Drum Dictation and Listening Exercises

Below are 20 exercises.

Be sure to have fun!!!

In these exercises, you will listen to the drum tracks below and notate the rhythms that you hear. We STRONGLY encourage you to physically play these rhythms out. If you have a drum set or a drum machine, great, use them. If you don’t, just slap the rhythm out on your legs or a table, anything (not an unsuspecting person though 🤣). Move your body and get that rhythm in you.

Download the answer sheet here!

Answer Sheet480.8KB

Notation instructions:

You only need to notate one measure for each of the 20 exercises.
As each drum pattern plays, write down the rhythm as discussed in the previous lesson.

Each of the 20 drum patterns below will play for 8 measures but each measure is the same. In today’s language, we would call this a loop. This is not uncommon in songs. As a matter of fact it's not uncommon with real drummers. A real drummer creates a groove for a song and that groove is repeated for the most part.

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The ultimate goal is that you HEAR these rhythms, recognize what is happening, AND HAVE FUN with it! This is really important. If you find that notating the rhythms is frustrating you and making you want to stop, forget it. It’s ultimately more important that you recognize what is happening and GET IT IN YOU!

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The worst thing that can happen is that you get frustrated trying to write these rhythms out and quit. Don’t do that.

DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN.

HAVE FUN, MOVE, DANCE, GET THE RHYTHM IN YOU!!!

Ok, enough, you get it… go forth and conquer!

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One last thing… listen carefully for the hi-hat. Sometimes it will be played at the same time another drum is playing, which may make it harder to hear. Take your time and really listen, focus. We know you will succeed.