Introduction to the Drum Kit

So here's a little introduction to the different parts of the drum kit. You'll see many different ones if you look at videos online. If you go to any concerts, people will have variations. But this is your basic sort of rock and pop kit setup.

Basic Setup

From the pieces we're doing in the course, we'll be dealing with the following:

• Hi-hats
• Snare drum
• Bass drum

If you're right-handed:

• You will be playing the hi-hats with your right hand
• The snare drum with your left hand
• Your right foot will always play the bass drum
• Your left foot will be on the hi-hat pedal

Understanding Hi-Hats

To elaborate on what hi-hats actually are:

• They consist of two cymbals, one on top of the other, joined together and kept closed by the left foot putting pressure on the pedal.
• When my hi-hats are closed, you get that nice, really tight, crisp sound that you'll need for all your pieces in this course.

Open Hi-Hats

Later on, when you're expanding your knowledge, you might want to play an open hi-hat. That's where your left foot lifts up a little bit, and you strike the top hi-hat.

So, I'll do a closed hi-hat and then an open one, so you can hear the difference.

In some styles of music, the hi-hat may be slightly open all the way through, like in some heavier rock styles, giving it a sizzle sound, but we'll get to that later, maybe in the metal section.

Snare Drum

The snare drum has a unique metallic sound that the toms don’t have.

• Underneath the snare drum, there are a lot of curly metal wires pressed against the bottom head.
• When you strike the snare drum, these wires vibrate, creating that distinctive sound.

Snare Techniques:

• Snares on: Creates the characteristic sound.
• Snares off: Sounds like the other drums, which I will demonstrate shortly.

For all these songs, we'll have the snares on.

Bass Drum Techniques

There are two different techniques for playing the bass drum:

• Heel Down: Your heel remains on the pedal board, moving the top part of your foot up and down.
• Heel Up: Your foot is lifted a bit, allowing for greater speed and power.

It's always important to maintain balance across the pedals. Personally, I use a combination of the two techniques known as heel-toe.

Combined Technique Demonstration

You might have noticed that I used heel down for some parts and then lifted my foot up a little bit. The more experience you gain, the more you will naturally develop your technique.

Toms Overview

There are three toms on this kit:

1. High Tom: High in pitch, often mounted onto the bass drum.
2. Medium Tom: A little lower in pitch.
3. Floor Tom: Easy to remember because it has legs on the floor.

Cymbals

Now, let’s talk about the ride cymbal:

• There are times when you'll stop playing the main groove with the hi-hat, snare, and bass drum and move your right hand over to the ride cymbal.

For example:

• If you're playing quarter notes on the hi-hat, you might switch to the ride cymbal while still playing the snare and bass drum groove.

Here’s what it sounds like:

• Two bars of a hi-hat, snare, and bass drum groove, then two bars on the ride cymbal.

Advanced Playing Techniques

For more advanced players, as you gain confidence:

• Play two bars of a groove with hi-hat, snare, and bass drum, followed by two bars on the ride, possibly a bit faster.

Crash Cymbals:

• Typically located on the side, you may want to have one or two crash cymbals.
• I personally have two because I like the variety. Different pitches and tones provide unique textures.

Striking the Crash Cymbal

When playing the crash cymbal:

• Strike it with the shaft of the stick rather than the tip for a stronger sound.
• With the tip, it may sound too thin.

For different styles, like jazz, I often use the tip on all cymbals, but for our course, using the shaft is preferable for a more impactful sound.

Conclusion

So, that's the different parts of the drum kit covered.