This article is lays out a very basic approach to playing the drums. It’s meant just to show you how easy it is to start. If you want to take Drum Lessons, consider this whole article as a beginning as you look for a drum teacher.
Steps One, Two, and Three of learning how to play the drums
So, your child wants to play drums and you want to find out if it’s something that they’ll stick to. Let’s be honest, the closet is full of past interests, the receipts have been lost and it’s been scuffed up just enough to where it can’t be returned.
Step One: Get the tools, a drum pad and some sticks
Well, the drum set is a surprisingly easy and cheap instrument to start. All you need is a drum pad ($16) and one pair of sticks ($6). That’s one of the lowest instrument costs for any instrument.
Step Two: Practice the first rudiment
The very first thing anyone trying to learn is to play the very first rudiment called single strokes. Very simply this is hitting the drum pad with the stick in the right hand and then with stick in the left hand. With a metronome, set at 60 BPM, you can hit the drum pad with the click, which would be quarter notes. Then increase the strikes to 2 alternating strikes per click, which would be eighth notes, then 4 alternating strikes per click, which would be sixteenth notes.
Step Three: Practice more rudiments to songs or faster beats
There are several rudiments that need to be learned for a musician to become proficient on the drums, and they can be found easily by doing a Google search for “Drum Rudiments”. These rudiments can be practice while listening to songs to try out playing beats to songs that your child likes. Also to push progress, you can increase the click of the metronome.
Now, of course this is just the beginning of playing drums. Shortly after learning the rudiments and showing some promise, it’ll be time to get a full set and a teacher to really help rocket playing drums to the next level, playing drum rolls, fills and double kicks.
