How To Learn Drum Beats

As drummers, we strive day to day to find new and unique drum beats to challenge ourselves and carry us to a new level of drumming. With the variety of new music coming out these days, there is no stop to the amount of new drum beats that we can learn. But how do we go about learning these unique drum beats? And what about some very common drum beats, like rock drum beats, jazz drum beats or Latin drum beats? As drummers, we need to not only know how to play these, but also how to teach ourselves new drum patterns to keep our list of beats growing. Here are a few ways to learn new drum beats.

Be Sure You Can Read Drum Notation
This is a must for any drummer who is looking at developing new drum beats. When you are searching for new grooves, you will definitely need to be able to read sheet music and drum notation. This is similar to learning how to read drum tabs. If you can fully understand how to read drum notation, you will be able to learn so much more at a faster rate. There are hundreds if not thousands of drumming web pages online scattered with beginner drum beats all the way to advanced drum beats. All you need to know is how to read the sheet music. For more information on this, read over this lesson on understanding drum notation!

Invest in Drumming Instructional Videos
Now I know there may be a few drummers who do not like instructional videos and drumming books; however there couldn’t be a more easy way to learn new drum beats. There are books and videos out there for any style of drumming. If you are interested in rock drumming, Latin drumming, jazz drumming, or double bass drumming, there is a product for you. These are great techniques for training yourself because it not only teaches you how to read drum notation, but it provides you with the most common drumming beats of that style all the way to the most unique and advanced drum beats of that style. These products are a lot cheaper then personal lessons, and can teach you much more in the long run. Check out these products if you are interested in different styles:

Surround Yourself with Music
The last trick in learning new and unique drum beats is to surround yourself in all different varieties of music. When you listen to different types of music, you are challenged to start playing like them. This is very important! If you are a drummer who is looking for new beats, you will not find it from your favorite rock band. Instead, look for different bands in different styles; you will be surprised what you will learn. When you hear a new groove, you not only will be inspired to play it, but you will have the resource to learn and imitate this groove. So make sure you are experimenting with different music types and genres.

Good luck with these ideas and concepts! Feel free to look around on this website to find a bunch of different drum beats to check out!

By: Dave Atkinson

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