12 years of drumming experience in one lesson:

The goal of drumming is to change how someone feels. People care about what your drumming does for them, not about the notes you play.

You change how someone feels with contrast: Soft/Loud. Fast/Slow. Same/Different. Expected/Unexpected. Etc.

Be repetitive. Be repetitive. Be repetitive. When in doubt, play a simple, steady beat.

Make your fills “sing-able”.

Playing in time instantly makes you better than 90% of drummers.

If you keep one hand in time, everything else falls into place.

If you’re not sure what to play, figure out what you’ll play in the biggest part of the song. Then simplify and subtract for the other sections.

Playing on the beat too much is boring. Playing off the beat too much is annoying.

Listen to the band, not just you. People listen to songs, not drums. Learning another instrument helps you do this easily.

Drum fills should surprise people a little. Drum solos should entertain people a lot.

Fill in between words, be boring during the words.

Finally, don’t try to be good. Try to be bad, then slightly less bad.