Practice along with Emmanuelle Caplette as she goes through this 5 minute beginner drum warmup on the practice pad!

<<Click here to download the PDF sheet music>>

If the tempo is too fast for you, use the video controls to slow it down or set your own metronome to a speed that works for you.

These exercises are great for developing your single strokes and double strokes, as well as basic accents. Once you’ve worked through this warmup, try some of these exercises from the legendary drum book, Stick Control!

And – as always – it’s more fun to practice rudiments along to songs, so enjoy this epic Kaz Rodriguez track (or find one of your own that’s at a good tempo for you).

<<Click here to download the practice track>>

Why so serious?

Emmanuelle Caplette isn’t just known for her incredible hand technique and speed, her effortless playing style, her festival and TV appearances and her drumming awards…she’s also instantly recognizable by her huge smile.

And why shouldn’t she be? Drumming is fun!

That joy has become part of her brand and it’s baked into her newly released, aptly-titled drum book called Smile! You’re Drumming. While the content is mostly rudiment-based, you can (and should!) apply all of it on the drum kit.

In this full free drum lesson, Emmanuelle demos some of her book’s core exercises and how you can take them from pad practice to gig-ready grooves and fills. She deconstructs rudiments in brand new ways and combines drum corps and drum set concepts into practical tools any drummer can use.

You’ll learn how to keep your strokes consistent, improve your fluidity, speed and control, and much more!

Ready to make rudiments fun?

If you have the book, follow along with the lesson!

For more free lessons like this – plus other drum-related offers and updates – drop your email here! 

Lesson Index:
0:00 – SONG: “The Chamber” by Antoine Fafard
5:20 – Introduction
9:07 – SONG: “Contravention” by EC/SM (Emmanuelle Caplette/Sylvain Marcotte)
11:55 – Single Stroke Sextuplets
17:24 – Double Beats
21:56 – Paradiddles and Paradiddle Diddles
25:35 – Accents and Diddles
30:20 – Hybrid Rudiments
34:44 – Flam Accent
37:13 – SONG: “Phase I” by EC/SM
43:37 – SONG: “From The Satellite” by Damien Schmitt

Emmanuelle Plays:
Sonor Drums
Evans Drumheads
Sabian Cymbals
Vic Firth Drumsticks

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One of the reasons we love drumming so much is because of how freakin’ fun it is – and Emmanuelle Caplette’s cover of “Uptown Funk” is the perfect example of how drummers can get in the zone and tune out all the negativity around us.

She was giving a clinic at a high school when the pandemic shut down the world. She lost all of her gigs, her clinic tours, her festival appearances, and her TV show opportunities. Every gigging drummer was in the same boat, and it was enough to make many musicians reconsider their career choice.

Growing up, Emmanuelle’s father taught her that it’s important to live in the moment. Take things day by day and don’t think about the future, because you never know if you’ll still be around.

He used to tell her three things:

• You’re lucky to breathe
• You have access to food and water
• You have a safe place to stay

Enjoy and appreciate what you have right now, in the present. It may be tough to focus on the positive when you’re feeling down, but if you have access to a drum kit, sit down, play through your favorite songs, and lose yourself in the music – even if it’s just for right now.

Who’s got the fastest hands in the west?

Let’s be honest…Emmanuelle Caplette would probably be quickest on the draw at a blazing sundown shootout. As one of those incredible rudimental drummers who also dominates on the drum kit (with serious amounts of energy and passion) she’s a drummer we’ve been hoping to coax out to the studio forever!

From launching her drumming journey at the age of 9 to becoming an award-winning performer with stints on The Late Show With Seth Meyers and at some of the world’s biggest drum festivals, Emmanuelle is a force to be reckoned with.

She gets right down to business in this performance video of “From The Satellite” by Damien Schmitt: a fast, upbeat tune she covered almost 10 years ago but decided to revisit with a fresh take.

Check out the drum & bass style licks and the double hi-hat/double snare action. But if you’re going to notice anything about Emmanuelle’s playing, it’s just how damn clean she is. Enjoy!