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i might have to learn drums......
- Thread starter TheMaynorD
- Start date
Well that is one of the most difficult beats I believe, so don’t despair.
And that was an awfully generous and thoughtful gesture to do for your drummer.
Many musicians do not have the innate skill of limb independence that good drummers have. Then musically through rhythm is next . That is why I wonder why this forum hates drummers. Not all but they are not appreciated here
Good luck OP
Good luck OP
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Drums terrify me. I don't even know how to compose a simple drum part on a Midi keyboard. I just don't understand what's supposed to do what beyond a simple backbeat. And then there's the independence of your limbs and the fact that you're probably the most important element to a band sounding "tight" or not.
Good luck. Lol
Good luck. Lol
I feel that being a proficient musician is the most important part. But there again, I play many instruments, just with varying degrees of success.
I learned to program drums, tap out a rhythm on pads/keyboard, construct loops, etc. - but every time I sit down at a kit I find myself slightly intimidated by the whole thing. Thankfully our drummer is great and I have never had to worry about it.
We do have a decent electronic kit now, I am going to try to learn how to play it - at least in as far as laying down a simple steady beat.
We do have a decent electronic kit now, I am going to try to learn how to play it - at least in as far as laying down a simple steady beat.
All you can do is try, especially since you have some previous experience with them. Ive been playing bass for 33 years, but my bro is a drummer for alot longer than that. When he wasnt home as a teenager, I would hop on his kit because I started writing and recording music and alot of times, the first thing in my head that would come to me would be the drum beat. I became decent in a fairly short time. When I came back from a long layoff from playing in bands, I almost switched to the drums just as something new to try. Still think about getting a electronic kit (so not to make my wife crazy) and giving it a whirl. I say, give it a shot, nothing to lose...but keep your feelers out if you want to gig in the immediate future.
My kit is made of cherry/gumwood, the snare and one of the toms are maple/poplar. All are Ludwigs, they blend and sound quite nice. Once again, I think the overall design/construction and head choices matter more than the material itself.
Yeah, even more so. Drums are acoustic instruments so...
Regarding E-drums, I've always thought of them as complements rather than substitutes to an acoustic drum set. They give you a range of percussion sounds and "pyeww" synth sounds, which are fun to use around an acoustic core kit.
I tell people that acoustic and e-kits are different instruments with a similar user interface.
Like acoustic and electric guitars.
Like acoustic and electric guitars.
I’ll take your word on that. I have both but barely play either, so don’t feel qualified to have an opinion.
If you want to learn drums well without spending too much money, I highly suggest you look for a percussion class at your local community college. The thing about drumming is that it is basically all about coordination.
I took such a class for a year and while I didn’t pursue it beyond that (no room for a drumset), I learned to read drum notation. It really helped me to internalize the rhythms visually before trying to reproduce them on the instrument. Drum notation can get very complicated, especially when dealing with polyrhythms and dynamics, but your standard rock and other popular beats are fairly straightforward.
That class taught me many (not all) rudiments such as flams, paradiddles and ratamacues, which are really the building blocks to good drumming technique. It has also helped me understand better how the bass and the drums work together.
It helped me fine tune my perception of rhythm and forced me to focus on accuracy in a way that, for one reason or another, I feel I could not quite achieve when I was also dealing with harmony. Or finding my way around the fretboard.
It helped increase my appreciation of music, as I have acquired a greater sensory, physical and mechanical knowledge of the work it takes to create that sound. It helped me appreciate and identify good drumming, and given me an opportunity to reappraise all the music I’ve enjoyed over the years.
In the class, we were also familiarized with items of auxiliary percussion, such as triangles, wood blocks, shakers and other things, so now in some playing situations where I’m sharing bass duties, I often switch to a small shaker or whatever is available when other people are playing bass; or if multiple auxiliary percussion is needed, I can be part of that section. It has made me more versatile.
We talk a lot about Jaco here on TB, but we rarely go into the fact that he started out as a drummer. Anyway, I’m straying from the point. Here are some materials you can check out to get you started.
I highly recommend Tommy Igoe's book on beginning drumming, as well as Dave Garibaldi (Tower of Power) drumming video.
I hope this helps.
I took such a class for a year and while I didn’t pursue it beyond that (no room for a drumset), I learned to read drum notation. It really helped me to internalize the rhythms visually before trying to reproduce them on the instrument. Drum notation can get very complicated, especially when dealing with polyrhythms and dynamics, but your standard rock and other popular beats are fairly straightforward.
That class taught me many (not all) rudiments such as flams, paradiddles and ratamacues, which are really the building blocks to good drumming technique. It has also helped me understand better how the bass and the drums work together.
It helped me fine tune my perception of rhythm and forced me to focus on accuracy in a way that, for one reason or another, I feel I could not quite achieve when I was also dealing with harmony. Or finding my way around the fretboard.
It helped increase my appreciation of music, as I have acquired a greater sensory, physical and mechanical knowledge of the work it takes to create that sound. It helped me appreciate and identify good drumming, and given me an opportunity to reappraise all the music I’ve enjoyed over the years.
In the class, we were also familiarized with items of auxiliary percussion, such as triangles, wood blocks, shakers and other things, so now in some playing situations where I’m sharing bass duties, I often switch to a small shaker or whatever is available when other people are playing bass; or if multiple auxiliary percussion is needed, I can be part of that section. It has made me more versatile.
We talk a lot about Jaco here on TB, but we rarely go into the fact that he started out as a drummer. Anyway, I’m straying from the point. Here are some materials you can check out to get you started.
I highly recommend Tommy Igoe's book on beginning drumming, as well as Dave Garibaldi (Tower of Power) drumming video.
I hope this helps.
It's alot like bass, easy to learn the basics, hard to master.
I think every one of my musician friends can keep a simple beat, but few of em could play a whole gig.
How's he going to get to fire himself if he doesn't even start?
It's just that so many don't meet the mark of having to be better than no drummer and the psychological toll on those that do is so strong that they turn into nutbars that can't be tolerated in a band.
We love the ones we don't want to fire.
