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Have you ever caught yourself tapping your hands or feet to the beat of a song?
Just the ability to tap your hand or foot could show that you are able to make your own music. This little idea can be truly empowering for someone who is just discovering their musical talent, but it also connects with us all on a deeper level. Don’t you see many others clapping their hands or tapping their fingers on the table to the beat?
At this moment in time, a beginner's desire to learn the drums will be quite high. One might view the drums as a physical representation of the human being’s own natural tendencies.
This certainly rings true in the present day as the drums appear to be attracting more and more followers. Perhaps, the drums are viewed as a special instrument that is used with all musical styles and can still sound amazing: from pop/rock to metal, through jazz and hip-hop, the drums are never far away.
But unlike some other instruments, the entry-level to playing the drum is often costly to buy and maintain. You may not see this at first, but even a beginner drummer needs to worry about replacing drum skins every six months, purchasing new drumsticks and even a full drum kit… we haven’t even talked about drumming lessons.
So, learning to save money with this instrument is going to be very useful for you in the long run. Now then, how can a beginner drummer save while learning how to play the drum rudiments, rhythms and drum beats? It’s time to explore the neat tips and tricks for you to learn how to play the drums for free.
How to watch a live drum performance
Disclaimer! You will have to pay entrance fees to get into most festivals, although there are some offering free entry. But with more and more events popping up around Malaysia, getting access to live drum performances is of great value for meeting other drummers and having an enriching learning experience.
Sometimes even watching professional drummers and their different techniques can be inspirational and motivating. Observing is the key to getting good at your drumming abilities, especially when you have already reached a certain level and have an understanding of how to play the drums.
What are the top drum festivals?
World Drum Festival
Get into this festival free of charge! Held annually in Germany, experience a world-class level of drum performances by artists such as Anika Nilles, Jost Nickel and Ash Soan. If you are lucky, you can even get tickets to the master classes and workshops before the actual concert, and learn from the best professional drum teachers.
Let It Roll
Let’s say you would like to witness state-of-the-art performances by percussionists from around the globe. Let It Roll is held in both the summer and wintertime of Milovice, due to its popularity and insane crowds of people that are said to be over 25,000 at each festival.
International Festival of 24 Festive Drums
Hailing an art form that originated in Malaysia, drummers who are skilled in the Chinese 24 Festive Drums never fail to delight even first-time listeners during this show. Be ready to enjoy both drumbeat and movement as you watch the creativity and skillfulness of local percussionists.
Hands International Drumming Festival
You don’t often get an international-level drum production in Malaysia, let alone one that has consistently sought to reflect the diversity of drum genres for over a decade. This festival is perfect for those who wish to learn about other cultures’ way of playing the drums, as well as participate in training workshops and symposiums.
Festivals are a great way to explore and expand your drumming knowledge.
Although you may have to pay weeks before a drum show, the entry does allow you to discover fresh, creative ideas regarding how to play the bass drum, the electric drum, the snare drum, the conga and other drums which all produce very different styles of music.
The classes with the drumming teachers and instructors, especially if you can get them for free, will be invaluable to your practice. The great thing is that you can feel free to explore the show and ask your fellow percussionists how to improve yourself based on their perspectives.
For other shows and famous drum soloists to follow, check out these live percussion performances you should never miss.
How to save up by learning the drums at school
Studying music at school is an excellent opportunity to deepen your musical and instrumental knowledge. If the school isn't completely free for you, then you may be able to get a free grant to help with the costs. You can apply for financial aid especially if you are already talented at the drums.
When you are learning the drums at school, you will follow a syllabus that can prepare you to become a professional drummer. But that’s not the only benefit of going to a specialist music school. Going for a complete drum programme at a music school is a great idea for a few reasons.
- By practising with the drum kit and other facilities provided by the school, you can save money by not buying the instrument or any other materials for playing the drums.
- There is often a recording studio for you to practice and record yourself, allowing you to track your progress. On the side, you won’t need to worry about disturbing others at home with your playing.
- More often than not, the teachers you come across will be professional musicians, so they can pass on their knowledge and advice to help you shape yourself as an artist.
- Under your school’s programme, you will have many opportunities to play as a percussionist during live events with your school. Look out for exciting festivals and shows where you show off your talent!
- If you are young, the biggest benefit is that you can kickstart your career as a musician from an early age. Make the most of it as when you have graduated you will already have an extensive portfolio that other musicians and producers will be looking out for.
If you do decide to enrol in a specialist music school, you need to take every opportunity to learn new things about the drum and develop your personal drumming style. If you don’t do your best to gain as many skills as you can while you are studying, then you will have to pay for it later.
This applies not only to drum soloists but even to those who want to play for a large band one day. Studying at a music school lets you connect with others who are also passionate about music and can bring diverse talents to your band especially if they sing or play other instruments.
Being a musician can rely on raw talent, but it is also hugely based on training and understanding music as a whole. Of course, we don’t want to rush you into learning everything and anything about the drums. But the better you become as a percussionist, the more opportunities you are going to have in the future.
And if you want to make it professional, you should absolutely think about getting into a music school that teaches how to play the drums.
While studying you may not get to learn the music that you are interested in. In one semester you may be learning about a popular piece of jazz such as Joe Morello’s “Take Five”. The next year you might be learning about the revival of classical music through “Ionisation” by Edgard Varèse.
However, to become a professional percussionist, you should be able to play and practice every style of music. Once you have learnt what it is that you need to learn about how to compose music, you can finally graduate and be free to create the music that you love.
In any case, trying and practising different musical styles can only be beneficial for a drummer. Truly being interested in what the world has to offer is what allows you to develop your creativity. This is why music schools ask students to study historic musical figures and culturally-relevant artists.
Now coming to another part that could be free for you if you do want to join classes at a music school but are struggling to get a grant. An alternative option would be to reach out to join or support a group that also attends the school, and you would then be able to get free training with the other members of your group and still build your skills as a drummer.
Find various drumming lessons online and offline here.
Where to find free drum sheet music
When you first start to learn drums, it is advisable that you learn how to read sheet music. You’ll be able to read important musical notations for playing the drums, and it would be a shame to deprive yourself of a tool that facilitates the fundamental task of improving while you are learning as a percussionist.
On the sheet music, the notes represent the elements of the drum. Once you’ve learned how to read the notes and placements on the sheet music, you will be equipped with the fundamental skills needed to improve upon your drumming notation. Other than that, learning to read music has other amazing advantages, such as:
- As sheet music stays the same across all instruments, you can actually pick up other instruments you are interested in as long as you can read the music.
- With accurate symbols and notations, you can become more precise with how loud you hit the drums and even the timing of your playing.
- If you are playing in a group or band, you can actually share the same music notes with your bandmates and avoid any confusion or unnecessary overlapping of instruments.
Another option apart from sheet music would be to understand how to play drum tabs. Drum tabs are specialised to the drum and are considered a simple form of line notation. It's great because it quickly shows you which drum to play and when to play it. Take note however that these tabs are only meant for the drums and not other instruments.
To read notes on your sheet music is to learn the language of the musicians. This will make it easier for you to communicate with other members of your band, as well as the musical community as a whole.
There are several free sheet music websites which are dedicated to supporting the drumming community and musicians. Here are some notable ones to look out for.
- The Drum Ninja: This one is all about high-quality sheet music. If you want to sound like the original percussionist, follow this website. You can find popular percussionist scores on the site, such as those from Foo Fighters and Blink 182, but you can also get quicker updates on their social media pages.
- Muse Score: With the purpose of supporting fellow musicians wanting access to free sheet music, this musical community was set up by three musicians from different countries in Europe. Website contributors upload their sheet music to share with other artists on the site, and it is considerably organised and easy to get around.
- Free Scores: You can quickly navigate your way to find your desired sheet music score with the help of various filters such as “popular genres” and “most downloaded scores”. Over thousands of drum transcriptions are available but you can download the right one by reading user reviews first.
You can’t have sheet music in hand but not know what to do with it, but that was why we recommended learning the drums for free at school in the first place.
There are various tutorials online for reading sheet music with no prior knowledge, which you can access on musician websites or even in video format through YouTube. We recommend that you look for videos regarding how to read drum notation and those that highlight drum elements in detail.
It may be a challenge to pick up sheet music at first, as you may feel the original composer is playing too fast on the drums. So what you can do is start slow on the drums: play at a slower pace first and gradually build your way up to the normal tempo. It may also help to count the tempo out loud when you are playing for the first time.
How to take drum lessons for free
Beyond learning through festivals, educational institutions and the free options listed above, here are some tips for taking free drum lessons.
Attend free trial classes
It is possible to take free trial classes or beginner tests for free at a music school or music association in your area. You may wonder what’s in it for the music association, but they need to offer these sample classes to attract students to the centre.
You will also be able to benefit from a free class if other students are involved. This will already help you to gain knowledge and tips about percussion here and there.
Have a drum mentor
If you have a big family or a wide circle of friends, there has to be a musician out there who might be willing to take some time to teach you the drums. You can take an informal lesson with your drummer uncle or your mother's best friend. Sometimes you do not have to look too far.
You may be worried about how you want to compensate your mentor, but it is possible to offer a service in exchange for a service. You could take care of the baby for a few hours for your family friend who spent the weekend teaching you how to play the drums. Just remember that the world of music is above all synonymous with sharing, and many musicians will feel flattered to be asked.
Try out free workshops at drum festivals
We talked about drum festivals and live events before, but you should totally make use of the workshops and master classes that are always conducted at these festivals. Because these events also act as a platform for percussionists to share ideas and make music together, the best drummers are also happy to teach others their way of playing.
You may not get free entry at these festivals, but often you won’t be charged an additional price if you opt to attend the classes there. Be sure to take notes and grab their free drum sheet music if it’s provided.
Use free drumming tutorials online
It takes a bit of motivation, but in reality, you can learn the drums completely for free. Many percussionists are also dedicated video creators who offer detailed and full-length videos for free online. YouTube is the most popular platform you should check out for these free tutorials.
Some important keywords when making your search are “beginner drum lessons”, “drums for beginners”, or if you are already an intermediate learner, then “advanced drumming exercises” may be right for you. Short tutorials are fine on your busier days, but you should aim for videos that cover the necessary drum elements even if they are longer in length.
Multiple methods exist to learn an instrument for free. But having free resources doesn’t mean anything unless you are willing to actually use them. Thus your motivation and focus is the key to getting the most from these tools.
What was your favourite method for learning the drums?
How to study to become a drummer
To end this article on a free drum learning journey, we want to emphasise once again, how vital it is to stay motivated and focused on improving as a drummer. To get the most out of your free lessons, you must be ready to commit your time and energy because you are learning something that is new and sometimes challenging.
Working with a private drum tutor, such as the ones on Superprof, could be the final key you need to complete your drum studies. Think of it like someone who best knows the type of drumming support you need and how to offer such support. Apart from external motivation, you are in for other forms of support, including:
- Learning about the history and art forms related to the drums, which is conceptualised for you through easy-to-grasp explanations
- Being able to play various musical genres on the drums due to your Superprof drum instructor’s wealth of drum experiences
- Getting one-on-one attention from your instructor but also having the option to practise with other drummers in group lessons
- Being pushed to achieve your drumming goals but still given the option to learn at your preferred pace
That is the power of a Superprof tutor.
Additionally, it is ideal to get support from a professional drummer and instructor, which you can easily find when you search for your teacher’s qualifications on the Superprof page. Clicking on the tutors’ profiles, which are displayed on the main page, will lead you to detailed descriptions of each person’s teaching methodology, what levels of learning they cater to, and reviews from current and previous students.
To get access to all our amazing drumming instructors on Superprof, simply sign up for our subscription pass which is capped at RM 25 per month. Don’t worry about any additional expenses though because you can also make arrangements with your tutor off the Superprof platform. And yep, that’s our final tip from us to you to save up on every sen!
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