Understanding Tradition in Drum Education – Why YouTube Can Only Get You So Far

These days, many drummers begin their journey online. Platforms like YouTube are packed with tutorials that quickly introduce you to basic patterns, grooves, and fills. This content is extremely useful, but there comes a point where videos alone aren’t enough. To truly grow as a drummer, it’s important to understand the traditions of drum education—the rudiments, the classic books, and the teacher–student relationship that have been passed down for generations.

Rudiments

For most drummers who have been taught by a teacher, or who have consumed any drum education online, you will probably have learned what a paradiddle is. Once you’ve learned the paradiddle, you might move on to the double paradiddle, the flam, or one of the other 40 rudiments that form the backbone of drum pedagogy. At some point, every drummer asks themselves, “Why am I spending so much time on rudiments?”

These rudiments have military and marching origins, and drummers often play them without even realizing it. Even the most basic sticking of Right-Left-Right-Left (RLRL) is called the Single Stroke Roll, while RRLL is known as the Double Stroke Roll. Some rudiments even retain their historical names—for example, the Swiss Army Triplet.

So why do we still practice them today?

• They codify patterns. Rudiments let us break down long phrases into simple parts and stitch them together. When learning a complicated drum fill, recognizing the underlying rudiments makes it far easier to approach.

• They act as technical ‘tongue-twisters’. Practicing rudiments (and their many variations) trains your hands to be agile, precise, and able to place accents wherever you need them. This dexterity directly improves your ability to play fills, grooves, and solos with control and speed.

• They develop your language. Many drummers feel they have a limited vocabulary on their instrument. Learning new rudiments adds fresh patterns and rhythmic ideas to your toolkit, helping you become a more versatile and expressive player.

These skills can’t be mastered instantly from an online video. They need to be studied slowly and carefully, ideally with the guidance of a teacher who can ensure you’re using the best economy of motion to achieve the power, fluidity, and tempos you’re aiming for.

Books

Alongside rudiments, a number of classic drum books have stood the test of time and continue to help drummers build a strong foundation. I consider these books just as important as rudiments—they are a crucial part of the tradition of drum pedagogy. One of the things I love about them is that they can be tailored to your own taste and playing style. My students at Guildford Drum School often work through these books, and it never feels like dry schoolwork because we adapt the material for each individual drummer.

I recommend every serious drummer have a copy of:

• Stick Control – George Lawrence Stone

• New Breed – Gary Chester

• Syncopation for the Modern Drummer – Ted Reed

The Teacher

Another important part of tradition in drum education is the role of the drum teacher. Having a teacher is one of the oldest and most effective ways to learn an instrument. In many ways, it’s like the traditional apprentice system, the student learns directly from someone with experience, picking up not only the technical skills but also the subtle details, habits, and mindset that don’t always come across in books or videos. I remember having the opportunity to play drums at the same time as my teacher, and it had such a lasting impact on my playing. In my studio we have multiple acoustic kits and I prioritise this experience.

A similar traditional method to the teacher that has shaped generations of drummers is the idea of playing along. All the great drummers talk about how they progressed by sitting behind the kit and playing along with their favourite records. It’s more than just a practice routine, it’s a way of absorbing feel, groove, timing, and musicality directly from the masters. I prioritise this with my students. To take it a step further, I also bring in my skills of drum transcription. Being able to write down and read drum parts opens up a whole new dimension of learning, and I love passing on those skills so my students can confidently approach any song, break it down, and truly make it their own.

Whether you’re taking drum lessons online or coming into our studio for drum lessons in Perth, these traditional methods, combined with modern approaches (see my post about Self Evaluation in Music, for example!)—will elevate your drumming to the next level.