About the Course

This course is an introduction to the drums, delivered by Grammy award-winning drummer Russ Miller. It is a chance for students to build a strong sense of rhythm, and most importantly, fall in love with the drums.

About the Instructor

Russ Miller

Russ Miller is a multi-platinum recording artist, and American Idol drummer. He has played on multiple Grammy award-winning recordings and has a combined sales of over 26 million copies. In his course with SaPa, he helps learners build a strong foundational technique, understand more about the drum kit, learn rolls, fills, riding patterns, and accents, and play tight grooves with a metronome.

Who can take this course?

Drummers who are just starting out, or anyone who wants to improve their technique.

What you'll learn

Russ Miller - Learn to Play the Drums

  • Introduction to the Course (Video) Preview
  • Welcome to Learn to Play the Drums (PDF)
  • Metronome, Tambura, and Tuner - User Guide (PDF)
  • Sticking Patterns - The Paradiddle (Video)
  • The Moeller Technique (Video)
  • Roll (Video)
  • The Instruments of the Drums (Video)
  • Parts of the Drum Kit (PDF)
  • Annotate (Activity)
  • The Basics of Playing a Beat (Video)
  • Keeping a Steady Beat (Video)
  • Find the Drums (Activity)
  • Changing Voices in a Beat (Video)
  • How well do you know the Drum Kit? (Activity)
  • How to Play a Fill? (Video)
  • Playing a Song (Video)
  • Playing with a Band (Video)
  • Playing a Whole Bar Fill (Video)
  • Applying Rudiments to the Drum Set (Video)
  • Match Up (Activity)
  • Moving Rudiments Around the Drums - Part 1 (Video)
  • Moving Rudiments Around the Drums - Part 2 (Video)
  • AC/DC - Back in Black - Basic Groove (Video)
  • AC/DC - Back in Black - Fills (Video)
  • Back in Black - Reference Video
  • Western Notation (Video)
  • Drum Notation (PDF)
  • Writing Drum Notation for Billie Jean (Video)
  • Bille Jean - Reference Video
  • Accents (Video)
  • Hi-Hat (Activity)
  • The Police - Every Breath You Take - Accents (Video)
  • Patterns (Activity)
  • Every Breath You Take - Reference Video
  • The Riding Pattern (Video)
  • Playing Riding Patterns on Other Drums (Video)
  • Moving Riding Patterns to the Bass Drum (Video)
  • Riding Sixteenth Notes on Hi-Hat (Video)
  • Moving Sixteenth Notes Around the Tom-Toms (Video)
  • Adding Crash Cymbals into a Sixteenth Note Riding Pattern (Video)
  • Stickings for Sixteenth Note Patterns (Video)
  • Fills That Start on Different Beats (Video)
  • Playing the Fills on Crazy Train (Video)
  • Crazy Train - Reference Video
  • Playing Different Beats on the Bass Drum (Video)
  • More Different Bass Drum Patterns (Video)
  • Combining Different Beats and Fills (Video)
  • Play a Sixteenth Note Beat with an Eighth Note Fill (Video)
  • Russ Miller - Beincadeira
  • Adding Rudiments into Fills (Video)
  • Combining Indian Fills with Western Drums (Video)
  • Thank You (PDF)

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