On the Beaten Path: Beginning Drumset Course, Level 1: Drumset Book, CD, & DVD (Hard Case)

This course cuts through the noise by anchoring instruction in actual songs students want to play. The selection of beats from Bonham, Grohl, and Cool gives beginners immediate credibility and motivation, and the DVD support means students can see hand and foot technique in real time rather than deciphering diagrams alone.

You're learning to play real music from day one. The beats are recognizable, the energy is there, and every practice session builds familiarity with the sounds and feels that define rock drumming across decades.

Beginning drumset students who respond better to songs than abstract exercises. This course works equally well for self-directed learners and those working with a private instructor who can supplement the material with live feedback on technique and posture.

• Watch the DVD correlations as you work through each beat and fill. Seeing the motion from multiple angles clarifies stick and foot placement in ways that reading alone cannot.
• Play through the beats at half speed first using the CD tracks. Lock in the pocket before increasing tempo to match the recorded versions.
• Practice the hand patterns (flams, drags, open and closed hi-hat work) separately from the bass drum and kick drum parts. Once each limb is secure, integrate them one at a time.

Assign this as a standalone curriculum for beginning drummers in your program, or use specific beats and fills as ear-training and transcription references during ensemble rehearsals. The three-volume design allows you to introduce new material in stages across an entire school year.

• Reading music notation on a five-line percussion staff
• Holding and controlling drumsticks with proper grip and rebound
• Playing eighth-note and sixteenth-note hi-hat patterns in open and closed positions
• Executing flams and drags with clarity and control
• Coordinating independent limb patterns (kick drum and bass drum with hi-hat and snare)
• Playing authentic rock beats and fills from classic and contemporary songs
• Understanding drumset setup, tuning, and hardware selection
• Developing steady time and groove pocket awareness