The Complete Idiot's Guide to
Playing Drums
2nd Edition

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Table of Contents

Foreword
By Billy Ward

Part 1: Let There Be Drums! 
1.     So You Want to Play Drums
2.     Before You Play, You Have to Pay: Buying Your First Drums 
3.     Plugging In: Using Electronic Drums and Drum Machines 
4.     Bongos and Claves and Vibes, Oh My!: The Rest of the Percussion Family 
5.     Heads, Shells, and Lugs: Tuning and Caring for Your Drums 
 

Part 2: Bang the Drum Slowly: Snare Drum Basics 
6.     Wholes, Halves, and Quarters: Notes and Notation 
7.     Get a Grip: Holding Your Sticks 
8.    A One and a Two and a Three: Playing Your First Notes 
9.    Playing Offbeat: Syncopated Rhythms and Triplets 
10.    The Big Bounce: Open and Closed Rolls 
11.    Twenty-Six Things You Need to Know: The Rudiments 
12.    Marching Along: Basic Rudimental Beats 

Part 3: You Got the Beat: Drumset Basics 
13.    In the Driver's Seat: Moving Around the Drumset 
14.    For Your Hands Only: Playing Cymbals and Drums Together 
15.    Stepping Out: Adding Your Feet 
16.    In the Pocket: Basic Rock, Country, and R&B Beats 
17.    Swing Time: Basic Jazz Beats 
18.    World Music: Latin and Caribbean Beats
19.    Take Five: Playing in Odd Times 

Part 4: Wipe Out: Advanced Drumset Techniques 
20.    Setting It Up: Fancy Fills 
21.    Take the Spotlight: Drum Solos 
22.    Less Is More: When Not to Play 
23.    Different Strokes: Beyond Sticks 
24.    Putting It All Together: Playing a Chart

Part 5: Drummers Rule! Drummers Speak!
25.    A Brief History of Time: Drummers to Listen To 
26.    King of the Studio: Hal Blaine 
27.    The Hardest-Working Drummer in Show Business: Kenny Aronoff
28.    The Jazz Spirit: Terri Lyne Carrington

Afterword
By Gregg Bissonette

Appendixes
A.     Drum Words: A Drummer's Glossary 
B.     Drum Tracks: CD Track Listings