Every drummer wants to get to a place where they don’t even have to think about drumming.

Every drummer wants to get so good that they no longer have to stress about counting or how to play a paradiddle or what type of fill they should play next.

You want to get to a point where you can just be “in flow,” as acclaimed drummer Vinnie Colaiuta says. And he’s known for his technical mastery in his work with Joni Mitchell, Sting, Frank Zappa, and many others.

“I have this Mantra,” he said. “‘Thought is the enemy of flow.’ And I think that you really can’t be fully present in the moment, especially in an improvisatory sense, if you’re thinking, even for a second, a nanosecond. Just isn’t going to happen.”

Grammy-nominated drummer Nate Smith also doesn’t overthink when he’s playing. He said he’ll let his playing be directed by beatboxing along.

“I might be actually beatboxing parts while I’m playing,” he said. “I feel like that’s part of the reason why I get the sound that I get…So there’s a real connection…my whole body is playing the instrument.”

But before you can get to that flow state, you have to start with the basics. So in this article, we’re going to get you started learning how to play drums.

Before you learn how to drum, you should know the different parts of a drumset.

A typical drum kit has several pieces, but some drummers opt to add or take away pieces based on their drumming style and the genre they’re playing in.

For example, a folk or jazz drummer may only have a kick, snare, hi-hat, tom, and a ride cymbal and may play with brushes instead of sticks. On the other hand, a heavy metal drummer may have a full drum kit plus additional versions of crashes and toms.

Here are the main parts of a drum kit:

• Bass Drum: The large, low-end drum in the middle of the kit played with a pedal
• Snare Drum: A smaller drum with a sharp sound, located in front of the drummer, essential for backbeats
• Hi-Hat: Two cymbals mounted on a stand, played with a foot pedal to open and close them
• Rack Tom(s): Smaller toms mounted on top of the bass drum
• Floor Tom: A larger tom that stands on the floor to the right of the drummer
• Crash Cymbal: Located to the right and in front of the drummer, used for accents
• Ride Cymbal: Located to the right of the drummer, often used to provide a steady rhythm
• Splash Cymbal: Smaller cymbal used for quick, sharp accents
• China Cymbal: Produces a trashy sound
• Drum Throne: The drummer’s seat, adjustable for comfort

To get started, all you really need are a pair of drumsticks and a practice pad.

Vic Firth is one of the most trusted companies for drumming equipment. They have a double-sided practice pad that’s good for beginners, and these American Classic drumsticks are a solid choice.

So for not that much money, you can start learning how to play drums.

Once you’ve progressed enough and you’ve developed the basic drumming skills, you can upgrade to a drum set.

But for now, start with sticks and a pad and you’ll be good to go.

Now let’s talk about how to start playing drums, beginning with the most basic skill: rhythm.

Without a good drummer, the song will fall apart. Every great band has a reliable drummer.

What does reliable mean?

Well, tempo – the speed of the song – is at the heart of drumming. You have to be able to keep a tempo throughout an entire song.

This means you can’t be slowing down or speeding up. You need to be consistently moving at the same pace.

You’ll need to count the temp in your head, so “1, 2, 3, 4” (4/4 time signature) or “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6” (6/8 time signature) or whatever the song’s time signature is.

The band relies on you, the drummer, to keep time.

Start by keeping your hands relaxed. Tension can lead to fatigue and hinder your playing. Hold the sticks firmly enough that you don’t drop them but lightly enough that your fingers curve naturally around them.

When you strike a drum, the stick should bounce back naturally. Allow this rebound to guide your stick motion. Instead of forcing the stick down, focus on controlling its return. This will make your playing more efficient, less tiring, and faster.

The fulcrum is the pivot point around which your stick moves. This is typically located about two-thirds from the tip of the stick. To find the right spot, find where your index finger sits that gives you the most rebound. Then your thumb should grip the stick against your index finger, creating a balanced hold.

Buzz refers to the subtle vibrations created when the stick strikes the drum. To achieve a nice buzz, make sure your grip isn’t too tight – a looser grip allows the stick to vibrate freely. Experiment with different stick angles and strikes to find the sweet spot that produces a crisp sound without excess force.

The kick drum provides the low-end thump, usually hitting on the 1 and 3 beats, laying down a steady pulse that establishes the song’s tempo and groove.

And the snare drum adds a sharp, cutting backbeat, usually accenting the 2 and 4 beats.

Together, this kick-snare relationship gives the song a rhythmic foundation.

Listen to the simple but super cool drum beat in The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” In the verses, the kick hits on each beat (1, 2, 3, 4) with the snare coming in on beats 2 and 4. Then in the post-chorus, the kick is on 1 and 3 while the snare continues on the 2 and 4 while the crash continues on each beat.

A drum rudiment is a basic drumming pattern that you can incorporate into your playing. Below are five of the main drum rudiments you should learn as a beginner.

The Single Stroke Roll is when you play alternating hits between the left and right hands, typically played: right, left, right, left, right, left.

This rudiment helps develop hand coordination and is the foundation for many drumming techniques.

The Double Stroke Roll involves playing two consecutive strokes with one hand before switching to the other hand. It’s typically played like this: right, right, left, left.

This rudiment creates a smooth, flowing sound and is useful for building speed and control in your drumming.

The Paradiddle is a combination of single and double strokes.

It goes like this: right, left, right, right, left, right, left, left.

This rudiment helps with hand independence and can be used in a lot of different rhythms and styles.

A Flam is a striking technique where one stick hits the drum just slightly before the other.

It’s technically two hits: a primary note and a grace (AKA ghost) note. But they’re usually just thought of as one hit.

Flams add texture and depth to drumming patterns.

The Drag is two quick strokes (usually with the same hand) followed by a single stroke from the opposite hand.

The first two quick hits involve a rebound followed by a hit from the other hand.

Drags are great for embellishments and during drum fills.

One of the best ways to learn drums (and any instrument for that matter) is to learn your favorite songs.

Listen. Copy what you hear. Play along.

You’ll be learning how to drum along with songs you love, which makes the whole process way more fun than only practicing rudiments.

Rudiments are important to practice, but you also need to be learning to play along with other musicians.

Like we already talked about, it’s so important that, as a drummer, you can reliably and consistently keep time. Your success as a drummer depends on it.

So practicing with a metronome is super important. You can use an online metronome like this one if you need a metronome.

Then you can practice the five drum rudiments we talked about above, start with the tempos of 80 BPM, 100 BPM, and 120 BPM.

In simple terms, 8th notes divide the 1-2-3-4 beat into smaller parts.

Remember, in a 4/4 time signature, each measure has four beats. If you play 8th notes, you get two notes for each beat.

So, instead of counting “1, 2, 3, 4,” you’d count “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” and then repeat this cycle. Each “and” represents an 8th note.

When you play 8th notes, you’ll hit the drum for every number and every “and.”

So, it sounds like this: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.

Playing 8th notes helps you keep a steady rhythm, making it a good method to include in your practice sessions.

Here are three simple drum fills you can practice:

• 8th notes: two hits on the snare, two hits on each rack tom, two hits on the floor tom, then the crash on the 1 beat of the following measure
• 16th notes: four hits on the snare, four hits on each rack tom, four hits on the floor tom, then the crash on the 1 beat of the following measure
• Mix them together: Two hits on the snare, two on the high rack tom, two on the snare, two on the mid rack tom, two on the snare, two on the floor tom, then four on the snare

Once you get these drum fills mastered, you can explore more complex ones. But for now, these three will be good practice for you.

The only way to get better at drums is to keep doing it. And you don’t need a drum kit to get better at drumming.

This is where a practice pad comes in handy – you can practice anywhere and without being too loud.

If you only practice when you’re sitting at your drum set, you won’t improve as fast as you’d like. So drum any chance you get, even if it’s just practice drum rudiments or fills with your fingers on the table.

After you’ve gotten the basics down, working with a drum teacher could help you elevate your drumming to the next level.

Of course, it’s not necessary, but sometimes feedback from an experienced drummer can help you improve in ways you didn’t realize you needed to improve.

Drum lessons typically cost $20-80 per hour, depending on where you live. Usually, teachers in major cities charge more than those in more rural areas because there’s more demand in cities.

Maybe drumming will be a hobby for you, and that’s totally fine. But if drumming is something you could see yourself doing every day for a living, you have plenty of career paths you could take.

Here are some of the most common ways to make a career as a drummer:

• Performing Musician: Playing in bands and/or orchestras in different genres (like rock, jazz, classical, etc.)
• Session Musician: Recording drums for albums, commercials, or film scores, often working with different artists and producers
• Music Teacher: Teaching drums in schools, music studios, or private lessons, helping students develop their skills
• Drum Technician: Setting up and maintaining drum kits for professional drummers during live performances and studio recordings
• Composer/Arranger: Creating original music or arranging existing pieces, often focusing on percussion parts
• Music Therapist: Using drumming and music to help individuals with emotional, cognitive, and social needs