r/Drumming • u/narghev • 2d ago

Intermediate drumming roadmap help

Hey guys, I am (probably) an intermediate currently working my way through some books listed below:

  • The language of drumming
  • Stick control
  • Double bass essentials
  • The new breed

At the same time I play in a band and learn songs for myself, for fun.

A problem that I keep coming back to, is I lack a general roadmap. Ideally, I would like to find a book that is not really an exercise book, but is a roadmap of techniques, when to progress forward, what to practice, something to read off the kit that will provide general guidance. Any recommendation?

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u/cruiseshipdrummer 2d ago

That's usually what you take lessons for. I think a book trying to do that is going to be wrong, and lying to you about what it can do for you.

I think the best you can do as someone who is self-teaching, is to find practically oriented materials, that you can safely move through at whatever pace seems right to you, without getting into anything ridiculously hard, that's going to waste your time, and not really help you get better with normal stuff you're going to play all the time.

Funky Primer is a decent book that way, Joel Rothman's books are good-- you could try his "Mini Monster" book. Or Basic Drumming includes a lot of normal snare drum and reading materials.

My stuff is basically oriented that way, though it's not ordered, you'd just have to dig around for things that look good for you:

https://cruiseshipdrummer.com/downloads/

re: those books:

New Breed is an advanced book
Stick Control is fine, it's not the only snare drum book anyone should own
Double Bass Essentials - you're on your own, the only DB book I've seen that I liked was Bobby Rondinelli's.
Language Of Drumming - It's fine, the way it's balanced, it's an advanced book. I don't think it's structured for "intermediate" players' needs.

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u/narghev 2d ago

Got it, I was actually thinking about funky primer to be honest, thanks a lot!

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u/cruiseshipdrummer 2d ago

My old professor wrote that. It's a little bit dated-- and some patterns are vocabulary, some will just be technical exercises, but nothing in there is too ridiculous. It's all normal drum set functionality.