ChopsSample Week 1 drum plan: grip, single strokes and your first rock beat
This is a sample of the Week 1 plan a ChopsForge subscriber would get by email, built from the example intake below. It's not personalized to you, but you can follow it as written. A real plan is built from your own answers and changes each week based on your check-in.
Example intake
The plan
From: ChopsForge
Week 1 focus: Grip, single strokes and your first rock beat, all locked to a click.
Before you start: Download any free metronome app. Everything this week is slow on purpose: the goal is steady, even strokes, not speed.
Monday: Grip and single strokes (15 min)
| Block | Min | Exercise | Tempo (BPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 3 | Grip check: matched grip, with the stick pivoting between thumb and index finger. 20 relaxed full strokes per hand on the pad. | - |
| Single strokes | 5 | RLRL as 8th notes. 1 minute on, 30 seconds rest, 3 rounds. Goal: every stroke the same height. | 60 |
| Counting | 4 | Say "1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and" out loud while playing 8th notes on the closed hi-hat. | 60 |
| Cool-down | 3 | Play anything you like, slowly. Note one word for how your hands felt. | - |
Tuesday: Building the rock beat (15 min)
| Block | Min | Exercise | Tempo (BPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 3 | Single strokes on the pad. | 60 |
| Kick + snare | 5 | Kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, quarter notes. | 60 |
| Rock beat build | 7 | Add 8th-note hi-hat on top, one limb at a time: hat alone, then hat + kick, then hat + snare, then all three. | 60 |
Wednesday: One-minute rounds and endings (15 min)
| Block | Min | Exercise | Tempo (BPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 3 | Single strokes. | 60–66 |
| Rock beat | 7 | 4 rounds of 1 minute, 30 seconds rest between rounds. Log: did you get through a full minute without stopping? | 60 |
| Endings | 5 | Play 3 bars of the beat, then hit crash + kick together on beat 1 to finish. Repeat. | 60 |
Thursday: Doubles and song prep (15 min)
| Block | Min | Exercise | Tempo (BPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 3 | Double strokes (RRLL) on the pad. | 50 |
| Rock beat | 6 | Move up to 70 only if Wednesday felt solid. Otherwise stay at 60–66. | 70 |
| Song prep | 6 | Pick one slow rock or pop song (around 70–90 BPM). Tap the beat on your legs while it plays and find beats 2 and 4. | song tempo |
Friday: Benchmark and play-along (15 min)
| Block | Min | Exercise | Tempo (BPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 3 | Singles, then doubles. | 60 |
| Benchmark | 4 | Find the fastest tempo you can hold the rock beat for 60 seconds without stopping or drifting. Log it. | start at 60 |
| Play-along | 8 | Play the rock beat along with your chosen song for as long as you can stay with it. Restart freely. | song tempo |
Log each day: Top clean BPM, minutes actually practiced, and one word for how it felt.
Safety: Wear hearing protection on an acoustic kit, keep your shoulders relaxed, and stop if you feel wrist pain.
End-of-week check-in
On day 6 or 7 the check-in takes about a minute:
- How many days did you practice (0–7), and about how many minutes a day?
- Your benchmark result (the number asked for above).
- For each focus area this week: too easy, just right, or too hard?
- What felt best this week?
- What was hardest?
- Any pain or discomfort? (yes/no, and where)
- Next week: same minutes, more minutes, fewer minutes, or a new goal?
What happens after the check-in
Your answers shape Week 2. If a block felt too easy, tempos or material move up a step. If it felt too hard, or you missed several days, the next week backs off or uses shorter sessions. If you report pain, take a rest, and see a doctor or physio if it doesn't settle. The benchmark from this week becomes the starting point for the next one.
Want the reasoning behind this plan, plus 20 and 45-minute versions you can use any day? Read the drum practice routine guide. You can also see the guitar and bass sample weeks, or all sample plans.