The best drum method books
Drum books split into two kinds that get confused constantly: snare technique books and drum-kit groove books. A beginner needs the first one.
By Stephen V. · Writes Reed & Rosin · last verified
The short answer
Alfred's Drum Method Book 1 is the standard first snare book in American school percussion, building rudiments and reading together from page one. Stick Control is a book of sticking exercises rather than a method, and it is on nearly every professional drummer's shelf.
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Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Alfred Drum Method Book 1 Snare drum from the beginning: rudiments, reading and technique, in the order a school percussion teacher will want them. It is a reading book, not a kit-groove book. | First-year percussion, school or private | 9.1/10 | $12.99View on Amazon #ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded |
| 2 |  Stick Control For the Snare Drummer A book of sticking patterns, first published in 1935 and still on nearly every professional drummer's shelf. It is not a method — it is the practice material a method sends you to. | Daily hand-technique practice, at any level | 9.0/10 | $12.99View on Amazon #ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded |
| 3 |  Evans RealFeel 12-Inch Practice Pad The standard practice pad, and the single most useful thing a drum student owns. Gum rubber on one side and neoprene on the other gives a realistic rebound and a harder workout surface. | Every drum student, without exception | 9.4/10 | $44.99View on Amazon #ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded |
Scores are our own editorial fit rating from published specifications — the rubric is on our methodology page. They are not test results; we have not played these instruments.
Two kinds of drum book
This distinction causes more wasted purchases than anything else in percussion.
Snare technique books teach rudiments, reading, and hand control. They are worked on a practice pad or a snare drum, and they are what school percussion programs use. Alfred’s Drum Method is the standard.
Drum-kit books teach grooves, fills and coordination between hands and feet. They need a kit and they assume some hand control already exists.
A student who wants to play beats and is handed a snare book is disappointed; a student who is handed a groove book without hand technique cannot execute anything in it. Both are the wrong book at the wrong time rather than bad books.
What a first-year student needs
| Stage | Book | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| First-year school percussion | Alfred's Drum Method Book 1 | A practice pad and sticks; no kit required |
| Alongside, at any level | Stick Control | A pad. Ten minutes a day produces measurable results |
| Once hand technique is established | A beginner drum-kit groove book | A kit or an electronic set |
| School band | The band method the program uses, percussion part | Usually a bell kit as well as a pad |
Stick Control, and why it is still in print
First published in 1935 and still on nearly every professional drummer’s shelf. It is not a method — it contains almost no instruction at all. It is pages of sticking patterns: right-left combinations to be played repeatedly, evenly, at a controlled tempo.
That sounds unpromising and it is one of the most effective practice tools in music. Ten minutes a day on a pad, working through the patterns slowly with a metronome, produces measurable improvement in evenness and control within weeks.
It works at every level, from a first-year student to a working professional, and it costs less than a pair of sticks. The one thing it does not do is teach grip, which is why it should be started under a teacher’s supervision.
The metronome is not optional here
Drumming is the one instrument where timing is the job. Practicing rudiments without a metronome develops speed and unevenness at the same time, and unevenness is much harder to remove than to avoid.
Set it slower than feels necessary, and stay there until every stroke is identical. How to use one properly covers the method, which matters more than which one you buy.
What school percussion actually involves
Parents expecting a drum kit are often surprised. School percussion is snare drum, mallet instruments such as bells and xylophone, timpani, and a large amount of counting. Percussionists read more music than anyone else in the room, because they play multiple instruments across a single piece.
The practical consequence is that a first-year percussionist needs a pad, sticks, a book and probably a bell kit — and does not need a drum set. Ask the director which bell kit the program specifies before buying one.
Commercial note
Books pay us a higher commission rate than instruments do. The recommendation on this page is to buy a book and a pad rather than a kit, which happens to be both the cheapest and the most useful advice available — and we would rather say so than have you notice the incentive later. Full disclosure.
The picks, in full
Every card below is written from the published specification and the manufacturer’s own documentation. We have not played these instruments — see how we work for exactly what that means and what we do instead.
Our top pick · First-year percussion, school or private
Alfred Drum Method Book 1
Snare drum from the beginning: rudiments, reading and technique, in the order a school percussion teacher will want them. It is a reading book, not a kit-groove book.
What works
- Builds reading and rudiments together from page one
- The standard first snare book in US school percussion
- Works on a practice pad, so no kit is needed
What to know
- Teaches snare drum, not drum-kit grooves — a student who wants beats will be impatient
- Needs a teacher to correct grip early
- Level
- Book 1
- Focus
- Snare drum, rudiments and reading
- Kit grooves
- Not covered at this level
#ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 9.1/10.
Pick 2 · Daily hand-technique practice, at any level
Stick Control For the Snare Drummer
A book of sticking patterns, first published in 1935 and still on nearly every professional drummer's shelf. It is not a method — it is the practice material a method sends you to.
What works
- Works at every level from first year to professional
- Ten minutes a day on a practice pad produces measurable results
- Costs less than a pair of sticks
What to know
- No instruction at all — it assumes a teacher has explained the grip
- Relentlessly dry; a young child will need supervision to use it
- Level
- All levels
- Format
- Sticking exercises, no instruction
- First published
- 1935
#ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 9.0/10.
Pick 3 · Every drum student, without exception
Evans RealFeel 12-Inch Practice Pad
The standard practice pad, and the single most useful thing a drum student owns. Gum rubber on one side and neoprene on the other gives a realistic rebound and a harder workout surface.
What works
- Two surfaces: realistic rebound on one side, harder practice on the other
- Genuinely quiet enough for a shared room
- Effectively indestructible
What to know
- Needs a stand or a lap to be used properly
- Only teaches hands — nothing about feet or coordination
- Diameter
- 12 in
- Surfaces
- Gum rubber and neoprene
#ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 9.4/10.
Questions people actually ask
What is the best drum book for beginners?
Alfred's Drum Method Book 1 for school percussion, which builds rudiments and reading together from page one and needs only a practice pad. Stick Control is the ideal companion at any level and is on nearly every professional drummer's shelf.
What is Stick Control and do beginners need it?
A book of sticking exercises first published in 1935, with almost no instruction — just pages of right-left patterns to be played evenly and slowly. Ten minutes a day on a pad produces measurable improvement in control, and it works at every level.
Do drum method books teach drum kit grooves?
Snare method books do not — they teach rudiments, reading and hand control on a pad or snare drum. Kit groove books are a separate category and assume hand technique already exists. A beginner needs the snare book first.
What does a school percussionist need in the first year?
A practice pad, 5A sticks, the band method's percussion part, and usually a bell kit the program specifies. Not a drum set — school percussion is snare, mallets and counting, and a kit is a want rather than a need in year one.
Sources
We have not played these instruments, so citation is our evidence. Everything above traces back to one of these, on the date shown.