Expert Divulges Secret To Drumming Without Drums

January 6, 2019
Drum Tips

Ever wanted to learn drumming without drums? Well here’s a little secret – counting out loud from 1 to 4 and following these step by step instructions – you can! It’s that easy. So, check out my YouTube video – and remember, you don’t even have to be a drummer…

Anyone Can Learn A Drum Beat

Anyone can learn a basic drum beat. So how is this done? Firstly you emphasize COUNTING rather than the drumming itself. Subsequently you simply assigning a particular limb (and limbs) to a number then play your body. Most people can play a basic drum beat almost right away. It’s similar to the game when you rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time. Although, this method shifts your focus onto the counting rather than solely on your actions / movements.

4/4 Time Signature

Most pop and rock (western) music is in the 4/4 time signature. This means that you can count along to many songs 1, 2, 3, 4 repeatedly.

4/4 means that every bar (or measure) written in music will consist of 4 counts or beats – as denoted by the numerator. The denominator tells you which TYPE of note (or value) each beat will be. In the example from the video it will be a quarter note or crotchet.

crotchet/quarter note
Quarter Note / Crotchet

The beauty of drumming this basic drum beat is that you don’t need to know about music theory! So don’t over concern yourself with the 4/4 time signature for now. Merely focus on the counting from 1 to 4 over and over again.

Drumming Without Drums – step by step

Getting started with this basic drum beat is easy. Firstly you’ll need to use your hands and feet (well, foot actually). Whether sitting down or standing up, you simply place your hands on-top-of your thighs and follow these steps below.

  1. Step 1

    On count 1 (beat 1) tap your thigh with your right hand (left hand if left handed) and gently stomp your right foot (left foot if left handed) at the same time.

  2. Step 2

    On count 2 (beat 2) tap both hands together on your thighs at the same time.

  3. Step 3

    On count 3 (beat 3) do exactly the same movement as in Step 1; right hand and right foot (vice versa if left handed).

  4. Step 4

    On count 4 (beat 4) do exactly the same movement as in Step 2; tap both hands together.

Once you’ve accomplished this, SLOWLY and accurately, you need to repeat the process again and again. Allow your muscle memory to get used to this pattern. Repetition is the key.

Remember to FOCUS on using your limbs simultaneously with each of the numbers in the sequence.

A Fun Way to Practice

A fun way to practice, is to play along to music. Firstly, start by counting along with the song ‘1, 2, 3, 4’. Here’s a tip – when you hear hand claps, finger snaps or a snare drum, they will usually appear on beats 2 + 4. This just leaves beats 1 + 3 which will usually have a bass drum or low thudding sound assigned to them.

When you find a tune where you can count up to 4 repeatedly without any problems, start adding you newly acquired drum skills to the numbers. You may get it straight away, you may not. So, make this activity a daily routine for at least 5mins and you’ll soon see results.

Also, the added benefit is that the noise or overall volume level will be much quieter. This may enable you to practice for longer without annoying anyone!

Here’s a list of songs perfect for you to practice this basic beat along to –

N.B. There may be variations on the original drum beats but ignore those and focus on practicing your basic beat along to this music.

  • Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
  • Gimme All Your Lovin’ – ZZ Top
  • Raspberry Beret – Prince
  • Life’s What You Make It – Talk Talk
  • All Right Now – Free
  • Honky Tonk Woman – The Rolling Stones
  • Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
  • Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
  • Highway to Hell – AC/DC
  • Kiss – Prince
  • Kashmir – Led Zepplin
  • No tears left to cry – Ariana Grande
  • It’s my life – No Doubt

Part 2

Once you’ve mastered part 1 of this process, it’s time to move onto part 2. In the video below we progress on from playing 1/4 notes with our leading hand and start playing 1/8th notes.

Part 2
1/8th note

1/8th notes are a SUB-DIVISION of 1/4 notes – which we used previously in Part 1. This means, for every beat we will now play TWO 1/8th notes instead of the ONE 1/4 note.

As there are now 8 (1/8th) notes in our bar we can count them like this: 1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND. You can count them as 1,2,3,4,5…. etc. But, with the former method you can emphasize the 1/4 notes. As a result the ‘ANDs’ are known as the off-beat 1/8th notes. So in total you’ll be playing 8 notes with your leading hand.

This 1/8th note drum pattern is more common than the previous 1/4 note option. So do practice along with the music examples I’ve mentioned above. The patterns will be almost identical.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, you’ve been shown how to practice a basic drum groove / beat drumming without drums. By tapping your thighs and stomping your feet you can eventually play all manner of drum beats. It doesn’t end with beginners either. Experienced drummers still do it when they are in transit or when a drum kit is not to hand.

Remember: don’t strike yourself too hard. If you do experience pain, STOP and try it again and play it lighter. Moreover, instead of your hands, tap your fingers on your thighs; this works equally well.

So no more excuses for not knowing how to drum! Get to it and more importantly, ENJOY IT!

Do you have any experiences drumming without drums? Let me know in the comments section below.

Ben Woollacott Administrator