Drum Set Lessons: On the Beaten Path

Learn how to play the drums using popular drum beats and fills played by some of the best drummers on some of the world's most famous songs.

Introduction

• Introduction to level 1

1. Getting Started

• Organizing your drums
• Setting up your drums
• Setting up the hi-hats and cymbals
• Basic hand technique
• Basic foot technique
• Reading music notation

2. Basic Rock Beats

• "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" by The White Stripes
• "Runnin' Down a Dream" by Tom Petty
• "Back in Black" by AC/DC
• "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty
• The flam
• "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC
• "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty
• "Come As You Are" by Nirvana
• "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
• "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin
• "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin
• "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith
• "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith

3. Basic Rock Fills

• Drum fill from "Come As You Are"
• Drum fill from "Free Fallin'"
• Drum fill from "I Won't Back Down"
• Drum fill from "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day
• The drag from "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
• Drum fill from "Livin' on the Edge" by Aerosmith
• Drum fill from "Back in Black"
• Drum fill from "D'yer Mak'er" by Led Zeppelin

4. About the Drums and Sticks

• Parts of a drum
• Drumhead selection
• Tuning the drums and replacing a drumhead
• Drumstick selection
• Conclusion & credits for level 1

5. Basic Blues and Shuffle Beats

• Introduction to level 2
• The 12/8 time signature
• "You Shook Me" by Led Zeppelin
• "Paying the Cost to Be the Boss" by B.B. King
• "Revolution" by The Beatles
• "Who Do You Love?" by George Thorogood & the Destroyers
• "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker
• "I Want to be Loved #2" by Muddy Waters
• "Manish Boy" by Muddy Waters
• "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MGs
• "At Last" by Etta James, example 1
• "At Last" by Etta James, example 2
• "Texas Flood" by Stevie Ray Vaughan
• "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan
• "Move It on Over" by George Thorogood & the Destroyers

6. Basic Blues and Shuffle Fills

• Fills from "You Shook Me" and "Bad to the Bone"
• "Texas Flood"
• 12-bar blues and turnaround fills
• Double-stroke roll and the 9-stroke roll
• Stop time
• Fermata and improvisation

7. Basic Jazz Beats

• The rim click
• Swing notation
• "Straight, No Chaser" by Miles Davis
• "Chelsea Bridge" by Buddy Rich
• Syncopation
• Ghost notes
• Syncopation with the bass drum
• "Jeru" by Miles Davis

8. Basic Jazz Fills

• "In Walked Bud" by Thelonius Monk
• "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Michael Bublé
• Consecutive triplets
• Straight eighth notes
• Skip pattern
• Conclusion and credits for level 2

9. Basic Country Beats

• Introduction to level 3
• The train beat
• First and second endings

10. Basic Funk Beats

• "Groovy Lady" by The Meters
• "Doodle Loop" by The Meters
• "Unkfunky UFO" by Parliament
• "You Can Make It If You Try" by Sly & the Family Stone
• "Tippi-Toes" by The Meters
• "Brick House" by The Commodores
• "Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock
• "Thinking" by The Meters
• "Super Bad (Part 1)" by James Brown

11. Basic Reggae Beats

• One drop
• One measure repeat
• "Rootsman Skanking" by Bunny Wailer

12. Basic Latin Beats

• Bossa nova
• Latin beats in rock songs
• Up-tempo bossa nova

13. More Jazz Beats and Fills

• Dropping bombs
• Polyrhythms
• Rim shot
• Open hi-hat foot splash
• Stick shot
• The 5-stroke roll
• Stringing together stick shots
• Buzz strokes

14. More Time Signatures

• Playing in 7/4
• Playing in 3/4
• Playing in 5/4
• Playing in 9/8
• Playing in 7/8

15. Time/Meter/Tempo Manipulation

• Double time
• Half time
• Accelerando and ritardando

Goodbye

• Conclusion and credits for level 3