Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ Want to improve your mastery over drum rudiments? Grid is the answer you’ve been looking for. Grid permutates an accent or rudiment across the subdivision. Too fancy sounding? It basically forces you to learn how to play a rudiment with any combination of accents and taps, both on and off the beat. If you want to march in a competitive drumline (e.g., DCI or WGI), you NEED to learn grid. I’d recommend spending 50-60% of your time on Technique exercises (see below), 30-40% of your time on grid variations (they’re like technique exercises for your rudiments), and 10-20% of the time on chop exercises (see above). Why? Watch this video. Focus on playing rudiment on one grid variations for diddles, flams, flam drags, cheeses, and flam fives. If you can mark time to those triplet and 16th note variations, you will have enough control of the fundamental rudiments you need to march in a world-class WGI or DCI line.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ The sticking grid variations are designed to improve your hand-to-hand consistency and mental agility by systematically shifting sticking patterns across different accent and tap subdivisions. Practicing these grids will help you internalize complex permutations, improve your timing, and eliminate weak hands. Speaking of hands, you can practice these sticking variations with other limbs, like your feet. Or assign your right hand to all of the Rs and your right foot to all of the Ls while you play something else with your other hands. It’s your practice routine, so you do you. Some of my favorite variations are the diddle and paradiddle variations. Use the timestamps in the description to start at a tempo where you can hyper-focus on maintaining perfectly even sound quality and matching stick heights of both your accents and taps between your left and right hands.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ These diddle grid exercises will rigorously test your roll quality by moving double strokes through every possible partial of a triplet or sixteenth-note grid. This is a crucial practice routine for smoothing out your drum rolls and ensuring your diddles don't crush or slur when playing different accent/tap patterns. Rely on the timestamps in the description to select a slow and controlled tempo that you can maintain a relaxed technique.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ So you think you have control of your flams? Try flam on one with triplet grid. I’ll wait. These grid variations are hard. Like, really hard. I’d HIGHLY recommend slowing them down using the timestamps in the description and letting them gradually speed up one click at a time. I like to slow them down to 40 BPM and I’ve been drumming since 1998. If you think that’s too slow, try it once and you’ll realize it’s WAY harder than it looks and it helps you refine your technique better than playing fast ever does (especially when you’re trying to refine the consistency of your grace note spacing and height of a flam).

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ Flam drags combine the two previous sets of grid variations (diddles and flams) into a deceptively difficult hybrid rudiment. If you think you’re got flam drags down, try playing them as a triplet grid with flam drags on one. It’s SUPER difficult to keep the taps low and the accents pronounced without changing the interpretation of the diddles. The accent after the drag is especially wacky, but you can practice that with the “flam drag after an accent” variations in this playlist.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ Cheese have a funny name for a drum rudiment and are even funnier to learn as a beginner rudimental drummer. Students I’ve worked with over the years usually slur out the diddles (i.e., slow them down), but you can fix that by practicing these grid variations slowly using the timestamps in the description. If you’re having difficulty with the accent on two, try playing the “cheese before an accent” variations to help with the upstroke accent. If you’re having difficulty keeping the cheese low when the accent is on three, try playing the “cheese after an accent” variations to focus on keeping the stick low after a downstroke. If you need more help with relaxed downstrokes, see this video.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ Don’t play these flam five grid variations with high taps like you’re a new tenor drummer (all the love to tenor drummers, but you know what I’m talking about). Strive for low taps, distinct accents, and rhythmically correct five strokes. If you’re finding it difficult to keep the diddles in time, slow them down to 40 bpm and move up one click at a time. I do it all the time and I’ve been drumming since 1998. If you want even more help perfecting your five stroke interpretation, watch this.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ Starting from here are the wackier grid variations that aren’t as common as the ones that came before this. The chut cheese and cheese chutichuh grid variations are no exception. They’re hard. Like nearly 100 attempts on one Elden Ring boss fight kind of hard. Yes, that did happen to me. I HIGHLY recommend practicing these slow if you want to play clean diddles, with low flams, consistent grace notes, and relaxed accents. Whatever speed you want to go at, use timestamps in the description to jump to a specific bpm.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ The Swiss grid exercises take the classic Swiss Army triplet and displace it across the beat (or shift the accent across the beat), providing an incredible workout for your rudimental phrasing and hand speed. These play-alongs are perfect for breaking out of standard sticking habits and improving your rudimental flow. Jump to the timestamps in the description to lock in the timing at slower speeds before pushing your chops to higher BPMs.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ These variations sound like the flam drag grid variations, but they use the Swiss Army triplet sticking with flam drags. Practice these off the right and off the left to balance out the demand, as these exercises will WORK your hand endurance and speed if you play them fast.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ The buzz grid exercises systematically move multiple-bounce strokes across subdivisions, forcing you to develop consistent pressure and release techniques when practicing. You can play these buzzes short (press strokes) or you can play them long. Either way, you’ll develop control over accents and taps while playing buzzes, which is great not only for rudimental drummers, but for orchestral percussionists playing repertoire like Cirone or Delecluse. Check the timestamps to practice at various speeds, focusing on a seamless, even buzz sound without any audible pulsations from the underlying rhythm. If you want more tips on how to play buzzes, see the Tips + Lessons section below.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ These pressure grid variations move press strokes across the subdivision while playing double strokes. Unsure what I mean? Pull one up and try playing it slowly. It requires an ABSURD amount of fulcrum control to play this without squeezing your fulcrum too hard. I HIGHLY recommend playing this slowly while focusing on staying relaxed, but good luck. Seriously. You’ll need it if you try playing these challenging grid variations.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ These timing variations of grid remove either the taps or accents from a grid. Your goal is to play the timing as rhythmically precise as possible while marking time (if you’re a rudimental drummer) or while keeping some kind of an ostinato in other limbs to develop limb independence (if you play drum kit). The slower you go, the harder these are to play (but the more you’ll improve your internal timing). If you’re getting lost marking time to these exercises, watch this video.

Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ This playlist takes standard sticking grids and applies a swung interpretation, helping you develop a deeper pocket and better feel for jazz, blues, and funk applications. Practicing swung grids improves your rhythmic flexibility and limb independence. Use the timestamps in the description to lock into the swung groove at different tempos, paying close attention to the triplet subdivision that underlies the swing feel.

40-59 bpm - 60-99 bpm - 100-159 bpm - 160-240 bpm

Show summary ▾ If you have intermediate to advanced limb independence skills, this is where you should start. This playlist features straight-feel reading charts designed to test and expand your four-way coordination and sight-reading abilities on the drum set. These play-alongs will challenge you to maintain a steady groove (ostinato pattern) while reading complex rhythmic figures (melodies). Jump to the video timestamps to practice at tempos ranging from 40 bpm to as fast as 240 bpm, organized into four different playlists linked above. If you’re not sure how to develop limb independence to even read these charts, see the video near the top of each playlist that walks you step-by-step through developing limb independence on the drum kit.

40-59 bpm - 60-99 bpm - 100-159 bpm - 160-240 bpm

Show summary ▾ If you have intermediate to advanced limb independence skills, this is where you should start. The swung charts playlist focuses on developing your jazz and swing limb independence by reading complex comping figures against a constant swing ride pattern and hi-hat foot in the play-along. These play-alongs will challenge you to maintain a steady groove (ostinato pattern) while reading complex rhythmic figures (melodies). Jump to the video timestamps to practice at tempos ranging from 40 bpm to as fast as 240 bpm, organized into four different playlists linked above. If you’re not sure how to develop limb independence to even read these charts, see the video near the top of each playlist that walks you step-by-step through developing limb independence on the drum kit.

All - 8th - Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ If you are new to limb independence, this is where you should start. These limb independence timing exercises are essential for drum kit players looking to lock in their internal clock while learning different ostinato patterns. By working through 8th note, triplet, or 16th note playlist linked above, you will systematically improve your coordination and groove stability while playing limb independence. Use the timestamps in the description to practice at different tempos, focusing on keeping your foundational limbs perfectly synchronized with the click while the variable limb explores the subdivision.

All - Basics

Show summary ▾ If you’re having difficulty switching from one rhythm to another while playing limb independence, these playlists are designed to help. The “basics” playlist has fundamental (e.g., quarter, 8th, triplet, and 16th note) rhythms that help you develop a solid foundation for transitioning in and out of various rhythms. And the “all” playlist has some wackier rhythms like septuplets (sevenlets), 5:3 8th notes, and other goofy rhythms that modern drummers like to play. If you want to practice them, I’ve got you covered with the playlist above.

Show summary ▾ Want to learn a step-by-step process for developing limb independence? This stream highlight explains exactly how I have developed (and continue to develop) limb independence on drum kit. I outline a seven-step process that uses all of the free limb independence resources on this page. You don’t need to sign up for a course to learn how to do limb independence, you just need to practice these steps to develop limb independence over time. The video also includes several limb independence variations for styles like jazz, latin, rock, and more.

Show summary ▾ As a rudimental and concert percussionist, limb independence is something I've spent very little time learning. So I challenged myself to play all 62 of these variations in one drumming livestream. Not all of them sounded great, but I had fun attempting this challenge. I hope this video helps you to learn some new ways to practice reading the charts and permutations on my website and YouTube channel. Use timestamps in the description to find a brief description of all 62 limb independence variations I demonstrate in this video.

Show summary ▾ It’s hard to practice marching bass drum alone because you can’t hear how your part fits in with the rest of the bass line. There are hundreds of exercises in this playlist that can help you simulate practicing with the rest of the line. The BASSics and Splits Timing exercises mute and unmute different parts; you’ll see what I’m talking about when you try them. The other timing exercises and permutations will help you improve your timing. Make sure to mark time while practicing these and watch this video if you need help with that.

Show summary ▾ BASSics focuses on practicing splits with one other bass drummer, like hand-to-hands, split twos, and split fours with a variety of rhythms from 8th notes, to quintuplets, and more. The exercises simulate practicing with another bass drummer. I’d highly recommend practicing the drum two parts and playing along to the sheet music while you mark time. If you need help marking time, watch this video.

Show summary ▾ Splits Timing uses the same approach as BASSics with even wackier splits like laser beams that move down or up the drums, split between 3, 4, 5, or even 6 drums. Not to mention, classics like splits timing 16, which is better known as “Bucket Game” or “Obesity” and is commonly played at bass drum auditions. Although these exercises are advanced, the timestamps of each video allow you to select a BPM as slow as 20 BPM, so you can start super slow and let it speed up one click at a time. If you need help marking time to these exercises, watch this video.

3 drum - 4 drum - 5 drum - 6 drum

Show summary ▾ If you’ve managed to work through all of the BASSics, Splits Timing, and Timing exercises, these marching bass drum permutations will keep you entertained. These exercises cover 3, 4, 5, and 6-drum setups, challenging you to run complex runs and split patterns across the entire ensemble. Lean on the timestamps in the description to break down the runs at a slow tempo, focusing on maintaining consistent sound quality and exact rhythmic spacing before speeding up. But again, focus on these to work through a specific split AFTER you’ve spent time in the other marching bass drum exercises.

All - 8th - Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ Whether this is your first season marching bass drum or you’re a seasoned veteran on a world-class drumline, you need to spend time practicing these timing exercises. These timing exercises are essential for bass drummers looking to lock in their internal clock while marking time. Use the timestamps in the description to practice at different tempos, but slow these play-alongs way down if you really want to work on your timing. If you need extra help marking time to these exercises, watch this video.

All - Basics

Show summary ▾ If you’re having difficulty switching from one rhythm to another while playing or marking time, these playlists are designed to help. The “basics” playlist has fundamental (e.g., quarter, 8th, triplet, and 16th note) rhythms that help you develop a solid foundation for transitioning in and out of various rhythms. And the “all” playlist has some wackier rhythms like septuplets (sevenlets), 5:3 8th notes, and other goofy rhythms that modern bass drummers like to play. If you want to practice them, I’ve got you covered with this playlist.

Show summary ▾ exercises in this playlist are from the Kannapolis Independent Percussion (KIP) marching bass drum packet for the 2027 season. These exercises allow you to practice as if you were playing with the rest of the bass line, which will help you prepare for drumline auditions. Use timestamps in the description to jump to a specific bpm and watch this video if you need help marking time.

Show summary ▾ These sight reading exercises improve your sight reading of rhythms (hence, you know, the name of this playlist). There are multiple difficulty levels for each of these exercises, each working on sight reading using research-based practices (my PhD is in music education) that I used when I taught general music classes, band, and percussion ensembles. The easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read. Each of these difficulty levels and variations are available with 8th notes, triplets, 16th notes, duple and triple meters, swung variations, and more complex rhythms to help you learn how to sight read rhythms. Use timestamps in the description to select a specific bpm and have fun with any of these exercises that improve your timing and sight reading!

All - Easy - Medium - Hard

Show summary ▾ This playlist focuses on foundational 8th note sight reading, helping you improve your real-time rhythmic processing and basic counting skills. These play-alongs are perfect for beginners or educators looking to solidify their grasp of simple meters and primary subdivisions. Use the timestamps in the description to practice at comfortable reading tempos, ensuring you read ahead of the beat and maintain a relaxed, consistent grip. Remember, the easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read.

All - Easy - Medium - Hard

Show summary ▾ The triplet sight reading exercises will challenge your ability to quickly interpret and perform triplet-based rhythms and rests without hesitation. Working through these play-alongs is crucial for developing a strong internal sense of triple meter and improving your swing or shuffle reading. Drop into the timestamps to find a tempo that challenges your eyes (and ears), focusing on keeping the underlying triplet rhythms consistent even when encountering complex syncopation. Remember, the easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read.

All - Easy - Medium - Hard

Show summary ▾ This playlist is designed to sharpen your 16th note sight reading chops, pushing you to instantly recognize and execute dense rhythmic groupings and syncopated partials. These exercises will massively improve your rhythmic vocabulary and reading confidence for 16th note passages. Utilize the timestamps in the description to practice at a manageable speed, making sure your sticking remains logical and your inner beats stay perfectly in time with the play-alongs. Remember, the easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read.

All - Easy - Medium - Hard

Show summary ▾ These advanced sight reading exercises feature complex rhythms, odd groupings, and challenging syncopations designed to test the limits of your reading abilities. Seriously. They’re hard, so don’t beat yourself up if you struggle with these variations. Practicing these play-alongs will prepare you for demanding concert band, orchestral, or drum corps literature. Use the timestamps in the description to slowly decode the rhythms, focusing on maintaining a strong internal pulse and accurate mathematical subdivisions. Remember, the easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read.

All - Easy - Medium - Hard

Show summary ▾ 12/8 meter look funny. Seriously, it’s confusing at times. But this 12/8 sight reading playlist helps you learn how to navigate dotted rhythms, duplets, and quadruplets within a triplet-based framework. These exercises are fantastic for improving your feel for marches and afro-cuban styles. Use the video timestamps to lock into the macro-pulse of the dotted quarter note, ensuring your reading stays smooth and musical across the barline. Remember, the easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read.

All - Easy - Medium - Hard

Show summary ▾ These swung sight reading exercises challenge you to apply a swing interpretation to written 8th note notation, testing both your reading skills and your stylistic feel. Perfect for jazz band preparation, these play-alongs will help you internalize the swung triplet subdivision. In fact, you could practice sight reading these with one or more limbs while playing an ostinato pattern to work on swung limb independence. Check the timestamps in the description to practice at different tempos. Remember, the easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read.

All - Easy - Medium - Hard

Show summary ▾ These swung sight reading exercises challenge you to apply a swing interpretation to written 16th note notation, testing both your reading skills and your stylistic feel. Perfect for jazz band preparation, these play-alongs will help you internalize the swung triplet subdivision. In fact, you could practice sight reading these with one or more limbs while playing an ostinato pattern to work on swung limb independence. Check the timestamps in the description to practice at different tempos. Remember, the easiest variation of this exercise uses a "sound before sight reading" approach that plays a rhythm you hear first before echoing back the rhythm while displaying the western staff notation. The medium difficulty variation uses a "sight reading before sound" approach that teaches sight reading rhythms by displaying the rhythm before hearing (and playing) what they sound like. And the hardest variation uses a "sight reading ahead" approach that teaches you to read one measure ahead while sight reading by displaying the rhythm you're about to play while you play along with the previous measure that you just read.

Show summary ▾ Technique creates relaxed, healthy hands and consistent sound quality. Technique is important for all percussionists to master, but it is SUPER important for rudimental drummers. Why? Watch this video. That’s why I recommend practicing 50-60% of your time on technique exercises in this section, 30-40% of your time on grid variations (they’re like technique exercises for your rudiments), and 10-20% of the time on chop exercises. If you’re not sure what to focus on when practicing these exercises, see the Tips + Lessons section for hundreds of free drumming tips.

Show summary ▾ The accent tap exercises form the bedrock of dynamic control and stick height management, training your hands to differentiate immediately between loud primary strokes and quiet inner beats known as “taps” on drumline and “ghost notes” on drum kit/set. Consistent practice with these play-alongs will eliminate tension in your downstrokes and prevent your taps from creeping up in height. Use the timestamps in the description to focus on your playing zones and ensure your taps/ghost notes stay at a strict, but relaxed and low height. If you’re unsure how to play relaxed accent taps, see the lessons at the top of this playlist and more in the Tips + Lessons section below.

Show summary ▾ Boston is a classic accent and tap exercise that presents some tricky upbeat syncopated accents. This playlist has many variations of the accent/tap pattern that incorporates different rudiments like flams, diddles, and other sticking patterns. Think of it like an alternative grid variation that uses a different accent/tap pattern.

Show summary ▾ This playlist focuses on cold attack rolls, forcing you to initiate double strokes instantly without the safety net of a check pattern. These exercises are super difficult on their own, but are essential for improving your roll entrances, timing, and initial sound quality. Take advantage of the timestamps to practice at various tempos, paying careful attention to your hand speed and ensuring the first diddle doesn't crush or slur out. See the video at the top of the playlist for more explanation of why rolls without check are so difficult to clean as a drumline.

Diddle timing - Five stroke roll timing

Show summary ▾ The diddle timing and five stroke roll timing exercises are meticulously designed to fix rhythmic tearing and uneven double strokes by isolating the exact placement of each note of the diddle. These play-alongs will train your hands to produce open, relaxed diddles that perfectly match the underlying subdivision by intentionally going back and forth between slurred (slow), normal, rushed (fast), and normal diddles. See this video for a quick introduction to why these play-alongs will help you clean your drum rolls.

Show summary ▾ This double beat playlist focuses on developing the timing and strength of the second note of a diddle using a variety of double beat exercises. My favorite exercises for this are the diddle strength and three stroke strength exercises, which I talk about in this video. However, the Short Short Long double beats are a great way to work on your hand endurance/stamina. Use the timestamps in the description to push your tempo limits or to practice slow and controlled, focusing on letting the stick rebound naturally rather than muscling the second note out of the drum.

Show summary ▾ These double stop exercises are designed to perfect your hand-to-hand synchronization, ensuring your left and right sticks strike the drum head at the exact same millisecond and with the same velocity. This is a crucial workout for cleaning up diddles, three strokes, four strokes, and more. Utilize the timestamps to practice at different speeds, listening closely for any "flamming" sounds (indicating one hand is early/late or loud/soft compared to the other) and adjusting your stick heights and velocity to achieve a unified popping sound.

Show summary ▾ So you’ve mastered roll exercises and want to take it to the next level? This playlist can help. The dynamic rolls playlist challenges you to maintain perfect roll quality and diddle consistency while smoothly crescendoing and decrescendoing. These play-alongs are essential for concert percussionists and rudimental drummers looking to add musicality to their technique. Use the video timestamps to isolate the dynamic shifts, ensuring your stick heights change gradually and evenly while your rhythmic subdivision remains rock-solid.

Show summary ▾ I expect this playlist to be a popular playlist. It’s full of exercises that, you know, work on your endurance and speed. Hence the original name. This collection of exercises is designed strictly to push your physical limits, building the fast-twitch muscle fibers required for blazing hand speed (or foot speed) and long-term endurance. Whatever limbs you use to play these exercises, focus on playing as relaxed as possible. Tension slows down your drumming. Like. A lot. I talk about that in many of my videos in the Tips + Lessons section.

Fast-Slow-Fast - Slow-Fast-Slow

Show summary ▾ This drumming practice tool is designed to work on both your chops and technique. Simply pick what you want to improve (e.g., a rudiment), select a subdivision in one of the playlists that matches your rudiment, then pick a tempo range in the description of the video. The play-along will either gradually speed up (Slow-Fast-Slow) or slow down (Fast-Slow-Fast) one click at a time. The play-along will reach your final tempo, hold it for four measures, then gradually return to the starting tempo, moving one click at a time. This allows you to not only refine your technique while drumming, but to slowly push yourself to play a rudiment faster. Add this into your daily drum practice routine and you’ll notice huge improvements in a couple of weeks.

Diddle timing - Five stroke roll timing

Show summary ▾ The diddle timing and five stroke roll timing exercises are meticulously designed to fix rhythmic tearing and uneven double strokes by isolating the exact placement of each note of the diddle. These play-alongs will train your hands to produce open, relaxed diddles that perfectly match the underlying subdivision by intentionally going back and forth between slurred (slow), normal, rushed (fast), and normal diddles. See this video for a quick introduction to why these play-alongs will help you clean your drum rolls.

Show summary ▾ Flams are a very common rudiment that every drummer knows, but many misunderstand. There are not only a lot of exercises that can help you work on your flams (hence, this playlist), but there are actually many ways to play flams. For example, did you know that you can not only change the spacing of the grace note, but also the height to be at half the height of the primary note? If that sounds like blasphemy, watch this video.

Show summary ▾ This playlist could also be called “hand spacing,” but I don’t think people would know what I’m talking about if you haven’t seen my videos that talk about (here’s an example for playing fast three and four strokes). The fulcrum control exercises are hyper-focused on the subtle changes you make to control the timing and rebound when playing downstrokes and upstrokes. Working on these play-alongs will improve your finesse and unlock faster, more effortless control over not only accent/taps, but also your timing. These exercises can be played on one hand, alternating, or as double stops (both hands together). However you play them, use an efficient technique for the upstrokes and downstrokes that I talk about in this video. Another fulcrum control exercise at the bottom of this playlist called “Chug with flam accents and single-doubles” is similar to the exercise called “Fulcrum Freddy,” which switches from flam accents into quick single-doubles. All of these exercise look simple, but are difficult to master. Try them if you don’t believe me ,)

Show summary ▾ This playlist has a bunch of resources to help you improve your hybrid rudiments, combining standard rudiments into complex, brain-teasing sticking patterns that will test your mental and physical dexterity. The 100 Hybrid Rudiments in a Row play-along is one of the trickiest play-alongs on my website. Seriously. If you’re not an advanced rudimental drummer who can already play a bunch of grid variations and shopping sprees, I’d avoid this one unless you start at 40 BPM and have a lot of patience. Whatever play-along you choose in this playlist, it will help you refine your hybrid rudiments.

Show summary ▾ Jeepers is a classic accent and tap exercise based on the lyrics for “Jeepers Creepers” by Louis Armstrong. This playlist has many variations of the accent/tap pattern that incorporates different rudiments like flams, diddles, and even some shopping sprees with hybrid rudiments. Think of it as an alternative grid variation that utilizes a different accent/tap pattern.

Show summary ▾ The exercises in this playlist are from the Kannapolis Independent Percussion (KIP) snare packet for the 2026 season. These exercises allow you to practice as if you were playing with the rest of the drumline, which will help you prepare for drumline auditions. Even if you’re not auditioning for KIP, the fundamentals in these packets are rock solid. Everyone could benefit from using them to improve their playing, no matter how long you’ve been drumming. Use timestamps in the description to jump to a specific bpm and see the Tips + Lessons section for hundreds of free tips on how to prepare for an audition, how to play relaxed, how to improve timing, etc.

Show summary ▾ The exercises in this playlist are from the Kannapolis Independent Percussion (KIP) snare packet for the 2027 season. These exercises allow you to practice as if you were playing with the rest of the drumline, which will help you prepare for drumline auditions. Speaking of, the rest of the ensemble packets are in the Scores + Ensembles section. Even if you’re not auditioning for KIP, the fundamentals in these packets are rock solid. Everyone could benefit from using them to improve their playing, no matter how long you’ve been drumming. Use timestamps in the description to jump to a specific bpm and see the Tips + Lessons section for hundreds of free tips on how to prepare for an audition, how to play relaxed, how to improve timing, etc.

Show summary ▾ Paradiddles (Rlrr Lrll) have some kind of spell cast upon them to make them one of the most popular sticking patterns known to all drummers across the planet. Paradiddles are fun to play, but there are many exercises that you can play to work on them. This playlist highlights some of them. One of my favorites is Paradiddle Zoom Zoom, which breaks down and speeds up the different mechanics used to play paradiddles. Another one of my favorites are the Chug variations like “Chug with RLRRLLs and RLRRLLLLs.” That one really pushes your hands to the limit. Speaking of, watch this video if you want to learn how to speed up rudiments like paradiddles.

Show summary ▾ This playlist is dedicated to maximizing your rebound technique, teaching you how to let the stick do the work for you on every single stroke. These exercises are foundational for playing fast singles, doubles, and rudiments with minimal physical effort. You could use this exercise on the tenors to work on crossovers by doing double stop crossovers every other note or use it for drum kit by playing a repeated ostinato pattern with one limb and rebound on another limb. Another way you can use this is to work on your overall sound quality by having all strokes start and end up, with the upstroke being a direct result of the rebound and not lifting the stick. Practice this exercise with each hand/limb separately and together to try to match technique and sound quality. Also try practicing this exercise with different sticking patterns like singles, doubles, threes, fours, rlrrs, rll, rlrrll, etc. to have the sticking pattern move across the different rhythms (it gets wacky). Use the timestamps in the description to lock in a comfortable tempo, focusing on a relaxed grip and returning the stick instantly to the starting position after each hit. This exercise is also sometimes called "subdivision ladder."

Show summary ▾ The roll timing and interpretation exercises bridge the gap between technical diddle quality and musical phrasing, challenging you to adapt your roll speed to different subdivisions. These play-alongs will drastically improve your drumline and orchestral roll control. In fact, I argue in this video that metronomes are useless for improving the timing of your drum rolls, which is why I created exercises like these to help clean your rolls.

Show summary ▾ I wasn’t sure what to call these exercises, so my wife named them “zoom zooms” and it stuck. These exercises isolate the mechanics of complex rudiments by breaking them down into their component strokes and gradually layering complexity to build up the rudiment from a strong foundation. This is an incredibly effective way to build muscle memory and chop speed simultaneously. I talk about why this approach works in the videos at the top of this playlist.

Fast-Slow-Fast - Slow-Fast-Slow

Show summary ▾ This drumming practice tool is designed to work on both your chops and technique. Simply pick what you want to improve (e.g., a rudiment), select a subdivision in one of the playlists that matches your rudiment, then pick a tempo range in the description of the video. The play-along will either gradually speed up (Slow-Fast-Slow) or slow down (Fast-Slow-Fast) one click at a time. The play-along will reach your final tempo, hold it for four measures, then gradually return to the starting tempo, moving one click at a time. This allows you to not only refine your technique while drumming, but to slowly push yourself to play a rudiment faster. Add this into your daily drum practice routine and you’ll notice huge improvements in a couple of weeks.

Show summary ▾ Many world-class WGI and DCI drumlines like the Blue Devils are constantly switching back and forth between slow and fast rolls, often using two distinct heights (e.g., the fast roll is low and the slow roll is high). This playlist helps you practice that. It has many variations for both rolls and tap rolls so you can practice switching back and forth between difficult passages.

Show summary ▾ If George Lawrence Stone were alive today, he’d probably be a billionaire from his book Stick Control. Seriously, everyone recommends it and there’s a reason for it. Inspired by this legendary method book, these stick control exercises feature relentless sticking variations designed to build perfectly balanced hands (or feet if you play them with your other limbs). Practicing these permutations will improve your coordination, sound quality, rhythmic accuracy, and make you look like a really cool person that people will want to give free high fives to. The variations “with filler” are the exact same sticking patterns, but you fill in any repeating hands with the other hand. This creates interesting rhythms, but the main purpose is to ensure the hand that’s “filling in” doesn’t change the hand that’s playing the normal legato sticking pattern. You’ll see what I’m talking about if you try one of those variations.

Show summary ▾ Back when I used to march, three stroke rolls were super rare and four stroke rolls required a Master Poké Ball to catch. Nowadays it seems like every world-class drumline is playing not only fast three strokes, but four strokes that look impossible to play. The exercises in this playlist are designed to help you make the impossible possible and this video explains the technique I use to play them.

All - 8th - Triplet - 16th

Show summary ▾ It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been drumming or what your primary percussion instrument is, you need to spend time practicing these timing exercises. These timing exercises are essential for percussionist looking to lock in their internal clock while marking time (or simply playing with others). Use the timestamps in the description to practice at different tempos, but slow these play-alongs way down if you really want to work on your timing. If you need extra help marking time to these exercises, watch this video.

Show summary ▾ In this video, I share a deeply personal and important research paper I wrote in 2017 addressing the prevalence of depression and suicidality among students, and how music educators can better identify warning signs to provide crucial support. Drawing from my own experiences where practicing rudimental percussion and taking drum lessons literally saved my life, as making music served as a coping mechanism to work through severe depression. While my channel is widely known for offering free drumming lessons, drumming play-alongs, and comprehensive drumming tips, this presentation takes a step back from the physical instrument to focus on the emotional well-being of the human beings behind the kit. Through candid statistics and vignette, I highlight the stark reality that over one in three teachers who responded to a survey knew at least one student who has completed suicide, yet many feel paralyzed to act. I explore how the high-pressure culture of music education can sometimes exacerbate mental health risks, but also how establishing a supportive, communicative environment can quite literally save lives. By understanding the risk factors, avoiding toxic instructional habits, and knowing how to connect students with mental health professionals, I believe music educators can create a profoundly positive impact. If you are struggling with the mental side of drumming, looking to prevent drumming burnout, or trying to learn how to stay motivated drumming through difficult times, please know that you are not alone; my channel offers hundreds of resources to help, but if you or someone you know is ever in crisis, please dial 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Show summary ▾ I used to hear my DCI marching snare drum instructors complain about getting "old man hands" and losing their drum chops as they aged, but while getting my PhD in music education, I discovered that declining drumming technique is actually caused by a lack of a consistent drum practice routine rather than growing older. Research suggests that with just ten hours of practice a week, drummers can maintain their hand speed and even improve their snare drum skills well into their 60s and beyond. I experienced this "use it or lose it" reality firsthand when my own rudimental drumming abilities faded during grad school, but I was able to completely rebuild my chops by getting back on the practice pad regularly. Whether you are trying to learn how to drum faster, get back into drumming after a long break, or simply maintain your stick control as you age, the secret is dedicating time to an intentional drum practice routine that focuses on your weaknesses rather than just playing what you already know.

Show summary ▾ I almost quit playing drums in the mid-2000s because of severe drumming injuries like tendonitis and early carpal tunnel, but I learned how to fix my drum technique to play completely pain-free. In this video, I share my exact process for finding the hidden tension in your drum grip that causes wrist pain from drumming, proving that learning how to relax your hands is the ultimate secret to how to drum faster and build better chops. To keep my forearms, hands, and fingers healthy, I walk you through my daily hand stretches for drummers and a targeted massage routine designed to relax your hands. Finally, I break down the best active recovery techniques for drummers to use after an intense practice routine, including post-drumming reflection, hydration, anti-inflammatory snacks, and rest strategies like icing and elevating your arms to eliminate swelling. If you want to stop drumming pain and improve your speed, this video has all the essential drumming tips and lessons I use to stay healthy behind the drum kit and drum pad.

Show summary ▾ In this tenor drumming tutorial, I break down the essential differences between snare and quad playing zones to help you increase your speed and efficiency when moving around the tenor drums. You will learn how to drastically shorten the distance between drums, while maintaining a resonant tone on quads. I also cover critical marching percussion techniques, including the windshield wiper motion for moving around the drums, changing the playing zones for smoother sweeps/scrapes between drums, as well as proper mechanics to prevent injury and ensure your tenor drumming sounds world-class.

Show summary ▾ Master the complexity of flams with this essential drumming technique lesson. I break down this crucial drum rudiment, focusing on how to properly control the height and spacing of the grace note relative to the primary note for a clean, professional sound. Learn the nuances between flat flams and open flams and discover how the choice of flam type is dictated by the size of the instrument (e.g., snare drum vs marching bass drum) and the musical context. To help you achieve a perfect flam, I provide simple yet effective flam exercises and drumming drills designed to build consistency and take your drumming to the next level.

Show summary ▾ I challenge you to melt your brain and rethink your snare drum practice routine with "malfs," which are essentially flams played backward. Instead of playing the grace note right before the primary note for that classic "cha" sound, try playing the grace note immediately after the primary accent. This unique snare drum challenge is an incredible way to master rudiment control, especially when you plug malfs into your favorite flam exercises or marching percussion grid variations without accidentally raising your grace note heights. If you are ready to feel like a beginner all over again, try applying this backward drumming technique to my thousands of play-along tracks on this page, and be sure to dive into my other drum lessons covering everything from ruffs and ghost accents to the precise timing of your flam technique.

Show summary ▾ Are you struggling with how to mark time while playing syncopated rhythms and off-beat accents? In this fake prescription commercial, I introduce "Gestaltium," a conceptual drumming technique passed down by drumline instructors to cure TICK: the sudden inability to keep your feet in time during complex drumming. Instead of guessing, I explain how to improve your rudimental drumming and rhythmic independence by treating your hands and feet as a composite rhythm, which helps you easily master tricky second partial accents and improve your overall percussion timing. If you want to build your drum chops, fix your marching band timing issues, and avoid the hilarious side effects of this fake condition, watch this spoof commercial and then visit my channel's home tab for thousands of free drumming tips, percussion lessons, and comprehensive timing exercise playlists!

Show summary ▾ Struggling to find sheet music for quads? This video explains how to transform snare drum exercises into infinite tenor splits to expand your marching percussion vocabulary. Learn to adapt accent tap and flam exercises by isolating accents and taps to different drums to practice crossovers, improve your stick control moving around the drums with different patterns and shapes, or challenge yourself with different scrapes and sweeps while playing rolls. Whatever patterns you come up with, make sure you practice each pattern until it feels comfortable.

Show summary ▾ Learn how to drum louder without sacrificing speed by mastering the physics of velocity and stick grip in this drum lesson. Many players mistakenly believe that using more muscle or arm motion creates power, but this often leads to rigid drumming technique and fatigue. This video demonstrates how increasing the speed of your drum stroke straight into the head is more important than how high you play to generate volume. I also discuss why squeezing your sticks too tightly absorbs kinetic energy. By refining your hand technique to relax your grip and maximize energy transfer, you can achieve powerful drum dynamics and projection while preventing injury.

Show summary ▾ If your hands hurt after playing drums, it's likely a problem with your drum technique. I'll show you how to find the exact source of your hand pain from drumming by testing your drum grip and identifying where you are squeezing the drumsticks too tightly. I will show you how to fix and prevent repetitive stress injuries like tendonitis and carpal tunnel by playing with a relaxed grip, using stick rebound, and distributing the workload across your fingers, wrists, and forearms. You will learn why holding tension is like hitting the brakes on a car, and how adjusting your drum mechanics to relax your hands will not only keep you pain-free, but also help you play drums faster and with fluid motion.

Show summary ▾ Discover how to fix slicing on drums and instantly improve your sound quality by mastering the mechanics of a straight drum stroke. In this drum lesson, I demonstrate why hitting the drum head at an angle reduces power, rebound, and playing zone accuracy. I break down actionable drumming tips to correct your hand technique, including using a mirror and a marker to visually track your drum stick's path, recording slow-motion video for analysis, and setting up physical guides on your drum pad to train yourself to play with a consistent vertical motion for superior stick control and drumming consistency.

Show summary ▾ Improve your drum rolls and build serious chop strength by fixing weak sounding diddles with these essential drumming techniques. Instead of relying on bounce, learn how to master the double stroke roll by practicing on soft surfaces like a towel to build your drumming endurance and speed. I share free exercises that you can practice to fix hand inconsistencies and perfectly time the second note of your diddles

Show summary ▾ Whether you're a self-taught drummer trying to figure out how to practice drums without paying for expensive private drum lessons, or you've got multiple degrees in music, this guide will help you improve your drumming technique without ever having to pay for lessons or signup for a course. In this video, I explain how to build a highly effective drum practice routine by recording yourself and analyzing your playing in three ways: listening blindly for things like sound quality and timing accuracy, watching on mute to check for technique inconsistencies like with your grip and stick heights, and evaluating how your hands and body feel when playing things like rudiments or fast drum chops. You will then break these analyses down into a prioritized list of drumming goals that you can use to identify your own mistakes, fix inconsistent flams, improve your snare drum technique, build better speed and control, and more for free.

Show summary ▾ Do you struggle to keep your feet in time while your hands are locked in with the metronome? In this drum lesson, I break down a simple, step-by-step method to improve your hands and feet coordination for marching percussion. By starting your metronome practice at 80% tempo and actively stomping to the beat, you will learn how to internalize the pulse and sync your drumming with marking time. I cover a progressive drum exercise routine that takes you from mentally visualizing the music and singing rhythms to isolating your wrists and finally playing with your drumsticks. Whether you use drum kit pedals or just stomp to hear the beat, these tips will help you stay perfectly in time. Master your internal clock and eliminate autopilot feet so you can march and mark time with total confidence!

Show summary ▾ Improve your tenor drumming speed and flow by adopting a 'shifting' technique originally used for marimba. This method focuses on timing your lateral movement with the stick rebound to prevent slicing and improve your playing zones. I also break down a drumline exercise called "Rebound" that helps you isolate and speed up your elbow motion for shifting between drums to help you execute cleaner movement around the tenor drums.

Show summary ▾‍ ‍In this snare drum tutorial, I break down how to play the "book report" hybrid rudiment step-by-step, starting with a basic paradiddle sticking and gradually adding diddles and flams to build your marching percussion chops. Learning complex drum rudiments requires a lot of stick control; especially when keeping the taps low. So I recommend practicing these rudimental drumming exercises at a slow tempo, focusing on controlled taps and distinct accents, and utilizing the play-alongs in my "Rudiment Builders" playlist to gradually increase your speed one click at a time. Whether you are looking for new drumline warmups, challenging book report grid variations, or just want to improve your rhythmic precision, you can chop out and practice along with the thousands of free drum play-along tracks on my channel using the timestamps to find the perfect BPM range for your daily drumming routine

Show summary ▾ Ever wonder how your favorite drumlines play fast (and clean) three strokes? What about four strokes? They're not stroking each note with their wrists or fingers, they're using one stroke with multiple controlled rebounds. While manual legato strokes are fantastic for building overall stick control, I break down why transitioning to controlled rebound strokes is the ultimate secret to unlocking maximum drumming speed. Whether you prefer playing with traditional grip or matched grip (including variations like French grip, German grip, and American grip) I explain how to properly accelerate your drum stick rebound without relying on the drop/catch method. By teaching you how to manipulate the negative space within your hand to control the exact number of bounces, I will help you refine your snare drum technique and eliminate messy sounding threes and fours. Finally, I share free drum exercises and sheet music to help you speed up your three and four stroke rolls.

Show summary ▾ In this drum lesson, I break down how to understand and practice weird drum subdivisions like quintuplets and complex ratio rhythms that are popular among top DCI and WGI drumlines. I'll show you a powerful practice routine where you transition smoothly between familiar subdivisions (like quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenth notes) and trickier odd rhythms to truly test your internal clock and rhythmic accuracy. To take this drum pad workout to the next level, I explain how you can apply standard sticking rudiments like diddles and paradiddles over the changing time values, or even use an ostinato pattern with these free exercises to build extreme limb independence on the drum set. Whether you want to master complex time, improve your stick control, or just challenge your drumming chops with a tricky timing workout, this video gives you the exact blueprint to confidently play any crazy rhythm you encounter in any of the thousands of free drumming play-alongs in my YouTube channel's home tab or here.

Show summary ▾ Improve your marching percussion technique and play with a more relaxed, fluid feel by mastering the four essential drumline stroke types: downstrokes, upstrokes, and high or low legato strokes. In this rudimental drumming lesson, I break down the classic two-height system of accents and taps, explaining how to analyze your stick control based on where each stroke starts and ends. By understanding whether a pattern requires an up-to-up, up-to-down, down-to-down, or down-to-up motion, you can eliminate stiffness and figure out exactly how your hands should move when reading sheet music. Using a popular drumline warmup like Cheezy Poofs as an example, I demonstrate how analyzing the stroke types for each hand individually can instantly improve your visual fluidity and playing efficiency. Finally, I cover essential practice tips for applying these motions to your daily routine, including a crucial warning about why over-isolating your hands can actually hinder your overall drumming technique and your ability to speed up drum rudiments.

Show summary ▾ I wanted to see what AI would predict not only for the percussion scores on finals night for DCI 2026, but have Gemini generate the actual drumline solos as "lot clips." The results are hilariously bad for a variety of reasons and I had a lot of fun making fun of the AI slop.

Show summary ▾ Should I? No. Could I? Yes. Did I? Maybe.

Show summary ▾If you’ve thought to yourself “I love playing Suzie, but I want to practice it at 1 BPM".” Well, now you can with this play-along! Bonus points if you change the playback speed to 0.25X speed!