Course curriculum

  • 1

    Before we begin

    • Course introduction

    • Introduction to the drumming exercises (PDF)
  • 2

    Level 1 - The use of rudiments Part 1

    • Frequently used tom grooves in worship

    • Sticking patterns Part 1

    • Sticking patterns Part 2

    • The use of rudiments Part 1 (PDF)
  • 3

    Level 2 - The use of rudiments Part 2

    • Single stroke triplet grooves

    • The double paradiddle

    • The paradiddle diddle and the 6 stroke roll

    • The use of rudiments part 2 (PDF)

    • "Hosanna to the King" (Full song)

    • "Hosanna to the King" (Lyrics and chords)
  • 4

    Level 3 - Linear hand and foot combinations Part 1 (Triplets)

    • Introduction to linear hand and foot combinations Part 1 (Triplets)

    • Hand and foot combinations in groups of 3

    • Hand and foot combinations in groups of 6

    • Hand and foot combinations - Triplet orchestrations

    • Hand and foot combinations in triplets with double kick pedal

    • Linear hand and foot combinations Part 1 (PDF)
  • 5

    Level 4 - Linear hand and foot combinations part 2 (16th note subdivision)

    • Introduction to "Linear hand and foot combinations Part 2"

    • 3 note groupings (16th note subdivision)

    • 2 and 4 note groupings

    • Groups of 4 with single kick strokes & 8 note groupings

    • Linear hand and foot combinations Part 2 (PDF)

    • "Psalm 98" (Full song)

    • "Psalm 98" Chords (lyrics in Norwegian)

    • "Psalm 98" (Lyrics in English)
  • 6

    Level 5 - Playing prophetically: Developing your "signature" and sound

    • My "signature" grooves

    • Developing grooves based on sticking patterns Part 1

    • Developing grooves based on sticking patterns Part 2

    • Level 5 Drumming exercises (PDF)

    • "Se jeg gjør noe nytt" (Full song)

    • "Se jeg gjør noe nytt" (Lyrics and chords)
  • 7

    Level 6 Releasing joy and dancing

    • Introduction to "Releasing joy and dancing"

    • Sticking patterns over 4 on the floor

    • Latin inspired grooves: The "Soca" and the "Reggaeton"

    • Latin inspired grooves - "Calypso and Samba"

    • "The Mozambique"

    • Level 6 Releasing joy and dancing (PDF)

    • "King of creation" (Full song)

    • "King of creation" (Lyrics and chords)
  • 8

    Drumming exercises conclusion

    • Drumming exercises conclusion - A "wrap up" for all the 6 levels

    • Course conclusion
  • 9

    Bonus lessons

    • Playing with the click

    • How and what to practice (and why)

    • Bonus material: How to practice and playing with the click (PDF)

    • Playing prophetically Part 1 - The theological aspects

    • Playing prophetically Part 2 - The practical aspects

    • Playing prophetically Part 3 - Developing your "sound and signature"

    • Bonus videos: Playing prophetically and developing your signature sound (PDF)

    • A testimony: Releasing the sound of heaven - The sound of the shaking tree

    • What qualities are worship leaders looking for in a drummer?

    • Activation exercise: Develop your prophetic drumming

Instructor(s)

Worship Drummer

Anne-Linda Bratsberg Thorsen

Anne-Linda is a worship drummer from Norway, travelling all over the nation and also internationally as a freelance worship drummer. She is also the drummer in the worship band “Connected”. She teaches about prophetic worship in Bible schools, Disciple training schools, churches and houses of Prayer, and is also part of the coaching team in Bergen school of worship. Together with her husband she is a part of developing a house of prayer in Bergen where she lives. Anne-Linda has a degree in music and theology and a bachelor degree as a child welfare educator. For several years she worked as a deacon in church and she is still a part of the local Methodist church in Bergen where she was employed before she became a full time worship drummer. She longs to see the people of God open their eyes to the prophetic dimension in worship and to see the church reach its full potential, breaking through and releasing God’s will on earth! That’s why she loves to teach about worship, to mentor, equip and disciple teenagers and young adults to take their place as modern day Levites who will usher in God’s kingdom on earth with their worship! One of her callings is to connect with and build relationships between leaders and worshipers in different churches, Christian organizations and Houses of prayers, for the purpose of standing together in unity, working together as one body in Christ. Anne-Linda is the author and instructor of the courses “Worship & prophetic drumming", "Biblical foundation for the prophetic on instruments and "Drum exercises for the prophetic drummer.”

Course description


“Every stroke the Lord lays on them with His punishing club will be to the music of timbrels (drums) and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm” 

(Isaiah 30:32)


Being a worship drummer in a worship team is not about “just playing” the drums. You are releasing something in the spiritual realm with your drumming. If you are aligning your heart with heaven and listening for the Holy Spirit, you can actually be a part of releasing God’s will on earth! The drums have a tremendous impact and authority, and a worship drummer should definitely focus on both musical skills and the spiritual dimension of playing worship. There is no “recipe” for how to play prophetically on the drums, but there are some concepts that will help you to develop a “ toolbox” or a library of grooves and ideas that seems to work well in a spontaneous flow, but you can also pull these ideas out in any setting you’re playing in.


This “drum exercises for prophetic drummers” pack is included in the full course “Worship & prophetic drumming. If you are interested in knowing more about the prophetic dimension in worship, what Scripture says about prophesying with instruments and the practical side of being a worship drummer, you should definitely take the full course. However, we wanted to make these drumming exercises available on their own. If you only want to get some inspiration for your drumming and not pay for the full course, here are the drumming videos available for you to purchase. This pack contains 27 video teachings and PDF’s where Anne-Linda through 6 levels specifically demonstrates many of her “signature” grooves and other concepts that she finds useful when playing worship, in particular some concepts that she finds very useful when playing prophetically, mainly focusing on how you can build grooves and fills from sticking patterns (rudiments) and linear concepts (hand and foot combinations). 


Have you ever considered the endless opportunities you have if you know just a few different sticking patterns? Did you know that the paradiddle can be played as an awesome disco groove over a 4 on the floor kick, as a funk groove or as a halftime groove? The paradiddle can be orchestrated in a ton of different ways to create exactly the sound or groove you are looking for, for instance a tribal sounding tom groove or a snare drum groove. Or, have you tried to create half time shuffle grooves using the double paradiddle or the paradiddle diddle? Using rudiments and sticking patterns to create grooves will definitely spark your creativity and open up a whole world of new opportunities to play different types of grooves and many different genres. Have you ever tried to create linear tom grooves out of the many different hand and foot combinations? They are often used as fills, but the opportunities you have to create different tom grooves with those patterns are amazing. There are no limits for where you can take the rudiments and patterns demonstrated in this course, but this will get you started. 


This is not a course where you will learn to play basic grooves and fills, but it is a demonstration of useful concepts that you can keep developing yourself, regardless of which level you are at. Some of the material is for beginners and some of it is more suitable for intermediate players, but everyone can benefit from this content and get new creative ideas. In addition to the demonstrations in the videos, you will find reference sheets in every level with links to other videos on Youtube for further studies. You will therefore find more material you can work with than just what you get in this course. If you find the material here to be too difficult, you can work with it over time and check out those videos on Youtube to work with the more basic stuff first. For intermediate drummers there are links to some really awesome and challenging material if you find some of the content in this pack too easy. 


This course also includes some bonus material about practicing and playing with the click, in addition to a couple of videos about developing "signature" and releasing sounds from heaven. We also added a conversation with worship leader and founder of "Disciples of worship", Mary Elizabeth Kolsrud, where she talks about the qualities she is looking for in drummers.