Starting drums Thursday!

AudioAUnderdog · 05-06-2007, 11:06 PM

I can't believe my parents are letting me take drum lessons! Since I'm already doing guitar I didn't think they'd go for it. As of now I know nothing more about drums except that you hit 'em. Any total beginner tips?

**Rainer.** · 05-07-2007, 05:28 PM

Hold off on the complex rhythms and beats, and perhaps even drum set all together, until you can establish good time and get down the bare basics. Time is about the most important thing you can get down. And practice basic figures over and over and over again, the more you get the basics down, the easier everything else becomes. You'll probably feel very uncoordinated and get your left and right and such crossed up all the time at first, but establishing a good base is how you'll get better.

Insane Drummer · 05-10-2007, 08:58 PM

The key, have patience, this stuff is harder than it looks.

TBoz · 05-12-2007, 02:09 AM

First off,
Welcome to an incredibly difficult, yet wonderfully amazing set of instruments. Drums are rewarding cause you work your tail off trying to accomplish new things.
My advice would be:
Train your body: I would have to say that rudiments are the foundation of the drums, like notes and scales are for the guitar and even moreso! I teach my students the application of rudiments on the set as soon as they can perform some of them on the snare alone. I teach a rudiment like say a paraddidle on the snare. Like this: LH RH LH LH; RH LH RH RH. and then apply it to the kit. Like this: LH(Snare) RF(kick) LH(Tom) LH(Tom); RF(Kick) LH(snare) RF(kick) RF (kick) or something similar. Then I have them play a simple groove and do the rudiment as a fill. This gives them the idea of why there are rudiments and how cool they can be played out on the kit.
2. Work with a metronome on everything you do. This is a complete challenge, but will pay off in the long run. You should be able to play with the metronome until you cannot hear it anymore or the clicks disappear cause you are striking the drum at the percise moment the metronome is clicking or sounding. Lock into the metronome. This will help you in recording yourself later (a metronome that will patch through to headphones are your best bet.
3. Where foamy ear protection or very tight fitting headphones. You may be young now, but you don't want to ruin your ears for mixing your music later on! Besides, my personal opinion is that the kit sounds better through foamy earplugs.
4. learn how to tune your drums. This will make playing them more enjoyable.
5. Be picky about stick choices. Lighter sticks (thinner) for faster percise(SP) work and fatter (heavier) for straight forward louder rock stuff. It is more important to choose a size that you can actually play with over what looks cool.
6. Be picky about your kick drum pedal. This is hugely important. It has to feel balanced and right for you. Know how to adjust it for your preference.
try to learn heel down for most of your playing.
7. Have a blast.
TBoz

**Rainer.** · 05-12-2007, 09:41 AM

I'm under the impression that beginners should use a heavier stick like a 2 for starting out. While lighter sticks are easier to play with, they don't help as much with building coordination, IMO. If you can learn to play precisely with a fatty 2, you can definitely play with a set of 5s.

TBoz · 05-12-2007, 11:18 AM

Rainer,
I would say that is a tale of sorts. Different sticks do different jobs. That point is necessary because it is unecessary to use too heavy a stick to play. I play VIC FIRTHS 7 or 8's mostly. Thats like telling a beginning guitar player that too high of action on the neck is good because it makes your fingers stronger. Same theory here.
However there is such a thing as therapy sessions of practice.
Alternate between thicknesses of sticks to lessen the chance of carpal tunnel problems (its a theory). Also using heavier sticks just on the snare can build strength. After practicing with heavier, then the idea is to go back your regular size to perform the kit. This of course is not long term and is a technique that can be used sporadically.
TBoz

**Rainer.** · 05-12-2007, 01:03 PM

Interesting.

Though I must say that I started out on a guitar that had very, very stiff action, and I didn't realize it. Now, I can play most guitars with ease.

I play in a marching drumline as well, and I use some dang fatties for that, learning to play fast with those was pretty difficult when I started.

Insane Drummer · 05-12-2007, 01:48 PM

I really dislike anything of 5B thickness or thicker. It feels like a baseball bat.

AudioAUnderdog · 05-13-2007, 08:13 PM

Well, I'm practicing eighth notes on the snare this week. It's not all that hard (I've been goofing off on the snare for a while, and since I've been playing some instrument for as long as I can remember, my time isn't terrible. Not nearly as good as I'd like it to be, but not bad.) Drew (my teacher) said we might start doing some stuff with the set next week. I've been playing outside on the snare 'cause my brother lost our practice pad. My neighbors hate me and my metronome.