Which fingers play what

There's no single correct fingering, but beginners do best with a simple split: the left hand plays kick and snare, the right hand plays the hi-hats. Each hand gets one clear job.

A simple two-hand split

Left hand kick, snare, clap · Right hand hi-hats · Either hand toms, percussion, cymbals.

Left hand: middle finger on the kick, index finger on the snare. With your palm down, that's where they fall naturally. Your ring finger can reach the second kick pad above.
Right hand: index finger on the closed hat, middle finger on the open hat or the second hat pad above.

Play the left hand

In this beat the kick and snare are muted: your left hand plays them while the hats keep time. Start slow and turn on the click if you lose your place. When it feels easy, tap "Hat" to mute it too and play both hands.

On a phone or tablet

Lay the phone flat on a table rather than holding it; that frees both hands. Start with both index fingers: left on kick and snare, right on the hats. Add middle fingers once the beat feels steady.

On a computer keyboard

Put your left middle and index fingers on Z and X, and your right index and middle fingers on C and V. The hands sit side by side, just like on a pad controller.

Common mistakes

Watching your fingers. Look at the grid or close your eyes; your hands learn the positions faster that way.
Switching fingers at random. Keep the same finger on the same job until the beat is automatic.
Hovering too high. Keep your fingertips just above the pads so there's no distance to travel.