1. Set up your drum kit. Arrange your drums in the traditional way: bass drum on the left, hi-hat in the middle, and tom-toms to the right.
2. Hold the drumsticks properly. Grip the drumsticks with your palms facing down and your thumbs and forefingers forming a "V" shape.
3. Play the basic beat. The basic beat for Smoke on the Water is 4/4 time, with a bass drum on beats 1 and 3 and a snare drum on beats 2 and 4.
4. Add in the hi-hat. The hi-hat is played on beats 1, 2, 3, and 4 of each measure.
5. Play the tom-toms. The tom-toms are played on beats 1 and 3 of each measure.
6. Practice the beat until you are comfortable with it. Once you are comfortable playing the basic beat, you can start adding in variations and fills.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the drum part for Smoke on the Water:
| Measure | Bass Drum | Hi-Hat | Snare Drum | Tom-Toms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 & 4 | 1 & 3 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 & 4 | 1 & 3 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 & 4 | 1 & 3 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 & 4 | 1 & 3 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 & 4 | 1 & 3 |
| 6 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 & 4 | 1 & 3 |
| 7 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 & 4 | 1 & 3 |
| 8 | 1 | 1 2 3 4 | 2 | 1 & 3 |