Most drummers end up owning the same handful of books, because each one does a single job well. Stick Control and Accents and Rebounds build your hands on a pad. Syncopation and Modern Reading Text teach you to read. 4-Way Coordination, The New Breed and Jim Chapin's Advanced Techniques separate your limbs. Groove Essentials, Future Sounds and Realistic Rock teach styles. The table compares 15 books on what they teach, how well you must read before you open them, how the audio comes, and what they cost in the US today.
Quick answer
First bookAlfred's Drum Method, Book 1from $11.70 · 5.0 (2)
HandsAccents and Rebounds$10.99 · 4.9 (14)
ReadingModern Reading Text in 4/4from $10.99 · 5.0 (2)
CoordinationJim Chapin Advanced Techniques$24.99 · 4.8 (6)The best-rated option for each need, by the same ratings as the table: a high score from a few reviews counts for less than one from thousands. Nothing here is paid for.
What the data says
Only three books here start from zero reading: Alfred's Drum Method, the Hal Leonard Drumset Method and Groove Essentials.
The New Breed, The Art of Bop Drumming and Master Studies assume you already read well. Pick the job first, then check the reading level in the table before you buy, because a book you cannot read yet stays on the shelf.
Stick Control was first published in 1935 and Syncopation in 1958, and both are still in print and among the least expensive books in the table.
Seven of the fifteen come with no audio in the edition most stores sell, so you bring the click yourself; a free online metronome is enough.
The newer books give their recordings through an online access code printed inside: the Hal Leonard method, Groove Essentials, Realistic Rock, Future Sounds and The Art of Bop Drumming.
CDs survive only in older printings and in some retailer listings, so check the edition before you buy a used copy.
Side by side
Ratings and review counts are the stores' and retailers' own, pulled on 2026-10-07. A cross means the feature is not there; a question mark means neither the listing nor the maker says. Prices are US dollars as listed on the named store on the date in each card; they change, so check the store before you buy.
One by one
Hands
Stone Percussion Books, distributed by Alfred Music
from $11.655.0 from 10 reviews, Musician's Friend
Pick it if you want written stickings on one drum to even out your weak hand and build control.
Skip it if you want beats, fills or kit coordination; it is hand technique on a single surface.
Page after page of written stickings on one drum, from single beats and triplets to flams and short rolls, built to even out the weak hand and give a drummer control, speed and endurance. It is pure hand technique with no grooves, no kit parts and no audio, so you supply the metronome and the application to the drum set yourself.
Sources (8)
Stick Control: Snare Drum Booksource
single-beat combinations, triplets, short roll combinations, flam beats, flam triplets and dotted notes, and short roll progressionssource
with extra attention given to the development of the weak handsource
hundreds of basic to advanced rhythmssource
Page Count: 48source
Publisher: Stone Percussion Books, LLC.source
He wrote the books Stick Control for the Snare Drummer (1935)source
5.0 out of 5 starssource
Reading
Ted Reed Publications, published by Alfred Music
$9.99No rating yet
Pick it if you want a graded reading workbook that runs from quarter notes through triplets.
Skip it if you want ready-made grooves or songs; it is a reading workbook with no audio.
A graded reading text that runs from quarter notes through eighths, sixteenths and triplets into pages of syncopated rhythms and accent studies, a standard tool teachers use to build a drummer's reading. The exercises are written rhythms, the first lessons for snare and bass drum, so turning them into grooves, comping or fills around the kit is up to you or your teacher.
Sources (7)
Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer: Drumset Booksource
it has earned its place as a standard tool for teaching beginning drummers syncopation and strengthening reading skillssource
Created exclusively to address syncopationsource
This book includes many accented eighths, dotted eighths and sixteenths, eighth-note triplets and sixteenth notes for extended solos.source
Page Count: 64source
Published January 1st 1958source
Reprint from 1958, Paperback, 60 pagessource
First bookHandsReading
Alfred Music
from $11.705.0 from 2 reviews, Musician's Friend
Pick it if you want a snare drum method that teaches reading from quarter notes, plus rolls and flams.
Skip it if you want to play beats on a drum kit; it is a snare drum and concert percussion method.
A sequential snare drum method by Sandy Feldstein and Dave Black that teaches reading from quarter notes up, the rolls and flam rudiments, and bass drum and cymbal technique, with recital and contest solos along the way. It prepares a snare drum and concert percussion player, not a kit player: there are no drum set beats, and the standard book has no audio.
Sources (8)
Alfred's Drum Method, Book 1: Snare Drum Booksource
The Most Comprehensive Beginning Snare Drum Method Ever!source
80 pages of excellent sequential instruction covering rudimental studies, roll studies, contest solos, and bass drum and cymbal techniquesource
23 solos suitable for recitals and contestssource
the ideal teaching tool to help prepare beginning players for all styles of snare drum and percussion performancesource
The video includes demonstrations of all the rudiments and accessory instruments, plus solo performances by the authors.source
Publication date 1987source
Alfred Alfred's Drum Method, Book 1source
First bookReadingGrooves and styles
Hal Leonard
$19.99No rating yet
Pick it if you are starting on a drum set and want setup, basic reading, video lessons and audio.
Skip it if you are past the beginner stage; it starts at drum setup and basic music reading.
A first drum set method by Kennan Wylie with video lessons from Gregg Bissonette that starts at setup, grips and basic reading and moves through coordination, eighths, sixteenths, triplets, fills and beats in several styles, with demonstration and play-along audio. It is Book 1 of a series, so it covers the basics only and you will want Book 2 or other material once the first beats are solid.
Sources (7)
Learn to play the drumset with this comprehensive beginner's guide from Hal Leonardsource
drum setup and fundamentals; tuning and maintenance; basic music reading; coordination and basic techniquessource
Make learning simple and fun with basic beats for many different styles of music.source
This edition includes a unique access code to companion recorded accompaniments online for download or streaming.source
There are hours of audio tracks for demonstration and play-along, plus video lessons by drum master Gregg Bissonette!source
Page Count: 64 Pagessource
Publication date 2017source
Reading
Alfred Music
from $10.995.0 from 2 reviews, Musician's Friend
Pick it if you want pure rhythm reading drills in 4/4: ties, sixteenths, triplets and double time.
Skip it if you want technique, beats or drum set parts; it is rhythm reading on a single line.
Louie Bellson and Gil Breines's rhythm text drills syncopation in 4/4 through ties, dotted notes, sixteenths, every kind of triplet and double time, the classic way to get fast and accurate at sight-reading. It is written for all instruments on a single line, so there is nothing about the drum set, technique or grooves in it.
Sources (7)
Modern Reading Text in 4/4: Snare Drum Booksource
For All Instrumentssource
Designed to teach syncopation within 4/4 time, the exercises also develop speed and accuracy in sight-reading with uncommon rhythmic figures.source
Page Count: 96source
Henry Adler 1963source
Syncopation studies designed to develop accuracy and speed in sight readingsource
Alfred Modern Reading Text in 4/4source
Grooves and styles
Hudson Music, distributed by Hal Leonard
$29.99No rating yet
Pick it if you want groove charts in rock, funk, R&B, jazz and world styles to play against band tracks.
Skip it if you want a step-by-step technique method; it is a groove reference built on play-along charts.
Tommy Igoe's groove encyclopedia: 47 grooves from rock, funk, R&B, jazz and world styles, most at two tempos, each with a chart to play against recorded band tracks, so a drummer learns feel and chart reading at the same time. It is a play-along companion to the Groove Essentials video rather than a step-by-step method, so technique and reading basics come from elsewhere.
Sources (9)
re-released with access to online audio for download or streamingsource
It features over 6 hours of music, including 47 grooves and feels from all over the worldsource
88 tracks in all, truly professional sketch charts and incisive text by Tommysource
For beginning drummers: simple rock beats with a real band feel; for intermediate drummers: syncopated, 16th-note grooves as well as jazz/swing feelssource
Page Count: 140 Pagessource
Publisher: Hudson Musicsource
this book contains charts and play-along mp3 files for every groove Tommy Igoe plays on the Groove Essentials 1 Video!source
Styles include 8th-note, 16th-note and half-time Rock; Jazz waltz, shuffle and swing; R&B, Hip-Hop and Funksource
1 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Grooves and stylesCoordination
Alfred Music
from $9.99No rating yet
Pick it if you want David Garibaldi's linear funk concepts with permutation and groove studies.
Skip it if you want a first method; it is linear funk concepts and studies, not a step-by-step course.
Tower of Power drummer David Garibaldi's book on linear funk: his two sound level concept, four-bar patterns, groove playing, then 17 permutation studies and 15 groove studies on hi-hat, snare and bass drum. It is a concept book rather than a step-by-step method, and Alfred lists the audio edition as temporarily out of stock, so check which edition you are buying.
Sources (8)
Future Sounds: Drumset Book & Online Audiosource
Temporarily out of stocksource
groundbreaking funk/jazz fusion drumming techniquessource
Page Count: 64source
a series of challenging exercises which include 15 Groove Studies and 17 Permutation Studiessource
Four-Bar Patterns, Groove Playing and Funk Drummingsource
ISBN: 0739019120source
Publication date 1990source
Coordination
Modern Drummer Publications, distributed by Hal Leonard
$19.994.0 from 2 reviews, Modern Drummer store
Pick it if you read well and want Gary Chester's systems for four-limb independence and reading under pressure.
Skip it if you are a beginner or a weak reader; each system has you sight-read a line in one limb.
Studio drummer Gary Chester's systems: a repeating pattern in three limbs while the fourth reads a written melody, played with either hand leading, sung aloud and locked to a click, to build four-limb independence and reading under pressure. The systems are meant as tools to build ideas from rather than exercises to finish, and the online audio is an interview, not tracks to play along with.
Sources (7)
This revised edition contains access to an online recording of an interview with Chester.source
you'll improve your reading, concentration, coordination, right and left-hand lead, and awareness of the clicksource
Publisher: Modern Drummer Publicationssource
Page Count: 48 Pagessource
The New Breed - Systems for the Development of Your Own Creativitysource
Based on 2 reviewssource
November 1, 1986source
CoordinationJazz
Alfred Music, Wizdom Enterprises imprint
$24.994.8 from 6 reviews, Thomann
Pick it if you want independence, coordination and endurance built against jazz time, with online audio.
Skip it if you want rock or funk grooves; the whole system is built on the jazz ride pattern.
It is the classic jazz independence book, coordinated independence applied to jazz and bebop: its exercises build independence, coordination, sticking and endurance on the drum set against jazz time. It stays in jazz and bebop throughout.
Sources (7)
The classic jazz independence book is now new and improved and with online audio!source
Page Count: 64source
Whether for a beginner or an accomplished drummer, this system will greatly improve independence and coordinationsource
Includes 2 CDs with demos and play-along versionssource
Snare Drum / Rudiments etc. Nosource
His Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer textbook was published in 1948.source
ITEM: 00-0681Bsource
Hands
Stone Percussion Books, distributed by Alfred Music
$10.994.9 from 14 reviews, Thomann
Pick it if you know Stick Control and want accents, triplets, dotted rhythms and rebound control on a pad.
Skip it if you want drum set grooves or recordings; it is a snare drum book with no audio.
It takes Stick Control's single hand patterns further into accents, triplets, dotted rhythms and rebound control on the snare or a pad, which is where finesse and control get built. It is the sequel, so start with Stick Control unless you already know it well.
Sources (7)
Accents and Rebounds (Revised & Updated): Snare Drum Booksource
the follow-up to the classic Stick Control, builds on the basics with accent routines and more advanced rhythms to improve the player's finesse and controlsource
This book includes sections on accented eighths, dotted notes, and triplets, as well as rebound control and more.source
This updated edition adds Joe Morello's legendary arrow notationsource
47 pagessource
with Bonus Audio/Video Nosource
Accents and Rebounds for the Snare Drummer (1961)source
Jazz
Alfred Music, Manhattan Music Publications series
$25.994.8 from 13 reviews, Thomann
Pick it if you read well and want bebop time playing, comping, soloing and brushes, with tunes to play along to.
Skip it if you do not read yet, or you want rock and funk grooves.
John Riley covers what a bebop drummer actually does on the gig: time playing, comping, soloing, brushes and reading charts, with tunes to play along to. Because it works through charts and written comping, it suits a drummer who already reads well, as a second or third jazz book rather than a first one.
Sources (7)
This comprehensive book and audio presentation covers time playing, comping, soloing, brushes, more jazz essentials, and chartssource
The Art of Bop Drumming: Drumset Book & Online Audiosource
Page Count: 80source
Incl. download to play-along trackssource
Snare Drum / Rudiments etc. Nosource
"publish_date": "July 11, 1994"source
The Art Of Bop Drumming is a comprehensive book and online audio presentationsource
Coordination
Alfred Music
$14.995.0 from 3 reviews, Thomann
Pick it if you want written hand and foot independence patterns, simple to polyrhythms, in any style.
Skip it if you want recordings or style grooves to play along with; the book has no audio.
It builds independence between both hands and both feet with written patterns that start simple and end in polyrhythms, useful in any style. There is no audio, so you check yourself against the page and a metronome.
Sources (7)
With various rhythmic exercises in easy-to-read notation, 4-Way Coordination is designed to guide the drummer from simple patterns to advanced polyrhythms.source
it has become increasingly necessary to gain complete independence of both the hands and feetsource
Page Count: 56source
The drum exercises focus on hi-hat, bass and snare control. 56 pages.source
with Bonus Audio/Video Nosource
Snare Drum / Rudiments etc. Nosource
4-Way Coordination, which was first published in 1963source
Grooves and styles
Hudson Music, distributed by Hal Leonard
$26.99No rating yet
Pick it if you want a rock method from basic beats through fills, double bass and odd meters, with audio.
Skip it if you play jazz, or you need a book to teach you to read from zero.
Carmine Appice's rock method runs from basic rock beats through linear patterns, fills, hi hat and double bass work, shuffles and odd meters, with audio examples and three play-along tracks. The current edition is Hudson Music's restored classic; the separate Ultimate Realistic Rock is an expanded book, so check which one you are buying.
Sources (9)
Format: Softcover Audio Onlinesource
Publisher: Hudson Musicsource
Linear Rudimentssource
3 Play-Along Trackssource
Page Count: 104 Pagessource
It was relevant when it came out in 1972 and is still relevant todaysource
Streaming/downloadable audio files and additional bonus materialsource
104 pages | Includes Audiosource
1 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Hands
Modern Drummer Publications, distributed by Hal Leonard
$18.994.7 from 7 reviews, Thomann
Pick it if you want Joe Morello's hand drills after Stick Control: accents, buzz rolls, flams, endurance.
Skip it if you are a beginner or want drum set beats; it is a hand technique workbook.
Joe Morello's workbook drills accents, buzz rolls, single and double strokes, flams and endurance for hand control on the snare or a pad. It is dense written material with no audio, best after Stick Control.
Sources (7)
Format: Softcoversource
Page Count: 96 Pagessource
a workbook of material to use in developing the hands for accenting and controlling the different pressures used in single strokessource
accent studies, buzz-roll exercises, single and double-stroke patterns, control studies, flam patternssource
For improved playing control and technique on the snare drumsource
with Bonus Audio/Video Nosource
Master Studies: Exercises for the Development of Control and Technique Modern Drummer Publications, Inc. 1983source
Grooves and styles
See Sharp Press
Not publishedNo rating yet
Pick it if you want a reference of nearly 500 written grooves across dozens of styles, with some recorded.
Skip it if you are a beginner who wants a step by step method; it is a groove reference organized by style.
It is a reference of nearly 500 written grooves across dozens of styles, each with a short history and with recordings of nearly 200 of them, with and without a click. It shows you what each style sounds like rather than teaching technique step by step, and the publisher no longer sells it direct, so you buy it through ordinary book outlets.
Sources (11)
This newly revised and expanded book/2-CD set contains nearly 500 grooves written out in standard notation, histories of the styles coveredsource
The two CDs feature performances of nearly 200 of the groovessource
Styles covered include blues, rock, jazz, reggae, country, klezmer, ska, samba, punk, surf, metal, latin rock, funksource
ISBN 1-937276-19-5 / 211 pp.source
(now includes links to all musical examples rather than the CDs)source
In the newest printing we've included, on the inside front cover, both the URL for the files as well as a QR codesource
We've discontinued mail order sales of physical books. However, all of our in-print books are still available via the normal commercial outlets.source
"publish_date": "August 28, 2003"source
3 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Method
Where the facts come from. Every spec, feature tick and claim comes from the maker's own page, a store listing, a manual or a retailer's spec sheet, read on 2026-10-07, and the exact words relied on are kept with each row (open "Sources" on any card). Store ratings and review counts are the stores' own on that date, pulled through Sonar, an app-store analytics service. A feature is marked yes only when one of those sources says it; when none does, it is shown as unknown rather than as no.
How it was checked. Every row was researched once and then handed to a second, independent pass whose only job was to break it: open the same pages, check every spec, every tick, every rating and every quote. Rows it could not confirm were corrected, marked unknown, or dropped before publishing.
What this page does not measure yet. We have not put a drum recording through every app at half speed and compared how the hits survive. Time-stretching smears sharp attacks, and drums are all sharp attacks, so it matters; when we test it, the method will be here.
Prices. Every price is in US dollars, read on 2026-10-07 on the store or page named next to it, with a link: Sweetwater, Musician's Friend or the maker's own store for gear and books, the US App Store's in-app purchase list or the maker's pricing page for apps. When a maker sells for less on its own website than in the app, both are shown. Prices change, so the date is part of the fact: check the store before you buy. Nothing on this page is an affiliate link.
Photos. Product photos and icons belong to their makers and publishers, taken from their own pages to show which product a card is about. Each card names its source; a maker who wants a photo removed can write to support@upbeat.studio.
Questions drummers ask about drum books compared: the method books teachers assign, by what you want to learn.
A method book that teaches reading as it goes: Alfred's Drum Method Book 1 for snare and rudiments, or the Hal Leonard Drumset Method Book 1 for the full kit, with play-along audio. Groove Essentials also welcomes beginners, but it is a groove library more than a method.
Stick Control is a book of sticking patterns on a single line. It assumes you can read basic rhythms, so a first method book usually comes before it or alongside it.
Syncopation and Modern Reading Text in 4/4 are the two reading books here, and both assume basic rhythms. If you cannot read at all yet, start with a method book that teaches reading as it goes.
The newer ones do, through an online access code printed in the book, for example Groove Essentials, Realistic Rock and the Hal Leonard Drumset Method. The older classics such as Stick Control, Syncopation and 4-Way Coordination have none.
From the publishers' own stores (Alfred, Hal Leonard, Hudson Music) and Musician's Friend, read on the date shown with each book. Nothing on this page is an affiliate link.
Made by Upbeat Studio