How to play the virtual drums
- Tap a pad to hear it. On your phone, you can use several fingers at once, for example to play the hi-hat and bass drum together.
- On your computer, use the letters on each pad. Q W E R for the top row, A S D F for the middle and B or the space bar for the bass drum.
- Turn on Basic rock or Disco in “Play along with a groove” and add your own hits, a crash at the start of each measure or a tom fill.
- If you'd rather keep time yourself, open the metronome in another tab and play along with the click.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Drum kit part |
|---|---|
| Q | Crash |
| W | Tom 1 (highest-pitched) |
| E | Tom 2 |
| R | Ride |
| A | Open hi-hat |
| S | Closed hi-hat |
| D | Snare drum |
| F | Floor tom |
| B or the space bar | Bass drum |
Parts of the drum kit
- Bass drum: the large drum on the floor, played with a pedal and your right foot. It marks the strong beats.
- Snare: the drum in the center, with wires stretched underneath that give it a crisp, bright sound. In most grooves, it plays on beats 2 and 4.
- Hi-hat: two cymbals that open and close with a pedal under your left foot. Closed, the sound is short. Open, it's long and bright. It keeps the pulse in almost every groove.
- Toms: the two drums mounted over the bass drum and the lower-pitched floor tom. They're mainly used in fills at the end of a phrase.
- Crash: the cymbal you strike hard to mark the start of a section or an ending.
- Ride: the large cymbal used to keep time with steady hits in place of the hi-hat.
Your first groove, basic rock
It's the first pattern almost every drummer learns, with eighth notes on the hi-hat, snare on beats 2 and 4, and bass drum on 1 and 3. Count out loud “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” and play like this (● marks a hit).
| Part (key) | 1 | and | 2 | and | 3 | and | 4 | and |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closed hi-hat S | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Snare drum D | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · |
| Bass drum B | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
Turn on Basic rock to listen and watch which pads light up. Then try playing it yourself, slowly at first. Speed comes with practice. This pattern and four others (ballad, disco, shuffle and cumbia) are broken down beat by beat in first drum grooves.
Practice with a metronome and Colombian rhythms
Once your basic rock groove is steady, set a fixed tempo with the online metronome and gradually speed it up. For Colombian rhythms, each metronome page has the time signature, a reference tempo and accents ready to go.
- Metronome for bambuco
- Metronome for pasillo
- Metronome for guabina
- Metronome for cumbia
- Metronome for porro
- Metronome for vallenato (paseo)
- Metronome for joropo
- Metronome for currulao
What's next?
The virtual drums help you understand what each part of the kit plays and build coordination. To play with drumsticks, develop good technique and protect your wrists, a teacher makes a big difference. Gissi offers drum and percussion lessons at home in Bogotá or live online.
Frequently asked questions
Can you learn drums with a virtual drum kit?
It's a great way to start. You learn how each part of the kit sounds, understand how grooves fit together and build coordination. But it doesn't replace playing with drumsticks. Rebound, stroke strength and pedal footwork take practice on a real drum kit or practice pad. To take the next step, see how to choose a drum kit or cajón to get started.
How many pieces are in a drum kit?
A standard five-piece drum kit has a bass drum, snare, two toms mounted over the bass drum and a floor tom. Cymbals are counted separately. A typical setup has a hi-hat, crash and ride. That's the kit you have here.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes, with several fingers at once. You can play hi-hat, snare and bass drum together. If there's no sound, turn up the media volume and, on iPhone, check the silent switch. Wired headphones have less delay than Bluetooth headphones.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It works in your phone or computer browser, with no downloads or sign-up. Sounds are generated on your own device, so once the page loads, they don't depend on your connection.
What's the difference between open and closed hi-hat?
With the pedal pressed, the two hi-hat cymbals touch, making a short, crisp sound. Lift your foot and they separate, making a long, bright sound. On this kit, a closed hi-hat hit cuts off an open one, just like pressing the pedal.