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Learning to play the drums.
- Thread starter akascream
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shoplifter
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Go get lessons from someone who knows how to play. You'll get better much faster. Jazz/fusion-style lessons are probably the best route to getting really good. There's much more focus on interdependence there than pretty much any other style, so if you can play that stuff, you can play anything. If you have a music (or with any luck a drum-only store) around you, go there.
Learn how to read music (if you can't already). Any good books are going to have notation.
Modern Drummer (magazine) is good if you're interested in reading about practicing technique and such. They also put up a few pieces of their in-mag monthly lessons online here.
Get Haskell Harr's Modern Drum Methods 1&2. They're great basic books that are useful even for people that have been playing for years. They might not be exactly what you want, but you need to build from the ground up. Everything in them will apply to kit drumming eventually.
And for God's sake, get a RealFeel pad and a pair of Vic Firth 5B sticks.
note: I've been drumming for 16 years, and have marched in college drumlines and played with many honors bands. Just to let you know where I'm coming from. I'm not trying to sound snobby with the 'get lessons' bit, people can get good from just playing w/o knowing a lick of musical notation, but people who actually have studied with a teacher have much better technique/skill.
Learn how to read music (if you can't already). Any good books are going to have notation.
Modern Drummer (magazine) is good if you're interested in reading about practicing technique and such. They also put up a few pieces of their in-mag monthly lessons online here.
Get Haskell Harr's Modern Drum Methods 1&2. They're great basic books that are useful even for people that have been playing for years. They might not be exactly what you want, but you need to build from the ground up. Everything in them will apply to kit drumming eventually.
And for God's sake, get a RealFeel pad and a pair of Vic Firth 5B sticks.
note: I've been drumming for 16 years, and have marched in college drumlines and played with many honors bands. Just to let you know where I'm coming from. I'm not trying to sound snobby with the 'get lessons' bit, people can get good from just playing w/o knowing a lick of musical notation, but people who actually have studied with a teacher have much better technique/skill.
shoplifter
Member
If you're not a drummer yourself, not much honestly. Just let them listen to music and see if they catch on. Some kids are just prodigies, and some need a few years for their hand/eye coordination to catch up. Either way, having the drumkit will be good for their development. There have been several studies showing that kids involved with music programs early are far better students.
Once they're a little older (5-7) and they're a little more coordinated, the lesson route would be good to go down. Don't start this until you're sure they can pay attention for 30 min-1hr.
I didn't start playing till I was 10, and I turned out fine, though my drumkit chops aren't what they could be. I focused more on the throw-down crazy marching stuff since I don't have a place I can have my kit set up most of the time.
Once they're a little older (5-7) and they're a little more coordinated, the lesson route would be good to go down. Don't start this until you're sure they can pay attention for 30 min-1hr.
I didn't start playing till I was 10, and I turned out fine, though my drumkit chops aren't what they could be. I focused more on the throw-down crazy marching stuff since I don't have a place I can have my kit set up most of the time.
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yeah, a teacher is a real must in my opinion.
also get yourself a decent metronome. i recomend a tama rhythm watch : http://www.tama.com/accessories/
also get yourself a decent metronome. i recomend a tama rhythm watch : http://www.tama.com/accessories/
Since I have no musical ability I'm basically screwed. It's funny my 3 year old son simple bashes away and makes noise. My 2 year old daughter bashes away and makes rythmic noise but clearly has more natural ability. I always find it crazy that even at that age you can see that some people are born with different abilities.
Hmm, I live in a smaller town (70k), so I'm not sure what options I have teacher-wise, but it sounds pretty important.
Mainly though, I'm looking for something real basic. Playing in different bands over the years, I've sat at the drum set and am really a bumbling idiot. A couple times a friend would show me a simple beat and I was able to control all my limbs (heh).. so I guess I'm looking for something to show me some simple beats in order to get the feel of things and start practicing my coordination.
I'll look into instructors in this area.. not sure what's around though.
Mainly though, I'm looking for something real basic. Playing in different bands over the years, I've sat at the drum set and am really a bumbling idiot. A couple times a friend would show me a simple beat and I was able to control all my limbs (heh).. so I guess I'm looking for something to show me some simple beats in order to get the feel of things and start practicing my coordination.
I'll look into instructors in this area.. not sure what's around though.
I've been playing for about 15 years now. First of all, if you can read music, you'll progress much faster. It's very easy to get stuck in a rut and end up playing the same 4/4 rock beats, and not learning anything. Get a drum book of beats that has a few hundred in it, guarenteed to make you play something new.
Get a teacher if you can. You need someone who can show you how to play. There are many tricks and lots of technique involved with learning how to play properly, and a lot of it needs to be seen and explained and walked through. There is always something new to learn. If you can't get a teacher, at least find someone who plays and is better than you and watch them. Watch as many people of different styles as you can.
Take one thing at a time. You aren't going to play like Neil Pert on day one. Most of your time upfront will be on coordination. In fact it probably always will be. Learning coordination and technique is perhaps the hardest (and most boring) of learning drumming, but it's a must to get any better.
Learn different styles! Everyone just wants to play in a rock band but sticking to 4/4 rock beats will get you nowhere fast. Learn jazz, fusion, samba, etc. The more styles you learn the better you get. Most people will pick one style they're really good at (mine is fusion/funk) but will learn as many styles as possible to round out their repertoire and keep their drumming fresh.
Good luck to you.
Get a teacher if you can. You need someone who can show you how to play. There are many tricks and lots of technique involved with learning how to play properly, and a lot of it needs to be seen and explained and walked through. There is always something new to learn. If you can't get a teacher, at least find someone who plays and is better than you and watch them. Watch as many people of different styles as you can.
Take one thing at a time. You aren't going to play like Neil Pert on day one. Most of your time upfront will be on coordination. In fact it probably always will be. Learning coordination and technique is perhaps the hardest (and most boring) of learning drumming, but it's a must to get any better.
Learn different styles! Everyone just wants to play in a rock band but sticking to 4/4 rock beats will get you nowhere fast. Learn jazz, fusion, samba, etc. The more styles you learn the better you get. Most people will pick one style they're really good at (mine is fusion/funk) but will learn as many styles as possible to round out their repertoire and keep their drumming fresh.
Good luck to you.
If you have to ask the question, get a teacher. Some drummers are self-taught (both the drummers our band has had, coincidentally), but if you don't have a good idea of where you're going already, a teacher is a good starting point. Once they've got you moving in the right direction, you can decide for yourself whether you need to keep up with the tuition or whether you can go the rest of the way alone.
Listen to music - concentrate on the drum parts. Try to break them down. Steal bits you think sound good, and work out how to play them.
The moment you're good enough (in my opinion, this is as soon as you can hold down a steady four-to-the-bar hi-hat with bass drum and snare on first and third at a variety of speeds) find some crappy guitar players (we are legion!) and form a band. Bands will be desperate for drummers, so you'll find someone who's more than happy to take a starter without much trouble. Really, it's all about that steady beat. You will get better by playing in a band, and it'll give you much more impetus to actually learn new fills just so you can drown out those goddamn talentless walking ego guitarists.
Listen to music - concentrate on the drum parts. Try to break them down. Steal bits you think sound good, and work out how to play them.
The moment you're good enough (in my opinion, this is as soon as you can hold down a steady four-to-the-bar hi-hat with bass drum and snare on first and third at a variety of speeds) find some crappy guitar players (we are legion!) and form a band. Bands will be desperate for drummers, so you'll find someone who's more than happy to take a starter without much trouble. Really, it's all about that steady beat. You will get better by playing in a band, and it'll give you much more impetus to actually learn new fills just so you can drown out those goddamn talentless walking ego guitarists.
Teknopathetic
Member
"just so you can drown out those goddamn talentless walking ego guitarists."
Thank God you can admit them for what they are
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Thank God you can admit them for what they are
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