Playing Drums with Rods

Summary: The drum is the oldest known musical instrument in the history of man and its basic design has not changed in thousands of years. Far from today’s uses as a percussive foundation for pop music or for fueling marching band excitement, drumming has a more profound history as a method of communication, and the drum as an implement of religious symbolism. The drum was perhaps first created from the primal idea of mimicking the human heartbeat, yet today its music has developed into a technical, complex arrangement of beats and grooves.

The modern approach to drumming is to try and master the fundamentals of beat and time signature, and then to create fresh, innovative patterns and fills for each song. In this free instructional video series you will learn how to play drums with rods using several different styles of grips including American, German and French. It's a completely different sound and style for each grip but our expert Joel Siegel will share techniques for creating the best rod sounds as you add fills. He offers tips and advice and walks you through some great informational steps to becoming a more advanced and original drummer.