Bassist suddenly wanting to be a drummer

ericmknight1906 · #1 12-13-2008, 12:14 PM

Is it unusual for a bassist to suddenly have a passion for becoming a drummer? That's how I feel now. Allthough I love the bass, I feel that being a drummer will come more naturally. I plan on buying a beginner's drummer set next week.

Fetusyolk · #2 12-13-2008, 12:25 PM

i've had the urge to drum sometimes, but i'm completely incompetent when it comes to drumming, i can't make the simplest beat.

have fun with your drum set, it will probably also end up making you a better bassist. Or the bassing will make you a better drummer.

HashbrownCOBM · #3 12-13-2008, 06:09 PM

I actually wanted to play drums before I played bass. But after seeing all the stuff you gotta haul and how long it takes to set up AND not getting to play melody and rhythm made me stick with bass. I learned a little bit o'drums but nothin I'd be able to play in a band with. I get bored playin drums after having learned how to play bass.

NicJimBass · #4 12-13-2008, 06:13 PM

I know exactly how you feel man! I've always had a good natural sense of time, so I've always banged around on tables and desks and steering wheels, but I never really played on a proper set. I finally did a couple times with disastrous results! lol

A year or 2 ago, I finally felt the urge to really buckle down, and when I did, it felt like I should've been a drummer all along. I finally bought a cheapie electronic set this year, mainly for my boys, but lately I've been pounding away, and becoming proficient enough to perhaps join a band in the future. Simmons electronic drums (the kind I have, SD7K, I believe) are pretty inexpensive, sound good enough, and allow you to practice without disturbing anyone. Check em out!

ericmknight1906 · #5 12-13-2008, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicJimBass

I know exactly how you feel man! I've always had a good natural sense of time, so I've always banged around on tables and desks and steering wheels, but I never really played on a proper set. I finally did a couple times with disastrous results! lol

A year or 2 ago, I finally felt the urge to really buckle down, and when I did, it felt like I should've been a drummer all along. I finally bought a cheapie electronic set this year, mainly for my boys, but lately I've been pounding away, and becoming proficient enough to perhaps join a band in the future. Simmons electronic drums (the kind I have, SD7K, I believe) are pretty inexpensive, sound good enough, and allow you to practice without disturbing anyone. Check em out!

Yes that was my next concern...practicing without disturbing others, particularily my wife.

I checked out the simmon's kit that you recommended but I don't want to spend more than $400 on a beginner practice kit. So I researched and found a USB drumkit at musician's friend. The price is decent for the usb kit but the simmons looks more like a realistic setup.

I'm still deciding.

D.Don · #6 12-13-2008, 07:09 PM

Make sure to do a cat-scan!

D.Don

Mr_Sore_Fingerz · #7 12-13-2008, 07:26 PM

I think EVERYONE has the urge to play drums every now and then (of course including drummers) just because they are a fun and unique instrument....you can go Geddy Lee on your bass and brutalize it, but not like you can on a drum set.

The closest I could afford to get was Rockband for the Wii, but I sold that recently to get some money going towards a Markbass Traveler 2x10's cab

Matt Till · #8 12-14-2008, 03:51 AM

I constantly have to fight off the urge to be a drummer, I just remind myself how terrible I sound behind a drum kit, and it helps. Plus, everytime I help my drummer move his kit from practice to a gig, I'm reminded what a pain in the ass those things are.

Warpeg · #9 12-15-2008, 10:21 AM

I play drums and bass actively. IME, the two instruments share similar mind sets. They are both rhythm-oriented, heavily based on timing, and include low frequencies. I think that it's perfectly natural for a bassist to want to play percussion instruments.

LaughingGroove · #10 12-15-2008, 10:37 AM

I was opposite of that.

I started drums when I was in 5th grade. Played concert band, jazz band everything that I could thru school, and still play drums a little bit today (33 now). When I was 25 or so, I was at band practice and everyone walked over to the bar but I didn't want to go, so I stayed in the music room and picked up the bass and started messing around with it. A month later bought one and haven't put it down since.

Definately try it out, you might like it too. Try to play as many instruments as you can. 1. you might like it alot 2. it gives you more of an appreciation for the instruments and the people that play them. Nowdays I try to pick up as much as possible, I wish that I would have done that when I was still in school......free lessons. LOL

megadan · #11 12-15-2008, 10:46 AM

I started playing drums about a year ago after 6 or 7 years of bass. I had realized that I had always loved rhythm and that rhythms were my natural mode of expression (though I couldn't really do it that well on bass). I had always focused on playing melodies, fast and lots of notes, on the bass, and the drums totally took that away.

I realized that it was rhythm, not melody, that was the absolute heart and soul and foundation of music. Being a drummer has made me a better bass player for sure.

Now with my wrists the way they are playing bass is becoming harder. For drumming I'm going to start right, do it properly, and hopefully be able to play another instrument I love for the rest of my life.

Drumming is fairly simple when you think about it - our hands all ready do two different movements with bass, and it carries over the drums - if you're right handed, your right hand (strumming) goes to hi-hat - constant steady movement. Your left hand (fretting) goes to the snare - the precise, varied movements.
All you have to do after that is really train the right leg. As a bass player, you will realize right from the get go what your right foot needs to do (in your mind), something that even many drummers don't realize. Since you will have a clear goal in mind (play along with the bass player) you'll want to start working on that crucial foot right away.

If you pick up a cheap kit, do yourself a favour and spend more on two crucial pieces: a snare, and a kick pedal. A good snare will be with you the rest of your life, and will satisfy the "immediate" urge of playing drums: making that nice, big, loud cracking sound. After the kick, or even before it, the snare is the drum most drummers obsess over getting to sound right, live or in the studio.
The decent kick pedal (I use a vintage Speed king, but there are many great pedals, just try as many as you can at the store to see what fits you) means that as you start to develop 8th note and then 16th kick drum patterns in your mind, you'll be able to translate them to your feet without tiring yourself out as quickly.

Learn to keep 8th notes on the hi-hats (easy), a steady back beat on the snare (no problem), and have a great right foot, and bass players will love you (and you'll be better than half the drummers out there who spent their entire time learning crazy fast double stroke tom rolls).

Whew, sorry that was so long... I really love the drums! And, so far, for me, there's a lot less GAS involved. But I like really simple kits.

Gubna · #12 12-15-2008, 10:49 AM

I still want to be a drummer. I took a percussion class at college, and got pretty good at being a drum roadie with my old band. I suppose I'll eventually get a drum set.

I imagine that with anything, if you work at it, you could get good at it. And from my experience, there are far fewer drummers around here than bass players/guitar players.

Did you know that Les Claypool actually enjoys playing drums more than bass? But he's better at bass.

kesslari · #13 12-15-2008, 01:36 PM

Hand percussion (congas, djembe, etc.) is a fun way to get started - you can groove hard without having to fight to develop 4 limb independence. Just a thought...

paganjack · #14 12-15-2008, 01:44 PM

i enjoy the drums, having played them off and on since i was about 12. i would say i'm decent enough to play in a band. it is fun to sit and hit stuff. When I'm by myself in the practice space, I find myself trying to play bass AND drums simultaneously. With pretty good results too!

The bass and drums are related, so go for it. it won't hurt other than taking up more time!

lunarpollen · #15 12-15-2008, 01:50 PM

I would love to play the drums, but I am completely uncoordinated whenever I get behind the kit. It makes me sad.... I wonder if there are any Gene Krupa instructional videos out there...

Im thinking of picking up a cocktail kit, perhaps from Trixon.... They are compact and easier to transport and set up, and are probably easier for a clumsy wannabe drummer like me to learn on....

jazzbo58 · #16 12-15-2008, 01:54 PM

I started on drums in 7th Grade. I started playing bass 2 yrs later. I played both through high school. After High School I stuck with the bass. (36 yrs.) I feel that it has help me become a very rhythmic player.

Cheers,
Jim

aikakone · #17 12-15-2008, 02:09 PM

My situation was similar to that of LaughingGroove in that I started percussion in school and even did it for my Bachelor's degree. I only started playing bass 4 years ago, well after I'd been playing percussion (but not drumset) a long time.

I hope you enjoy the experience. I agree with the others who have said that becoming good at one (either bass or drums) can only help you on the other. It really opens your mind to music vs. being instrument-bound.

Surly · #18 12-15-2008, 02:11 PM

I am a drummer who went to bass. I still play both. Going from one instrument to the other is a great thing because you already know about groove and timing.