Have you ever thought this way?

I answer up to 150 emails per day, most of them being questions that require no more work then a simple Google search to find the answer to. Don’t get me wrong, I love chatting with drummers, and helping them in any way I can, but I can’t help but notice the over-whelming amount of laziness.

If you want to become proficient in anything you have to be willing to put the time in. Since I’m Canadian I’ll parallel it to an NHL hockey player eh . Do you think any NHL hockey player easily made it into the NHL without working hard? Of course not!

They’re not all going to be Wayne Gretzky or Sydney Crosby, but they are still all amazing hockey players who have achieved something huge in their lives, just by making it into the NHL.

Same goes for us drummers, we’re not all going to be a Buddy Rich, Neil Peart, Thomas Lang, or Jojo Mayer, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t do something great with our drumming.

My plan wasn’t to write this post to come down on anyone, or cause any controversy, but I just want to find a way to help motivate drummers to do what it takes to achieve success; however they define it.

With that said, I am going to get my ass in gear and practice. If you want to get better at drumming you should do the same, as that is the ‘one big thing’.

Note: Do you need help setting up a drumming practice routine? Check out Mike Michalkow’s Drum Practice Routine Generator – It’s what I use and it works great!

I talked about the different hand to feet combinations using a single bass drum pedal, and Dave discussed how to play hand to feet combos using a double bass drum pedal.

The sheet music for this lesson is free and can be download in our forums. Just click here to download this sheet music. It is posted right below the video lesson on that page.

Hand To Feet Combinations Around The Drum-Set

Hey Jared

Since you read like 100 mails a day, I just wanted to send you an e-mail in which someone doesn’t ask you something. Call this a breather e-mail, because you just don’t have to answer it .

I just wanted to wish you happy holiday’s and that everything pans out awesomelly for your drumming in the next year, and your life as well, of course.

And also, i’m just checking your youtube account and just couldn’t help to say a BIG thank you. Altough you have a company like railroad media were you have to promote your products and everything, still, you find time to give us all so much. The live broadcasts, the free drum lessons website, free lessons on your site…etc…to give is an awesome way to promote you and your products and company, you have to make a living right?! …but you give us so much asking nothing in return, you only ask us to practice and give it all, and you give us AWESOME tools for doing it, you even spent money from your pocket, just to give us a double pedal…

I respect you and your work tremendously, you are not only living your dream (i don’t know if it involves drumming, but it seems like it ), but are helping others in doing so…so TONS of RESPECTA!!!

By the way the best solo that I have ever seen is yours ….it is solo based on groove, and lots of funky that you had posted on your previous website version…I believe that it was taken from the rock drumming system. I’ve seen lots of solos but that one it is just to much for me .

Dude, have an awesome day, and all the best to you

TO YOUR drumming success …happy holiday’s

peace brother

Janado

Thanks so much for the email Janado, and all of you who have emailed me with kind words in the past. I am truly grateful.

—-> Download The Free “Six Must Know Drum Beats” Sheet Music <—-

Drum Beat #1 This drum beat is an absolute staple in my opinion. I don’t think there will be many of you that disagree with me. I have written just the basic version, but there are so many different ways you can play this groove.  You can play it with the hi-hats open, with your right hand on the ride or floor tom etc. When I am teaching this drum beat to my students they always think it’s the easiest and they should spend the least time on it. I always challenge them to learn this groove so it becomes natural, and make it a part of you. Just like we breath without thinking about it, try to do the same with this beat.  That’s when it will not only sound great, but feel even better; which is most important. Drum Beat #2 This beat has the same eighth note hi-hat pulse as the first one, with a slight variation on the kick drum. The difference in groove from the first beat to the second beat is huge. Played with the correct feel, this beat can make a song go from good to great. Most artists that I play with love this groove. If the song isn’t feeling good, I’ll just play this groove and it all locks into place. Do yourself a huge favor and practice this drum beat a lot! Drum Beat #3 This beat is kind of a mixture of the first and second beats. In this groove we are adding extra subdivisions on the snare drum. This beat also works well in conjunction with drum beat #2. Remember, these beats are written in their simplest form. Once you have the basic concept down, don’t be afraid to build and expand on the groove to make it your own. Another exercise I get me students to do is tell me a story while they’re playing these beats. Once you can talk and totally separate your mind from the ‘exercise’, it no longer becomes an exercise but rather becomes something you play or perform. Try doing this not only with this beat, but any other grooves you are working on. Drum Beat #4 This is the main jazz ride pattern, with the hi-hat foot written in. If you haven’t played a lot of jazz, then I recommend just starting with this exercise slowly, making sure everything is lining up perfectly.  Don’t worry about speed, just concentrate on playing the beat correctly at a slow tempo first. Once you can tell your life story while you play the beat, then maybe you can try and speed it up and add different variations. Drum Beat #5 This beat is a Brazilian groove called a Bossa Nova that is not only fun to play, but is another must know beat in my opinion. You may never be required to play a Bossa Nova in a performance setting, but learning this groove will help you gain better independence between your feet and hands, making you a better all-around drummer. You can also add to this beat by playing the ride instead of the hi-hat, and adding an open hi-hat with your foot on beats 2 and 4. Drum Beat #6 This last beat is just a straight up shuffle beat, used primarily in a rock or blues setting. I have written it with kick drums on all 4 quarter notes, but feel free to break it up a little if the song you are playing requires something a little different. So like I said earlier in this lesson, these six beats are a must know! I would also love to hear what you thought of this lesson, or what beats you think are absolutely essential.  Feel free to leave your comments below.

—->

Download The Free “Six Must Know Drum Beats” Sheet Music <—-

Note: For video demonstrations of over 1000 beats & fills I highly recommend you check out Mike Michalkow’s Drumming System. I had the extreme privilege of producing this all-in-one drum lessons solution.

I think I am in the perfect mood to write this, as I just bought a whole new set of Paiste cymbals.  I purchased 16″, 17″, and 18″ Full Signature crashes; a 21″ Full Signature ride, and 15″ Dark Synergy hi-hats.  Overall, I am extremely happy with the purchase and have no regrets.

Prior to purchasing these cymbals I had been using the same set for the last 10 years.  For crash cymbals I had a 17″ Zildjian Medium Thin crash and a 16″ K Dark crash.  I also used a 20″ Zildjian Medium Ride and 14″ New Beat hi-hats.  The Zildjian cymbals sounded fine, just no where near to the level that I hear from Paiste cymbals, in my opinion.

So now that I’ve told you about the cymbals I use, I want to give tell you my thought process when choosing to buy cymbals. Hopefully this will help you gain a better understanding when it comes time for you to purchase your first set of cymbals, or upgrade your existing collection.

Crash Cymbals

Let’s start off with crash cymbals. I always think about what type of music I play the most. For me, I play lots of studio sessions, smaller clubs, and churches.  This helps me determine the weight of the cymbal I should look for.  If I were playing larger theatres I would probably choose a heavier cymbal as I would need more projection. Since I don’t need this I want to choose a lighter, thinner cymbal that has a quick response and isn’t too loud in the smaller venues.

Next, I need to consider the sizing. This is similar to the last point I made about the weight. I chose 16″, 17″, and 18″ crashes. These give me a perfect range for any venue or studio situation. For the churches I have a smaller 16″ crash which will still sound good when hit softly. Then I have the 17″ and 18″ crashes for the club or studio situations.

Finally, I need to make sure the cymbals I choose sound great together. The best way to do this in my opinion is just buy cymbals in the same line and same brand.  However, this won’t always work as I once found out the hard way.  I had a 17″ Zildjian Medium Thin crash, and I wanted a larger crash cymbal, so I just went out and purchased an 18″ Zildjian Medium Thin crash. Individually, the cymbals sounded great. Together they sounded horrible. Since I liked the 17″ better I ended up putting the 18″ crash in the closet where it still sits to this day.

The best way to match your cymbals is to hit them. If you already have some cymbals you like, take them to the store and hit the ones that interest you.

Ride Cymbals

Choosing a good ride cymbal is extremely important for defining your overall sound as a drummer. The first thing I consider when purchasing a ride cymbal is the style of music I am going to be using it for the most. When I was younger I went out an bought a Sabian Manhattan ride, which is a great cymbal. However, this cymbal has more of a washy sound which is great for jazz or latin. This cymbal now sits in the closet as I don’t play a lot of jazz or Latin.

Next I always like to listen to the bell of the cymbal. Is it a defined sound or does it sound too high pitched or washy when you hit near the centre of the cymbal? Since I play a lot of rock, I like a defined sound on the bell of my cymbal, something that sounds consistent all the time.

Hi-hat Cymbals

In my opinion, hi-hat cymbals are the most important cymbal purchase you will ever make for your drumming. The main sizes you have to choose from are 13″, 14″, and 15″ for a set of main hi-hat cymbals. I currently have a set of each size; as they work differently in all musical situations. You can also get 10″ and 12″ hi-hat cymbals for more of a unique sound. When I select hi-hats there are 3 things I listen for.

1) How the hi-hats sound when they are closed tightly.

2) How the hi-hats sound when they our open.

3) How the hi-hats sound when they are hit, then closed quickly, also known as a hi-hat ‘bark’.

Since I play a lot of rock/funk I like a lighter hi-hat cymbal, something that doesn’t have tonnes of volume when played open.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you when purchasing cymbals is to TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! I know this can be difficult in cities with smaller music stores that have limited selections of cymbals, but do your best to hear the cymbals before you purchase them. If this isn’t the case, then you can usually listen to some cymbal sound clips online before you make your purchase.

Lastly, I want to talk about cymbal packs. I have a love/hate relationship with cymbal packs. Whenever I have played these cymbals there always seems to be a horrible sounding cymbal in the package. Sometimes, the ride sounds great, but the crash sounds terrible. Before you buy these cymbals packs I recommend taking them out of the box and hitting them to see how they sound together. They can be a great value, but also a rip-off if you consider the sound.

I hope this helps you choose cymbals the next time you are ready to make a purchase. If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch with my on Facebook or Twitter. Happy cymbal shopping!

Note: For more advice on purchasing cymbals, I highly encourage you to join the FreeDrumLessons.com Drum Forum and discuss your options with other drummers.