How to Play the Drums on a Basic Set

A basic drum set has four or five drums and three or four cymbals.

A basic drum set is typically comprised of a bass drum, snare drum, rack tom (or two) and a floor tom, as well as a hi-hat, crash cymbal and ride cymbal. If set up properly, your drum set should be comfortable to play. You shouldn’t have to reach too far to hit any drum or cymbal, but the drums and cymbals also shouldn’t be so close and tightly set up that you frequently accidentally hit unintended drums or cymbals. Once things are set up properly, you’re ready to begin playing your drum set.

Instructions

1. Place your left foot on the hi-hat stand pedal and your right foot on the bass drum pedal (or reversed if you are playing a left-handed setup).

2. Press your right foot down on the bass drum pedal to hit the bass drum. The beater of the pedal should hit the bass drum right in the center. Don’t slam down on the pedal or dig the beater into the drum head. Simply press down on the bass drum pedal and then relax it, so the beater moves back away from the head.

3. Press your left foot down on the hi-hat stand pedal. This will close the hi-hat, making a “chick” sound in the process.

4. Hit the hi-hat, hitting slightly on the edge of the cymbals. This will give you a clean sound. Ease the tension of your foot on the hi-hat stand pedal to loosen the hi-hat. Hit the hi-hat again, and you’ll now hear a “swooshy” sound, which will help in louder music, such as rock.

5. Hit the snare drum near the center of the drum. For extra power, hit the rim of the drum at the same time. This is called a “rim shot,” and it gives more of a “crack!” sound than simply hitting the drum in the center. Rim shots will wear down your drum sticks faster, and can be quite loud, so use them when it seems appropriate, such as heavy rock songs or jazz accents.

6. Hit the rack tom near the center of the drum. The same goes for the floor tom. Hit both at the same time for a powerful “boom.” If a song is building up in volume, pounding both toms or hitting the floor tom while simultaneously hitting the snare drum can help provide power.

7. Hit the crash cymbal, hitting the edge of the cymbal a few inches from the top of your drum stick. Don’t slam down on the cymbal. Try to hit the cymbal with a semicircle motion. The motion should be similar to a parenthesis on its side. Hit down at an angle and then bring your stick back up.

8. Hit the ride cymbal by tapping the tip of the drum stick a few inches from the bell (the dome near the very center) of the cymbal, and a few inches in from the edge of the cymbal. Generally, the ride cymbal is not hit with loud force like a crash cymbal, unless you want a very powerful hit. Hit the ride cymbal on the bell of the cymbal if you want a high pitch “ping” sound.

References

• Drum Set Fun: Three Ways to Hit Your Cymbals

Resources

• Drummer World