1100 Best Drums Books of All Time
We've ranked the best drums books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
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2Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.
3Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer
44-Way Coordination: A Method Book for the Development of Complete Independence on the Drum Set
5Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
@goldman That book is the best. I can still spit those verses 9 years later 😂 [source]
6Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music
Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.
7The New Breed: Systems for the Development of Your Own Creativity (Book with CD)
8When the Drummers Were Women: A Spiritual History of Rhythm
This book is not just about drumming, it’s also about gender, history and spirituality. It tells the story of the relationship between women, music, religion and power. Thousands of years before Christ, women played hand drums, specifically the frame drum, in religious ceremonies, as we can see in surviving images of goddesses. Music and rhythm are intrinsically a part of spirituality, but originally women set the beat. But with the advent of Christianity, ceremonial drumming, which was associated with paganism, stops. Drums were silenced and so were women. [source]
9Daily Drum Warm-Ups - 365 Exercises to Develop Your Technique (Book/Online Audio) (Book & CD)
10The Breakbeat Bible: The Fundamentals of Breakbeat Drumming
11Berklee Jazz Drums Book & Online Audio
12Encyclopedia Rudimentia: The Ultimate Drum Rudiment Collection
13Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer - Jim Chapin (02) by Chapin, Jim
14Metallica: Drum Edition - Includes Drum Setup Diagrams (Drum, Vocal)
15A Funky Primer for the Rock Drummer
16The Art of Bop Drumming: Book & Online Audio
17Slammin' Simon's Beginner's Bundle: 2 books in 1!: "Guide to Mastering Your First Rock & Roll Drum Beats" AND "20 Essential Drum Rudiments"
181001 Drum Grooves: The Complete Resource for Every Drummer
19Master Studies
20Mini-Monster Book of Rock Drumming
21Drum Techniques of Led Zeppelin: Note for Note Transcriptions of 23 Classic John Bonham Drum Tracks
"Thanks to Joe Bergamini's usual perfectionism, we have an accurate historical record of one of the greatest rock drummers of all time for the enjoyment and education of today's drummers and all future generations to come. Highly recommended not just for Bonham fans or Rock 'n' Rollers but for all drummers, regardless of style."
-Tiger Bill's DrumBeat
22Slammin' Simon's Guide to Mastering Your First Rock & Roll Drum Beats!
His fun instructional resources are perfect for use in the lesson room , by instructors who work with young students, as well as at home , by parents of children learning to play percussion.
In his Guide to Mastering Your First Rock & Roll Drum Beats, Simon and his pet turtle, Rudi, introduce the basic quarter-note and eighth-note drumset beats needed to start performing in the Rock music style..
23Rhythm and Notation for Drums: The Complete Guide to Rhythm Reading and Drum Music (Learn to Play Drums Book 1)
24Pokko and the Drum
25Modern Reading Text in 4/4: For All Instruments
26Max Found Two Sticks
So begins this story of a young boy's introduction to the joys of making music.
Max picks up the sticks and begins tapping out the rhythms of everything he sees and hears around him...the sound of pigeons startled into flight, of rain against the windows, of distant church bells and the rumble of a subway. And then, when a marching band rounds Max's corner, something wonderful happens.
Brian Pinkney's rhythmic text and lively pictures are certain to get many a child's foot tapping, many a youngster drumming.
2750 Essential Warm-ups for Drums: Drum Exercises for Improving Control, Speed and Endurance (Learn to Play Drums)
28Canon in D: Advanced Piano Solo, Sheet
29The Drumset Musician: Updated & Expanded The Musical Approach to Learning Drumset
30It's Your Move: Motions and Emotions
31Moses Goes to a Concert
Isaac Millman tells Moses's story in pictures and written English, and in American Sign Language (ASL), introducing hearing children to the signs for some of the key words and ideas. At the end of the book are two full conversations in sign language and a page showing the hand alphabet.
You can learn sign language, too.
The Black God's Drums
But Creeper keeps another secret close to heart--Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, who speaks inside her head and grants her divine powers. And Oya has her own priorities concerning Creeper and Ann-Marie…
33Ultimate Realistic Rock (Book & 2 CDs)
34Complete Modern Drum Set
35Drumset Concepts & Creativity: Find Your Unique Voice on the Drumset
36The Drummer's Bible: How to Play Every Drum Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco
37Natsumi!
When Natsumi's family practices for their town's Japanese arts festival, Natsumi tries everything. But her stirring is way too vigorous for the tea ceremony, her dancing is just too imaginative, and flower arranging doesn't go any better. Can she find just the right way to put her exuberance to good use?
This heartwarming tale about being true to yourself is perfect for readers who march to their own beat.
38Rock Drumming for Beginners: How to Play Rock Drums for Beginners. Beats, Grooves and Rudiments
39Advanced Funk Studies: Creative Patterns for the Advanced Drummer in the Styles of Today's Leading Funk Drummers
40Kick It: A Social History of the Drum Kit
41Jost Nickel's Fill Book: A Systematic & Fun Approach to Fills, Book, CD & Online Video
42Robert Johnson - The New Transcriptions
43Drums (Book & CD; Big Phat Band Play-Along Series)
44Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys
As two of the first punks in a provincial English town, Lol Tolhurst and Robert Smith didn't have it easy. Outsiders from the start, theirs was a friendship based initially on proximity and a shared love of music. They began playing together in pubs and soon developed their own unique style and approach to songwriting, resulting in timeless songs that sparked a deep sense of identification and empathy in listeners and spawning a new subculture dubbed "Goth" by the press. But there was also a dark side to The Cure's intense and bewildering success. Tolhurst was nursing a growing alcoholism that would destroy his place in The Cure and nearly end his life.
Intensely lyrical and evocative, gripping and unforgettable, this is the definitive story of a singular band whose legacy endures many decades hence, told from the point of view of a participant and eyewitness who was there when it happened--and even before it all began.
45Syncopation No. 2: In the Jazz Idiom for the Drum Set
46Drumopedia: A Handbook for Beginning Drumset
47The Gretsch Drum Book
48The Best Beginner Drum Book
49Rhythm and Meter Patterns
50Future Sounds: A Book of Contemporary Drumset Concepts, Book & CD
51Roadshow: Landscape with Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle
52Fundamentals of Rythym for the Drummer
53260 Drum Machine Patterns
5410300111 - America's NARD Drum Solos
55On the Beaten Path -- Beginning Drumset Course, Level 1: An Inspiring Method to Playing the Drums, Guided by the Legends, Book & CD
"Lackowski aims to win young hands and hearts with the music that inspired him, compiling a mix of grooves played by the likes of John Bonham, Dave Grohl, and Tr� Cool between 1968 and 2001. What better way to learn simple syncopations than playing a song like "Hard To Handle" or "Free Fallin'"? What better way to really grasp 8th and 16th notes than playing "Kashmir" and "Smoke on the Water"?
- Modern Drummer magazine
"By the time you complete the course, you'll understand the essentials of being a good drummer and have a well-rounded vocabulary of more than 100 beats gleaned from experts like Art Blakey, Mitch Mitchell, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Ringo Starr, Steven Adler, Levon Helm, and Alex Van Halen."
- Making Music magazine
Himalayan Sound Revelations: The Complete Singing Bowl Book
57Drumming at the Edge of Magic: A Journey Into the Spirit of Percussion
58Electric Ladyland - Guitar Tablature
59Drums for Dummies
Whether you're dreaming of starting a band, striking the snares, or simply playing a hand drum, this interactive book-and-CD package makes it easy to pick up the basics. Complete with new information on contemporary rock styles and beats as well as rhythms from around the world, this guide is all you need to become a talented, versatile drummer.
Discover how toBang out basic rhythms --with or without sticksUnderstand fundamental drumming techniquesExplore other percussion instrumentsFind the perfect drum setPurchase, tune, and maintain your drums
All this on the CD-ROMMP3 files of each rhythm and beat that you can play along withRhythms for hand drums -- from the bongos and congas to the surdo, tar, and uduSolos to amaze the other members in the band
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
60Drum City
What begins with one boy’s beat on a kettle soon spreads to pots and pans and cartons and cans all across the neighborhood. When everyone joins in, together they create the catchy, driving tempo of a bright, hot DRUM CITY!
Get ready to make some noise with this upbeat, lyrical, and diverse picture book!
From the Hardcover edition.
61The Sound of Brushes: Book & 2 CDs
62Fundamental Method for Mallets, Bk 1: Comb Bound Book
63Alfred's Drum Method, Bk 2
64Hard Work & Hit Records: The Autobiography of Rock & Roll's Hardest Working Drummer
65Rockin' Bass Drum, Bk 1: A Repertoire of Exciting Rhythmic Patterns to Develop Coordination for Today's Rock Styles
66Be Quiet, Mike!
Even before he was born, Mike started drumming. Kick! Thump! Pow! Wherever he goes, his rhythms sing: swis, thak, go his books; bang, clank, goes the trash can; tap, tap, go his pencils; and "BE QUIET, MIKE!" yells everyone around him. But one day Mike sees a drum set in a store window-- and puts his hands-on talents to work in a most impressive way. W ith the bold graphic style and clever details her readers love, Leslie Patricelli strikes a cymbal for active, high-energy little monkeys everywhere.
67Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums, Book & CD
68Afro-Cuban Coordination for Drumset: The Essential Method and Workbook
Levon: From Down in the Delta to the Birth of The Band and Beyond
70The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming
71Drum Rudiments & Musical Application: Master all 40 Drum Rudiments and apply them in Musical Context
72The Beatles Drum Collection
73Realistic Rock for Kids
74Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset with CD (Audio)
75Buddy Rich's Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments
76A New Friend for Sparkle (A Unicorn Named Sparkle #2)
77Primary Handbook for Timpani
Angelic Music: The Story of Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica
A jewel of musical history—the story of Ben Franklin’s favorite invention, the glass armonica—including the composers who wrote for it (Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, among others); Dr. Mesmer who used it to hypnotize; Marie Antoinette and the women who popularized it; its decline and recent comeback.
Benjamin Franklin is renowned for his landmark inventions, including bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the lightning rod. Yet his own favorite invention—the one he said gave him the “greatest personal satisfaction”—is unknown to the general public. The glass armonica, the first musical instrument invented by an American, was constructed of stacked glass bowls and played by rubbing one’s fingers on the rims. It was so popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, and Strauss composed for it; Marie Antoinette and numerous monarchs played it; Goethe and Thomas Jefferson praised it; Dr. Franz Mesmer used it for his hypnotizing Mesmerism sessions. Franklin himself played it for George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
In Angelic Music, Corey Mead describes how Franklin’s instrument fell out of popular favor, partly due to claims that its haunting sounds could drive musicians out of their minds. Some players fell ill, complaining of nervousness, muscle spasms, and cramps. Audiences were susceptible; a child died during a performance in Germany. Some thought its ethereal tones summoned spirits or had magical powers. It was banned in some places. Yet in recent years, the armonica has enjoyed a revival. Composers are writing pieces for it in genres ranging from chamber music and opera to electronic and pop music. Now Mead brings this instrument back to the public eye, telling the compelling, fascinating story of its origins.
79Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone
80Riddim: Claves of African Origin
81Drums: Absolute Beginners-Music book with CD
82The Roots of Rock Drumming
83Play Drums Today! - Level 1: A Complete Guide to the Basics (Ultimate Self-Teaching Method!)
84How To Read Drum Music
85Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew
86Drum Programming: A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer
87Canon in D: Sheet
88Ultimate Drum Play-Along Rolling Stones: Authentic Drum (Book & CD)
89Conversations in Clave
90Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Play Along, Vol 2: Drums, Book & DVD-ROM
91Song Walking: Women, Music, and Environmental Justice in an African Borderland
This book links ethnomusicological research to larger themes of international development, environmental conservation, gender, and local economic access to resources. By demonstrating that development processes are essentially cultural processes and revealing how music fits within this frame, Song Walking testifies to the affective, spatial, and economic dimensions of place, while contributing to a more inclusive and culturally apposite alignment between land and environmental policies and local needs and practices.
92The Guitar Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Technique and Improvisation
93The Drum Handbook: Buying, Maintaining and Getting the Best from Your Drum Kit
94Rudiment Grooves for Drum Set
95Primary Handbook for Mallets: Book/CD Pack
96The Drummer's Fake Book: Easy-To-Use Drum Charts with Kit Legends and Lyric Cues
97Boom, Baby, Boom, Boom!
98Alfred's Kid's Drum Course, Bk 1: The Easiest Drum Method Ever!, Book & Online Audiio
99Alfred's Kid's Drumset Course: The Easiest Drumset Method Ever!, Book & Online Audio
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