How to Play Drums

Welcome to the drums! You'll start by setting up your drums with details on efficient placement of the bass drum, snare, hi-hat, toms, and cymbals. John will also give you expert tips on tuning and muffling so you can get a great drumset sound.

Now that your drums are set up, learn the right way to hold your sticks, use the drum pedals, and strike each drum and cymbal. This is the solid foundation every drummer needs to be a pro.

Quickly learn all the basics of music notation-this great skill is important for every pro drummer to know, even though you don't need to read notation to complete this course.

Let's play your first rock beat! Learn a simple, but highly effective, beat in just a few easy steps.

Now that you have a basic rock beat down, it's time to expand your rock-drumming arsenal with more rock beats. Learn also how to vary the bass drum to create exciting grooves.

You've learned some solid rock beats, so let's add in drum fills to take your playing to the next level. This section teaches several effective fills that will bring any song to life!