In this free video drum lesson, DrumLessons.com instructor Jared Falk teaches you how to count 16th notes, and how to relate them to quarter notes and 8th notes. He does so by using some simple but effective exercises, beats and fills. Jared also teaches you how to read and write 16th notes, talks about the importance of counting out loud while practicing, and shows you how to play and notate 16th note rests.
Before going through this free drum lesson, be sure to check the free drum lessons “How To Count Quarter Notes” and “How To Count Eighth Notes“. They are the basis for everything you’ll learn here. So having a good understanding of quarter notes and 8th notes will help you master this lesson’s content a lot faster.
Although exercises #1 to #4 are used for ear training purposes and for practicing your ability to move between different note values, you can still apply them to your everyday playing. We suggest using them as drum fills by orchestrating the strokes around the drum set, or as broken hi-hat patterns.
If you’d like to keep practicing your ability to count 16th notes with the help of two-handed hi-hat drum beats and broken 16th note drum fills, move on to the free drum lessons “Two-Handed Hi-Hat Drum Beats” and “Broken 16th Note Drum Fills“. If you’d rather keep expanding on your knowledge of note values, then the free drum lesson “How To Count 32nd Notes” is the next best thing for you.