The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Drums, 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Michael Miller (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 159257162X | ISBN-13: 978-1592571628 | Publication Date: January 6, 2004 | Edition: 2nd

You can't beat this one for learning the basics!

This book covers everything the aspiring drummer needs to know-from an overview of drums and percussion history and theory; to information on purchasing, tuning, and maintaining drums; to basic music notation, rhythm, and time signatures; to snare drum fundamentals; playing a complete drum set; and basic beats for every style of music. In addition, this newly revised edition contains an audio CD featuring all exercises and solos from the book, tuning examples, and play along tracks.

€ Audio CD included
€ According to a Gallup survey, there are over 62 million amateur musicians in the U.S.
€ Drums are the third most popular instrument among amateur musicians

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book provides a thorough overview of the history and theory of drums and percussion instruments -- Modern Dummer Magazine, July 2004

About the Author

Michael Miller is an award-winning snare drummer. A former percussion instructor of beginning elementary, junior high, and high school students, he attended the prestigious Jazz Studies Program at the Indiana University School of Music. Over the course of his musical career, he has performed with a variety of bands in a variety of styles ranging from big band to bebop to jazz to rock to R&B, as well as classical symphonic and marching band drumming. He is also the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Music Theory.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 2nd edition (January 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159257162X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592571628
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a very good book, December 14, 2005

By 

Keith (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Drums, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I got this book becuase I was going to start giving drum lessons to my friend. I wanted to find out if I knew what I should teach him. This book taught me pretty much everything that I needed to teach him. I think every aspect of drumming is covered in it. It's a very good tool for any aspiring drummer.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book renewed my interest in drums, July 26, 2009

By 

Jinglehiemer Schmidt (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Drums, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

At a later stage in life (31) I decided I wanted to pickup an interest that I had in high school but never fully explored. So I started taking drum lessons. My instructor charged $50 an hour but he taught me as if I already knew a lot about drumming. To his credit, he was a studio instructor and was used to critiquing "real" drummers in bands. I got to a point where his teaching style was simply incompatible with my knowledge level, and it was frustrating to both of us. So I stopped taking lessons, and got this book.

This book continues to teach me everything I wanted to know but didn't have time to ask my instructor. It filled in the gaps that probably would have taken dozens of expensive lessons. I am the kind of person who has to know everything about something in order to learn it, I can't just "go with the flow" and learn the bare minimum while being ignorant to a lot of details.

If that's how you are, then this book is for you. This book outshines its own "idiot's guide" series, as it should stand on its own merits.

You will not regret this book, if you are truly interested in learning drumming in a beginner friendly but complete way.

I plan to go back to the instructor after I'm done with this and see if he's still useful to me afterward.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, January 13, 2009

By 

Christopher M. Smith (Hewitt, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Drums, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I have been playing for over 15 years... not that that truly means much, but i like to think that i am pretty well trained. I give lessons, do studio sessions, play in multiple groups with a broad range of diversities, etc. With that being said, this book has really brought me back to my foundation! As a long time percussionist, I have really developed my own style and sound. However, this book has successfully reacquainted me with a number of things that I have either forgot about or just simply missed in my early development stages. As i have worked through this book on my own and with my students, i have been surprised at how easy it is to follow! This book was truly written for a beginner to understand each aspect of "playing" or a drummer stuck in his ways like myself to brush up on some old tricks! Recommended for every level of playing!