Drum Tips - Great Drum Books

Here are a few great books that will help keep your on drum technique moving in the right direction:

  • Stick Control
    by George B. Stone
    A great book full of sticking patterns to teach independence between the hands. First published in 1935, this is one of THE great books on drum technique. Most of the great drummers will tell you they have read through it at some point in developing monster chops. Many still use it as a base of warm-up exercises. It is also great for reading through it between the feet for double bass drum technique and when you really want to get fancy, try reading through it playing the parts between one hand and one foot.
  • Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer
    by Ted Reed
    Voted second on Modern Drummer's list of 25 Greatest Drum Books in 1993, Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer is one of the most versatile and practical works ever written for drums. Created exclusively to address syncopation, it has earned its place as a standard tool for teaching beginning drummers syncopation and strengthening reading skills. This book includes many accented eighths, dotted eighths and sixteenths, eighth-note triplets and sixteenth notes for extended solos. In addition, teachers can develop many of their own examples from it.
  • Gary Chaffee has developed a wonderful series books on independence between all the limbs. A pattern is played by one, two, or three limbs, and then he provides pages of "melodic" material to be read over the top of the pattern by the remaining limbs. Takes time to develop but it leads to some seriously groovy playing!