Rock drumming is my all time favorite style of music to play on the drums. Playing to rock music is one of the most exciting things I can do musically. Although I appreciate others styles and enjoy playing them, none of them compare to the enjoyment I get when I play along to rock music.
Generally, rock drum play alongs are all in 4/4 time and counting either with a 8th note or 16th note feel. They can be a wide range of tempos, from a slow 60 bpm to a fast 200 bpm. Here are a couple things to remember when starting to play along to rock music.
The first is always make sure you are locking in with the rock drum play along. Too many times I see drummers being overcome with excitement and emotion while playing along to rock music. They get so excited that they actually lose track of where they are in the song and the whole play along song falls apart.
The second common mistake I see new drummers making when in rock drum play alongs is playing a song which is too difficult for them to play. You have to try to find a song that you are comfortable with playing along to. There is no point playing along to a song and not knowing where and when you are making mistakes. You will actually be practicing at playing the song wrong, rather then progressing forward in your drumming.
Lastly, make sure you don’t overplay the play along song. Try to lock in with the musicians on the song, not playing fills where they don’t belong or beats that don’t fit the tune. Although you may feel like you have some good ideas; perhaps even better then the original drum track, just play along and groove to the music. Add in small bits of your own style and you will be much better off when playing to rock drum play alongs.
If you are looking for some professional rock drum play alongs I encourage you to check out Jared Falk's Rock Drumming System which has an unbelievable rock drum play along pack.
Here is a video of a Rock Drum Play Along. This is an authorized excerpt from the Rock Drumming System. The audio file without the drums can be downloaded at the Free Drum Lessons Website.
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For more information you can check out the Learn How To Play Drums website.