How to learn to play drums

[LiveMusic]

I'm not a drummer but I'd like to get into it. I have this idea for a one-man show where I play everything. (Currently play guitar and keys.) Building songs and looping through Boomerangs or other phrase sampler. For many songs, seems you could start a groove with bass drum, snare and high hat and it'd work to just keep that loop going for the rest of the song. I wouldn't need to be a virtuoso drummer. So, how can I learn?

 

Everything I've ever done, I've just done it on my own. I've never had lessons. I mean, a live teacher. I'll buy books and stuff. What about drums?

 

I played snare drum when I was in high school in the band. Concert band and marching band. One thing that bugged me... there was a drum set there and I'd jump up on there and figure I'd just get after it but nope, I couldn't get much going. And mind you, I could play that snare pretty good. Of course, I had no idea of any technique. But I figured I'd take to it easier. I didn't try very hard though. Just a couple of times, I sat down and "attempted." Heck, I can fly a helicopter, so I oughta be able to do anything involving every available appendage.

 

So, should I just get something basic like a bass drum, snare, high hat and just get after it and figure it out on my own? Or books or websites or videos or a real live teacher? Thanks!

 

EDIT: What about something like Roland SPD-S Sampling Percussion Pad ? (I don't know much about gear... I assume these pads are bass/snare/cymbals.) Would something like work to build a loop?

[djarrett]

Duke:

 

You are on the right track. A bass drum, snare and hihat are the basic triangle of the drumset.

You can often avoid the trappings of all the other peripherals by starting with these basic.

I can remember starting college music program as a percussion performance major. My drum professor made me strip down the drumset to these basics when I was in my Freshman year. Talk about a reality check.

 

You already know how to hold your sticks if you played in school. Start slow. Do not expect results to come quick. Slow and steady growth is better.

 

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

DJ

[Blue Strat]

The first thing is to learn this pattern:

R = right hand - hi-hat

L = left hand - snare

RF = right foot - bass drum pedal

LF = left foot - hi-hat pedal

 

Your left foot stays down until it's que, and the right foot stays up until it's que. Got it?

 

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

RF L RF L RF L RF L LF

 

This is a basic rock pattern. The right hand plays eight notes a bar, the right foot plays on the 1 and 5, and the left hand is on the 3 and 7.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Is this forum dead or what?!?

[Brendan Orr]

Yup, I've been there, start simple, (like the standard rock beat as mentioned above) and slowly advance. Maybe play that pattern slowly at first (~60bpm maybe) and work your way faster, though don't progress too quickly. Spend enough time at a tempo to ensure that you are 100% solid and confident before cranking the met up a notch or two. This builds the ability to have a solid groove at any tempo, I've played with enough Russian Dragons (rushing dragging, get it?) to know that the biggest part is holding a consistent tempo. Though since you are planning to loop the other parts, they should pretty much keep you in time. The slow to fast progression also helps build muscle memory.

 

And when in doubt, browse around PAS's website and...

Shazam! ...Drum set intro

[joeq]

Your foundation is important- regardless of your past experiences in teaching youself stuff, I think you should find a teacher and take _some lessons. Even if it is just one or two. No video or book is going to spot what you are doing wrong and correct you before you make a bad habit out of it. This is especially important in technique areas.

 

Even if you don't want to take steady lessons, a few at the beginning can make sure you get off to a good start.

 

I give lessons and if a student requests it, I will give them a condensed overview of the whole thing- how to think about drumming, what to study, what to practice etc. If I know that they are only going to take a few lessons before continuing on their own, I can make those lessons broad enough to last them for a while. Hopefully you could find a teacher in your area who would do that for you.

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by joeq:

Your foundation is important- regardless of your past experiences in teaching youself stuff, I think you should find a teacher and take _some lessons. Even if it is just one or two. No video or book is going to spot what you are doing wrong and correct you before you make a bad habit out of it. This is especially important in technique areas.

I've got nothing against music teachers, but by correcting someone, you could be cramping his/her style. Those little inperfections sometimes lead to new techniques, and help a player define his/her musical identity.

 

On the other hand, just banging on a drum isn't music either.

[Brendan Orr]

bluestrat, everybody does need to find their own style, that I agree with wholeheartedly. Though I do have to take joeq's stance on having a teacher. In the beginning, I was self taught. Later I started taking drum lessons in highschool, where I learned my style was not all that correct (this is on multiple percussion instruments, not just set). My bad habits, in the long run, took more time to correct than to learn the first time around. This is because you have to unlearn before building up correctly. It was after I corrected my bad style when I could play faster with less stress or discomfort... ...just my 2 cents

[joeq]

It would be sad to think that personal style and individuality only originate from some random combinations of bad or missing technique. Take this line of reasoning to its logical conclusion and the aspiring musician will also want to toss his CD collection and pull the antenna off his car because just _listening to other drummers might cause Undue Influence. Real style is about the music you hear in your head and having the chops to pull it off.

 

I have students who hit hard, students with a light touch, students who play heel up, and students who play heel down. Some are into jazz, some like metal. I couldn't make them sound alike if I wanted to. When I see them getting in their own way, I "correct" them. Sometimes that correction doesn't take- I don't push beyond that. I don't set the agenda- the student does.

 

On the other hand, I appreciate that there are who worry that too much schooling will homogenize their playing and make them sound like Everybody Else. It does happen.

 

That's why I suggested one or two lessons to LiveMusic. Why should he have to reinvent the wheel? In my experience it is usually only the people who WANT to sound like everybody else who end up that way.