The drumming community has tried and tested hundreds of different drum books over the years. Here at Drumeo, we’ve put together a list of essential drum books that we think every drummer should own. Some of these are classic books from the 1930s and 1940s, and others were only published in the last few years!
Author: Rick Latham
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: Advanced Funk Studies presents a variety of different funk exercises, grooves, and fills that will help you learn to play the style authentically. Once you’ve worked through the exercises in the book, there are ten solos at the back of the book that will combine everything you’ve learned!
Author: Jim Chapin
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Description: Jim Chapin was the first drummer to publish a book that focused on independence in a jazz context. This book will help you develop your swing independence and vocabulary through many different exercises. This is a classic book that has proven to stand the test of time.
Author: Duduka Da Fonseca & Bob Weiner
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: Afro-Cuban Rhythms For Drumset is the perfect book to help you learn styles like Guaguanco, Mozambique, Songo, Bembe, and Merengue. This book will explain the history behind each style as well as how each style translates to the drum-set from different Afro-Cuban percussion parts.
Author: Charley Wilcoxon
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Description: The All American Drummer includes 150 different rudimental solos. These traditional and swing influenced solos are 16 or 32 bars in length. This book has been one of the most popular snare drum books for decades!
Author: John Riley
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Description: For any beginner or intermediate drummer wanting to learn how to play jazz – this is the book to work through. Riley’s in-depth explanations and examples make the style understandable and engaging.The book will teach you about time playing, comping, soloing, brush playing, and many other topics!
Author: John Riley
Skill Level: Advanced
Description: A follow-up to The Art of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming dives into the jazz drumming innovations that took place during the 1960s. John Riley unpacks topics like up-tempo playing, implied metric modulation, soloing, and time playing. This book also includes many transcriptions of drummers like Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, and Tony Williams.
Author: Bob Weiner & Frank Malabe
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: Following the same format as Afro-Cuban Rhythms For Drumset, Brazilian Rhythms For Drumset examines styles including Samba, Baiao, Maracatu, and Bossa Nova. Traditional patterns, as well as modern drum-set interpretations, are included for each style.
Author: Clayton Cameron
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Description: Clayton Cameron has developed a step-by-step system for playing brushes. This book is complete with notation and tons of illustrations. You will learn everything from basic patterns and how to hold the brushes to specialty brush strokes and brush rudiments!
Author: Alan Dawson & John Ramsay
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: Alan Dawson taught some of the world’s greatest drummers including Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Steve Smith. This book will cover Dawson’s approach to rudiments, coordination, and soloing. Also included is his approach to interpreting Ted Reed’s Syncopation book.
Author: Rod Morgenstein & Rick Mattingly
Skill Level: Beginner
Description: If you’re new to drumming, this is the perfect place to start! The Drumset Musician will provide you with hundreds of practical beats and fills that you can use in rock, pop, blues, and country music. You will also be able to practice the exercises with the play-along tracks that come with the book!
Author: Bobby Rondinelli & Michael Lauren
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: This book will take you through tons of different exercises, beats, and fills that will help you develop your double bass technique, speed, and endurance. Whether you’re just starting out with double bass or you’ve been playing double bass for years, this book will challenge you!
Author: Mark Guiliana
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: Mark Guiliana wrote this book to explain his D.R.O.P. System: Dynamics, Rate, Orchestration, and Phrasing. This book will walk you through tons of practical exercises that you’ll be able to apply to your own drumming. If you get stuck in a creative rut, make sure you check out this book!
Author: David Garibaldi
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: This book provides a snapshot into the legendary drumming of David Garibaldi. Future Sounds will change the way you approach groove composition through a variety of different groove and permutation studies. This is an excellent book for developing your creativity and musicality.
Author: Stanton Moore
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: Groove Alchemy will teach you tons of famous funk, shuffle, and swing grooves and explain the history behind them. This book also examines the playing styles of famous funk drummers like Clyde Stubblefield and Zigaboo Modeliste. If you’re looking to improve your funk and groove playing or just increase your drumming vocabulary in general – this book is for you!
Author: Pete Lockett
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: This is the first book that has taught drummers how to apply Indian rhythms to the drum-set. Phrasing, groove concepts, soloing concepts, sticking patterns, and modulations are only a few of the topics covered in this book. Lockett will also teach you how to apply these exercises and concepts to contemporary styles like rock and jazz.
Author: Benny Greb
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: Benny Greb has created a system that will help you develop independence, vocabulary, and ultimately, musical freedom behind the drum set. Just like learning any other language, you’ll learn how to apply “letters” and “words” to the drum set to create musical “sentences” and phrases.
Author: Joe Morello
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Master Studies is designed to help you develop your hand technique and control. You will work through accents studies, control studies, ostinato studies, and much more. This is an excellent book to use while practicing on your practice pad!
Author: Louis Bellson & Gil Breines
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Modern Reading Text In 4/4 has become part of countless musicians’ collections, regardless of which instrument they play. You will be able to use this book to practice applying syncopated rhythms to the drum-set and to practice sight reading.
Author: Gary Chester
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: This book will take you through a variety of different groove-based “systems.” As you work through these different “systems,” you’ll learn to apply different melodies to them with different limbs. This book will help you develop your independence, coordination, and your reading skills!
Author: Rob Leytham
Skill Level: Advanced
Description: No other book will test your independence like this one. In each section, you’ll be given an ostinato to play between two or three limbs. The limbs not involved in the ostinato will play different rhythmic and melodic patterns around the drum-set. Ostinatos For The Melodic Drumset is one of the most challenging books you’ll ever come across.
Author: Peter Magadini
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: Polyrhythms For The Drumset will teach you how to apply a variety of different polyrhythms to the drum-set including three against four, six against four, and seven against four polyrhythms. It will also discuss other topics like polyrhythm clusters and time modulation.
Author: Anthony J. Cirone
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: Cirone’s book will challenge the reading skills of ALL intermediate and advanced drummers. The 50 solos included in this book will help you develop your musicality, interpretation skills, and your technique. All of these solos are orchestral pieces, so they will sound drastically different from any rudimental solos you’ve played.
Author: Ted Reed
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: This is one of the best selling drum books of all time. If you’re a beginner, this book will teach you how to read different rhythms and accent patterns. For intermediate and advanced drummers, Syncopation can be interpreted in countless ways – making it one of the most versatile books available!
Author: Gavin Harrison
Skill Level: Advanced
Description: Advanced drummers – this book is for you! Gavin Harrison explains many different rhythmic concepts like displacement, subdivision, modulation, and beat editing. This book will take your understanding of rhythm to a whole new level.
Author: George Lawrence Stone
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Stick Control is another one of the most popular drum books of all time. While most drummers could spend a lifetime on the first three pages alone, the book contains many other exercises on short rolls, triplets, and flams. If you don’t own this book already, it should be on the top of your list!
Author: Gary Chaffee
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Description: Chaffee’s book will provide you with tons of different accented sticking patterns. These patterns are perfect for developing your own fills and solo ideas. Sticking Patterns is a challenging book that will cause you to take your creativity to the next level.
Author: Jim Riley
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Jim Riley has put together a book that contains grooves and fills for any style of music. Some of the styles included in the book are Motown, rock, country, fusion, electronic, metal, and Latin music. This book also comes with 124 drumless play-along tracks!
Author: Carmine Appice
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Description: If you want to learn how to play rock music, Carmine Appice can teach you! Ultimate Realistic Rock is the all-in-one rock drumming book. It includes everything from the most basic rock grooves through to playing double bass and odd time signature grooves!
Author: John S. Pratt
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: This book will provide you with 14 rudimental snare drum solos that will incorporate all 26 Standard American Drum Rudiments. The solos in this book are one to two pages in length, and they will help you develop your technique, vocabulary, and dynamics.
Author: Marvin Dahlgren & Elliot Fine
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: 4-Way Coordination will provide you with exercises to help your four limbs work together effectively. Coordination is different from independence – which is the separation between limbs. Some of the topics covered in this book are melodic (linear) coordination, harmonic (non-linear) coordination, and four-way coordination.
Whether the focus is on technique, vocabulary, independence, or creativity, all of these drum books have something unique to offer. We’d definitely recommend adding these to your collection!
Are there other books that have helped you in your drumming journey?
Brandon Toews is an author, educator, and performer based out of Vancouver, Canada. Brandon is the author of The Drummer's Toolbox, co-author of The Best Beginner Drum Book, and the Content Director at Musora, home to the award-winning online music education platforms Drumeo, Pianote, Guitareo and Singeo.
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