This article is for beginners, or for drum instructors who want a quick way to teach an absolute beginner to play a drum beat right away. Follow the four steps listed below, and you will be playing your very first drum beat in short order.
Allow me to explain a couple of things first. We are dealing with three limbs of your body, and each limb is striking a specific part of the drum set with each of the four steps.
Your right hand will strike the closed hi-hat with a stick.
Your left hand will strike the snare drum with a stick.
Your right foot will push down on the bass drum pedal which will cause a note to be played on the bass drum.
OK. Here are the steps:
1) Strike the hi hat with your right hand and the bass drum with your right foot simultaneously.
2) Strike the hi hat with your right hand.
3) Strike the hi hat with your right hand and the snare drum with your left hand simultaneously.
4) Strike the hi hat with your right hand.
Now, repeat steps 1 through 4 over and over again—create a continuous loop—and be sure that the space between each step is the same.
Start very slowly (this won’t sound like music at first) and speed up only gradually, as you get control over the four steps.
Spend time playing the steps repeatedly at different consistent tempos.
Before you know it, you’ll be playing a great rock beat.