If you are just beginning find a teacher with plenty of real world experience to guide you. Learning proper fundamentals and technique is extremely important. Be sure the two of you are compatible and feel comfortable with each other. Is the teacher enthusiastic and patient? If they are just going through the motions without motivating you look elsewhere.

Play along with music preferably using quality isolation headphones so you do not have to turn the music up to ear damaging levels to hear it. Try to select songs in which the drum parts are very clearly recorded. If you can�t hear it you will not be able to learn it correctly.

Purchase instruction DVDs that are a notch higher than your current level. World class players have produced some truly exceptional and entertaining videos that give wonderful drumming insight up-close. Here is a short but potent list to get you started: Steve Gadd (Up Close, In Session), Dave Weckl (Back To Basics), Ed Thigpen (Art of Brushes), Marco Minneman (Extreme Interdependence), Thomas Lang (Creative Control), Jo Jo Mayer, Jeff Porcaro, David Garibaldi, Steve Smith, Peter Erskine (The Erskine Method), Tommy Igoe (Groove Essentials, Beginning Drums), Rod Morgenstein (Putting It All Together), Carter Buford (Under The Table And Drumming), and of course the legendary Joe Morello.

These should keep you busy for a couple hundred years! Do your research and you will find a massive selection of drum books, audio, and insructional videos. The reviews will give a baisc idea of what they offer before investing your money.

Audio instruction is also fine, although not as user friendly as seeing and hearing. Use a drum machine that has a couple hundred or so built in patterns including lines to play along with. You can also select just drums or percussion without the bass as a supercharged play-along metronome.

Of course programming a few percussion parts like shakers, tambourine, cowbell, and congas is a smart idea. It will be like having your own personal percussionist with perfect time playing with you!

A generic digital metronome is another good choice. One or the other should be used to learn steady time-keeping while practicing. Being able to select any tempo also helps set target goals for improving the speed of rudiments, beats, and double bass drum practice.

When working strictly on hand technique and rudiments consider using time that you normally watch TV or whatever. You can be entertained while the repetitious but very vital part of drum practice is covered.

A practice pad with a good natural feeling rubber surface makes playing more enjoyable. Adding a rubber bass drum practice pad gives you a more realistic drum set simulation. The importance of drum rudiments and technique should not be taken lightly. All the great drummers have dedicated practice time in this area to varying degrees.

Work with a few classic books such as Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone, Advanced Techniques For The Modern Drummer by Jim Chapin, and Master Studies by Joe Morello.

More recent books such as Rhythmic Illusions by Gavin Harrison and The Erskine Method by Peter Erskine are also superb. A really great beginner book with CD is The Drumset Musician by Rod Morgenstein. Drum books are plentiful so spend some time exploring them.

The last and most critical way to see progress from your drum practice is to be consistent and try to play a minimum of an hour per day. Be focused and always play new drum patterns slow until they are even and comfortable.

Then pick up the speed a little each day, using your drum machine or metronome as a tempo guide. Learn to sing beats in your head while playing as this will help you to feel the groove better.

Always keep a positive upbeat attitude. Never let any practice hump get you down. It's all part of learning and improving. Keep a smile and a happy beat!