Jazz Drum Lessons

Learn to play the drums – Jazz

Jazz originated in the late 1890s and early 1900s in the Southern United States, specifically in New Orleans. It is believed that the early Jazz artists married the sounds of traditional American/European classical music with the folk songs and influences of West Africa creating Ragtime. One of the great aspects of Jazz music is the importance of improvisation which allows for musical experimentation and exploration. This improvisation encourages interaction, collaboration, and freedom of expression which lead many artists down different roads musically creating many different versions of Jazz music. Jazz has sub-genres based on where it originated like Kansas City Jazz and West Coast Jazz even Asian Jazz. There are eccentric versions like Jazz Rock, Acid Jazz, Ska Jazz, Jazz Funk, and Avant-garde Jazz along with the more traditional and well known genres of Ragtime, Dixieland, Swing, Bossa Nova, and Smooth Jazz.

Jazz has produced some of the most famous musicians in the world like Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie. Jazz has also influenced most other forms of music including Rock n Roll, Country, R&B, Hip Hop, among others. Like Louie Armstrong said, “Hot can be cool, and cool can be hot, and each can be both. But hot or cool, man, jazz is jazz.”

Lets get started playing some cool Jazz!

Jim has listed the skills that you will need to learn to play Jazz on the drums. Click/tap on the following lesson pages to get started.