In this free drumeo edge drum lesson, Larnell Lewis takes you through some of the main aspects to consider when developing a swing feel on the drums for playing rhythm and blues (R&B): funk, soul, gospel, and hip-hop, authentically. More »

Most free drum lessons on drum independence we’ve posted on DrumLessons.com focus almost exclusively on hi-hat foot independence and bass-drum foot independence. Working on hi-hat foot independence and bass drum independence is something you should definitely strive for, in order to acquire a higher level of drumming prowess. However, a certain level of hand independence needs to be developed for you to become a complete drum-set player. More »

Here at DrumLessons.com we have a huge collection of free drum lessons on linear drumming. The content from those free drum lessons is mostly written down in the form of various linear-pattern combinations. This is a very effective method for teaching linear drumming but lacks in improving your improvisational and musical skills within this drumming topic. In this free drum lessons, Jared Falk addresses those shortcomings by teaching a method for improving your improvisational skills and freeing up your body and mind when playing linear patterns. More »

The drag ruff is one of the 40 international drum rudiments. It’s also one of the seven essential drum rudiments, alongside the single stroke roll, the double stroke roll, the multiple bounce roll, the five stroke roll, the single paradiddle and the flam. It’s very important you become competent with at least these seven drum rudiments, since they’re heavily used in music and any other rudiment is based on them. In this lesson we’ll focus our attention on the drag ruff and how you can use it to spice up your drum fills. More »

The left foot, also known as the forgotten limb, is a limb many drummers don’t spend enough time practicing with. This results in poor left foot independence, limb interdependence, strength and control. It also hinders one’s ability to use it effectively as a time-keeper or when playing double bass. Being competent with only three of your four limbs limits your musical pallet and expressiveness. More »

The pataflafla is one of the drum rudiments that’s most frown upon. Many drum set players perceive it as useless and musically irrelevant outside the realm of snare drumming. If you’re one of them, we hope to change your mind through this free drum lesson. In it, you’ll find four good examples of how to use the pataflafla for coming up with cool sounding and creative drum fills. More »

Hi-hat barking is a type of open hi-hat technique where the open sound has a very short duration. Hi-hat barks are usually played as 16th notes, 16th note triplets or 32nd notes and are great for playing accents and shots with a band, as well as for ending songs. Hi-hat barking can be found in many different styles of music, but it’s in funk that it shines the most. In this free drum lesson Jared Falk teaches five drum beats that make use of this technique in very creative ways. More »

In this video, Sean Lang walks you through the drums, cymbals, hardware and drumsticks he uses while gigging and recording free drum lessons for DrumLessons.com. He discusses some of the aspects he likes the most about his drum gear and why he chose to use it in the first place. More »

Heavy-metal drummers are usually perceived as one-dimensional musicians that lack groove and dynamic control. Heavy-metal’s need for speed and volume tends to overshadow the highly technical and musical persona that’s within the double-pedal loving, speed-freak known as heavy-metal drummer. This drum solo showcases exactly how there’s more to heavy-metal drummers than meets the ear. With some very cool rhythmic ideas and dynamic contours, Sean Lang tells a story of his own in the form of a drum solo that’s worth watching and, most important of all, hearing. More »

Breakbeats are drum patterns taken from sections of songs during which the melody “breaks” to allow the drummer or other musicians of the rhythm section to solo in a groove-based style. Breakbeats are characterized by the heavy use of syncopated figures and can be found in numerous styles of music nowadays, from which hip-hop and drum’n’bass stand out the most. More »