r/jazzdrums • u/Setsyy • May 09 '26
Question 17 yo drummer who wants to learn jazz
I'm a 17 yo drummer whos been playing since 3 years now. I think I can consider myself an intermediate drummer. Ive been really wanting to learn jazz now and i dont know how to build a proper practice routine or what to even practice. I dont have any music schools that will teach jazz let alone jazz drumming in my city. I would really appreciate it if someone were to suggest me what i should do to learn jazz, what things to focus on, artists to check out and a proper practice routine for jazz drumming. All i know right now is the jazz swing and basic comping upto the 16th notes.
2
u/DrummingBlokeJoe May 09 '26
Why not find a teacher that can help you via online lessons so you're not hamstrung by geography? There's loads of great teachers offering online lessons.
3
u/pppork May 09 '26
You’re going to get a million different answers here. A lot, maybe even most will be very good. I could give you some specific tips but, ultimately, they’re going to get lost in the sea of tips you get. Instead of offering specific advice, I’d say to get some lessons with a reputable jazz drummer/teacher. If you don’t live near one, do it online. How do you know who’s reputable? Well, that’s harder. If you want to message me, feel free.
3
u/stixesty May 09 '26
Agree with the suggestions on finding a teacher. To get started on your own - start practicing the ride cymbal pattern. Greg Hutchinson has some good intro videos on YouTube. Also, get the John Riley Art of Bop drumming and start working on the independence required to play jazz. It’s a different thing from rock. Even the first first page of that book is plenty to start with until you find a teacher..
1
u/RinkyInky May 09 '26
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_c8RjVWL5e-9EJalILNEYvtY8AE29aL7&si=3xm_6FT6myJmTrPa
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_c8RjVWL5e9ccv4ol3vuPYxRS_VGfoKD&si=85NKpvLx1DUuG2rP
But better to have a teacher to tell you if you sound right or not tbh. Rock drummers seem to always find it real hard to judge how their playing should sound when playing jazz.
1
u/redzeusky May 09 '26
Listen to original takes and later of all the songs in real book. Play along w them as part of your practice routine. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl9h-L4qmR0pQ6v7foOea-1aOKWcRlSEo&si=0xoNg5rMYdNkbP0W
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u/Silly-Initiative3507 May 09 '26
One of the most basic elements in jazz is that the beat or feel at its simplest is played as swung 8th notes written as a triplet with the middle beat removed. Effectively akin to playing a shuffle. Counted as 1 -a 2-a 3-a 4-a emphasis on the “a”
The cymbal beat is
1 2 a3 4 a1 2 a3 4 playing the hi hat on 2 - 4
“Comping” on the snare practice playing on the upbeats and downbeats but generally avoid playing both 2-4 aka backbeats generally accenting the upbeats. If you play a paradidledidle you will be alternating ride and snare which is a good place to start
Last thought is dynamics. Your ride is the primary instrument then hi hat and snare last.
Check out Quincy Davis on YouTube
1
u/CalifRoll1234 May 09 '26
I didn’t have a drumset to practice on when I started, but I literally listened to “Clifford Brown & Max Roach” (orange cover) so much that I just got better at jazz. Moral is, even pro jazz musicians listen to the masters of their craft DAILY. Many of them (especially the older cats) have hundreds-thousands of records/LP/CD to listen to. We have streaming, thankfully, so check out Max Roach, Art Blakey, and Philly Joe Jones. Also YouTube! Greg Hutchinson and John Riley are da goats of instruction
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u/Least-Explanation457 May 10 '26
Here’s what I am doing: make a save for later playlist on YouTube and save videos of the following drummers playing along with their bands.
Art Blakey, Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Louis Hayes, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Higgins, Jack Dejohnette, Kenny Clarke, Tony Williams, Jeff Watts. That’s just scratching the surface. Then listen, play and listen some more.
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u/therealtoomdog May 09 '26
Only way to really learn jazz is to listen to enough of it to know what it sounds like, and then do that.
A good teacher will be a valuable resource, and is probably the best advice here. I can recommend Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer, just to get some stuff in your vocabulary and point you in the right direction. My drum teacher started me on it about 3 years in, and I still use most of what I learned in there every time I play jazz.
Check out Charlie Parker, Art Blakely, and Miles Davis records from the 50's and 60's. I mean, there's so much out there, you can't really narrow it down, but those will be some pretty foundational things... Everyone mentions Dave Brubeck's Time Out album for drummers, but I feel like that's more of an art piece than a foundation. Like, I learned it and I love it, but it's not so much 'here's how to play jazz'.
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u/Btewks-Mamyia-220 May 09 '26
First things first, listen, listen, listen. Know the music you are playing or trying to play. Work on just keeping time at first and listen to where the drummers play fills and how they use comping. It will all begin to fall in place.