Effective practice makes perfect, so grab your sticks; here is a killer daily drum routine to help you level up!
Do you ever ask yourself: What should I be focused on when warming up? Is it better to practice one day a week or a few minutes a day? Do I need real drums or a practice pad to warm up properly? What goes into a solid drum warm-up routine?
You came to the right place for answers and inspiration. Dive into all this and more as we walk you through a comprehensive daily 10-minute routine with ten tried-and-true quick drum exercises the pros use. Let us help you strengthen your basics, get your muscles firing, and put your head in the right space to create killer music. Along the way, we will utilize Beat Note as our playback, metronome, and rhythmic interpreter. Let’s go!
Let me create a complete table of contents based on the actual headings from the article.
Exercises Covered In This Article
10 One-Minute Warm-Ups
1. 8 on a Hand to 16ths
8 on a Hand to 16ths
Start with the basics! 8 on your right - 8 unison - 8 on your left - then a bar of 16ths.
Open 8 on a Hand to 16ths in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
8 on a Hand to 16th with Feet
The intermediate version is to do this in unison with your hands and feet.
Open 8 on a Hand to 16th with Feet in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
2. Accent Tap
Accent Tap
Focus on keeping things tension-free. Cushion the stick as you play the up and down motions.
Open Accent Tap in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
3. Accented Triplets
Accented Triplets
It is essential to know the basic combinations of triplet accents, move these around freely, and explore where your ears take you for various fun rhythmic motifs.
Open Accented Triplets in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Accented Triplets Variations
Here are some fun accented triplet variations.
Open Accented Triplets Variations in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
4. Sandford Double beat
Double Beat - Hands Only
Open Double Beat - Hands Only in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Double Beat - Feet Only
Basic double beat with your feet. Strive for even timing between the notes.
Open Double Beat - Feet Only in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Double Beat - Unison
Playing in unison allows us to iron out any timing issues and hone in our technique.
Open Double Beat - Unison in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Double Beat - Ostinato Hands, Double Beat Feet
Let’s put this in a simple groove.
Open Double Beat - Ostinato Hands, Double Beat Feet in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Double Beat - Ostinato Feet, Double Beat Hands
Adding different patterns into our feet will build your interdependence.
Open Double Beat - Ostinato Feet, Double Beat Hands in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Double Beat - Fill in the Blanks
We can also fill in the gaps with our other limbs for groove ideas and fills. Also try this with the right hand filling the gaps as your left takes the lead. Move it around d the drums for fun ideas.
Open Double Beat - Fill in the Blanks in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
The classic Sanford Double Beat focuses on the use of velocity in our double strokes. We can also incorporate the triple version.
5. HUGGA DUGGA Brrr
HUGGA DUGGA Brrr Singles/Doubles
Let’s get those hands moving with nice relaxed doubles! Even spacing and sound are key.
Open HUGGA DUGGA Brrr Singles/Doubles in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
We can also do this in triplets:
6. Count Up, Count Down
Count Up, Count Down
Count along sequentially with your hands (1-1, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, etc). Move your feet in unison with eighth notes underneath.
Open Count Up, Count Down in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
CHALLENGE! Try playing quarter notes with your feet for added interdependence. This can be tricky stuff but gets your brain firing!
7. Sextuplets & 8ths:
Sextuplets & 8ths
Open Sextuplets & 8ths in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
CHALLENGE! Move the stepped Hihat to all 8th notes!
8. Essential Drum Rudiments - Basic Triplets With Flams
Basic Triplets with Flams
Open Basic Triplets with Flams in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
9. Essential Drum Rudiments - The Paradiddle Pyramid
The Paradiddle Pyramid
The powerful paradiddle has so many applications and variations. Great for sticking fundamentals and inspiring grooves. Here’s one I wrote in 6/4 with Beat Note.
Open The Paradiddle Pyramid in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
10. Mirror Exercises
Beginner Mirror Exercise
This is the stretched out version. Bar of 8ths. Bar of hands 16th/feet 8ths. Bar of 8ths. Bar of hands 8ths feet 16ths.
Open Beginner Mirror Exercise in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Intermediate 16th Mirror Exercise
The intermediate version here is 8ths and 16ths.
Open Intermediate 16th Mirror Exercise in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
CHALLENGE! Crank it up into 8ths and sextuplets.
Bonus Section
Pantera Singles
Let’s go deep and work our single diddles and timing. This is a classic drum corps exercise; playing it a few minutes daily will work wonders. Apply it to your feet or hands/feet in unison to crank things up a notch for some serious modern rock drumming chop building.
Open Pantera Singles in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Sextuplet Warm Up
One of my favorite flow phrases. Great for warming up and flow around the kit.
Open Sextuplet Warm Up in the Beat Note app to change the tempo
Wrap Up
And there you have it, my 10 x 10 with variations and 2 bonuses to boot!
No matter your musical taste, these will get you ready to rock the house, get the dance floor moving, or the bandstand swinging. Remember to incorporate playing with Beat Note for rhythmic interpretation and as a click to dial in your timing.
If you’re looking for more warmup exercises, check out our Snare Warmup for Beginner Drummers post.
About Me
I play every day. My bands play 250+ shows a year with lots of travel, so I get a ton of time on my kit and pad to shed. Thankfully, through the help of gifted teachers, I have yet to deal with any drumming-related injuries after 35 fun-filled years. To give you an idea of the extent of what I do in my drumming life, my wife and I just wrapped a 3-month Broadway tour in Japan for a show called Blast. We played A LOT. These are the exercises I use daily to get my head in the right space before shows and for exponential growth. Generally, before every show I perform, I stretch a bit and always incorporate a quick warm-up routine. I mostly grab my sticks and sit in a chair for these, drumming on my thighs. Ideally, I recommend using a practice pad on a snare drum stand, a drum stool at a proper height, and a wooden floor to tap your feet on. Just use what you have at your disposal!

Best of luck, and happy drumming! -Z