Our list of some of the best Jazz Drum books & series in recent years. Get inspired by one or more of the following books.
- Berklee Jazz Drums (2018)
- Mel Bay Studio: Jazz Drum Cookbook (2015)
- Essential Elements For Jazz Drums Bk/online media (Instrumental Jazz) (Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble) (2000)
- Jazz Standards for Drumset: A Comprehensive Guide to Authentic Jazz Playing Using 12 Must-Know Tunes (2006)
- Jazz Drumming: Step By Step (2017)
- Alfred Jazz Play-Along — Swingin’ Now, Vol 2: Rhythm Section (Piano, Bass, Drum Set), Book & MP3 CD (Alfred Jazz Play-Along Series) (2011)
- W31D – Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method: Drums (1998)
- Jazz Conception: Drums (21 complete transcriptions) (2015)
- Easy Jazz Favorites: Drums, Level 2 (Easy Jazz Ensemble) (1998)
- Easy Jazz Conception — Drums: 15 Etudes for Jazz Rhythm Section (English/German Language Edition) (Book & CD) (2015)
- 4-Way Coordination: A Development of Complete Independence on the Drum Set (1985)
- The Conga and Bongo Drum in Jazz (2016)
- Duke Ellington – Drums: Big Band Play-Along Volume 3 (2008)
- Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums, Book & CD (Manhattan Music Publications) (1993)
- W75D – First Place For Jazz – Drums (2011)
- Related YouTube Video
Berklee Jazz Drums (2018)
(Berklee Guide). Play jazz with tremendous facility and authentic vocabulary. Learn to develop your own sound, perform a wide variety of essential jazz time feels, and improvise dynamic fills and solos, taught in the tradition of Alan Dawson and other Berklee luminaries of drum education.
Mel Bay Studio: Jazz Drum Cookbook (2015)
Enormous demands are placed on the control and manual dexterity of the contemporary drum set player, particularly in the Jazz idiom. Today’s drummer is expected to have developed limb coordination to a degree that would have been thought unachievable a few short years ago.
Essential Elements For Jazz Drums Bk/online media (Instrumental Jazz) (Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble) (2000)
Designed to teach jazz basics to students with 1-2 years playing experience (but no prior experience playing jazz), Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble is great for individual or classroom use.
Jazz Standards for Drumset: A Comprehensive Guide to Authentic Jazz Playing Using 12 Must-Know Tunes (2006)
(Percussion). In this book with online audio access package, Brian Fullen teaches the essentials of jazz drumming through the use of twelve classic jazz tunes, including Real Book -type lead sheets and play-along tracks. The book includes a complete background on multiple jazz styles including Bebop, Jazz Waltz, Latin and Fusion; essential jazz terminology with definitions and usage; and an extensive reference section, including recommended recordings, books and DVD/videos.
Jazz Drumming: Step By Step (2017)
Jazz Drumming: Step By Step is a comprehensive approach to developing jazz drumming skills. In addition to the standard comping and coordination exercises that one would find in other jazz drumming books, jazz history, ear training, vocalizing, and creative challenges are arranged throughout the book. The skills and knowledge that you will gain from applying yourself to this book will make you a more musical drummer, informed by history and a musical ear.
Alfred Jazz Play-Along — Swingin’ Now, Vol 2: Rhythm Section (Piano, Bass, Drum Set), Book & MP3 CD (Alfred Jazz Play-Along Series) (2011)
The Alfred Jazz Play-Along Series for Rhythm Section goes beyond the other play-alongs. The rhythm section book has written out parts for piano, bass, and drumset to show comping suggestions. In addition, each of the nine jazz standards includes the melody and a sample jazz solo written out for you to listen to, play, and practice. The included MP3 disc has a demo track and a play-along track for each tune for piano, bass, and drums.
W31D – Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method: Drums (1998)
Minimum instrumentation for method effectiveness 2-XE, 1-XB, 2-TP, 1-TB, 1-P, 1-B, 1-D The SOE Jazz Ensemble Method is designed for use by mid, JR, HS, community jazz ensembles, and in the private studio. the book is divided into three sections, each representing a different jazz style: rock, swing, and Latin.
Jazz Conception: Drums (21 complete transcriptions) (2015)
Exact transcriptions, as played by Kenny Washington, plus 21 drum lead sheets. See and hear how a well-known drummer phrases, articulates, and plays along with or without the soloist on the CD. Titles: Groove Blues * Amen * A Doll * Total Blues * Grease * Rose * Joe’s Thing * Proxy * Father Song * Ind Line * Miles * Blue Minor * Autumn * Frieds * Great Love * Two Plus Two * Lunar * Tunisia * Bird Blues * Somewhere * Passage.
Easy Jazz Favorites: Drums, Level 2 (Easy Jazz Ensemble) (1998)
Includes: Ain’t Misbehavin’; All the Things You Are; Blue Train (Blue Trane); Caravan; Chameleon; Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words); The Girl from Ipanema (Garota De Ipanema); In the Mood; Inside Out; Milestones; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; One Note Samba (Samba De Uma Nota So); Route 66; St. Louis Blues; When I Fall in Love.
Easy Jazz Conception — Drums: 15 Etudes for Jazz Rhythm Section (English/German Language Edition) (Book & CD) (2015)
An exciting and unique way for drummers to learn and practice how to play in a jazz rhythm section and how to accompany a jazz soloist. This set features 15 solo etudes based on blues and standard chord progressions, demonstrated by different soloists and a world-class rhythm section. Play-along tracks feature a rhythm section minus the drums.
4-Way Coordination: A Development of Complete Independence on the Drum Set (1985)
Proficiency as a drummer has always come from great hand dexterity. However, with the introduction of modern drumming techniques, it has become increasingly necessary to gain complete independence of both the hands and feet. With various rhythmic exercises in easy-to-read notation, 4-Way Coordination is designed to guide the drummer from simple patterns to advanced polyrhythms.
The Conga and Bongo Drum in Jazz (2016)
The Conga and Bongo Drum in Jazz by Trevor Salloum with Bobby Sanabria MB #30512 The first book ever published on how to play the conga and bongo drum in jazz. This text is an essential tool for band teachers and drummers playing Latin Percussion in jazz with special emphasis on swing. Includes chapters on history, description, tuning, position/posture, notation, strokes, rhythms, etc.
Duke Ellington – Drums: Big Band Play-Along Volume 3 (2008)
(Big Band Play-Along). This pack lets instrumentalists play along with a big band to 10 swinging classics, including: Caravan * Chelsea Bridge * Cotton Tail * I’m Beginning to See the Light * I’m Just a Lucky So and So * In a Mellow Tone * In a Sentimental Mood * Mood Indigo * Satin Doll * Take the “A” Train.
Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums, Book & CD (Manhattan Music Publications) (1993)
Designed for drummers and bass players, this book/CD lays out a step-by-step approach to combining Afro-Cuban rhythms with rock, funk and jazz.
W75D – First Place For Jazz – Drums (2011)
First Place for Jazz is a comprehensive jazz curriculum built from the ground up essential for implementing the jazz ensemble curriculum. The book is divided into three sections by key: Concert Bb, F, and Eb. Within each section the major, Mixolydian, Dorian, and blues scales and correlated chords of that key are introduced through Jazz Starters, Rhythm Section Spotlights, and Rhythm Sectionals.
Best Jazz Drum Books to Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some jazz drum books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Women Drummers: A History from Rock and Jazz to Blues and Country
Author(s): Smith, Angela
ID: 2764836, Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Year: 2014, Size: 10 Mb, Format: epub
Women drummers: a history from rock and jazz to blues and country
Author(s): Smith, Angela
ID: 2764838, Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Year: 2014, Size: 4 Mb, Format: pdf
World Jazz Drumming
Author(s): Mark Walker
ID: 3213401, Publisher: Berklee Press, Year: 2009, Size: 3 Mb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not final. Some books are absolutely record-breakers according to USA Today, others are written by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.