Where to start with drums

[faemir]

My parents under guidance of my brother got me crappy beginner CB 5 piece drum kit because I had been wanting one for ages. They are going to go pick it up next week, and I was wondering on any starting tips/info? Do I need earplugs? Should I take lessons straight away or do my own thing to start with (and just do things like try learning songs)?

Any/all suggestions are welcome, as this is my first proper foray into any sort of instrument playing apart from knowing an entire kamelot song on guitar (forever).

[AcidLameLTE]

Get lessons straight away so you have the correct technique from the start.

If the guy doesn't start teaching you technique straight away, kick him in the nuts and find another teacher.

[WDADU]

Earplugs are very imporant, so use them!!!

Technique is something you want to get down from the get-go. Before you even think about trying to play the drums, make sure you are hiting everything correctly. If you don't get your technique down right away, it will be harder to get into the habit of doing things the right way for the safety of your body and your equipment.

Use only your wrists when playing with a combination of fingers. NO ARM! Make sure your cymbals aren't too high and that the are slightly angled towards you.

USE A METRONOME!!!!

Hold the sticks corectly: There is a pivet point in the stick where you should get the most bounce. This is where you will hold the stick. Your fulcrum will be between your index finger and your thumb. Once of you've got that situated, support the stick with your middle, ring, and pinky finger with your thumb resting gently on the top of the stick. That is called Matched Grip.

Start slow. If you try and play something too complicated/fast, you will get frustrated and then discouraged and probably want to throw the kit out the window. So keep your cool, learn slow 4/4 beats. After a while, you can start learning songs from Metallica's Back Album since that's pretty much Drums For Dummies. That's how i learned how to play drums. I just listened to The Black Album over and over and over again.

Learn the rudiments. Rudiments are like scales for drums. There's the paradiddle (RLRRLRLL), the double stocke roll (RRLLRRLL), the single stoke roll (RLRLRLRLRL) and many many more. These rudiments can be viewed on Youtube and are covered in just about every beginner's drumming book known to mankind.

HAVE FUN!!! Just have fun, man! Don't get pissed if you don't sound like Nel Peart within the first five minutes on your kit. Just get acquainted with your drums and groove, sir!

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask us any further questions. And yes, get a teacher! I'm self taught and have been playing for twelve yaears and there are some things that I probbaly don't know how to do because I never had a teacher at any point in my life. Take care and happy drumming!


 

[faemir]

I have succesfully acquired a drum kit

Can someone tell me the first steps? I'm unable to get lessons for a bit but will hopefully pick some up later on, as unideal as that is.

[WDADU]

Like I said before: start slow. Establish the motions of each limb. Try not to get frustrated. Everything will flow if you just relax and play slowly so that you can establish the sticking, when and where each limb is going to be hitting and also use this time to get your technique down before you get comfortable playing the incorrect way and then before you know it, you've broken a cymbal or hurt something in your arm and/ or hand. In my previous post, I gave you some tips on how to do things so that you don't cause any harm to your gear and your body. Take those tips seriously,man or sooner or later, something will go wrong.

Like I said before: Listen to Metallica's Black Album. Lars Ulrich's drumming on that album is simple rock drumming 101. Also, listen a lot of Kiss so that you can get a sold 4/4 tempo down. And for the love of Christ, get a Metronome lol. Learn with a metronome now and people will love you to death. My Metronome is a Boss Doctor Beat that cost 37.00$ plus tax. Cost friendly, user friendly and it works amazingly.

PM me if you have any questions. I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability.

[sneakyblueberry]

If you're starting absolutely from scratch, start tapping out 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 etc on the hi-hat.  Then start to add kick to it on every 1, so Kick-2-3-4-Kick-2-3-4.  Then add snare on 3 so Kick-2-Snare,4-k-2-s-4.

Rock beat one, buddy. 

[setrataeso]

Ive only ever one year of lessons, and for the following 5 years, I've taught myself.
As these guys have been saying, the learning portion really consists of rudiments, technique, and basic beats.
Once you get that, you may want to sever the lessons, and go off on your own. Its great being taught by another drummer, but sooner or later, you'll want to find your own sound.

[bosk1]

I just got a kit a couple of weeks ago myself and have been practicing the things WDADU and Sneak pointed out.  That basic beat Sneak pointed out can be used to play along to just about any 4/4 rock song, even if the song actually uses a different beat.  Perhaps not quite as effective as practicing with a metronome, and not nearly as effective as having a teacher, but I like to just play some basic mid-tempo 4/4 stuff on my iPod and just play basic beats to build up my timing and coordination.  It has really helped a lot in a short period of time in focusing my practicing while still keeping it fun.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, I'm here per orders, but I won't be much help, I'm afraid.

[bosk1]

[TAC]

To me, the most basic of all rock albums is AC/DC's Highway To Hell. If you're a beginner rock drummer, this is a very basic and fun place to start.

[Ryan Dougherty]

the best recommendation I can really give you is to not play your drumset, although that is tempting

seriously, hold your sticks and simply beat the air to many different types of songs, of course including DT

Hold the sticks loosely enough so that the base bounces off the palm of your hand each time.

Look at your set and imagine where everything is laid-out in your mind, and when you are air drumming, move your arms accordingly.

Pay attention to how hard the drummer you are listening to is hitting each time, and adjust your arm swings and your wrist snaps accordingly.

I've only actualy played drums a handful of times, and don't own any.  I'm mostly a guitarist/singer/songwriter.  But one time during a local band's intermission, their friend got up on stage and started playing "Teen SPirit" on guitar.  I asked if I could get on drums and help him out.  The band was amazed and asked me to sit in for their drummer when he was going out of town for a while.  Everyone thought I had been playing for years and was an avid drummer, when in reality I've just looked like a lunatic for many years air-drumming constantly

Of course, when I do get some sticks and some drums to play for a moment, it's BLISTER CITY since I don't know when to quit   And needless to say, playing drums on Rock Band comes a bit more naturally than most other non-drummers.

[Tuneman]

Do you guys think rock band could help a novice drummer? Learning how to hit off beat, creating independence between the limbs, etc..?

[sneakyblueberry]

Do you guys think rock band could help a novice drummer? Learning how to hit off beat, creating independence between the limbs, etc..?

A good way to strengthen to co-ordination on your off hand (i.e your left hand if you are right handed and vice-versa) is to start doing normal everyday things with your left hand like opening doors, brushing your teeth, buttering bread etc.  Honestly, its nice to do.

[Ryan Dougherty]

rockband is better than nothing, but the air-drumming I described above is far superior because you get a better feel of how many drum kits are set up, rather than just four or five colors to hit.  I find that because of my insessant air-drumming, I was a naturally good Rock Band player, but also found that many things about Rock Band are difficult, being that they are not set up like a typical drum set.

Biggest problem with rock band drums would seem to be that the snare is on the far left and the hihat is just to the right of that... they should let you customize your controls more...

[zolhof]

a good teacher and the "STICK CONTROL" method, you can´t go wrong with that 

[73109]

...play guitar 

[cheeto865]

the best recommendation I can really give you is to not play your drumset, although that is tempting

seriously, hold your sticks and simply beat the air to many different types of songs, of course including DT

I agree with this. Before I got my drums, I would make a little mock drumset on my bed using pillows so I could get a feel for free drumming and practice silently. However, I started playing drums in Rock Band, from the first day it came out on the little 4 pad plastic kit, to my pillow setup, then to an ION Drum Rocker, and finally to my current real drums.

[Ryan Dougherty]

i'm glad someone else out there has done this!!

I cannot overstate the benefit of drumming along to music, and of course singing and guitar-ing is almost futile without listening to the music too... it helps to train you in different styles and staying on tempo etc...

dude, you wouldn't believe how many busted up cardboard boxes used to sit in my mom's basement as a kid.... I forgot about that before... my beginning as a drummer really started with boxes, pots and pans!!

[True Death of Life]

...play guitar 

  Just because you can't even comprehend a simple rock beat doesn't mean that it's the same for everybody.

Cool, I remember when I started the drums. It's a great experience and way to smash out emotions (and quite addicting, once you get into it!). And yes, WEAR EARPLUGS. My dad played drums in a bnd for a while (he's been plaing since he was 8) and now he can hardly hear anything at all. I know it may seem dissapointing to some, but you know you're really juvenile when you won't even protect your hearing just so seem "tougher" or whatever. When I'm not using earplug, I wear headphones; and not the crappy ones you can find at Walgreens. Drumming to music is an awesome way to practice.


Good luck and enjoy your crappy set 

[Another World]

tip: dont start with learning DT  . a litttttle too complex for a beginning drummer. star with songs that don't shift time signatures. (not dt)

[Birch Boy]

It varies from person-to-person with lessons. I took five lessons when I started playing and have been self-taught since then (only a year of self-teaching though  ), and look, I'm not the best drummer, but I consider my self pretty good. So if you feel like you don't need lessons, or you can't get them, you can still be a great drummer. But like they said, you need to get the right instruction as to how to play everything and basic, basic stuff.

[icysk8r]

the best recommendation I can really give you is to not play your drumset, although that is tempting

seriously, hold your sticks and simply beat the air to many different types of songs, of course including DT

Hold the sticks loosely enough so that the base bounces off the palm of your hand each time.

Look at your set and imagine where everything is laid-out in your mind, and when you are air drumming, move your arms accordingly.

Pay attention to how hard the drummer you are listening to is hitting each time, and adjust your arm swings and your wrist snaps accordingly.

I've only actualy played drums a handful of times, and don't own any.  I'm mostly a guitarist/singer/songwriter.  But one time during a local band's intermission, their friend got up on stage and started playing "Teen SPirit" on guitar.  I asked if I could get on drums and help him out.  The band was amazed and asked me to sit in for their drummer when he was going out of town for a while.  Everyone thought I had been playing for years and was an avid drummer, when in reality I've just looked like a lunatic for many years air-drumming constantly

Of course, when I do get some sticks and some drums to play for a moment, it's BLISTER CITY since I don't know when to quit   And needless to say, playing drums on Rock Band comes a bit more naturally than most other non-drummers.

Playing in the air is really bad advice.  The whole point of technique is to let the stick bounce off of the drum. Unless you have a magical forcefield, the stick isn't going to bounce off the air.