fbpx

Check out my drum tuition book: Concepts

5 Basic Drum Beats For Beginners

5 Basic Drum Beats For Beginners

by | Mar 28, 2020 | Beginners, Learning approach

Here’s a PDF with 5 great basic drum beats for you to have fun with. Learn them, practice them and use them to play along to your favourite tunes!

Beginner tips

If you’re a beginner, these are great drum beats to learn because they’re very common in everything from Pop to Rock! You’ll be able to use them to play along to massive songs from Wheatus’ Teenage Dirtbag and Taylor Swift’s Willow! Even if the beats on the latter songs are slightly different, they’re variations on the same theme, so they’re worth learning. Fancy learning more drum beats?

 

That said, these grooves are also a fantastic way to work on your coordination! And if you practice them, even without a practice pad, make sure you use a metronome as this is very important. These beats are a great way to work on your time if you try playing them slowly first, and then start speeding them up!

Chopzzz Pillowcase - Pillow gift for drummers

Products like the CHOPZzz Pillowcase are a great way to practice the drums and technique in a fun and different way.

 

If you’re interested in learning how to play drums, I have a few other articles which you might find helpful:

 

But again, if it’s lessons you’re after check out my drum lessons! I teach beginners to advanced students of all ages, skills and neurodiversity / S.E.N (i.e. people on the Autism spectrum, etc).

 

DOWNLOAD THE BASIC DRUM BEATS PDF HERE

 

I hope this has been useful in helping you make more sense of drum beats in your favourite songs. Have fun using these basic drum beats to play along to your favourite tunes!

 

Lastly, if you fancy, check out my drum book Concepts; a great learning resource for drummers of all levels!

 

Thanks, and see you online!

 

Nick x

Is Mindfulness The Best Gift For Drummers?

Is Mindfulness The Best Gift For Drummers?

by | Mar 20, 2019 | Commentary, Learning approach

Over the last few months I’ve been using a guided meditation app called Headspace. It’s a great app which teaches you how to meditate and guides you through the process. I’ve found it really beneficial in helping me be more in the moment, more mindful, and less stressed… So, could this be the best gift for drummers?

So why on earth am I talking about this rather than drum stuff? Because we, drummers, are human too and as such we have to take good care of ourselves. As a result, I thought I’d start using mediation as a technique to help me develop as a person, and as a drummer too.

Since starting on this journey I’ve felt much more relaxed, and more aware of the world around me. And whilst sometimes I drop the ball, I try to incorporate meditation into my daily routine in a few different ways. So! Here are 3 ways to use meditation to benefit your drumming.

PRE COFFEE

I aim to meditate every morning for about 10 to 15 minutes before having my morning tea / coffee. Doing this sets me up for the day, framing the day ahead in a more positive way, and reminding me to “take it easy”.

PRACTICE TIME

Meditation has also taught me to relax and focus the mind, but also to be more aware of my body. In context to drumset practice, mentally-speaking, it has helped me keep mind clear and free from distraction. Likewise, from a physical perspective, I use the visualisation techniques to help me target specific technical aspects to improve my performance. This has been hugely beneficial!

best gift for drummers

PRE GIG OR PERFORMANCE

Meditating for a few minutes before a gig has also been a game-changer for me, actually. Particularly if I’m feeling stressed, or nervous, which is a common thing among musicians, so if you’re reading this and feel the same, you’re not the only one! I’ve found that a 5 or 10 minute sit-down, in a quiet place, before going on stage is a fantastic way to be less in my own head, and enjoy the experience more.

In my drum lessons I encourage and remind my students to breathe and be mindful, teaching them to be physically and mentally relaxed behind the kit. In fact, if you liked this article, check out my article about using yoga to improve your drumming!

I hope you’ve found this little post about mindfulness being the best gift for drummers entertaining, interesting or useful. As I said, meditation has helped me be more aware, less stressed, and keeping things more “light”, so maybe try it out yourself!

If you’re interested, you can check out the Headspace app. You can also visit various Buddhist centres around London who offer mediation sessions:

London Buddhist Centre

West London Buddhist Centre

North London Buddhist Centre

Thanks for reading!

Nick x