In our first lesson, we look at the three most common subdivisions drummers tend to play: quarters, eighths and sixteenths. The exercise I demonstrate is a loop of three bars, the first playing quarters (all on snare), then a bar of eighths, then a bar of sixteenths. Learning to switch seamlessly between these is a highly valuable skill and will help in laying the foundation that the title of the course hints at.
The lesson also demonstrates the way the ‘pros’ count in music: quarter notes - ‘1, 2, 3, 4’, eighths - ‘1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &’, sixteenths - ‘1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a’. Again, this counting method comes up a lot so is worth getting used to.
Finally, feel free to hold each subdivision for longer, i.e spend two bars on each before moving up to the next one (2 bars on quarters, 2 bars on eighths, 2 bars on sixteenths).

In this lesson, we apply the previously learnt subdivisions to create some basic rhythms. Starting with quarter notes on the hihat, then eighths, then sixteenths. It’s worth noting that playing sixteenths in this way means the snare gets played on its own rather than with a hihat (as we’re playing single strokes). Feel free to experiment with how many bars of each subdivision you play before moving up to the next subdivision. For example, you could play 4 bars of quarter note rhythms before going to your eighths. This exercise progress by showing some different permutations on the bass drum underneath our hihat rates. Challenge yourself by trying other bass drum pattens underneath if possible!

In our third lesson, we use our subdivisions to create one-bar fills. We place a beat of each on each drum, meaning the quarter note fill ends up being one note on each drum, eighth note fill becomes two on each drum and the sixteenths equal four on each drum.

I then demonstrate going to these fills from an eighth note rhythm, which is something that happens in music very often. Finally, I move them round the kit more, splitting groupings across multiple drums. This is where it gets more interesting - try to come up with your own versions!

In our fourth lesson, we learn to break up groups of 4 sixteenths into different patterns by removing notes. We explore the permutations that can be created and develop the idea in stages, progressing from assigning each grouping a surface to then splitting groupings between surfaces.

If ever confused with these groupings, try returning to the standard group of 4 before removing the note and leaving the space in its place. Try to memorise what the groupings look like too, as these come up all the time in all types of drumming.

This fifth lesson takes a brief departure from thinking in strict bars of 4, instead focusing on keeping a smooth flow of notes and their effortless movement around the kit. This exercise aims to both improve flexibility and foster creativity when playing fills, by setting up the conditions for playful experimentation, thereby discovering new ways of orchestrating patterns on the drum kit. I offer a few examples of things to try, whilst demonstrating the focus on smooth, evenly spaced 16ths. Can be done with or without click.

In this sixth and final lesson, I demonstrate a manageable way of building speed - with speed bursts. The exercise, as shown on the notation, places bursts of four thirty-second notes into bars of sixteenths. We start with with a single burst of four on beat 1 of the bar (occupying the first eighth note of the bar). Next, we up the intensity with another burst on beat 3, so two bursts per bar. Finally we add bursts on 2 and 4, so 4 bursts per bar and little downtime between bursts. I find this method is much more helpful for building speed over continuous singles at increasing speeds, which tends to just burn you out much quicker.