micared

......and if so, how old were you when you started, were you self taught/have lessons, how much did it cost, how long did it take to be any good, d'you wish you hadn't bothered, or is it the best thing you've ever done, etc, etc.

Nevetas

12 when I started, 2 years of lessons then self taught.

Shropshire-Guy

Ask Scoosh on the Darlaston thread. Hes a Drummer with a Band. , A Gud one as wel so i have been told

SG

Fatman

I was about 13 when I started playing. All self-taught. Best way of improving was to play with different groups of people - i.e. more than one 'band'. Costs? Second hand kits aren't expensive, especially lower-grade stuff. Depends what you call 'expensive'. I guess. The only thing I regret about choosing drums is the size of it all. Why didn't I just take the other option, bass guitar...?!

Little Frank

Hello. I'm a drummer. I started playing drums with a toy drumkit when I was three. I played it so much my Dad had to keep mending it. When I was four and a half I got a proper drumkit for christmas. It's not as big as a full-size one, but it's not a toy. I'm nearly six now, and my Mum and Dad and teachers and friends tell me that I'm fantastic at playing it. I haven't had any lessons yet, because drum teachers don't take children under six. My Dad is Bubba po off of muppets and we play songs together in the spare room. He says he'll put a picture up of me playing later.

micared

Thanks for the replies......especially the last one!!!

Chip

You must be a child genius to be able to write like that at your age as well

Chip.

Bubba po

Ahem... ever so slightly ghost-written. It is the stuff he wanted to put, though..

Freak

yeah
Self taught from age 13 onwards- used the school drum kit (to the annoyance of the teachers) at lunch times, then borrowed it over holidays until i saved + borrowed to buy my own.
Went to a tutor purely to get entered for my grade 7 (didnt do 1-->6, just went straight to 7, lol, you need grade 5 theory to do grade 8 )

Havent played for a while- 'officially' i sold my kit to my younger bro, but its still here in one of the spare/junk rooms. Might have to have a bash tomorrow- its like riding a bike.

As for the cost- if you buy new, it can be loads. I bought my chrome pearl kit cheap second hand, and over the course of time added new cymbals to it.

Ignore the positioning of the drums+cymbals- he insists on having it set up like that for his wraaaaaaaaaaaaargh metal drumming(hence the ultra durable red 'Rock' drum heads)
http://uploader.co.uk/images/3d5c874...2d19ba82da.jpg
http://uploader.co.uk/images/8ddba9a...cacda76f3c.jpg

ScoobyDoo555

mmm v-drums or TD5/7 ?

I program Akais & ME35t to work with em

Dan

Mikee

I got into it all a bit late. Bought my first kit aged 22 but my dad was a weekend drummer for a gigging band when i was 9 or 10 so i got to have a go now and then-think its in thr genes (although both my brothers have as much rhythm as a corpse-they may be adopted).
As for costs its like someone mentioned earlier, if you buy new it can be expensive but if you're just starting out secondhand is definately the way to go-you may not like it afterall!
Another point is practice is always a pain.Unless you live in a Practice hall or well soundproofed hall its gonna be a pain. Its not like a guitar,you can't just plug in and go, you can't turn the volume down too! Also it takes a while to set the beggars up.
Rather handily you can get a kit into the back of an impreza wagon just nice.

Hope your quest goes well.

P.S Contrary to popular belief drummers rarely get laid the most!

Mike.

Freak

i just knew you were gonna say that

Very true...
Thats why i became a dj instead....

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

20 when I started at Uni then had a few years of lessons. Played with a fair few bands all majoring on rock.

After recovering from knee surgery I'm playing again and in process of forming a new band (fast double-bass stuff).

Had a Premier kit which I used in various configurations (including double-bass) which I sold and currently have a Roland TD-6 for practice at present but am saving for a new 'proper' kit.

My Premier kit -



With regard to gear - drums themselves are reasonably cheap second hand but look for a kit that includes cymbals as well as that's where the real money lies. I kept my zildjians (and would never be parted from them) when i sold the kit.

Bubba po

Here's Little Frank playing the Buzzcocks' classic "Ever fallen in love (with someone you shouldn't have)?

TelBoy

Is he headbanging himself into fuzziness there, Geoff?

Freak

the mullet needs a bit of work

micared

What's the most difficult thing to learn? I would imagine it's keeping your feet doing what you want them to, while your hands do something else, a bit like patting your head and rubbing your stomach ( admittedly, poor analogy....and I've stopped doing that now ).....I base that on the initial difficulty I had learning to drive a car after 8 years of bikes only, found it really odd asking my feet to work a clutch and accelerator in a car when they'd been doing other things on a bike!

ajm

Bit off topic but if you want a test of coordination try playing the organ! (no not that organ! )

I had a go on Westminster Abbey organ some years ago with 5 manuals (sets of keyboards) and a set of pedals!



p.s. simultaneously reading 3 parts mixed between bass and treble clef is interesting too!

Bubba po

Would you like a "Playing With My Massive Swelling Organ" thread of your own, ajm?

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

something I always wanted to do but sadly it never happened so I do my air drumming instead
Cheers
Colin

ajm

LOL!

No, its ok thanks...... (rapidly dropping the subject forthwith!)

GaryK

mica,

exactly that independance is the key! As said kits are reasonably cheap, I played for a few years in the early nineties, had 2 drum teachers, one who was self taught, the other who was extremely proficient (played with the drifters) and taught reading as well as playing. If you want to work on your independance then a really good book is gary chesters The New Breed which teaches systems and melodies where you use different limbs to keep time against varying melodies. Of course as with any instrument you need to do the basics over and over (something I didnt do enough of!) 5 and 7 stroke rolls, paradiddles and all variations of paradiddles.

have fun!

Gary

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

With regard to rudiments (technical term for paradiddles, 5/7 stroke rolls etc) I have only ever really learnt single and double stroke rolls. My playing has always centred on groove or just all-out speed! so I would not call myself a proficient drummer in terms of pure technique.

If you wanna try a simple bit of air-drumming independence then play along to Free's 'All Right Now'. A very simple track but the first step on the road to getting your hands and feet doing separate things.

micared

Who do you drummers have as heroes then, or who influenced/inspired you? As a novice, it's individual tracks that I remember for the drumming.....Take a look around by Limp Bizkit, No-one knows by Queens of the stone age, Fools gold by the Stone roses.....there's a guy called Neil Peart from Rush who I thought was excellent ( that stuff's ancient now though ).

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

My main inspiration was Lars Ulrich of Metallica. I then centred on all the major Thrash/Death metal drummers - Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory), Gene Hoglan (Strapping Young Lad) etc etc

John Otto (Limp Bizkit) is a very tasty drummer but my fave of the moment, by a long way, is Joey Jordison from Slipknot.

For truly mad drumming check out The Dave Matthews Band as I rate Carter Beauford as the best all round drummer I've heard. TBH there's sooo many different and amazing drummers you're goign to get a million different names come up.

Oh yeah, all hail Animal from the muppets - the patron saint of drummers!

gsm1

Q: What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians?


























A: The drummer!

BOOM! BOOM!

<makes sharp exit>

Freak

Snap- used to play along to try and get that fast and accurate.
Dave lombardo is Check out the kick drum solo in angel of death......

jbryant

Dave Lombardo, and a drunken midnight rendition of Angel of Death was the final nail in my drumming "career." The awesome song's only a couple of minutes long but I snapped a bass pedal, hi-hat pedal, and two skins including my snare. Didn't have the money or inclination to repair the kit after that and got rid

Was crap at it though so no loss to the music industry!

Joolz

PS as for inspirational drumming, there was a drum solo on Rush's "exit stage left". that and many mad metal drummers, though I have to agree wth earlier post regarding Joey Jordison <goosebumps mode on>whooooooaaahh</off>