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.

So you want to learn to play drums and need some encouraging words and advice on where to start, then read on. Drums are a lot of fun to play, and every rock/pop band needs them, so drummers are in demand. In fact, I started playing because my friends wanted to form a band, and couldn't find a drummer. So I said I can learn to play drums, having never picked up a drumstick before in my life. I thought I could learn to play drums quickly because I knew I had a good sense of rhythm. And I was right.

As 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 play basic beats from beginnger's books or online lessons. If you're starting from zero and don't have any drum equipment yet, you can do this by just tapping your hands and feet on a tabletop and the floor. This will get you going and also give you an indication if you have the talent to play drums. Go to this online lesson, included on this site, to see how it's done.

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

1. Some learning materials such as this beginner drum lesson book & DVD collection.
2. A pair of drumsticks. I use the Vic Firth American Classic Nylon Tip drumsticks of size 5B.
3. A practice pad like this one. Practice pads simulate the bounce of an actual drum, and usually have a rubber surface. This 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. Follow this linkd for more on 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 easily find a drummer.