Latest Drum Lessons | Total Drummer

Is this The World’s Funkiest Drum Groove?

Is this The World's Funkiest Drum Beat Learn how to play a really funky drum groove Is this The World's Funkiest Drum Beat Could this really be the world's funkiest drum beat? Is there such a thing? I think this is unquestionably a really funky drum beat and it's a lot of fun to play.And better yet, it won't take long to learn. The drum lesson video below will walk you through it in just a few minutes and you will be sounding like a bad ass funk drummer before you know it.It's only two bars long and it consists…

The Polyrhythm Behind Phil Collins’ Most Famous Drum Fill

The Polyrhythm Behind Phil Collins' Most Famous Drum Fill Learn how to play a cool polyrhythmic fillThe Polyrhythm Behind Phil Collins' Most Famous Drum Fill. This drum lesson breaks down a cool polyrhythm fill. What is a polyrhythm?A polyrhythm is defined as, "the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not easily perceived as derived from one another or as simple variations of the same meter. It creates a complex rhythmic texture by combining different rhythmic patterns together, often resulting in a feeling of tension or dissonance." When we use this in a drum fill context we can briefly create an…

Awesome and Easy Tom Beat

Awesome and Easy Tom Beat Learn how to play an exciting tom tom drum beatWelcome to the awesome and easy tom beat drum lesson. Here we will learn how to play a really cool tom tom beat.This is a really exciting and powerful drum beat but you can learn it in just a few minutes. And once you know the pattern you can move it around the kit to create alternate grooves that sound totally different. It's like a 3 for 1 deal!This is based on the basic 8 beat with some extra funky notes added in. We then orchestrate…

Displaced, Syncopated, Inverted Paradiddle Nonsense

Displaced, Syncopated, Inverted Paradiddle Nonsense Learn how to play a funky inverted paradiddle groove in 6 stepsWelcome to this load of old displaced, syncopated, inverted paradiddle nonsense. Or put better, a drum lesson that breaks down a really cool drum beat and makes it easy to learn.This is a really fun drumbeat that sounds complex but you can learn it in six easy steps. This means even a beginner drummer can learn it. It involves an inverted paradiddle, four limb independence, syncopation and displacement of the back beat. If any of that sounds confusing then watch the drum lesson and…

6 Steps to An Awesome Paradiddle Groove

6 Steps to An Awesome Paradiddle Groove Learn how to play an awesome inverted paradiddle groove.This drum lesson walks you through 6 steps to an awesome paradiddle groove. Here we will break down the second paradiddle inversion.Paradiddles are such great rudiments because they open so many creative doors for beats and fills. And when we then start exploring the inversions of the paradiddles it creates masses of ideas in your drumming vocabulary.In this drum lesson we are going to create a really fun and complicated sounding drum beat. But we will learn it in six easy steps so that you…

The Inverted Paradiddle That Will Make You Dance

The Inverted Paradiddle That Will Make You Dance Learn how to play a really funky inverted paradiddle grooveWelcome to this inverted paradiddle drum beat lesson. Here we will learn how to play a very funky drum beat.We actually covered a standard paradiddle groove here. But if you're ready to try the inverted paradiddle option then let's get started.In this drum lesson we use the first inversion of the paradiddle. We take it through several steps to arrive at the complex sounding groove you hear at the start of the video.These steps involve using dynamics on the snare drum, moving the…

6 Steps To The Funkiest Paradiddle

6 Steps To The Funkiest Paradiddle Learn how to play funky paradiddles in six easy steps.Welcome to the 6 Steps To The Funkiest Paradiddle drum lesson! The paradiddle is one of our core rudiments but it's also one of the easiest to turn into something super funky.If you've never played the paradiddle before, this drum lessons walks you though each step. If you are familiar with it, then I hope that this drum lesson gives you some new ideas or takes it to the next level.Go slow on each step and you will be a funk God before you know…

Make Six Eight Beats Sound Cool

Make Six Eight Beats Sound Cool Learn how to turn basic six eight beats into something awesome.Welcome to this drum lesson where we will learn how to make six eight beats sound cool. This is a small section of a longer lesson for members inside the Total Drummer Academy.This short drum lesson takes the standard six eight drum beat that we hear in hundreds of songs, and messes it up so it sounds completely different.When we do this it sounds fresh and new. It can even trick the ear into thinking it's in odd time sometimes. In fact this particular…

How To Make A Shuffle Sound Cool

How To Make A Shuffle Sound Cool Learn how to play cool shuffle drum beatsHere we will learn how to make a shuffle sound cool. This is a small section of a longer lesson for members inside the Total Drummer Academy.In case you don't know, a shuffle drum beat is based on the triplet subdivision so it is swung. Commonly the backbeat falls on beats two and four but here we will explore different snare placements to make the beat sound interesting.In fact this particular variation gives it a sound that has Afro-Cuban favours so it's a lot of fun.The drum…

Funk Snare Displacement On The A

Funk Snare Displacement On The A Drum Lesson Learn how to play funk drums with this drum lessonWelcome to this funk drums lesson. Here we will learn how to create grooves using funk snare displacements on the A. This is a small section of a longer lesson for members inside the Total Drummer Academy.This is also the second lesson following on from the funk drum beats with snares on the E.The common snare placement is on beat 2 and 4. That works a majority of the time but sometimes we want something a little different. This could be the main…