It’s official: Finger drumming has entered the mainstream. It’s been a well-used art-form wielded by music producers in the Hip-Hop, Electronic, R&B and even Pop genres for a while now. But prominent artists like Fred Again & Charlie Puth, and leading musical figures with huge followings online, like Beats by Jblack and David “Finger” Haynes, have galvanised fresh respect and appreciation for this creative discipline. This reinvigorated movement has inspired a new generation of aspiring finger drummers.
If you’re one of those budding finger drummers, we’ve got you covered with this article covering the essential equipment you’ll need to get started, the core techniques to master, and guidance on how to start building your finger drumming chops.
To dive into the world of finger drumming, you'll need a few critical key pieces of equipment that will enhance your ability to produce and manipulate beats precisely. Here's a breakdown of the essential gear:
Let’s start with the device you’ll actually be finger drumming with! You have two main options here; a pad controller or a MIDI keyboard.
The pad controller is designed specifically for finger drumming, with responsive and durable pads that can withstand heavy use. They will typically feature more pads than MIDI keyboards and those pads are usually larger & therefore more easy to hit.
MIDI keyboards with pads offer you the option to use one device to lay down drum parts and layer over chords and melodies. You can also finger drum on the keys of a MIDI if that’s your preference. The pads on a MIDI keyboard are usually not as sensitive, are less hard wearing and there're typically less pads included than a pad controller.
The decision is down to personal preference. Purists will say go for the Pad Controller, but beginners could try the MIDI keyboard which will give you the option to learn other production skills such as chords, melodies, baselines while also getting to grips with the basics of finger drumming.
A DAW will enable you to lay down your beats, loop, quantize, and add filters & effects to the sound of your drums. It will also provide a visualisation of the beats you’ve played and help you identify where you’re out of time, or where rogue notes have been played.
You’ll also be able to layer beats and build up your drum tracks to create more complicated patterns.
We wrote this article on the best DAWs for beginners to provide more guidance.
We couldn’t resist the self-plug here. We’ve developed a series of lessons to help beginner finger drummers take their first steps towards mastery. By following our ‘Guided Path’ you’ll learn key concepts & techniques through our easy to follow lessons. Simply connect your controller or MIDI, load up the lessons and start playing along. We’ll provide live feedback on your performance and help you identify how you can improve as a finger drummer.
Pads are an incredibly versatile instrument. They can be used to play anything from complex rhythmic patterns, to melodies and chord progressions. Your hand position and technique will change depending on the context, but it’s important to get the fundamentals right first.
Keep your wrists up, don’t rest them on your table or controller. You will find this is far less strenuous on your wrists over longer periods, and you will be able to play with more precision and speed.
Keep your hands in a relaxed, natural position. Your fingers should be curved so that you’re hitting the pads with the very tips of your fingers, rather than the centre of your fingers. You’ll need to keep your nails trimmed!
Use a combination of finger and downwards wrist motion when hitting the pads, stay loose, and maintain good posture.
For rhythmic finger drumming, focus on bouncing your fingers off the pads instead of pressing them like buttons. This will help develop your speed and allow you to easily move between pads with more precision and less fatigue.
If you’re playing a linear pattern, i.e, just using two fingers, there are a few different techniques, each with their pros and cons.
Good for accuracy, but you’ll need to rotate your wrists slightly inwards to play which can become strenuous over time.
Your middle finger has the most stability and power. Your wrists will rest in a more comfortable, natural position.
A combination of the two above methods, use both your middle and forefinger together. This reinforces your forefinger, allowing you to play with more speed and accuracy with less fatigue.
While playing linear patterns like this, you may be tempted to ball the rest of your fingers up into a fist. Practice with all your fingers extended naturally – this will come in handy when the time comes to utilise all your digits.
Here's a quick overview of our top exercises for practicing and building strength and coordination in finger drumming:
There’s nothing like getting hands-on with an instrument when first starting out. It will help you get a feel and instinct for how the pads work, and react to your finger taps. We are strong advocates for more structured learning, but on day one have some fun with your pads; Open up your DAW, load up a kit and start experimenting. Focus on the timing, velocity & arrangement of the pads. This will give you a more intuitive sense of how the pads are played when you start your learning journey.
Maintaining the correct posture while playing pads is crucial in minimising strain and injury. A good start is setting the height and position of your seat relative to your controller.
Seat distance – Position your seat back from your controller and sit forward near the edge of the seat. This will help you to be less rigid and promote a naturally straight back.
Seat height – Set your seat height so that your forearms are parallel to your controller. If your seat is too low, your shoulders and back will have to work overtime. If you’re too high it will cause unnecessary stress in your forearms and wrists.
Don’t be too rigid. Maintaining a fixed posture can lead to injury, so feel the groove and move with the music. However you do that is up to you – by tapping your foot, bobbing your head, or rocking your body – as long as you are consciously trying to embody the music, you’ll feel more comfortable and your timing and feel will strengthen.
Sit forward on your seat, upright, and shoulders back. Stay nice and relaxed.
Hand coordination is a fundamental aspect of finger drumming. An effective exercise to improve your control and dexterity involves practicing with different fingers on the fulcrum, such as switching from your first finger and thumb to your middle finger and thumb. This helps in isolating finger movements which are crucial for precise drumming. Additionally, engaging exercises like playing on your forearms with your sticks turned around can significantly boost your awareness of finger extension and retraction. For those looking to refine their technique, practicing rapid fire triggers where the stick bounces back up as your fingers push it down can be particularly beneficial.
When starting out, it's important to establish a strong foundation with simple patterns. One basic approach is to play a kick on every quarter note while muting other sounds, which helps in building timing and coordination. As you progress, incorporating both hands can add complexity and enrich your rhythms. For instance, playing pads simultaneously with different hands or sequentially can create dynamic beats. Furthermore, exploring rudiments like alternating hand patterns (right-left-right-left) and other combinations on the pad can lead to a more versatile playing style.
By integrating these techniques into your practice, you'll not only enhance your finger drumming skills but also prepare for more advanced performances. Remember, the key to mastery is consistency and gradual progression in the complexity of the patterns you play.
If you’re ready for a more guided and hands-on approach to mastering finger drumming then there are various online finger drumming courses available. At Melodics we’ve developed the fastest and most effective way to learn finger drumming. Learn basic timings to more advanced finger independence through our guided path & take on challenging techniques and song play-alongs. Learn more here.
There are endless videos on YouTube showcasing epic drummers like Stro Elliot, Jeremey Ellis, David “Fingers” Haynes & many more. Find the finger drummers that resonate with you from a style, sound and competency perspective. Look at their drum placements, techniques and timings. As a beginner you’ll want to keep things slow, start by understanding the sequences of the beats and then build up the tempo.
If you’re looking for more instructional videos, on the Melodics channel we publish simple breakdowns for classic & trending songs. Check out our lesson for ‘Million Dollar Baby’ by Tommy Richman:
Check out our full playlist of beat tutorials
For beginners wondering where to start, the blank canvas can be intimidating. We recommend breaking things down, starting with the basics and progressively introducing more challenging elements when you’re comfortable. Here are 5 techniques to help guide you through the first stages of your finger drumming journey.
Proper finger placement helps in executing patterns more efficiently. Correct positioning ensures minimal strain and maximizes control over the pads.
Practice Tip: Ensure your fingers are relaxed and positioned to easily reach multiple pads without excessive movement. Keep your wrists slightly elevated and your fingers curved to maintain comfort and agility during extended practice sessions.
Start with simple drum patterns such as the basic kick-snare-hat combination. Understanding the foundation of rhythm and timing is crucial. In the beginning, focusing on straightforward beats builds a solid base for more intricate patterns.
Practice Tip: Practice basic beats like a 4/4 rhythm, ensuring consistent timing with a metronome. This will help develop your sense of timing and rhythm, which is essential for all drumming techniques.
Develop the ability to use each hand independently to play different rhythms simultaneously. This skill allows for more complex and interesting patterns and is fundamental for advanced drumming.
Practice Tip: Work on exercises that separate hand roles, like playing a steady hi-hat pattern with one hand while alternating kicks and snares with the other. Start slow and gradually increase the tempo as you become more comfortable.
These techniques add complexity and dynamics to your drumming. Flams involve hitting two pads nearly simultaneously to create a thicker sound, while rolls are rapid successive hits that produce a continuous sound.
Practice Tip: Start slowly to ensure even spacing and gradually increase your speed. Use a metronome to maintain consistent timing and practice different combinations of flams and rolls to integrate them smoothly into your patterns.
Add variety and interest to your beats by playing notes off the main beats. Syncopation breaks up the regularity of patterns, making them sound more dynamic and engaging.
Practice Tip: Practice syncopated rhythms by shifting notes slightly off the expected beat. Use a metronome to help you keep track of the main beats and experiment with different placements of syncopated notes to develop a feel for this technique.
Melodics is the best way to learn finger drumming and have fun. Build your skills with our finger drumming lessons, exercises and tutorials whilst learning vital rhythms from the music you love.
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Real-time feedback every session You see exactly where your timing slips or your velocity's inconsistent, so you fix it now instead of months later.
How it works:
1. What equipment do you need to start finger drumming?
Three things: a pad controller or MIDI keyboard with pads, a DAW, and learning software like Melodics. If you're just getting started and want to explore music production broadly, a MIDI keyboard with pads (like the Akai MPK series) gives you versatility - finger drum on the pads, play chords on the keys. If you're serious about finger drumming specifically, a dedicated pad controller (like the Akai MPD or Native Instruments Maschine) offers better sensitivity, durability, and more pads to work with. Your DAW handles recording, looping, and editing your performances - Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro are all solid beginner-friendly options.
2. What is finger drumming and how do you get started?
Finger drumming is playing drum beats on electronic pads instead of acoustic drums - and it's become essential in hip-hop, electronic, and pop production (think Fred Again or Charlie Puth flipping beats live). To get started, just dive in: load a drum kit in your DAW and start tapping to feel how the pads respond to different pressures. Then build structure with lessons from Melodics or YouTube tutorials from legends like Jeremy Ellis and Stro Elliot. Start with simple patterns - kick on every quarter note, nothing else - and gradually layer complexity. The key is consistency: slow, accurate practice beats rushing through sloppy runs every time.
3. What's the difference between a pad controller and MIDI keyboard for finger drumming?
It comes down to specialization versus versatility. A MIDI keyboard with pads lets you explore finger drumming, melodies, and chords with one piece of gear - great for beginners figuring out where their interests lie. A dedicated pad controller offers superior sensitivity, larger pads, and better durability for serious finger drummers. If beats are your main focus, invest in the pad controller. If you want to develop broader production skills first, the keyboard combo is your move.
4. What are the best finger drumming exercises for beginners?
Start with these fundamentals: Ghost Hits train your touch - play hard kicks and snares with soft hi-hats between them. Two-Finger Warmups build hand independence: one finger keeps a steady pulse while the other improvises. Hand-to-Hand Drills (alternating left-right on kick and snare) develop coordination. Triplet Shuffles at 70 BPM give you that essential swing feel for funk and hip-hop. And the One Pad Pyramid - play 1 tap, then 2, then 3, then 4, then back down - builds control for rolls and flams. Practice 10-15 minutes daily with a metronome at 60-80 BPM, and only increase tempo when you can nail it without thinking.
5. What are the essential techniques every finger drummer should learn?
Five fundamentals: Proper positioning - keep fingers relaxed and curved with wrists slightly elevated to minimize fatigue. Basic patterns - master kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, steady hi-hats on eighth notes (always with a metronome). Hand independence - play different rhythms with each hand simultaneously, starting slow at 60 BPM. Flams and rolls - flams layer two nearly-simultaneous hits for thickness, rolls create fills through rapid successive hits. And syncopation - placing notes off the main beats for that dynamic, engaging feel that drives hip-hop and funk. Platforms like Melodics give you real-time feedback on all of these, building muscle memory while you play.
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