I recently got a question over on Instagram asking me a very common and simple question, “what exercises should I work on to improve coordination?” To try and answer this for the person, I immediately went to my website (the very one you are reading now) to find a post I’ve made to help people improve their drum set coordination. Nothing. So I went to my YouTube channel to send a link to a video I’ve made on coordination exercises. Still – nothing. So this post is here to cure the problem of not having a lesson for you all that teaches how to improve drum set coordination and independence. To do so we will be using a method book loved by many – Ted Reed’s Syncopation.

Now, upon hearing that we will be using Syncopation many of you might react with, “wait, I don’t want to learn jazz drumming.” Most people only ever hear about Ted Reed’s infamous method book when they begin to learn jazz coordination. While this book is incredible for learning Jazz coordination and independence, that isn’t how we will be using it today. We are going to use the same system many instructors have used for learning Jazz, but work with patterns that are geared toward general drum set playing – not jazz specific. The value of working through a system is that it allows you to avoid learning 100 different patterns to accomplish a goal. Let me explain.

Most people who want to improve coordination go out and learn a Latin groove, an advanced Funk groove, a jazz groove, some polyrhythmic rock groove, and about 100 other grooves and fills. Yes, learning all of those different grooves and fills might help our coordination – but there is no system. There is no order. We are just randomly hunting around for newer and newer things that will hopefully improve our coordination. If we can develop a system that is predictable and easily expandable, we simply have to learn that system, and then work through it. Working through a system will yield quicker results and give our brains a much easier time digesting, categorizing, and learning information.

Check out the video above and download the sheet music below if you have ever wanted to improve your coordination and independence. I know first-hand that finding a system to improve your weaknesses is a much more efficient and successful way to work. I hope you’ll give this one a shot!