Drum Beats – How To Go From Beginner To Advanced

It’s one thing to be able to play a drumbeat. Making it groove and making your audience dance (or headbang), is another thing entirely. Chops and rudiments are cool when used musically. However, what separates the beginners from the pros is the sound. It’s not about what you play, but how you play it. Today, I’ll be breaking down different aspects of grooves which often separate the best from the rest.

1.    Dynamics

The most distinctive feature of a groove tends to be dynamics. Controlling our inter-dynamics is essential for anyone looking to play gigs or record music. In the beginning, you might fall into the trap of playing the hats or cymbals too loud, drowning out the punch of the kick/snare. For most genres, it’s important that our kick and snare are solid in relation to our hi-hat.

The hats might be ticking away quietly for the verse of a pop track, so we won’t have to play too loud. Alternatively, we might play open hi-hats for the chorus of a rock track, so then we’d have to lay into the kick and snare more to cut through. This is just one example of adjusting our dynamics.

Fundamentally, we require the ability to play at a range of volumes. For instance, a beginner might only be able to play quiet, medium or loud. Professionals will have over ten different levels, which they can freely change throughout a song.

A good way to test your dynamic range is to number each limb between 1 and 10 (1 being super quiet, 10 being super loud). Play a simple groove and try to match each note you play to the level you’ve set. Record yourself and listen back. Did that hi-hat sound more like a 4 than a 3? Did the snare sound more like an 8 than a 6?

Admittedly, you can get overly precise with this approach. Consider starting between 1 and 5, then broaden that range once you feel comfortable. If you can distinguish inter-dynamics between a range of volumes, you’ll make the producers/sound tech’s life a lot easier!

2.    Flow

Novice drummers sometimes lack a sense of flow in their grooves. For instance, you might feel like the notes sound a bit jumbled or disjointed. Pros will be able to play a smooth-sounding beat without hesitating. Once you’ve learnt a beat, the key is to maintain an even space between the notes (when playing straight stuff).

Often the more notes we add to a groove, the harder it is to make it “flow.” Equally, the closer we position notes together, the tougher it is to honour the space between them. Using ghost notes and offbeats in a groove will help you realise the importance of space. Try adding these notes to a simple groove and play it to a click.

Let’s take the classic “money beat” as an example:

Once you’ve nailed this beat, start getting creative and test yourself:

I’ve kept the kick on the 1 & 3 and the snare on the 2 & 4, whilst adding some notes in between. This is just one of many examples of how to change the feel of a groove. The question is, can you make it rhythmically flow?

Now, sometimes less is more, especially when it comes to pop music. But practising more textured grooves is a great way to test your note placement. Alternatively, check out this exercise to help improve your flow.

3.    Tempo & timing

Timing is arguably the most important quality of a drummer. A lot of pop/contemporary music will require a metronomic pulse. The guys that get hired are the ones who can bury the click for four minutes, regardless of grooves or fills. Therefore, it’s probably a good idea to spend 80% of your time practising with a click. Fortunately, most songs nowadays are recorded to a click, so playing along to music should help you develop your timing accurately too.

Most beginners might feel comfortable holding down an 8^th note groove between 70 to 100 bpm. But to enhance your versatility, you’ll need to push the boundaries a bit further. How about funk at 130? Punk rock at 170? Or a 6/8 ballad at 60? Different genres can demand completely different speeds!

However, that’s the end goal – first, you should break things down. Always start at a comfortable tempo, then gradually increase (or decrease) the click - ideally by 5 bpm or less. Try and push yourself by a few bpm per practice session. Before you know it, you’ll have it down.

With all the above, the most important quality is consistency. Can you keep that groove sounding tight, dynamic and smooth for 16 bars? 32 bars?

If you can apply consistency throughout each song you play, it will set you apart from the competition. To test this, try playing to a gap click. You can adjust the number of bars you hear the click – or silence. The challenge is to keep the same speed during the silence. If you land in time with the click when it resumes, you’ve maintained the tempo.

Be warned – it’s easier said than done!

4.    Intent

Although this doesn’t fall under a category, intention is another small aspect that bridges the gap between good and great. In the world of social media, it’s easy to get caught playing unnecessary chops. I’m guilty of it myself. Despite this, musicality is a key component of professional drumming. It’s all well and good playing 32nd-note paradiddles, but it must work in a musical context. Otherwise, you’ll never hear it on a record.

It's easy to add more notes for the sake of it. Still, you should ask yourself – is this adding to the song? Or are the notes getting in the way of the other instruments? Each note you play should have a purpose. Our intention as drummers should always be to serve the music. The nature of the song will tell drummers what’s required of them. It’s our job to interpret this musically. We can play complex stuff, but only if it adds to the song.

If you’re still desperate to show off your chops, post on Instagram!

5.    Articulation (tonality)

This is where it gets a little more specific. Articulation is a subtle thing that can separate the intermediate from the advanced players. This focuses more on tone than dynamics. For instance, hitting the bell of the ride will sound different to hitting near the edge. Smashing a crash with the shoulder of the stick will sound different to hitting with the tip. These are a few distinct examples, but small changes can make the world of difference.

Try and experiment with all the sounds you can get from your kit. Change the part of the cymbal you hit - or change the way you hit it. Does it give you a more appropriate sound? Can you match that to a certain style?

I hope you’ve found this guide useful. There’s a lot to drumming, but it’s achievable. If you have a good ear, a sense of time and control, you won’t go far wrong. Chip away with your practice, be patient and persistent!

Enjoy this article? Still want more drumming tips? Check out all of our pieces by Jacob here.