Want to practice your drum skills but not quite sure where to start? Here are some beginner-friendly drum grooves from music teacher Willy M….
If you’re just getting started with playing the drums, it can be intimidating to learn how to create a groove. After all, playing in time and figuring out what to play is no easy task!
But don’t worry—there are lots of simple grooves that you can master quickly. Here are three great beginner grooves that will get you feeling comfortable behind the kit in no time.
How Do You Make Good Drum Grooves?
Making great drum grooves is all about understanding the concept of rhythm and how it works in a musical context:
- To start, it’s helpful to practice playing grooves from your favorite songs. This will help you develop an understanding of which types of beats can fit into specific styles of music.
- Try to experiment with different drum sounds and tempos until you find the one that fits and helps bring out the groove that you’re looking for.
- Finally, don’t forget to take breaks and let your ideas breathe before moving onto the next section; this will help make sure everything flows nicely together.
With practice and patience, you’ll soon reach your goal and be making stellar drum rhythms that can set any song apart!
Ready to get started with these drum grooves for beginners? Consider signing up for drum lessons. Your instructor will be able to give you some helpful tips and drum groove for beginners examples – plus, you’ll learn everything you need to know about playing the drums, like what you see in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwKF7LiXW3I
How Do I Learn Drum Grooves?
Learning drum grooves can be an exciting process that allows drummers to develop the skills to create their own unique beats. It all begins with getting familiar with different rhythm patterns, tempos, and counting.
Once you understand the basics of drumming, it is important to practice and hone your skills by playing along to music in a variety of genres. Learning from experienced instructors can also be beneficial as they can provide instruction on proper technique and other effective methods for progress.
As you become more experienced and confident in your groove-making abilities, it is essential to experience playing along with a live band so that you can practice timing and hearing different instruments play together. With dedication and practice, these steps will help any aspiring drummer learn new grooves so they can take their skills to the next level.
Drum Groove for Beginners Examples
When you’re learning to play drums, you may have difficulty alternating between your hands and feet while playing. I have come up with some drum grooves for beginners that will help you develop independence between your hands and feet.
Quarter Note Drive on Kick Drum
To play this groove, count out one, two, three, four on the kick drum, and alternate by hitting either the one and three, or the two and four on the snare. Once you get used to this, switch it up and try it the other way. Once you’ve mastered this, try kicking on the one and three, and snare on the two and four. This is a great way to differentiate your hand and foot movements.
Ride on the Hi-Hat
Start by playing a simple set of eighth notes on the hi-hat with your left hand. Then, combine that with the previous exercise; kick on the one and three, and hit the snare on the two and four while the hi-hat keeps a continual drive over the top.
A lot of students are right handed, so this use of the left hand is often easier for right-handed drummers than playing a more complicated pattern. Lefties seem to grasp this easily, so if you want to make this more difficult, try playing two eighth notes followed by a quarter-note repeating pattern. The hi-hat rhythm becomes one – and – two – three – and – four. This drum groove is simple but satisfying because it feels like you’re playing real music.
Switch it Up
Once you’ve got this down, switch from playing the snare with your right hand, and play it with your left. You can also try switching from playing the ride on the hi-hat, to playing it with your right hand on one of the other cymbals. This causes you to rethink which hand you’re counting the eighth notes on, and you’ll develop the ability to handle new drum grooves.
You may struggle to play all the way through a song as a beginner. If you continue to play the drum groove through an entire song, however, it will help you develop your muscles and you will be able to play for longer periods of time.
When you’re learning to play drums it’s important to be patient and keep practicing. In order to improve, you need to constantly change what your hands and feet do, so you can develop the independence you need as a drummer. Once you’ve mastered the basics, learn to play the drum grooves while alternating between the groove and a fill. If you can learn how to keep the groove going while incorporating different fills, you’ll progress far beyond just learning the groove by itself.
Beginner Drum Groove for Church
When it comes to playing gospel music in church settings, it’s important to consider finger placement and beat tempo, as well as dynamics. A great way for beginners to master the basics of gospel drum grooves is by starting with an 8-beat pattern. Not only is this approach ideal for learning the primary beats and fills, but it also develops accuracy in repetition and timing.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of a 8-beat pattern, you can begin incorporating additional notes while focusing on variation. Staying true to the established rhythm and mastering those techniques will help make anyone’s performance sound polished, no matter the environment or type of music.
What Should a Beginner Learn on Drums?
If you’re a new drummer, the best place to start your musical journey is with a basic understanding of drumming fundamentals.
Practicing basic rhythms and learning how to play with your hands and feet independently are essential skills every drummer needs. Additionally, focusing on proper posture, dynamics, and synchronization between your hands and feet can help make the jump from beginner to intermediate easier.
For those who want to take their drumming a step further, techniques such as double or triple strokes with the hands and using different sound effects like drags, buzz rolls, and flams can really spice up any performance.
Ultimately, getting comfortable with these basics will give you the confidence needed to tackle more complex patterns as you expand both your skill set and love for the instrument. Sign up for drum lessons today to help you learn the ropes.
Willy M. teaches guitar, ukulele, and mandolin lessons in Winston, NC. He has been playing drums since he was in high school, and enjoys playing hand drums and percussion, as well as other ethnic drums. He is the author of the Dead Man’s Tuning series of mandolin songbooks, and is a former member of the American Federation of Musicians. Willy has been teaching for 20 years, and his students have ranged in age from young children to folks in their 80’s. Learn more about Willy.
Photo by Nic McPhee.
Suzy S.