Free PDF Download:
Drum Practice Routines – Sheet 1 – Grade 1-2
It’s the summer holidays and most people are taking a well deserved break. I have made this sheet for some of my drum students to practice over the holidays, which can be done in 5 minutes and can be easily practiced several times per week. It’s a good way to keep their skills topped up throughout the summer and if it means they feel like practicing something else after and having a longer session, then even better!
In this practice routine, we are covering many of the fundamental parts of grade 1 and grade 2 material. On the sheet we have a paradiddle 8 times (left handers need to play the opposite sticking).
There are accents on 8th note snare drums and then moving onto a basic drum beat, the accents are played in the same place but this time on the hi hat part of the drum beat.
The flams and stepped hi hat section has a classic rock feel to it and it is an easy way of introducing 4 way coordination into your playing.
For the rhythm/fills section, it’s the same rhythm on the drum fill as it is in the first bar on the snare drum, so it’s a nice exercise that flows, so we do that 8 times.
Lastly, many students complain about improvisation, so it’s important to practice this until confidence is higher. Start off with really easy drum fills lasting for 1 bar and build up your confidence with each practice.