Learn to Play Drums - An Absolute Beginner's Guide

You can start to learn to play drums right away, without even owning a drum set.

Drums are a lot of fun to play, and every rock/pop band needs them. Since there are way more guitar players than drummers, drummers are in high demand. In fact, I started playing because my friends wanted to form a band, and couldn't find a drummer. So I decided to learn.

If you are a complete beginner, there are a few things you can learn and practice without even having a drum set. The first step is to learn how to hold drumsticks properly and play basic beats. I believe the Music Masters Pro online course is the best way to start learning drums and progressing quickly. Click here to find out more. (Then use the Learn Drums button in the main menu bar up top.) Once you get there you'll see how much stuff they give you and why I recommend it.

If you just recently decided to learn how to play drums, and don't own or have access to a drum set yet, you can start practicing by tapping your hands and feet on a tabletop and the floor. This will get you going today and also give you an indication if you have the inclination to play drums without having to make a substantial investment. Go to this online lesson, to see how it's done, and start right away.

To get a good start on your quest to learn to play drums you should get these four things:

1. Some materials for learning drums, such as a beginner drum lesson book, beginner DVDs, or online lesson material.
2. A pair of drumsticks. I use the Vic Firth American Classic Nylon Tip drumsticks of size 5B.
3. A practice pad. I recommend the Promark PMZ pad. Practice pads simulate the bounce of an actual drum, and usually have a rubber surface. The Promark PMZ pad is very nice to learn and play on because it has ball bearings inside that rattle and make a quiet snare drum like sound.
4. A metronome such as the Korg MA30 or the Boss Dr. Beat DB12. For more on metronomes, see the metronomes guide page.

You can start to learn to play drums with a beginner's course using just a practice pad, drumsticks, and some foot tapping. This can keep you occupied for a while, since there are a lot of things you can learn about rhythm and handling sticks this way.

After you've practiced with the pad for a while and still think drumming is for you, you can start shopping for a real drum set to play on. See this page to find out about beginner drum sets.

As you learn to play better, it is important to get a good drum set that's fun to play on. If you're having fun as you learn and play, it's much easier to stick with it, even through "boring" practice sessions. Speaking of fun, you might also want to get an electronic drum set at one point.

After you've learned a few things, you might want to start thinking about forming a band. Hopefully you have a few friends that know a thing or two about playing guitar and bass. Guitar is a very popular instrument. If you can't find a bass player, all you have to do is convince a guitarist to switch to bass. This is easier said than done, though. ;-) In my case, I first joined a band, and then started learning how to play drums. This is a bit twisted, but it worked because I had friends who wanted to fulfill dreams of playing in a band, and couldn't find a drummer. Remember, compared to the other members of a band, drummers are in high demand, so use this to your advantage.