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280 Pages of Drumming Exercise & Drum Fills PDFs (free practice resources)

Free Drumming Exercises, Drum Fills & Worksheets on PDFS

On this page, you’ll find 20 or so boxes with different categories of drumming subjects you can learn. Each of these categories has multiple worksheets with exercises on PDFs that you can download for free. Click on the text that says “Get The PDFs” and you’ll be taken to a page with all of the PDFs in that category. There are almost 300 pages of exercises here to keep you busy, so if you feel like going down a rabbit hole with a topic, go right ahead. 

New to Drumming?

These PDFs work best as supplements. 

If you’re looking for a clear, beginner-focused path that builds real coordination and confidence (even if you don’t own a drum set), explore Drumming for Absolute Beginners.

Table of Contents

Hand Technique

Over 20 pages of exercises including 7 just focusing on the single stroke roll, and more on paradiddles and other rudiments; including the “Stick Logic” series of short rudimental drum solos.

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The Nasty Licks Series

Culled from over a decade of blogging, this collection of drumming vocabulary is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard. Need a cool fill? Need some ideas for soloing? Here you go. More than 100 PDFs. 

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Beginner Drum Fills

Need a new drum fill? Fundamental, basic drum fills that sound great are an important part of any drummer’s vocabulary. Drum fills for beginners are here in abundance with 7 pages of PDFs to help you.
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Reading Rhythmic Notation for Beginners

If you’re just learning to read music for the drums, you’re in the right place. This selection of foundational reading worksheets will get you going on the good foot.

 

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Drum Solo Transcriptions

You learn to solo by learning other drummers’ solos. To that end, here are more than a dozen solos and breaks transcribed note for note.  Featuring drummers like Tony Williams,  Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Emory and even–gasp–Mark Feldman. 

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Beginner Independence

Just a whole bunch of PDFs that are perfect for the beginner who is getting started and wants to learn to “separate their hands from their feet”

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Grooves and Ghost Notes

19 worksheets on linear drumming, odd times, ghost notes, a transcription of great groove by Steve Jordan, groove deceptions that will fool your audience and much more.

 

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Jazz Drumming Exercises

A selection of basic jazz drumming essentials as well as some somewhat advanced ideas. All of them useful.

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Hand/Foot Combinations

Adding your bass drum to what you do with your hands will unlock power and add a unique sound to your playing. The ability to use this idea in fills and solos will immediately set you apart from other drummers. 

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Bass Drum Technique

Playing two bass drum notes in a row–quickly–with one foot is an essential skill that can elevate your playing to a new level. Here are some exercises to help you with that.

 

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Introduction to Polyrhythms

You’ll find worksheets to help you with the most common polyrhythm to start with: two vs three.

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Advanced Modern Independence

Here you’ll find more than 20 pages of very advanced independence exercises to challenge you and to help you develop a unique way of playing. Not many drummers are able to play the exercises that you’ll find on this page. Are you up for it?

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Modern Applications of The Drum Rudiments

Here you’ll find some fantastic sounding ways to use rudiments on the drum set. Includes ideas with paradiddles, paradiddle-diddles, double stroke rolls and more.

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Transcriptions of Fills and Licks from Famous Drummers

Here are some fantastic licks and ideas from the playing of some of the world’s best: Buddy Rich, Keith Carlock, Matt Cameron, Eric Moore, Chris Coleman, Zach Danziger and Glen Sobel.

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Steve Gadd

Many of Steve’s signature licks can be found on the PDFs included here. 9 pages of PDFs. Essential.

 

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Vinnie Colaiuta

Here are some transcriptions–and you definitely won’t find these anywhere else–that will give you a look into possibly the greatest drummer of our generation. 10 pages of PDFs.

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John Bonham

Bonham is one of the most revered and imitated rock drummers of all-time. On these worksheets, you too can steal a little bit of his drumming magic.

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AC/DC Drum Charts

The drumming of AC/DC’s rhythmatists will stand the test of time. Learning these charts will be a master class in how to play for the song. If you want to play some great AC/DC songs perfectly, look no further.

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Clave & Latin Independence

Q: Some of the most difficult independence you could attempt? A: Playing clave with your cymbal hand and being able to play freely against that with your other limbs. As if that isn’t enough, you’ll also find some important latin patterns and independence systems so you can function in a modern latin context.

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Pattern Control for Drum Set

This unique system will allow you to take a complex pattern and quickly and easily make it adaptable to your practical playing situation. Invented out of necessity, and extremely useful. 

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Want a Complete Beginner Path?

The exercise PDFs on this page work best when paired with a structured learning plan. If you’re looking for clarity in a sea of choices, explore our complete beginner solution, Drumming for Absolute Beginners.

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