Jazz drumming is a complex and dynamic art form that requires both technical skill and creative expression. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional jazz drummer seeking new inspiration, there are always new techniques, rhythms, and exercises to learn.

In this article, we’ll cover the basics of jazz drumming and provide tips and tricks for drummers of all levels. We’ll also include exercises to help you develop your skills and recommend some useful books that will help you to improve your jazz drumming.

Related:

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Jazz Drumming Technique & The Best Drumm Books In 2024

Basics

To become a skilled jazz drummer, it’s important to master the basic rhythms and techniques that form the foundation of jazz music. Jazz drummers, unlike rock and pop drummers, will often use brushes as well as drumsticks, when appropriate.

Brushes are ideal for slow jazz ballads and creating the right mood that jazz requires, whilst contemporary and fusion jazz may opt for a straighter feel and heavier patterns, that require the use of standard drumsticks.

Some of the most essential skills to develop in jazz drumming include:

Swing Rhythms 

Whilst jazz can occasionally be played in a straight feel / straight time, it is primarily syncopated, off-beat, ‘swung’ music.

Mastering this swing feel is important when trying to learn jazz music, and should be the basis of your fundamentals and introduction to the genre.

Jazz is characterized by its swing rhythms, which give the music its distinctive feel. To play swing rhythms, drummers must learn how to play both in time and also maintain (or alter) the swing feel when appropriate.

Basic jazz swing can be understood and played within only a few drum lessons, or a few hours of practice.

More complex drumming patterns such as dotted eighth-note and sixteenth-note patterns, Latin jazz, samba feel jazz, and contemporary and fusion jazz rhythms, will come later.

If you are serious about learning the drums, and you want to continue learning jazz drumming techniques, you should also consider investing in some drum books (scroll down to see some of the best picks).

This way you can teach yourself jazz drumming techniques from home and on your own. A drum teacher would also be useful though, especially if you are a complete beginner.

Ride Cymbal Patterns 

The ride cymbal is the backbone of the jazz drum kit, and drummers must learn to play a variety of patterns on it.

One common ride cymbal pattern is the “ride pattern,” which consists of quarter notes on the ride cymbal with a syncopated bass drum pattern.

The swung ride cymbal and hi-hat pattern (on 2 and 4) are what drive the music and allow the other musicians the chance to improvise.

Syncopated Bass Drum Patterns

Syncopation is a key element of jazz drumming, and drummers must learn to play syncopated bass drum patterns to create a driving, rhythmic feel.

Common syncopated bass drum patterns include the “2 and 4” pattern and the “four on the floor” pattern.

Practice With a Metronome 

Playing with a metronome can help you develop your sense of timing and improve your ability to stay in the groove. Start by practicing simple rhythms with the metronome and gradually increase the tempo as you improve.

As you increase the tempo to where a song should be, notice if and when you play out of time. If you are struggling with faster songs or grooves, it is always advisable to slow the groove down and play it slower to the metronome first.

Experiment With Different Styles 

Jazz drumming encompasses a wide range of styles, from swing to bebop to Latin jazz. Experimenting with different styles can help you develop your own unique voice as a drummer.

Do not stick to just traditional Jazz (although this is a good place to start) as there is a wide world of jazz waiting to be explored!

Jazz Drumming: Get Great Drums

Whilst you can play any style of music on a beginner drum kit, having a premium kit designed specifically for jazz will make a significant difference in the long run.

It will improve the sound quality for you and the audience, but may also increase the dynamic range at which you can play and therefore increase the amount of expression you have on the instrument.

There are some great options online for premium jazz drums, both for full kits and individual drums, cymbals, and more. Upgrading your kit with better hardware is a great idea for drummers long-term.

Below are some options for you to consider if you are looking at upgrading your kit.

Best Drum Heads

Evans Calftone Bass Drum Head, 22″

Spruce up your drums with these premium drum head skins. ‘Bring out the best of a vintage kit and evoke a classic appearance and sound from modern drum’. These are made of synthetic calftone that mimics the sound and looks of traditional calfskin.

Remo FD0514-00 14-Inch Fiberskyn Diplomat Drum Head

F3 Diplomat heads produce a balanced spectrum of sound for snares and tom-toms. They are best known as the industry standard for Jazz and Orchestral applications.

Remo PP-1390-BA Ambassador Coated Tom Drumhead Pack

These are a highly regarded pack of Tom drum heads from Remo.

• Features enhanced attack with wider mid-range tones and increased durability 
• Constructed with 1-ply 12-mil coated film 
• Coated heads provide a unique feel for enhanced stick rebound 
• Tom Pack Ambassador Coated 10″, 12″, 16″

Check out Reverb for even more drum heads!

Best Crash Cymbals

The Paiste Masters Dark Crash 19 in”

A great crash cymbal that is available and in stock on Amazon (at the time of writing). This Dark Crash produces warm, smoky tones with a medium wide range, complex mix.

Meinl Cymbals Byzance 18″ Dark Crash

These pro crash cymbals come in several finishes and are hand-hammered in Turkey from cast B20 Bronze.

Best Ride cymbals

Meinl Cymbals B22JTR Byzance 22-Inch Jazz Thin Ride Cymbal

A cymbal tailored to jazz players with a refined warm sound.

The clean, yet warm and dark tone of Byzance Jazz cymbals comes from a combination of their thin weight and extensively hand-hammered B20 alloy, and the surface is fully lathed to perfection to give them a perfectly smooth response.

Best Pro Hi-Hats

Meinl Cymbals B14JTH Byzance 14-Inch Jazz Thin Hi-Hat

Some more great cymbals from Meinl, these pro-hi-hats will help you sound authentic and maximize the expressiveness of your performances.

Paiste Masters Series Hi-Hats 14

Part of ‘The Masters Series’ by Paiste that started out as an assemblage of twelve rides – exquisite and laboriously hand-manufactured cymbals made of CuSn20 bronze to achieve superior sound ideals in various musical genres.

Jazz Drumming: Listening to Great Jazz Drummers

Some great jazz drummers include:

Buddy Rich	Spotify
Max Roach	Spotify
Tony Williams	Spotify
Elvin Jones	Spotify
Paul Motion	Spotify
Art Blakey	Spotify
Gene Krupa	Spotify
Joe Morello	Spotify
Roy Haynes	Spotify
Philly Jo Jones	Spotify
Jack DeJohnette	Spotify
Kenny Clarke	Spotify
Brian Blade	Spotify
Shelly Manne	Spotify
Dave Weckl	Spotify

Jazz Records

Some great jazz records:

• Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
• The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out
• Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
• Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage
• Buddy Rich Big Band – Big Swing Face
• Bill Evans & Jim Hall – Undercurrent

Best Drumming Books

To further improve your jazz drumming skills, there are a number of useful drumming books available on Amazon. Here are some recommendations:

1. The Art of Bop Drumming

The Art of Bop Drumming” by John Riley is a comprehensive guide to bebop drumming, with exercises and tips on playing in a bebop style. It’s highly recommended by drummers and music educators alike.

2. The Post-Bop Drum Book: A Complete Overview of Contemporary Jazz Drumming

For those looking for more modern approaches to jazz drumming, such as funk and fusion styles, this is an ideal theory book for you.  

With The Post-Bop Drum Book, jazz/funk drumming legend Mike Clark provides a complete overview of contemporary jazz drumming.

The book combines conceptual text with notated exercises, transcriptions, and performance concepts covering bebop and post-bop drumming.

Topics covered include developing the ride beat, comping, triplet variations, advanced independence with the hi-hat as a fourth voice, the jazz waltz, rolls, fives and sevens, be-bop phrasing, post-bop phrasing, straight-eighth phrasing, more.

This book even has the clever implementation of online audio follow-along tacks by the Author Mike Clark. Audio is accessed online using the unique code inside the book and can be streamed or downloaded.

The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right, which is extremely useful for beginner drummers.

3. Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer, Vol. 1

This classic book by Jim Chapin is a must-have for any serious drummer. It covers a range of advanced techniques, including stick control, independence, and polyrhythms.

4. 4-Way Coordination: A Method Book for the Development of Complete Independence on the Drum Set

Another comprehensive drumming book, this time aimed at hand and feet independence and coordination. With the introduction of modern drumming techniques, it has become increasingly necessary to gain complete independence of both the hands and feet.

With various rhythmic exercises in easy-to-read notation, 4-Way Coordination is designed to guide the drummer from simple patterns to advanced polyrhythms.

Through the study of this method book, the student will gain invaluable listening skills and techniques that will provide insight into drumming in all styles.

5. The Drummer’s Complete Vocabulary as Taught by Alan Dawson

This book is based on the teachings of legendary jazz drummer Alan Dawson and covers a wide range of techniques and exercises, including playing in odd time signatures and improvisation.

6. The Evolution of Jazz Drumming: A Workbook for Applied Drumset Students

This is a very complete and professional jazz drumming book that takes you through many different subgenres of jazz and styles of drumming, by looking in depth at the playing styles of some of the world’s best and most famous jazz drummers.

The Evolution Of Jazz Drumming (Book/CD/DVD). “The Evolution of Jazz Drumming presents a complete historical overview and analysis of jazz drumming.

Designed as a guide and workbook for the high school, college level, and professional drummer, it is designed to be studied based on a typical 16-week college semester.

A legendary and influential jazz drummer is studied during each of these weeks. Upon completion of the book, the user will have a complete understanding of the influential contributions of these jazz masters, and learn to play jazz authentically.

The 31 jazz drumming legends included are examined with musical analysis including practice exercises in the style of the subject’s drumming, transcriptions of both solo and time playing, and studies that examine the work of each artist in unprecedented detail.

7. 5 Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer (Ted Reed)

A highly regarded jazz drumming book with nearly 2000 positive Amazon reviews! This was voted second on the Modern Drummer’s list of 25 Greatest Drum Books in 1993.

Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer is one of the most versatile and practical works ever written for drums.

Created exclusively to address syncopation, it has earned its place as a standard tool for teaching beginning drummers syncopation and strengthening reading skills.

This book includes many accented eighths, dotted eighths and sixteenths, eighth-note triplets, and sixteenth notes for extended solos. In addition, teachers can develop many of their examples from it.

8. Syncopation No. 2: In the Jazz Idiom for the Drum Set (Ted Reed)

When it comes to the Ted Reed jazz drumming books, you really get your money’s worth. If you own the 1st book in this series, part 2 will be an excellent addition to your drum theory book collection.

This will help you build on what you have learned about syncopation and take your skills to the next level.

This book teaches five different ways to play eight pages from Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer. There are five sections, each consisting of the eight solo exercises from pages 37 through 44.

9. Drum Solos and Fill-Ins for the Progressive Drummer, Bk 1 (Ted Reed)

Another theory book by Tim Reed Publications. This book includes drum solos & fill-ins for the Progressive Drummer and contains 4, 8, and 16-bar solos, plus fill-ins from several top drummers.

This book is designed specifically to help the beginning drum student develop individual technique and musical ability. Special emphasis is placed on introducing students to 4-bar solos to improve drum solo skills. It also includes 13 pages of fill-ins

10. Modern Drummer Presents Progressive Independence: Jazz: A Comprehensive Guide to Basic Jazz Drumming Technique

Coordinated independence refers to the ability to execute separate rhythms in each hand and foot in a coordinated manner, yet totally independent of one another. This book will teach you this essential part of jazz drumming.

11. Latin Rhythms for Drums and Timbales

What drumming book collection would be complete without a book all about Latin grooves? This is a very comprehensive theory book that teaches you the broad spectrum of Latin drumming styles.

It includes basic rhythms, variations, breaks, short solos, and fill-ins for the mambo, as well as cha-cha, merengue, bolero, samba, conga, beguien, paso doble, tango, montuno, calypso and joropo.

Most rhythms are written for the timbales but may be played on drums, cymbals, or cowbells by making simple substitutions.

12. World Jazz Drumming – Book/Online Audio by Mark Walker

Searching for something a little bit different? This book will teach you about world drumming with many new and interesting rhythms.

Incorporating world drumming into your repertoire can give you a whole new approach to the drums, and this book is essential if you are teaching yourself the fundamentals of world drumming.

Learning grooves from Africa, Latin America, South America, and other regions will make you a more complete musician, and give you more ideas for creating your sound and solos.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has inspired you to start practicing with your first drum kit and learn the fundamentals of Jazz Drumming!

The books listed in this article will help you even more on your journey to mastering the techniques of Jazz Drumming, and once you master Jazz techniques, other genres such as Rock, Indie, and Metal, will likely become easy for you.