Drums are about time. A drummer's responsibility before anything else is to lay down a steady drum beat for the band. You should understand "groove" thoroughly and be able to lay a backbeat down like nobody's business. Drum fills are secondary.


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A terrific exercise: This version of "WIPEOUT" incorporates single, double, and triple paradiddles. Repeat over and over until you build up your speed. This is a great exercise for hand to hand control applicable to all drums.

R l r r, L r l l, R l r l r l r r, L r l r l l, R l r l r r, L r l l (Capital letters are Accented notes)

Inventory your drums and all your drum equipment: Log all of your instruments, take pictures of your drums (all sides), and make up a separate page for serial numbers.

Videotape yourself playing drums. You will be amazed at what you can learn from this. Everything from that stupid look on your face while your playing, to the snare drum that's tilted at a 45 degree angle.


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Repetitiveness is the key to learning drums fluidly. Overlearn it! You will usually not get something down good unless it's repeated over and over again numerous times. Practice drum licks enough times that they become very natural.

Duct tape has been used for drums for years. But did you know that your duct tape roll makes a great drink holder? Set it down to the right of your bass drum foot where it can't be knocked over.

Set up your drums differently than other drummers. Make your own unique statement.

Are you studying drums or drumset with a teacher? After drum lessons, go home and practice right away while it's still fresh in your head. Otherwise you tend to forget a lot of what you learned.

Take the time to tune your drums before a gig. Many drummers tend to let this go but you would be surprised how out of tune your drums can become due to playing, weather changes, and the like.

Double Bass pedal. One advantage to having a double pedal (whether you play it that much or not) is you'll always have a spare in case something happens to your main pedal.

Practice alot or you'll get behind. Drummers of today are very advanced due to all of the drum lessons and instructional material on the net. The bar has been raised and if you want to keep up and be a great, competitive drummer, you should practice diligently.

Think outside the book when practicing! Play along with CDs, MP3s, or even with what music is playing on the radio. Playing along with whatever's on the air will not only sharpen your drum chops, but also gives you experience in playing different kinds of music on short notice!

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keepin' the beat goin' and passing it on!

If, like me, you play hand drums (bongos, congas, djembes, etc.), keep in mind that, like your hands, your drum heads get dry during the winter (keep in mind that, in most cases, they're skins, too!).

Take a small amount of unscented hand cream and apply it to the palms of your hands, then rub it around the drumheads just as if you were rubbing it onto your own skin. Let it sit for a minute or so and wipe off the excess. It doesn't affect the sound quality and it keeps the skin from drying out and cracking...saves you money on your drum heads and helps ya keep the beat goin'!

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keepin' the beat goin' and passing it on!

In a pinch, you can get a sizzle cymbal sound from your ride cymbal by taping about 4 or 5 dimes or pennies to a strand of duct tape about 5" long and an inch wide. Experiment with placement for the optimum sound.

IF you play your drums regularly, change the batter heads every 3 to 4 months and the reso heads every 12 months for optimum sound.

Practise on striking the drum in exactly the same place each time - you will be surprised at the tonal difference just a inch difference can make to the sounds of the drum

Another tip for you skin-slappers: While it's important to keep your hand drums tuned properly, it's always a good idea to detune the drums (loosen the heads slightly) when you're not playing them. This reduces the possibility of the heads splitting or cracking due to unexpected temperature or humidity changes.

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keepin' the beat goin' and passing it on!

Be cautious when using cymbal cleaner because it can remove the logo on your cymbals if you arent careful .

Expensive high zoot drum kits will NOT make you a better drummer! -Les

At the same time, however, you should buy the best drumkit you can afford. So-called "bargain" drumkits are no bargain when you have to buy better-quality drums to replace the cheaper kit after it wears out. Most manufacturers have good medium-price drumkits that will serve as both a great starter kit and a foundation on which you can add more drums and accessories down the road!

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keepin' the beat goin' and passing it on!