Starting out with drums.

insafehands

Hey,

Been looking at instruments recently as I'm lazing around and need something to do... Watched a vid on youtube and almost instantly became fascinated with the idea of learning the drums!

So a few questions...

1. How difficult are they to learn? Obviously natural talent is a factor but on average, how much practice etc is required before you reach a good level? (ie gigging with a band).

2. How much is a med-high range drum kit? Should it be bought as a full kit or should you buy the different drums, cymbals etc separately?

3. Is it possible to learn on your own or are lessons completely necessary?

Will prob think of more... If there's any other info you feel is important please include it!

Cheers,
ish.

Baggio

How goes it,

well firstly,,,make sure you REALLLY want to do it bud and if you do,,,well then choice is yours about lessons, many feel their completely a must...Im not so sure,,,never had any myself...but maybe you would do well with them...so look at that side of things if you can and maybe talk to a drum teacher about what it is that has attracted you to drumming, and remember it doesnt matter WHAT it is... its just good to know where your coming from in terms of the new fascination etc.


Price of med/high end kit?...well as with most things, there are different prices for different makes and models,,,but id say at a general guess about many of the kits i have seen about in that range,,,perhaps E1200 -E1500 would get a veryy decent 5 piece if thats what you wanted.

many folks would advise you to maybe buy second hand for your first kit,,,,,,,,2nd hand pearl export perhaps as a starter kit, and a cymbal starter pack containing 2 crashes, a ride and hi hats , add to this a decent pedal and stix and comfortable stool, which usually come with a kit and your basically set.

Hard to learn??...thats a veryy hard thing to say,,,it all depends on you...how quick or slow you pick things up, what excites yu as a player or potential player, natural ear for music will help and from my own point of view a natural flair deffo helps. Good sense of time will come but as they say " it take a long time to get good time!" so it requires practise and dedication and attention...and most of all the will to do it...laziness of any sort in music is a nooo nooo...so if yur anyway lazy about it...you just wont end up a drummer

anyway thats my 3 euros worth....hope it helps..............

ciao' amigo...Baggio....................

judas101

Baggio wrote: »

so if yur anyway lazy about it...you just wont end up a drummer

that's the key thing.

have a kit and can play to some extent but i found becoming proficient on drums took a lot more effort then guitar/bass which came easy to be honest.

it's not something you try your hand at. once youre comitted you'll be fine.

good luck!

Mars Bar

And if you are to listen to anyone...its Baggio. Just have fun with it, coz it is!

Magic Eight Ball

insafehands wrote: »

Hey,

Been looking at instruments recently as I'm lazing around and need something to do... Watched a vid on youtube and almost instantly became fascinated with the idea of learning the drums!

So a few questions...

1. How difficult are they to learn? Obviously natural talent is a factor but on average, how much practice etc is required before you reach a good level? (ie gigging with a band).

2. How much is a med-high range drum kit? Should it be bought as a full kit or should you buy the different drums, cymbals etc separately?

3. Is it possible to learn on your own or are lessons completely necessary?

Will prob think of more... If there's any other info you feel is important please include it!

Cheers,
ish.

Hey there,

Asking how difficult an instrument is to learn/play, well it’s like asking how long a piece of string is! It depends on many factors.

I play drums and I’ve also dabbled with guitar and bass, and found the guitar stupidly easy compared to drumming, which is quite ironic seen as most people think the guitar is the dogs bollox and drums are for people who can’t play anything else.

Drums require regular practice and dedication (like everything else)
I don’t believe in natural talent, I believe in hard work and sweating blood to get better.

I heard a great quote that sums it up, “ya got to eat your dinner off your snare drum and practice till it hurts!”

My option on the lessons is that it’s vital you get them. I don’t believe I’d be any use without the great lessons I got off my teacher. I’ve talked to tons of drummers who ‘taught’ themselves, and well, it shows. Poor technique, bad time, bad stokes, sloppy rudiments.. That’s not to say you can teach yourself but I’d highly advise against it!

On the kit front, it’s never a good idea to buy a cheap pice of ****, ask it hinders the learning process, and can demoralise the best of us, equally it’s not the best idea to splash out on something your not gonna interested in 6 months down the line.

My advise is invest in a pair of sticks and a practice pad and get to work on grip, technique, strokes and most importantly the rudiments! (all under the watchful eye of a teacher of course)

theirishdrumcentre.com
thedrumroom.com
irishdrumacademy.org
irishdrummingacademy.com
drumshed.eu


..to name a few.

Oh and if you are in the market from a kit, check out the one I’m selling in my sig..

Happy drumming!

Mars Bar

http://www.drummingireland.com

almidonado

It all depends entirely on the individual. I find it best, with any instrument, to start with a real desire to play and then to just teach yourself.

I came across drumming entirely by accident. My brother was given a really old, really dodgy Pearl kit, and didn't enjoy playing with it much. I decided to give them a try, and got hooked. Depending on what kind of music you like/want to play, drumming can be outrageously easy or extremely complex. Personally, I think that your own feel and style are more important than technical ability, but natural rhythm is a must. I myself know absolutely nothing about drums or drumming, I purposefully don't learn the jargon, I probably even hold my sticks wrong, and yet I'm currently having a fabulous time playing in a band.

An old neighbour of mine (one of the many owners of the aforementioned kit) once put it perfectly - "Drums are easy. You just hit them!"

Again, this is all just my opinion, and it entirely depends on your own way of looking at music as a creative process. Some people love intricate technicality, some people love primitive garage rock.

I hope this has been helpful. Good luck!

-Neil

Einstein

I agree with all the above posts, although when it comes to lessons, hmmm...

So many drummers don't go to lessons, and there are veyr many self taught drummers out there playing and gigging without any problems whatsoever, but IMHO, those drummers will at some stage hit a wall, and never get any better.

I started lessons at 16 years of age, and went constantly for about 2 years. i pretty much felt at the time... pfff...why would I pay to learn something I can play fairly well. So i stopped lessons and my playing declined. But the difference was, that i knew the basics, I knew the rudiments, and I knew what I needed to do to impove my playing.

With some people that are self taught, who don't know the rudiments etc, they're the people that will eventually stop playing, because they'll hit that wall, and won't know how to get over it. I regularly go back for lessons from time to time, and it's great cos it gives me stuff to work on myself for a few months, then I'll go back and get something else.

I quite happily do session work, and play regularly (as Baggio knows ) and teach from time to time. But if you're gonna take up the drums, keep an open mind and take some lessons at some stage...it will be invaluable to you. And persevere, it's tough to play drums and not be in a band...

And in regards to practive...15mins a day on a practice pad doing rudiments is far far far more beneficial than just blazing away at a kit for two hours a day.

wow, i talk a load of sh!te don't I?

D

highlydebased

I started playing at the start of the year

Getting lessons at the moment, almost certainly of use.

Listen to music that you want to play on drums, concentrating solely on the drums. Whenever I hear a song, wherever it is, all i hear is the drums.

Once you have the rudiments you have alot. Of great benefit. Lots of time and effort required, though. I feel guilty if I dont spend at least 5 hours per week on the kit

An amazing amount can be learnt off youtube and www.drumrudiments.com

Sephiroth_dude

Im a self taught drummer,been playing 3 yrs was in a band up till recently,anyway whenever id play a gig,the drummers in the other band would always come up to the guitarist and tell them I need to get lessons because they knew I was self taught and although I had the heart and the rythem I just was'nt doing simple rudiments such a rolls properly,it kinda pissed me off though that they would'nt come up to me themselves and tell me this to my face ya know,and then the guitarist started pissing me off and I eventually left,anyway IM Getting lessons in the new yr hopefully,I have the time now sure since leaving the band

red_ice

drums are easy to learn once you give them time imo. I dont count myself as a drummer, but i can play them.

I have the keys to my bands rehearsal space and i usually arrive 20 minutes before the lads do so i take that time to play about on the drums. I can play pretty much play anything that comes to my head, and thats whats limiting me from progressing - i cant think of anything new to play when im at the drums and i cant access anything on the internet/my music collection to get inspiration!

Any auld kit will do to learn the drums on, all you need to learn is how to get independance of your limbs for example counting 1/2/3/4 on the high hat and using the kick/snare/toms inbetween the count thus creating a beat. Our drummer is in the process of getting a new kit at the moment and his old kit will be there for the taking if you want it. Its not a great kit by any means, but we've done recordings with it, it makes all the right sounds, and its perfect for entry level drumming and above all it will be cheap. Drop me a pm and ill give you some details if you are interested

Dub6Kevin

I've played drums since I was about ten and I'm about to hit 35.

Drums are expensive and lots of people loose interest pretty quickly so to be safe, I'd invest in nothing other than a pair of sticks and a practice pad for the time being. Any half decent music shop will have them. Get 5A sticks and a large pad (you'll probably miss the small one at first).

You need to start with the rudiments. They're boring but you really need to do them and you'll progress far quicker if you have that foundation. I'd suggest going to a professional teacher as often as you can afford as s/he will help prevent you getting into bad habits.

Once you've convinced yourself that you really do have a passion for drumming (because if you haven't you'll never get any good) you will want to buy a kit.

Here's a bombshell for you - drums are f***ing loud. Unless you live alone in a large detached house without close neighbours, or can afford to sound-proof a room, playing drums at home regularly is exceptionally difficult. You'll need a rehersal space to play properly. Alternatively, look at an electronic kit. The new Roland HD1 is fine (I have one myself for practising at home) and you could get one for less than an entry level acoustic kit from a major manufacturer and starter pack of cymbals - around €800.

If you can work out a plan to get an acoustic kit (and I'm jealous if you can because they are far more satisfying to play) just decide a budget, go to the shops and try out everything in your price range. I like Gretsch kits myself but you'll find what sounds and feels good to you. Tama, Pearl and Yamaha all do good kits for less than a grand and you'll have to add your choice of cymbals.

And it never stops costing you money!! The more you play the more you will want. Extra cymbals, a picolo snare, different sticks/brushes/mallets, percussion. At the end of the day, it's an expensive business.

That said, if you get bitten by the drumming bug you'll never feel more alive than when you get in "the groove" and you're playing without thinking but purely by instinct.