Count “1” and then “e” and then “&” and then “a.” The "a" in "1 e & a" is pronounced like "ah." These sounds represent the four counts in each quarter note. Incorporate the "e & a" instead of counting numbers with more than one syllable to avoid confusion about the number of beats.
Repeat this for each count of the measure, replacing “1” with the correct count. Thus a 4/4 measure is counted: “1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a.”
Turn on a metronome to a moderate tempo, such as 60 beats per minute.
Count 16th notes along with the click. The metronome makes one click for each count. Thus, count “1 e & a” for each click; space each part out evenly between clicks, changing the “1” to correspond with the appropriate count in the measure.
Practice repeatedly until you are comfortable continually counting 16th notes; this helps you master counting 16th notes on drums.