Play Basic Drum Patterns Without a Kit

Hold sticks with matched grip (both hands the same). Thumb and index hold the stick loosely, about 1/3 from the back. Sit upright with feet on floor. Practice basic grip with bouncing motions 20 times.

Practice a simple beat: kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4. On practice pad, use high notes (snare) and low notes (kick). Play slowly at 60 bpm for 1 minute, building muscle memory.

Add hi-hat cymbal hits on every eighth note (1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and). Combine with the kick-snare pattern. Your hands will feel uncoordinated—this is normal. Slow down if needed.

Kick on 1, 2-and, 4; Snare on 2 and 4; Hi-hats on eighths. Practice this at 80 bpm for 5 minutes solid. It should feel automatic by the end. This is the most common beat in rock music.

Shuffle hi-hats (triplet feel), kick on 1 and 3-and, snare on 2 and 4. This feels different from rock—more swinging. Play both the rock beat and shuffle 3 times each. Record yourself.