It has to do with stressing betas two and four in common time. Backbeat – this is another one of the most important drum beat terms.Axatse – this type of drum is a gourd with beads woven around its hollow body.Acoustic drums – these drum set terms refer to drums that don’t contain any electronic components and are often made of wood or synthetic material.It has to do with placing emphasis on a certain note to give it more stress than others.
Accent – this is one of the many important drum beat terms you will need to master.Here are some of the most important drum terms for beginners to know, arranged in order from A to Z. Still not satisfied? There are countless other drum and bass terms you need to master if you want to become an expert drummer. Drum Terminology for Beginners from A to Z Some bands and drummers even play live shows with a click track. Sometimes drummers will use a click track or metronome to practice and work on improving their tempo. The drum groove or beat, is a rhythmic pattern you play to the music that keeps the time. With a matched grip, hold both sticks like a wand with your palms facing down. In the traditional grip, you hold the left stick like a fork, and the right stick like a wand. These terms describe how you hold the drum sticks. Yes, just like royalty, the drummer gets a special seat. The seat that the drummer sits on is often referred to as the throne. Drum FillĪ drum fill, also called a lick or a chop, is a phrase you play to fill in space between sections of a song, or to take you and the band to the next section like the verse, chorus, or bridge. Now that you have a basic overview of the essential rudiments, let’s take a look at some other common drum terms. It has several variations and can be applied in so many cool ways. The paradiddle is one of the most famous and important rudiments to master. This is where two strokes will be played on each hand R, R, L, L (right hand lead) or L, L, R, R (left hand lead).ĭouble stroke rolls are sometimes called “diddles.”
The right and left hand lead will apply here as well. Once you’ve learned the single stroke roll, try to play the same pattern leading with your left hand: L, R, L, R. Lead with your right hand when you play this stroke, and it turns into a roll as the tempo increases. This is what you would naturally play if you just picked up the sticks and started playing. This is the most basic of all the rudiments. If you want to learn all 40, Vic Firth has a guide on their website, but for now let’s take a look at some of the most basic rudiments that you will use in your drum lessons.īefore we get started, note that the letters “R” and “L” tell you which drum or hand to play. There are several different drum rudiments, however, 40 of them have made the cut as the most important and popular rudiments to learn and use. Rudiments are the different drum patterns that can be used as drills themselves, or turned into music when applied properly to the drum set or drum kit.