Learn How To Add Creativity To Your Drum Beats

Tired of playing the same old beats? Sometimes as drummers we just need some fresh ideas to mix things up. This lesson will provide you with some tips and suggestions to fill your creativity toolbox.

1. Alter the Voices

Changing up a beat can be as easy as changing the sounds that make it up. This can include moving your lead hand from the hi-hats to the ride cymbal, crash cymbal, floor tom, or even a cowbell. Another option would be to change the snare shots to rim clicks or broken up snare/tom patterns. The main idea is take something you already know, and give it a new voice.

2. Change One Limb

Take a beat you already know, and change what one of your limbs is playing. You can change your lead hand from eighth notes to quarter notes, or change your snare hand to have additional strokes or ghost notes. Your kick drum could mix things up by changing the pattern or playing with a different technique (heels-up vs. heels-down, etc).

The main idea here is to keep the original beat flowing smoothly while a single limb changes it. Do one limb, then revert back and try another. You can eventually change multiple things to create an all-new beat, but the concept here is to create a range of semi-altered patterns that work well together.

3. Add Open Hi-Hats

Sometimes all a beat needs to take it to the next level is to have the hi-hats opened and closed on one or two beats. I typically like to add this on the "and" count of four (closing on the one count). It seems to work well over most music, so it comes most natural to throw it in there from time to time. That said, I like to mix it up and put it on other counts - even on the off-beat sometimes.

4. Change the Timing

This doesn't work for every setting, but sometimes you can mix things up by changing the structure. For example, taking a straight 4/4 beat and playing it as a triplet or swinging pattern. You could even add a quarter note and make it a 5/4 pattern to really mix things up.

Believe it or not, this can actually be used within a musical setting with a band too. No, you cannot alter the timing of what they are playing, but you can take a beat you already know and change it to match the timing of their song. You just have to pick a beat that doesn't already work. This is where you really start to think outside of the box.

5. Playing a Beat Backwards

Virtually every beat you play can be completely changed by reversing it. This is more experimental than the last tips, but it is still a great way to mix things up during practice. Sometimes it will work, and sometimes you will end up with something that is just un-musical. However, either way it is likely to challenge you in new ways and perhaps even give you some new ideas.

Try Them All

Give all five ideas a try. Don't skip over one just because it seems unusual at first. You never know what insight might be gained by trying something new. Play around and have fun with them. Even combine multiple elements to make things even more interesting.

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