How To Play Jazz Drums In A Band

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Learn how to play Jazz drums in a band with 100+ pro tips for better comping, solos, grooves, feel, and sounding great in any group.

The Secrets of Jazz Drumming Course

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This course gives you the real secrets of Jazz drumming, teaching you how to play musically, listen to the band, and respond naturally in any Jazz setting.

You’ll learn:
  • Ride cymbal playing
  • Hi-hat control
  • Brushwork
  • Comping
  • Trading fours
  • Smooth, swinging drum fills
  • How to use space, dynamics, call-and-response, articulation, and melody to shape your drumming and connect with the music
  • How to recover from mistakes
  • How to transition between sections
  • How to choose what and when to play


By the end, you’ll have the confidence, control, and creativity to swing harder, support the music, and play Jazz drums with a natural, expressive feel.
Course Overview
Figuring out what to play in a band can be tricky but that’s exactly what these lessons are for. I’ll take you through the songs I play on a real gig and break down what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, and why it works.

You’ll get over 100 solid tips on how to play Jazz drums in a band so you can feel more confident, sound more musical, and enjoy playing with other musicians.
  • Drum Lessons Video: 5 hours
  • Drum Lessons: 14
  • Instructor Playing Examples: 6
  • PDF Page Downloads: 6
  • Drum Lab Monthly Drum Class
  • Lessons In 9 Languages:
    English, Deutsch, Français, Español, Italiano, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 한국어, 日本語

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If you’ve ever sat behind the kit thinking, “What the heck should I be playing right now?” you’re not alone. Figuring out how to play Jazz drums in a band can be super overwhelming. But once you start learning how to really listen, react, and play musically, everything changes. That’s what this course is all about.

I put together these lessons to show you exactly what I play at gigs. What I play, when I play it, and most importantly, why. You’ll learn how to sound like you belong in the band, not just behind it. If you’re gigging regularly, jamming with friends, or just getting started, this course is packed with the real stuff that helps you play great with other musicians.

What You’ll Learn

This isn’t just “learn this beat and that fill.” I’m walking you through how to play Jazz drums in a group setting. Learn comping, soloing, supporting the band, recovering from mistakes, and just grooving naturally with other players.

Here’s some of the stuff we’ll dig into:
 • Ride cymbal playing that actually swings
 • Hi-hat control and setup tips
 • Jazz brushwork that grooves
 • How to comp with space, dynamics, and feel
 • Trading fours without sounding robotic
 • Smooth, musical drum fills that connect with the music
 • How to play with the soloist, not against them
 • When to sit out, when to dig in
 • How to handle transitions and different song sections
 • Playing drums in a Jazz combo with confidence

You’ll also learn how to shape your playing with melody, call-and-response, dynamics, and articulation. So it actually fits the tune and lifts the whole band.

Over 100 Tips For How To Play Jazz Drums In A Band

Secrets of Jazz Drumming is a course where I walk you through exactly what I play on a real gig step by step. I’ll show you how to play Jazz drums in a band by breaking it all down into what I’m playing, when I’m playing it, and most importantly, why I’m playing it.

It’s like sitting behind me on stage and going through a set together. Along the way, you’ll pick up a ton of tips on how to sound great with other musicians.

  1. How to line up your limbs
  2. The role of your ride and hi-hat in Jazz
  3. How to leave space
  4. Hi-hat set up tips
  5. Easy and effective triplet drum fills
  6. My on-stage listening checklist
  7. How to play the Jazz Shuffle beat
  8. How to play a one-handed buzz roll
  9. How to match the articulation of the music
  10. The art of Jazz drums Comping
  11. Traditional vs. Matched grip
  12. How Jazz drumming is different from every other style
  13. Who you should listen to on the bandstand
  14. Inverted Paradiddle Drum Fill
  15. How to tripletizing the inverted paradiddle
  16. How to anticipate and join in musical moments
  17. The power of cymbal color
  18. How to choose musical moments (when to play and not to play)
  19. How to respond to the rhythm of the soloist
  20. Call and Response
  21. The powerful Triplet Accent Pattern
  22. How to crash cymbals
  23. Single Paradiddle fills
  24. How to use repetition
  25. When to imitate the soloist’s rhythm
  26. How to Recover from mistakes
  27. How to match dynamics
  28. How to use quarter note triplets
  29. How to use double-time feel
  30. How to know what to play for the melody
  31. My 25% rule for Jazz Drumming
  32. How to match dynamics of improvised kicks
  33. How to make your ride playing swing harder
  34. Quoting melodies of famous Jazz tunes
  35. How to trade fours on the drums
  36. How to use melodic drumming during fours
  37. How to sing your solos
  38. How to shape your solos with dynamics
  39. Tips for using hemiola patterns in your solos
  40. Tips for clean double stroke rolls
  41. How to use double stroke rolls around the drums
  42. Transition drumming
  43. How to play Samba Brushes
  44. Bass drum technique
  45. How to embellish the Samba Brushes groove
  46. Using drum fills to mark the song form
  47. How to use rhythmic Tension
  48. Double-time caution
  49. Leaving space for the soloist
  50. Importance of musical support
  51. How to recover from mistakes with bossa/samba
  52. Using foot ostinatos
  53. How to use the single stroke 4
  54. How to move from brushes to sticks
  55. How to play stick flams
  56. How to choke cymbals
  57. How to use the push-pull/drop-catch technique
  58. How to deadstick
  59. How to transition from section to section
  60. The kind of musicians you should play with
  61. Drumming with hands
  62. When to use drum sticks or drum brushes
  63. How to play 4/4 and 3/4 Swing on the drums
  64. Ballad drum brushes playing
  65. Latin drumming
  66. How to play straight 8ths/ECM drum grooves
  67. How to play smooth and swinging drum fills
  68. How to play drums with the other instruments in the band
  69. Jazz Standard Song form
  70. And many more...

Playing Jazz Drums With Other Musicians

One of the hardest things about playing Jazz drums with a band is knowing what to play in the moment. Do you support the soloist? Should you lay back or build? What if you mess up? I’ve been there and this course shows you how to handle all of that.

You’ll get over 100 tips I’ve learned from playing with amazing musicians around the world. These are the same ideas that helped me become a go-to drummer in Seattle, Honolulu, and Osaka. And now they’re all yours.

Plus, we’ll talk about some often-overlooked stuff too, like:

 • How to actually listen to the other musicians
 • Who to lock in with and when
 • The 25% rule that keeps your playing musical, not cluttered
 • What it means to “shape” a solo with your drums
 • How to use repetition, quotes, and space to sound more pro

This course is basically everything I wish someone had taught me when I was trying to figure out how to play Jazz drums live.

Styles We’ll Cover

You’ll get to try out a bunch of different feels that come up all the time when you’re playing Jazz drums in a group. Here’s what we’ll play:

 • 4/4 Swing (the heart of it all)
 • 3/4 Jazz Waltz
 • Afro-Cuban grooves in 3/4 (or 9/8)
 • Ballads with brushes
 • Brazilian Samba (with brushes and sticks)
 • Straight 8ths / ECM-style playing

Each lesson shows you how to play these grooves with a band—so you’re not just learning the beat, you’re learning the musical context.

Why This Course Works

This course is focused. No endless fills you’ll never use. Just practical stuff that’ll help you sound good with a band. If you’re just getting started or looking to clean up your comping and fills, you’ll get better at playing Jazz drums with other musicians in real-world situations.

And don’t worry, this isn’t about becoming some chops monster. It’s about playing music, connecting with the band, and having way more fun behind the kit.

Who It’s For

If you’re just getting started, this course will help you kick things off the right way focusing on making real music, not just random drumming. And if you’re already out there gigging or hitting jam sessions but feel like something’s missing, this will help you lock in your playing.

Still getting your feet wet? I’d recommend starting with the Intro To Jazz Drumming Course, then circling back here once you’re ready to go deeper.

Ready To Play Better In A Band?

If you’re tired of just playing beats and want to start actually making music with your drumming, this course will get you there.


You’ll learn how to play Jazz drums in a band in a way that feels natural, expressive, and fun. And you’ll get all the little tips that make a big difference on stage.

I can’t wait to share all of this with you. Let’s get swinging.

PREVIEW THE COURSE

Here is one of the lessons on how to accompany a piano solo.  You'll learn how to play with the sax, piano and bass in a variety of feels and meters when you enroll in the course. This is an essential course for how to play Jazz drums in a band. 

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Jazz Drums Total Lessons Pack

From clueless to gig-ready! Start from scratch and groove your way up to advanced Jazz drumming. Grab all my courses to go from your first beat to stealing the show!

Includes the Secrets of Jazz Drumming course!
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The Secrets of Jazz Drumming Lessons

Learn how to play Jazz drums in a band.

1. INTRODUCTION 01:21

4/4 Jazz Swing Blues Groove

2. RED'S BLUES - Sax Solo 56:50
3. RED'S BLUES - Piano Solo 11:35
4. RED'S BLUES - Drums Trading 4's 12:23
5. RED'S BLUES (SAX, PIANO, DRUMS SOLOS) 06:44

Jazz Samba Drumming

6. 26-2 - Piano Solo 32:07
7. 26-2 - Sax Solo 11:49
8. 26-2 - Bass Solo 07:56
9. 26-2 - (SAX, PIANO, BASS SOLOS) 06:04

3/4 Jazz Swing and 9/8 (3/4) Afro-Cuban Latin Beats

10. RAIN WALTZ - Piano Solo 37:57
11.  RAIN WALTZ - Sax Solo 10:05
12. RAIN WALTZ - Bass Solo 06:31
13. RAIN WALTZ (SAX, PIANO, BASS SOLOS) 08:01

Straight 8ths/ECM Groove

14. SAIL AWAY - Piano Solo 24:15
15. SAIL AWAY (PIANO SOLO) 03:38

Jazz Ballad Drumming

16. STAR-CROSSED LOVERS - Sax, Piano, Bass Solos 24:45
17. STAR-CROSSED LOVERS (SAX, PIANO, BASS SOLOS) 05:20

4/4 Jazz Swing 16-Measure Song

18. DOXY - Sax, Piano, Bass, Drums 38:48
19. DOXY (SAX, PIANO, BASS, DRUMS SOLOS) 07:14

Conclusion

20. CONCLUSION 00:37

Secrets of Jazz Drumming Course Reviews

I bought the the Secrets to Jazz Drumming and love this course. Really well done - lots of great tips - information.

Wayne C.
The lessons were well-structured and Von's passion for Jazz drumming is infectious.  Overall, I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to improve their Jazz drumming skills.

Isabel G.

The Secrets of Jazz Drumming Course

FOCUSED

This course saves you time and money by focusing on the most important skills you need for how to play Jazz drums in a band.

At the end of this course, you will understand how to play Jazz drums in real musical situations.

You'll develop essential drumming skills through:
  • 5 hours of online drum lessons
  • 14 instruction videos 
  • 6 Instructor demonstration videos 
  • 6 drum lesson PDF's.
  • Drum Lab Monthly Drum Class

AFFORDABLE

One-Time Payment. Lifetime Access to your course. Pay once, drum forever!

Pocket-friendly subscription plans also available through Groove Pass. 

PAINLESS

Learn with a relaxed, step-by-step method at your own pace.

You can also track your progress and see how much you have accomplished. Example below is from the Brushes Mastery Course.

Need a little more help with how to play Jazz drums in a band?

Send me a direct message in the School and ask your questions in my monthly Drum Lab class. Just some of the perks for joining Jazz Drum School! 

Von Baron

Jazz drummer, educator, composer

About YOUR TEACHER

Performing regularly on stage and in the recording studio for 35+ years, Von Baron is one of the busiest drummers in Japan. 

Playing with Stanley Jordan, Benny Golson, Eddie Henderson, Geoff Keezer and many others gave Von the opportunity to hone his Jazz drumming skills. 

It's with this real world experience, Von created this course to give you a solid foundation for your Jazz drumming.
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Kobe, Japan

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