Secrets of Jazz Drumming

Learn to use over 100 pro Jazz drummer tips and tricks for how to play Jazz drums in a band. Play great in any Jazz group.

Click to watch.

Learn how to play Jazz drums in a band and play great in any Jazz group. Over 100 pro Jazz drummer tips for better comping, soloing, grooves, feel and a lot more.

The Secrets of Jazz Drumming Course

  • Instructor: Von Baron
  • Level: Beginner-Advanced
  • Study time: 5 hours
Write your awesome label here.
Course Overview
In this course, I walk you through the songs I play on one of my gigs. You'll learn what, how and why I'm playing what I'm playing.

This course has more than 100 tips for how to play Jazz drums in a band and play great in any Jazz group. These are the same tips I have used to become a first call drummer in Seattle, Honolulu and Osaka, Japan, and you can use them too!

  • Drum Lessons Video: 5 hours
  • Drum Lessons: 8
  • Instructor Playing Examples: 6
  • PDF Downloads: 6
  • Drum Lab Monthly Drum Class

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

Secrets of Jazz Drumming is a course of innovative drum lessons that walk you step-by-step through what I play in an actual live performance. I'll teach you exactly how to play Jazz drums in a band by breaking down for you what I play, when I play it and why I play it.  Through this series of online drum lessons you'll learn:

  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 tons more...

Drum Lessons That Teach You Music Too

Drum lessons online at other sites usually focus only on how to play drum beats and drum fills. They don't help you learn how to play Jazz drums in a band and in real musical situations. My Secrets course and every course change all of that. Now you can use the secrets of the greatest Jazz drummers and play great with other musicians.

This course is ideal for beginner to advanced skill level drummers.  If you are looking for beginner Jazz drum lessons, I encourage you to also check out my Intro To Jazz Drumming Course.  

When you finish my Secrets of Jazz Drumming course, you'll know what to play and when to play it.  These drum lessons will help you be your best behind the drums in almost any Jazz drumming situation. 

The great part about learning these secrets, is you can use them in other styles of drumming too.  Even if you play Rock or Funk drums, these secrets will make you a better drummer. 

Learning How To Play Jazz Drums In A Band

Another benefit of learning how to play Jazz drums in a band with this course is, you will have a lot more fun because you'll know what's going on in the music around you. You will feel so much more a part of the music. 

Jazz drumming is also really a World Music style of playing because we use beats from all around the globe. In this course alone, you'll learn 6 of the most important drumming styles we play in Jazz drums:

  • 4/4 Swing
  • 3/4 Swing
  • 9/8 or 3/4 Afro-Cuban
  • Jazz Ballad
  • Samba
  • Straight 8ths/ECM


After you finish these drum lessons you may want to go deeper.  Check out my Brushes Mastery Course to learn more about drumming with brushes in various styles of music.

My Afro-Cuban Latin Drumming Course and Brazilian Drumming Course will also improve your drummer independence and give you many new grooves you can play on the bandstand.

I'm looking forward to sharing over 100 powerful drumming secrets with you today!

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. 
Write your awesome label here.

COMPLETE COURSE PACKS

Write your awesome label here.

8 Courses including this one + Drum Lab

BEGINNER JAZZ DRUMS COMPLETE COURSE PACK

Learn everything you need from scratch in this course pack (including the Secrets of Jazz Drumming course) to get swinging on your drums. Save yourself 45% too while you're building a rock solid Jazz drumming foundation. 

Write your awesome label here.

8 Courses + Drum Lab

INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED JAZZ DRUMS COMPLETE COURSE PACK

This course pack covers everything you need to get you out there playing with other musicians. Enjoy 45% off while you sharpen your Jazz drumming skills.

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—and save 50% while you’re at it!
Easy as one, two or three

Pay one time or choose your plan

Monthly Groove Pass

$39.95/Month
Dive into the world of Jazz drumming using the Monthly Groove Pass. Every course is within reach with an affordable monthly investment in your passion!
  • Full access to over 300 lessons
  • Ask Von Baron questions anytime
  • Free monthly Drum Lab class
  • Track your drumming progress
  • Try it for a day for free

6-Month Groove Pass

$160/6-month
Discover your Jazz drumming brilliance with the 6-Month Groove Pass— access all courses for a budget-friendly semi-annual investment in you!
  • 2 months free
  • Full access to over 300 lessons
  • Ask Von Baron questions anytime
  • Free monthly Drum Lab class
  • Track your drumming progress
  • Try it for a day for free

Annual Groove Pass

$280/Yearly
Immerse yourself in the universe of Jazz drumming through the Annual Groove Pass! All courses are at your fingertips with a budget-friendly yearly commitment to your musical journey!
  • 5 months free
  • Full access to over 300 lessons
  • Ask Von Baron questions anytime
  • Free monthly Drum Lab class
  • Track your drumming progress
  • Try it for a day for free

THE LESSONS

01 COURSE INTRO

The most important Jazz drumming skills you need to know
  • INTRODUCTION 01:21

02 4/4 JAZZ SWING BLUES

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

03 JAZZ SAMBA

  • 26-2 - Piano Solo 32:07
  • 26-2 - Sax Solo 11:49
  • 26-2 - Bass Solo 07:56
  • 26-2 (SAX, PIANO, BASS SOLOS) 06:04

04 3/4 JAZZ SWING & 9/8 (3/4) AFRO-CUBAN LATIN BEATS

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

05 STRAIGHT 8THS/ECM FEEL

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

06 JAZZ BALLAD

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

07 4/4 JAZZ SWING 16-MEASURE

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

08 COURSE CONCLUSION

  • CONCLUSION

Drum Lessons Power Pack

Get the Secrets course on how to play Jazz drums in a band + 3 more at a huge discount!  Focused Jazz drumming lessons for beginner to advanced drummers.

Get swinging at an incredible price!

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.

Other Courses Recommended In This Course

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
  • 8 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.
Created with