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To learn to play the drum, you need to take your time. Indeed, you can’t do it in a single day. Drumming takes time to develop. As a beginner, you may get frustrated easily. However, be patient! You will be able to play it sooner than you thought. The most effective way to learn to play is a private lesson. However, it’s also important to practice at home. Then, it’s time to think about getting the right drum books. In this article, we will introduce you top 5 best drum books for beginners.
Drum Books for Beginners Comparison Table
| Product Image | Product Name | Brand | Value | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
The Drummer’s Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco | Mick Berry | $$$ | |
 |
The Drummer’s Complete Vocabulary As Taught by Alan Dawson | Alan Dawson | $$$ | |
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Drumopedia: A Handbook for Beginning Drumset | Dan Britt | $$$ | |
 |
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Drums | Michael Miller | $$$ | |
 |
Berklee Practice Method: Drum Set | Ron Savage | $$$ |
Can You Learn to Drum with a Book?
We can’t deny a drum book for dummies can’t replace a drum teacher. Although there is a lot of books out there, we can’t understand all the means from the book. However, reading a book can help you complement your drum lessons. Also, you can get more knowledge of the drums.
It’s a good idea to start with a drum book. However, you should also use lessons, DVDs, CDs, and video tutorials. Moreover, it’s also necessary to practice your drumming.
Top 5 Best Drum Books for Beginners Reviews
The Drummer’s Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco
If you want to expand into different beats when learning how to play the drums, this is a good book for you. This book is packed with CDs that give a sampling of some different styles of drumming and the way to play them.
This book is sure to take you through notation as well as reading music. You will get aural examples thanks to the CDs. Actually, there are so many styles included in the book. And, you will only receive a general overview of each.
The book also can help you develop your own style because there are some rare drum beats introduced in the book.
- CDs included
- Provides more than 400 drum grooves
- Provides the info of the history of music styles and their development
- None
The Drummer’s Complete Vocabulary As Taught by Alan Dawson
If you are finding a great book for both beginners and intermediate players, this book is just for you. This product is written by John Ramsay who is a famous jazz drummer. Although this book is not a very good choice for beginners, it’s great for people who want to become an intermediate drummer quickly instead of becoming a beginner drummer.
- Provides a lot of exercises to improve your skills
- Presents some interesting challenges for people who aren’t a pro
- Includes all the essential techniques and concepts
- Customers complained the pages fell apart after weeks of use
Drumopedia: A Handbook for Beginning Drumset
When looking for the best drum books for beginners, don’t miss this book. In this book, you can discover the basics of drumming as well as progress to more difficult exercises. It includes pictures and large graphics. That’s why it’s great for a beginner to start learning from.
Also, the book also allows you to continue learning since it suggests we reading to take players above. Overall, this choice is ideal for beginners. It is sure to complement private drum lessons particularly.
- Easy to understand
- Presents practical stickings, coordination exercises, as well as dynamics
- Great for both beginners and moderately experienced drummers
- Calls out many other useful books by different authors
- None
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Drums (Second Edition)
Many people who choose this book to discover something new usually disagree. With this book, you can get the very basics as well as intermediate drum playing. It will teach you to hold your drum sticks, read drum music, exercises for basic beats and rudiments, etc.
Also, it provides you with great background information about the drums as well as the drum set that you can’t find in many drumming instruction guides. Well, this book concentrates on the basics. That’s why it’s ideal for people who haven’t played in a while.
- Provides everything the aspiring drummer has to know
- Includes an audio CD that offers all exercises and solos from this book
- Offers an overview of the history and theory of drums
- Expensive
- Without CD/audio files as the product description
Berklee Practice Method: Drum Set
If you are going to play with others, you should pick this book. This book will let you know the basics of drumming. Then, it will take you through playing with others and playing by ear. It’s a good option that helps you start learning and further developing your skills.
This book is great for those who are serious about learning to play the drums. We recommend you to combine reading this book with private lessons and practice at home.
- Provides a thorough and practical guide
- Includes CDs with a variety of styles
- Seems to be suitable for those taking drums as the second instrument
Things to Consider When Choosing a Drum Book
Now, look at below for some of the essential things you should consider before picking a drum book:
Time of publication
Actually, information relevant today may not be related to future drummers since the techniques may change over time. However, you can still get invaluable and deep insight from old books.
Styles and musical situations
It’s also essential to consider styles as well as musical situations provided in a book. This is to help enhance your practice. It also helps to improve your drumming experience. Then, you can easily become a better drummer in the long run.
The level of prowess
For an absolute beginner, it’s a good idea to look for a book with the basics of drumming. And, one jumping past the absolute basics of drumming will be better for an intermediate drummer.
Frequently Asked Questions about Drum Books for Beginners
Is it difficult to learn to play the drums?
Well, the drum is the simplest to learn, but it’s hardest to master. Choose a basic drum set, and you can play in no more than 30 minutes. However, it doesn’t mean a long term commitment. Playing the drums seem to be comparatively intricate based on your playing style.
When should you start drum lessons?
It’s best to start drum lessons when aged 6 to 7 since this time is ideal for most students to focus needed to learn an instrument.
Can I lose weight playing drums?
Not many people can lose weight by playing drums. However, this is a great way to burn calories to keep you in shape. In fact, you can burn hundreds of calories thanks to drumming.
Conclusion
There is a lot of drum books out there, each has a different style and technique. Now, you have it. All of the top 5 books we’ve mentioned above are useful for every drum beginner. Most importantly, you need to put to practice. Consider our review first. Then, you can choose any of them to start your drumming. Read any of these books to improve your playing technique. Also, it can help you enhance your level of musical education. Hopefully, our list can help you get the best drum book for your needs.