For a bigger playing area, turn your phone sideways or open full screen.
Space kick · S snare · A side stick · E/W hi-hat · C pedal · T Y J toms · Q crash · U splash · K china · O ride · I ride bell · F clap · G cowbell · V tambourine · The snare rim plays side stick, the middle of the ride plays the bell
RHYTHM PATTERNS
A rhythm that plays along with the metronome.
If the metronome is on, the pattern comes in at the start of the next bar; if you switch the metronome on while the pattern plays, it locks to the beat. Tap a cell to add a hit: normal → accented → soft → empty.
A LITTLE GUIDE
How do you play the online drum kit?
Hit the drums with your mouse, your fingers or the keyboard. The kick (bass drum) is on Space, the snare on S, and the hi-hat on E (closed) and W (open). Tapping the hi-hat pedal (C) opens or closes it; hitting the hi-hat while the pedal is open gives the open sound. Hits near the middle of a drum head sound stronger. On a phone you can play with several fingers at once, and slide your finger across the drums to hit them one after another.
First exercise: a basic rock beat
Turn the metronome on at 80 BPM. Play E (hi-hat) on every beat, Space (kick) on beats 1 and 3, and S (snare) on beats 2 and 4. If it’s tricky, start the basic Rock pattern and listen first, then add your own hits on top.
DRUMS AND RHYTHM GUIDE
Drum kit, rhythm and tempo: the basics
The main parts of a drum kit
Bass drum (kick): the big, lowest drum, played with a foot pedal. Space bar in Melokta.
Snare drum: the wires underneath give it a sharp “crack”. S key.
Hi-hat: two cymbals opened and closed with a pedal; short when closed, ringing when open. E (closed), W (open), C (pedal).
Toms: drums tuned to different pitches; the floor tom is the lowest.
Cymbals: the crash for accents, the ride for a steady pattern.
Rhythm and tempo
Tempo is the speed of the music, measured in beats per minute (BPM): 60 BPM is one beat every second. In 4/4 time each bar has four quarter-note beats, and the first beat feels a little stronger. Eighth notes split each beat in two.
Basic beats
Pulse: hit the bass drum once on every beat and count: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Backbeat: play the snare on beats 2 and 4.
Basic rock beat: hi-hat on every beat, bass drum on beats 1 and 3, snare on beats 2 and 4.
When you are ready, play the hi-hat in eighth notes: “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and”.
How to use a metronome
Start with a slow tempo (60–80 BPM) and try to play exactly together with the clicks. When the beat feels steady, raise the tempo by 5–10 BPM. Even timing comes before speed: when the click “disappears” under your beat, you are right on time.
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