you want to sound good in a gig, or in Church. Church is a great place to develop this as you have to be sensitive to the worship atmosphere and develop dynamics. One of the main skills I am finding very helpful is to be relaxed and being well rehersed helps enormously. All these skills you have covered definitely help to be relaxed and play in a way that the band appreciates.

[@rayboreham2648]

The tip on not burying the beater is great but you only showed this using heel down. What about heel up? I think it's much harder to not bury the beater when playing heel up. So, how about an additional video showing how to do this heel up? Cheers.

[@bgnPrinceton]

Playing heel up doesn't require you to always have your heel up, only while doing the actual strike. This revelation helped me realize that burying the beater is actually not difficult to avoid when playing heel up. I think many people are led to believe that heel up means that your heel is always off the pedal. That is tiring. Look for videos that show the most fundamental bass drum strike where the heel comes up only when the leg raises. When the leg lowers the heel lowers along with it and the beater comes off the head. Of course all of this motion is clear only when playing at slow speeds. Realistically if you're playing faster you don't have time to bury the beater.

[@777samuraijosh]

Wow these are truly tips I have never seen on other drum lesson videos thank you

[@thomasfraioli361]

as an intermediate the most important thing i learned about drumming is stay relaxed and listen to whats going on in the music !

[@GraftedInYah]

definitely learning how to use the bass drum pedal correctly. I grew up playing clarinet in high school so always tapped my foot with my toes down on the floor only lifting my heel (opposite of drumming). Hard especially because of my short legs, when I in a typical size chair my toes only touch the floor not my whole foot. still very new to drumming so working on that is hard. Glad stools are adjustable. lol

[@lauraroberts2250]

I'm definitely going to teach my left foot to do that timekeeping trick. Thanks, Stephen, great lesson.

[@vabean2002]

Don't know if you would call it a skill, but it took me quite a bit of time to firmly grasp that the other musicians in the band appreciate and value simplicity, particularly in a jam situation. YOU are the metronome and anchor for the whole band. The old KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle definitely applies. It is harder than you think, as your tendency will probably be to show off your chops and/or throw in too many fills. The skill I have learned, and actually still struggle with, is to play your cymbals (including your hats) softer than your drums. The cymbals will quickly overpower everything and ruin the music. I only became aware of this after listening to live recordings with bands. How you think you sound invariably differs greatly from how you really sound to the other musicians and the audience.

[@thaddeusodonnell3986]

Totally on any Tom Petty record you'll hear the drums are usually playing the same kick snare and hat beat on repeat. and don't really change the whole song.. all fills are extremely minimal as well as any cymbal hits. The more space for other instruments to occupy in between the beat the easier it is to sound good. Not true for all music, but usually in rock if the drummers not bored stupid, they likely arent doing the most ideal thing for the music to sound best.

[@maddo7192]

You're spitting facts, dude!

[@nickcarroll7496]

​@@thaddeusodonnell3986 I will happily second what you're saying. I had an experienced drummer fill in for me when I couldn't do a gig. It was the bass player's worst nightmare because the guy who replaced me overplayed, filling every gap in every song, leaving him nowhere to go.

[@joseph-ow1hf]

Another agreement. You beat me to this one. I tend to overplay on the kick drum.

[@thaddeusodonnell3986]

@@nickcarroll7496 absolutely as a sole guitarist in my group, of usually between 7 to 9 pieces, I find I have way too much a tendency to think I always need to be playing something. One night at a gig I just totally dropped out and our bassist did a solo that with everything else minus the guitar was awesome. But if I woulda been playing it wouldn't be able to have that impact. And yes our drummer like most talented ones does overplay a good bit, probably cause we have a percussionist too haha. I only got a kit and learned so that I can lay down beats myself for recording really. But after sitting down the other day and playing along w a Petty playlist I kept thinking, oh heres where it obviously would change to a ride beat or tom thing for the chorus or whatever it was.. but no every songs beat stays the same steady beat the whole time and it really was an aha to me on recording.. less is way more especially on a record that ppl only care about the vocals 90% of the time.

[@kanal7944]

Thank you. Do like Chapter 4 so much.

[@seancuffe8579]

All of it thanks

[@Justa_Dood]

I'm too new, just started a week ago, that said, probably the bass drum lesson about not burying the pedal. Thanks for the lessons.

[@noahgrant2550]

28:50 Did I just see a preamp on a stool, with a sheet of particle board with an iMac on top of it? I suggest a rolling studio cabinet or small studio desk.

[@petermoeller5901]

I saw that, too. Doesn't look right.

[@KevinJones-qr2jh]

Left foot timekeeping has been very useful. Open hihat sneezes fall in time easier too

[@jessyl_bln5109]

Hey Stephen, useful video. May for future could you please make a video about paying crossed arms without hitting against the sticks and with comfort, thx.

[@richardlynch297]

Playing the Hi hat

[@markielinhart]

Quote of the day: A little bit of difference goes a long way. So very true Stephen‼️✌️🌻

[@larrylagoon6405]

what snare rim is that really cool wood chopper with no clips

[@wii3135]

I wish I had all your teacing 50 + years ago. Using different, hand grips, twisting rist, and left foot HH timing. Sincerely Ty

[@Catinthehackmatrix]

I dont know if it was speedking pedal tension, but one guy said the beater should bounce freely about 6-7 times, but that does seem loose. Terry has a really good channel, and records music at bonzoleum channel.

[@DanielOMooreDanofLargs]

At 60. Drumming since I was ten, stopping at 21 for guitar and singing. With occasional pro calls as a drummer. I enjoy fronting bands, tricky to do with a drum kit in front of you. How might I have something to offer... Starting again for physio mostly, & I love jamming. Drumming is good core building for those in my aged weakened... damaged capabilities. What about my drumming hint? Learn other instruments and singing (being a great singer is not the rarget... but you never know, practice might expose a good skill, do this at the same time, a side hustle, as you grow as a drumming musician. Why, to learn true empathy for the music around your playing. Being a singer I learned more about what NOT to play as a drummer, same for any melody instrument. If you don't know, you don't know. Not saying it's essential, but it certainly helps you put the breaks on ideas that add nothing to composition, taking away in fact.

[@user-wr6vq8ec9v]

5th is looking really efficient Stephen! I'm not using left foot for hi-hat 8ths and 16ths at all, do you have a tutorial for that too?

[@storfirn8198]

For me as a beginner, the two that will be helpful are both leg/feet techniques(3&5). My feet are way behind my hands at this time. Thanks for all you do and share.

[@Catinthehackmatrix]

Did you try heel up toe down yet with foot? I played over ten years before learning rim shots and heel up for less strain on my foot.

[@johnkirsch757]

Great video Stephen, something I struggled with for so many years was losing my place in a song by trying to count every beat in every measure of a song. Until one day I watched a video lesson by the legendary renowned session drummer Bernard Purdie how has recorded over 4000 songs, who said while he was teaching in the video "where's the one" "just find the one" and what he meant was instead of counting every single beat, just find where the 1st beat in the measure is when you need to find your place in any song. If you lose the count find the one. So practice by listening to songs finding "where's the one".

[@michaelmorse1945]

I too struggle with this - how do you find the one?

[@TheWallman456]

@@michaelmorse1945 usually the guitars are playing a “phrase” (riff) that repeats. Listen to the place where it loops and the first note of the repeated part is usually the one.

[@johnkirsch757]

@@michaelmorse1945 I agree with Paul's comment and in addition to that, every song has a pulse to it, if you just listening (don't play, just listen) to any song and let your body feel that pulse, counting in your head (4/4) 1234 or in (6/8) 123456 your body will naturally land on the down beat of the "one". I use this in my playing when a song changes from a verse to the chorus or bridge, I start my counting into that part of the song two or three measures just before the chorus or bridge and then again coming out of the chorus or bridge back into the verses. Practice listening and feeling songs first and after awhile it will come naturally and you will not have to think about it, then apply it to your playing. I Hope this helps!

[@johnkirsch757]

I also agree with TheWallman 456 comment, that will help you as well.

[@TheWallman456]

…and that’s usually a good spot for a nice crash and a kick😉

[@terrybyrne690]

So my question is,iv only gotten my drums and I'm overwhelmed by the rudiments,holding sticks,rebound etc....I'm trying to learn but I'm using percussion pads on mine for my neighbours sake so I'm not getting the full thing....I'd like to know what to aim to practice so I can be confident looking at videos and going okay I can approach this in a pod way

[@etielrincon]

Great video. One issue I’m struggling with for a while is how to setup my snare so that the shaft won’t hit the rim of the snare drum during rimshots. I tried having the snare completely flat and also slanted but it doesn’t help. Adjusting the height of the snare lower helps a bit but the feel is completely off when it is too low. Any ideas?

[@pietzsche]

Maybe I'm misreading you, but the stick is meant to hit both the rim and the drum head during rimshots, that's what a rimshot is

[@bradfoland2127]

Thanks for addressing the burying of the beater problem that is so prevalent. In addition to the pros you mentioned I’ve also found that bouncing the beater has much more power and can be much louder with less effort by whipping your entire foot. It’s just like proper stick technique with rebound control but with your foot

[@jdc6927]

A couple of big lessons to pass on. A: for better control and endurance, time keeping with left foot, helps if you are wanting to move to double bass. B: hand and foot technique are basically the same idea. Those two ideas helps playing significantly. (I hope this helps anyone reading).

[@michaelkrause5305]

I've been paying for 45 years. The foot stuff here is on my list for improvements. I still bury the beater and cant keep consistent time on the hats with my left foot. But the thing that I wish I learned or taught myself so long ago was to make sure my left hand has the same technique as my right. Understanding german vs french and how each hand is predisposed to one or the other. You old guys like me all know how hard it is to fix this. Been at it for a few years now.

[@bongolong]

I have been playing drums/percussion for 60 years now. Listening to early recordings of my self I was WAY too busy. Simply put "simplicity", be a Ringo, back the band. Rhythm players love a drummer who can groove!

[@777samuraijosh]

I have known how to play for 20 years but was always really bad at practicing but learned a lot from all your tips. A tip from me is if you want to play quieter grip closed to the top of the stick make the stick small

[@gushutchinson8758]

The left foot keeps pace,.. With very little prompting.... Wish I was blue whale. Palm Olive.. Top drummer. Never afraid to slow right down to zero.. Mid song!! Do it Girl.. Have it!! Then back in the room.. Trot and canter then Gallop.... The void..?! That track will show you, all how to move time itself along

[@LisaKool-nz1ee]

I was trained (many,many years ) not to overplay. I am now working on being a gospel drummer. What is the world....keeping the hihat going helps to fill the drum sound without crowding out everything else

[@flamingnarwalz5729]

Stick handling!!!!! (I have tendinitis now :'))

[@kenmarshall3221]

75 yrs younger triplets and hi hat Professional since 14

[@thaddeusodonnell3986]

Man the hardest part about starting out on drums for me.. was affording drums haha. But for real I've learned all my instruments with an approach of, learn the basics, then find a masterpiece and force teach myself how to play it. Was pretty simple on guitar, piano took me months learning a Chopin piece top to bottom, but Rosanna by Toto... Still dont think I ever got it down completely, but I did have to master so many techniques to get to the level of playing it I now can.. first off like Jeff says in his lesson on it.. you really gotta have your hi hat hand strength to the point of ripping 16th notes with just the one hand before you start putting the beat together.. that as well as really having the moeller technique down correctly.. oh and not having a crappy snare drum that doesnt ghost as well as mastering ghost notes.. otherwise youll just sound like your hitting the snare over and over and the beat sounds very wrong. Took me a half year till I realized I needed to revamp my grip.. then another half year to get the techniques right.. and I can confidently say that I HAVE played it right.. and when you have the techniques mastered its not that crazy.. but still not a master in all you gotta be and im okay with that now. Hopefully these tips can help someone in trying to play that beat, apologies for the tldr.

[@MrZelirazorwind]

Valuable to me is to practice the double shuffle.

[@joycefung2473]

With heel up, ghosting/bouncing feels a lot more tiring because you're actively hovering your leg by not putting your natural weight on the beater to the kick.. isn't it?

[@michaelras3575]

The. Last one

[@michaelras3575]

Interesting teaching lessons

[@JonnyDGhent]

I learned how to play flams in the 7th grade.

[@diqweezle9751]

Did Puma sponsor this video?

[@Billy-cs4cc]

Cool as always young man. 👋

[@hzilla5550]

Biggest and best advice from the start: My instructor telling me to start out open handed at age 37. (I am right handed, hi hat on L, ride on the R.) Most valuable info here as an "intermediate" drummer ( 30 years as hobbyist but no live or band experience now 68 yrs old but your video is excellent and "timely!" LOL. ) was #5 hi hat management with pulse of 1/8 th notes. I still can not perfect the quick hi hat closure from open to closed as you show with the doublet. But drumming is excellent for keeping mental acuity. My idiosyncrasy: my 1/8th hi hat left hand always delays on the “and” (2nd 1/8 HH note) after the “1e “ couplet on the kick with accent more on the 1. I must be retarded! How come this is not a common kick pattern … or is it more common than I think?

[@alexrogers2028]

A modified Mohler technique at the beginning. Obviously you haven't played professionally very long.

[@themajordudes8194]

It's also a video for beginners who don't need to know what the Mohler technique is yet. Do you phrase everything like an asshole?

[@petermoeller5901]

It's spelt "Moeller". That's a very common surname in Germany, similar to Miller in English speaking countries. It happens to be my surname :)

[@hadara69]

I consider myself of low-intermediate skill. The simple ability to mentally detach what my right hand is doing from my right foot was/remains THE most valuable skill to strengthen. (Especially with now learning double-kick!) It’s similar to learning to make nice bar chords as a guitarist in it’s value to being a drummer, imho. That, and it helps to keep time. 🥁🎸🤘

[@Billy-cs4cc]

Steve you've become my go to guy for everything drums. Now I need to buy a pair of sticks. I have very small hands, ( think the burger king commercial) paired with short arms, ( think tyrannosaurus rex) ( your drum set placement should be invaluable) lol

[@varethika]

Great video Steph! As a beginner drummer i struggle the most with finding the right position around the drumset, it's really frustrating and holds me back smh. I usually stop practicing coz of leg or back pain. Kick pedal and drum is the hardest one to handle..

[@storfirn8198]

I'm still fairly new as well. I moved stuff around for many weeks/months. Find the spot, move stuff and lock stuff in or mark it. I was shown to start your setup with sitting on your throne and then the kick peddle, then build your kit from there. And last was the hi-hat. I was shown to hold you right stick as you would, turn your arm to 90 degrees and point to the hi-hat, it should be pointing at the center of them as a starting point. Adjust as needed. Hope this helps and Good luck.