8th notes around the drums — one hand

Here's a conditioning page of 8ths notes played around the drums, with one hand. It's easy enough that most drummers should be able to learn it well enough to play the page straight down in fairly short order, and then begin working for speed.

Play each exercise four times, and go on to the next one with out stopping; it will take about three and a half minutes do play the whole page at 130 bpm. Do them with both the right and the left hand, of course.

As noted at the bottom of the page, you can also substitute a cymbal accent, with bass drum, on the first note of the exercise.

Get the pdf

A few practice alternatives after the break:




In a rock/funk/pop setting, with two beats of fill:

Rock setting with four beats of fill:

In a jazz setting, with two beats of fill. Swing the 8th notes, and play a cymbal accent with the bass drum in the place of the last note of the exercise:

Jazz setting with four beats of fill:

When playing the exercises in a jazz context, try to avoid accenting consistently on the beat; try accenting on the &s instead, or better, varying your accents.