A Few Great Drum Books for the Beginner/Intermediate Drummer
Whether you’re self taught, taking lessons, going to school, or whatever method you are using to better your playing and understanding of the drums, The basic fundamental concepts remain the same. There are a few books on the market that I personally recommend to all of my students, and have worked through myself at some point. These books all contain fantastic information on various subjects including reading, simple grooves, rock drumming, rudiments, etc… Lets go through them, and take a closer look at what these books are all about.
Joel Rothmans “Reading, Rudiments, and Rock Drumming”
This book is an all encompassing collection of a bunch of different drumming concepts. The majority of the book is broken up into sections starting very basic, and progressing to some fairly advanced reading/playing concepts. Each section contains a page of reading, a set of hand exercises, and a set of grooves. Each of these categories within the sections tie in extremely well with each other, and progress at the same rate in difficulty. This book is great for the self-taught drummer, as it eliminates confusion, and incorporates three of the most essential areas of drumming.
Louis Bellson’s “Modern Reading Text in 4/4″
This book is basically designed to only help one learn how to read, but the content is fantastic. It starts very basic by introducing quarter notes and 8th notes, and their corresponding rests, and then gradually becomes more difficult. There are a few things that set this book apart from other reading books, one being the length of each section. I have found that most reading books move from concept to concept too quickly, and don’t contain enough practice material to properly digest the concept. This book provides 3-7 pages of reading, plus a summary page at the end of each section to ensure proper understanding of the idea. It also contains countless exercises, and great explanations.
“Encyclopedia of Reading Rhythms” by Gary Hess
This is by far the most comprehensive reading book I have ever come across. I have studied for countless hours from this book, and with the amount of information it provides, one could spend years practicing it. It starts very basic, but unlike most reading books, it progresses to an extremely advanced level. It takes one through virtually every reading concept imaginable including odd time reading, advanced triplet notation, and even complex roadmaps at the end that incorporate all of the previous material. This book is a fantastic source for learning to read not only rhythm charts, but also drum set charts/figures as well.
These are just a few of a collection of thousands of great book out there. Have fun practicing, and bettering yourself, and your playing!
