6-Step
Beginner to
Gigging
System
Know what to practice.
Know WHEN to practice it.
Grow Faster!
Welcome to the 6 Step Beginner to Gigging System! It's time to get out of the ruts,
shake off the dust, know exactly what to practice, and make huge progress as a
result. I hope you're excited, because I'm excited for you!
A couple things to know before you get started...
These stages laid out here are based on my experience with my personal growth, as well as
that of my students. There's no black-and-white, written-in-stone exact progression that
every drummer works through in order, but this progression is my most accurate portrayal of
the levels every drummer passes through.
This entire system is built around the 3 core skill areas of drumming, which I believe are Hand
Technique, Coordination, and Music & Listening. These are the three key areas every
drummer needs to be practicing regularly. Practice a balanced dose of these core skill areas,
and you'll grow tremendously and stay out of ruts.
[IMPORTANT!!] Your personal skill progression on the drums does not have to be "linear,"
so to speak. In other words, you don't have to master everything in stage 1 so that you can
move on to stage 2. Many drummers find themselves in different stages for different "core
skill area" categories. For example, a self taught drummer who's played with bands for
decades could be in stage 5 or 6 musically...but still be in stage 2 or 3 in terms of hand
technique. Know that this isn't a "one-stage-fits-all." You might find that your skills in the 3
core areas lie in different stages.
Click the underlined titles in the first part of the guide to hop over to the corresponding
"more detail" page in the second part. This should provide you with everything you need!
So here's what I want you to do!
Find what stage you're in. You might find that your hand skills puts you in one
stage, while your coordination or musical skills put you in another. That's fine!
Be working all 3 "core skill" areas, executing the action steps in the latter part of
the guide that help you progress to the next stage. Put special practice into
whichever of the 3 core areas is weakest. If you can get your skills in the 3 core
areas all into the same stage, that's great. This isn't the ultimate goal though. The
goal is to grow and progress, and everything doesn't have to be even.
Let's get started!
Stage 1: Beginning Drummer
Hand Technique Coordination Music & Listening
You can... You can... You have...
Grip your sticks correctly Play the basic "money beat" Done the "critical listening"
Play one-handed quarter & (aka "the 'Billie Jean' beat") exercise with your favorite
8th singles softly & loudly at with a metronome (60- song
60bpm 100bpm) Learned a simple song you can
play along with the record
Stage 2: Grooving Drummer
Hand Technique Coordination Music & Listening
You can... You can... You have...
Play alternating 16th singles Keep 8th note "chick" time Done the "critical listening"
(60-120bpm) and can play with left foot on the hats (with exercise with 5 songs in 5
them around the kit at soft, money beat at 60-100bpm) genres
medium, & loud dynamics Improvise 8th-based kick Learned 3 songs and can play
Execute the French Grip patterns other than just 1 & 3 each of them with just a
exercise with full stroke 8th quarter note click
singles (120bpm)
Stage 3: Jamming Drummer
Hand Technique Coordination Music & Listening
You can... You can... You have...
Play fast, quiet one-handed Improvise any 16th-based Learned 10 songs from 3 (or
8ths at 180bpm rock/funk kick-snare pattern more) genres
Play a rebound-based 16th while keeping 8th note time Practiced these songs with a
double stroke roll at 100bpm with RH & left foot half note click and can play
Play 8th paradiddles at Play swing with RH "spang-a- them without drifting off time
120bpm, accenting a hand and lang" and improvise simple LH Played with other people at
ghosting the other comping patterns least once (church, jam session,
Play a slow Bossa Nova Latin gig)
pattern
Stage 4: Gigging Drummer
Hand Technique Coordination Music & Listening
You can... You can... You have...
Play 16th doubles at every Play the swing "jazz split" Learned & memorized 25
dynamic at 140bpm (kick-snare comping) up to songs
Play the "accent-tap" / "tap- 160bpm Practiced these songs with a
accent" motions that allow for Play a Bossa Nova style whole note click and can play
Moeller and ghosting (and can pattern with LH comping them without drifting
use these in a 70bpm groove) Improvise paradiddle-based Played 5 gigs (restaurant, club,
Play 16th paradiddles at 16th funk grooves with RH church)
120bpm at every dynamic 16th timekeeping
Stage 5: Improvising Drummer
Hand Technique Coordination Music & Listening
You can... You can... You have...
Play 16th doubles at 160bpm Freely improvise kick/snare Learned & memorized 50
at every dynamic patterns in rock, jazz, Latin, & songs
Play accented one-handed funk styles while keeping Practiced these songs with a
16ths at 85bpm (straight & quarter, 8th, or "and" time with whole note click and can play
shuffled) RH and/or left foot them without drifting
Play 16th paradiddles at Play a halftime shuffle (like Played 25 gigs in 2 or more
160bpm at every dynamic "Rosanna") & blues shuffle (like styles
"Pride and Joy") Played an improvised solo in
jazz, Latin, rock, or funk
Stage 6: Session Drummer
Music & Listening
At this point, you've put in the technical work to reach the level you want to be at for the style of music you're
playing. It's now time to focus purely on musicality, drum sound, part creativity, and precision - and take all of these
things to a deeper level through experience. To reach this level...
You know 100+ songs by heart and could perform them on the fly.
You've played 100+ gigs with 5 or more different bands.
You've recorded on an original album for which you created the drum parts.
You're actively practicing recording, and you're building out your home recording space. You're working
to play on as many projects as you can, including your own.
You're also creating and writing your own music, too!
Stage 1: Beginning Drummer
Description
You're getting excited about the drums, because you've gotten the ball rolling. You're feeling
encouraged because you're able to make rapid progress in these early stages. You're eagerly
listening to music and playing along on the kit, and you're beginning to grip your sticks well
for great rebound.
You know that you have a lot of work ahead of you, because your coordination is really at a
bare minimum. Increasing hand agility and getting comfortable with a basic groove should
be your big priorities here. However, don't forget to be listening to music all the time. This
should be your biggest motivation for when things get tough.
Key Action Steps (to reach this level)
Work through this lesson to make sure you're gripping correctly, getting a natural
"free bounce," and you're able to play one-handed quarter and 8th singles at 60bpm.
Practice the "money beat" ("Billie Jean" beat) by playing 8th notes with RH with kick on
beats 1 & 3 and snare on 2 & 4.
Dig into this lesson where we break down the "6 listen exercise." This is the type of
"critical listening" we want to do. Give this a shot with your favorite song.
Learn your first song, even if this just means playing along to a very simple groove
song like "Love and Happiness" by Al Green, "Vultures" by John Mayer, or "Miss You" by
The Rolling Stones.
Stage 2: Grooving Drummer
Description
This stage can potentially be very challenging. You're mastering the fundamental basics of
drumming, step-by-step, but now you have to begin building off of these to deepen your
coordination and sense of time.
This is also the place where it's easy to feel lost, confused, or simply overwhelmed. Knowing
what to practice here is key. Too many folks go off the rails, digging into everything they can
find on YouTube. Stay on the path, and you'll be fine.
The big technical things to focus on are finger strengthening, alternating singles, and basic
foot coordination.
Spend time digging into more music, and don't forget to practice everything to a quarter
note click. We need to be solidifying time at this stage so that we can eliminate unsteadiness
early on.
Key Action Steps (to reach this level)
Practice the "French Grip Exercise" regularly, building finger strength, mobility, and
agility over time.
Practice your singles (one-handed & alternating) at every dynamic and at a wide
range of tempos (60-120bpm), and use these singles on the kit in the form of a simple
fill around the toms.
Learn the "leg bounce" and how to use this technique to keep autopilot time with
your left foot. Practice using this in the "money beat" and in simple songs.
Listen "critically" to 5 new songs, doing the same listening exercise from stage 1. Be
able to play 3 of these on the drums.
Stage 3: Jamming Drummer
Description
At the same time that things start getting really fun at this stage, it's also really tough at
times. This is kind of the "sophomore slump" of the drumming progression, because it really
does get nitty-gritty and difficult here. But the harder the skills get, the more rewarded you
are when you master them.
It's easy to feel like you're really in the grind here, and being patient is hard. But stick with it,
because stage 3 is somewhat of a transition from beginner to advanced. There's lots more to
learn, but a lot of technical things become easier after this stage. So know that there's a light
at the end of the tunnel.
Stay focused! The big area of focus here is coordination and developing intricate interplay
between kick and snare. We're also using doubles to further develop the hands, which will
really pay off.
Key Action Steps (to reach this level)
Continue developing your fingers with the French grip exercise, and practice using
this finger speed with quiet, fast singles. But now begin practicing doubles with a goal
of playing true 16th doubles at 100bpm.
Practice exercises from the "Coordination" section of the "3-part daily practice
guide" PDF right here. Use the "Syncopation-style Exercise" section to begin working
your jazz & Latin chops.
Practice playing paradiddles, accenting one hand over the other. This works toward
eliminating your weak hand.
Find some folks to play with! Even if it's a couple of buddies, find real people you can
jam with. Try playing a couple of songs you all know, and have fun.
Stage 4: Gigging Drummer
Description
At this point it's very possible that the hardest, most frustrating work is behind you. You've
essentially paved the way toward fluid hands and free, 4-way coordination. This allows you
to express yourself creatively on the kit, and the drums can now begin to become an
extension of you.
But don't stop here! It's easy to settle and let things plateau in this stage since you can
quite possibly play whatever you want to play. You may not desire to be an expert jazz or
Latin drummer, which is fine. But you want to have drumming depth from which to pull. You
want to have musical roots that run deep.
So keep pushing the technique and the coordination, and get out there and start building
real-world experience playing gigs! That's how you excel at this stage.
Key Action Steps (to reach this level)
Practice the Moeller 2-stroke motion, which is basically an "accent-tap" with one
hand. Use this motion for quick timekeeping or even to vary your dynamics when you
want to play ghost notes.
Check out this lesson on using "Stick Control" exercises on the drumset, and practice
incorporating these sticking patterns into grooves for a cool funk feel that really tests
your coordination and intricate playing.
Continue practicing the Syncopation-style jazz and Latin methods (from the "3-Part
Practice Guide"), continually pushing tempos. Be able to play the jazz split at 160bpm.
Play 5 gigs. Jam sessions can count if you're playing in front of an audience. Form a
band with friends, audition for a local band, or attend jam sessions. Get involved with
your church's worship band (this counts, too, for sure!). Check out the "5 steps to
learning any song in under an hour" e-guide for a unique method for song charting and
memorization.
Stage 5: Improvising Drummer
Description
This is where you feel freedom on the kit, because you can play whatever you hear in your
head. This is essentially the culmination of everything you've worked toward up to this point.
High quality technique and full 4-way coordination gives you the technical ability to
improvise, and a wealth of musical ideas floating in your head (from listening to and learning
lots of music) serve to inspire the improvisational creativity.
But achieving this can be tough, because it requires a lot of patience and persistence
through repetition. Once you've logged enough time actively practicing everything we've
done up to this point, you naturally develop the ability to morph or tweak the patterns
you've learned to play. This is where improvisation grows, and this should be your big focus
at this stage. The more you can get out and play with other folks, the more you can log
significant hours using your technical skills in the real world. That's how you accelerate this!
Key Action Steps (to reach this level)
Continue solidifying your hand technique, working your accent-tap one-handed 16th
pattern up to 85bpm. Use this technique in a halftime shuffle, which is a fantastic
challenge you're ready to tackle at this point.
Actively practice improvising grooves. Choose a style, then go for it. Use the jazz,
rock, Latin, or funk exercises you've practiced as a launching point, then reach for real-
world musical ideas as your inspiration. There's no way to master soloing and improv-
ing than by simply doing it!
Play 5 more gigs so that you've now logged 25 gigs in at least 2 different styles (two
bands).
Stage 6: Session Drummer
Description
This is where you feel true creative freedom and physical freedom on the kit. You've
learned the technique and the coordination, and you've combined that with sharp aural skills
that allow you to freely improvise and craft musical parts. This is where the instrument finally
feels like an extension of YOU. This is where you want to be!
It's easy to feel like this stage takes forever to get to, because it really does require real-
world hours and experience. No amount of "bedroom" or "basement" drumming will get you
here, and this stage can't be rushed. The best drummers in the world have been playing for
decades upon decades. Experience is the best teacher.
As you're working toward this stage, gigging and recording should be your biggest focus.
You no longer need to regularly practice coordination exercises or hand technique exercises
(except as a quick daily warmup perhaps), because you're spending the majority of your time
playing with other people. You're growing in your creative listening skills, and you're
becoming a better musician day by day. The focus is no longer the technical - it's purely the
sound, feel, and emotion in your playing.
As an added bonus, spend time writing your own music. If you have GarageBand, Logic,
ProTools, or Cubase (or any DAW), hook up a piano keyboard and try creating music of your
own. Take some piano lessons. Learn a little guitar or bass. These bonuses will help train your
"producer's ear" and help you fine tune your ability to sound great and play the very best
parts on the drums.
Key Action Steps (to reach this level)
Learn at least 100 songs total, though you'll likely learn far more than that if you
follow all these action steps.
Play 100 gigs with 5 or more different bands.
Play on an original album, where you are creating the drum parts for the songs.
Work to build a home recording rig so that you can create pro-sounding drum tracks
in your home.
Write music, and play on it yourself!
Copyright 2024 The Non Glamorous Drummer, LLC
