Beginner Drum Beat Breakdown

This is the basic form of showing a student how to count a basic beat and separating it by steps. In this guide you will see the breakdown of the beat and then when it is all together, you will be playing your very first beat. 

First we will start off counting 1-2-3-4 and Repeat 1-2-3-4 because he will be playing to these numbers. Each Number represents a beat. And I will show you during the lesson and put it on the sheet for your son. So you can practice his homework with him.

Hi Hat: (If he is a righty, use right hand on Hi-Hat) (If Lefty he plays Hi Hat with his left Hand)

Snare: (If he is a Righty, He will use his Left hand on the Snare) (If he is a lefty, he will use his right hand on the snare)

Bass Drum: (if he is a righty, his right foot will be on the bass Pedal) ( if he is a lefty, His left food will be on the bass.. pedal)

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Would look like this below: R-Right Hand, L - Left Hand

Snare: R,L  1,2 
Tom 2: R,L 3,4
Tom 3: R,L 5,6
Floor Tom: R,L.  7,8
Crash Cymbal R. Crash

Lesson Number 1 (first Beat)

Step 1

Tap Hi Hat on Every Number. 
Tap on 1, on 2, on 3, on 4 (Count out loud when doing this)
Repeat (Twice) It will look like this when I write it out.

Hi Hat: 1-2-3-4

Step 2

Next we will add the Snare
Tap Hi Hat and Snare on 2 and 4 at the same time. (So we will Count 1 then have him hit the hi-hat and snare at the same time. So we will count 1, Tap on 2, count 3, then tap on 4) it will look like this.

Tap Hi Hat and Snare on 2 and 4 with sticks
Count:    1-2-3-4
Hi Hat:       2     4
Snare:        2     4

When he’s comfortable doing this, we will tap the hi hat on every number

Tap Hi Hat on all numbers and Snare on 2 and 4 with sticks
Count:    1-2-3-4
Hi Hat:    1-2-3-4
Snare:        2     4

Step 3

Next we will add the Bass Drum/Pedal
We will be taping the Hi-hat and bass pedal with his foot and we will be doing this at the same time but on number 1 and 3 (So we will tap and step on 1, count 2, then tap and stomp on 3, and then count 4) it will look like this below

Tap Hi Hat and step with foot on 1 and 3
Count:    1-2-3-4
Hi Hat:    1     3  
Bass:      1     3  

When he’s comfortable doing this, we will tap the hi hat on every number

Tap Hi Hat on all numbers and Foot on 1 and 3
Count:    1-2-3-4
Hi Hat:    1-2-3-4
Bass:      1     3

Final Step


Next we will put step 2 and 3 together
Now we will slowly put step 2 and 3 together. (On 1 it will be Hi Hat and Bass Drum, on 2 hi hat and snare, on 3 hi hat and bass drum and on 4 its hi hat and snare. Then we will end with a crash cymbal.


Tap Hi Hat and Bass on 1 and 3 and Snare on 2 and 4 I’ve color coded for you. (The Hi Hat will be going all the way through

Count:         1-2-3-4
Hi Hat:         1-2-3-4 
Bass/Foot:   1    3 
Snare:             2     4  

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