Play Drums WITHOUT a Drum Set

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When I was a teenager, I wanted so badly to play the drums that I would put tennis rackets and metal chairs around my bed to try to figure out what magical formula would make a drum set come to life…. It wasn’t til I was playing with music software in college that I realized how simple it can be. 

And it’s good to start with something simple that you can wrap your mind around. There are more complicated beats and fills that can come later, but let’s go ahead and start playing NOW.

Hands & Feet

We’ll start playing WITHOUT a drum set. You can learn to play and practice your beats and never own a kit. You’ve probably been doing some of this your entire life with your hands and feet; on a desk, a steering wheel… But for these purposes, we want it to feel like the real thing and position our hands and feet in the general direction to get the right feel. 

In a Chair

Sitting down, place your right hand on your left shoulder. (This is for your hi hat.) Place your left hand on your left leg. (This is for your snare drum.) Your right foot is for your kick drum and your left foot sits patiently waiting… 

Basic Beat

For a basic beat, we’ll play the hi hat (right hand/ left shoulder) on 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. (Make sure you say all the #s and &s out loud for audible accountability. It makes a big difference to hear when you play at the wrong time. You’ll say the “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” out loud and it’ll help you identify the right and wrong times to use hands and feet.) Add the kick drum (right foot) on Beats 1 and 3. After you feel good about playing the hi hat and kick, add the snare (left hand/ left leg) on beats 2 and 4. So… The hi hat is playing all the time and the kick and snare rotate back and forth on just the #s. You could even say, “kick & snare & kick & snare &.”Just make sure you play the hi hat with the #s and the &s. The hi hat plays with the snare and the kick as well as between them. Once you can play this beat, you’ll want to go further, but you can go ahead and say, “I can play the drums!”

Walk It Out

Next, to drill this beat a little further, we’ll add walking. This is a different approach that could be done instead of the other, but sitting lets you take things as slow as you need to. Walking feels normal and it makes this basic beat a little closer to something you do all the time. If we step with our right foot first, that’s beat 1 and when you step with your left foot, that’s beat 2 and then beat 3 (with the right) and then beat 4 (with the left). The right hand is still on your left shoulder for the hi hat and your left hand is still on your leg for the snare. Still play the hi hat (right hand/ left shoulder) all the time on 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. Play the snare (left hand/ left leg) whenever you step with the left foot. (On 2 and 4) Walk super slow at first (roughly one step per second) while playing the hi hat and snare. Sometimes, lining up the back and forth motion helps simplify what’s going on during this basic beat. 

The Drum Set

When you’re sitting on the drum throne at a drum set, the kick drum is the big bass drum on bottom. The pedal is where you put your right foot. The snare drum typically sits between your legs, has a coated head and metal springs on the bottom. The springs are called the “snare.” That’s where it gets its name. Your left hand is just above your left leg ready to play the snare. The hi hat is the two cymbals that close and open that is just forward and to the left of the snare drum. Your left foot rests on the hi hat stand pedal holding it closed for now.

Again, use the same basic beat, “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.” By now, the names of the instruments are familiar. The beat is familiar. Even the basic position of hands and feet are different. However, there is nothing quite like hearing it out loud on the actual drums. It can distract you and make you feel insecure, but it will also give you a sense of success and momentum to want to keep playing. If you don’t get it right away, remember to say the “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” out loud and don’t speed up until you have it. Any beat can be slowed down so you can master it.

Final Thoughts

This article doesn’t cover how to hold the sticks, how to use your wrists, and the laundry list of other things you need to know to be a great drummer. The purpose of this article is to help you realize that you CAN play and how to play NOW.

Cheat Sheets

Check out the Cheat Sheets for Drum Set Notation and let’s play Drums NOW!

Have questions? Let us know how we can help!

by Lance Maddox