Suggestions On Where to Learn to Play Drums

[A-Unit]

I've long wanted to learn to play the drums.
Living in apartment does not afford me the space or privacy to do so without an immediate eviction. So from any current musicians, what do you suggest on learning and finding a place to play?

My brother, a musician of many years, suggested a practice pad and a book he has to learn the basics. I was then thinking of the drum set, just a starter one. I'm not "artsy" enough, despite being creative and imaginative. I could use some art in my life, outside of porn.

Thoughts to any musicians on how they do it? Do people rent rooms? Do practice studios allow musicians to play there?

Curious.

A-Unit

 

[Bonhomme]

I've been a guitar player and drummer for years, and have shared houses with other musicians until I was able to afford one of my own. Look for ads in your local entertainment weekly or online.

As for learning how to play, I just pretended I could play like my inspirations (Keith Moon, Hal Blaine, Bill Bruford, etc.) all along, and -- after sustaining thousands or bruises -- kept getting further along, without ever falling into the sort of stiff "beginner style" playing that many who learn "by the book" do.

 

[RedPill]

Wax on, wax off

A-Unit,

What type/style of drumming are you seeking to gain proficiency with?

Get a practice pad, in particular the heavy rubber type that is virtually silent but has great bounce, and buy a book on the rudiments of drumming. The rudiments are your chops; they are your Tao. The goal with the rudiments is to improve your speed and motion technique, develop consistent tempo and rhythm, become ambidextrous, and learn how to subdivide (how many strokes are in a roll, partial beats in a whole beat, etc). It's all grunt work but it will lay the foundation for disciplined playing in a more extensive percussion setup, i.e. drum sets. Having disciplined, tight playing, combined with creative combinations of percussive sound, within the framework of a beat is what makes the pros sound so good. Think of learning technique in the same way you'd improve your golf swing. Relaxed but firm grip, proper motion, precise strike, and controlled follow-through are the elements.

On a sonic level, make it your goal at first to learn fundamentals and focus on producing great tones, versus producing noise. Notice the percussive qualities of all kinds of striking objects around you in your daily life. Get away from the pad for a bit and drum on a hardcover book, a shoe sole, or a chair cushion. It will elevate your plane of thought and motivate you to work the pad so you'll hone your ability to articulate nuanced sound through your hands. Kinda sounds overly artsy, I know, but a great fringe benefit of developing percussive abilities is that the skill set is transferrable to almost instrument, especially guitar, keyboards, and unique auxillery percussion instruments.

Now go become a god. :rockon:

 

[RedPill]

...without ever falling into the sort of stiff "beginner style" playing that many who learn "by the book" do.

This results from people not having the chops to control/maintain the tempo and be creative. To your point though, creativity is not taught by the book, that's where performance experience comes in.

 

[WhitePimp]

One thing I did often when I first started was just air-drum on my bed with sticks. That was a cool way to at least get some coordination happening. I'd just jam to Metallica and Megadeth songs and then when I'd get a chance, transfer them onto the kit. You could always go electronic kit, although I do not like them because they really hurt your wrists after awhile.

 

[pickupsticks]

The two most important things:

1. Practice with a metronome.

2. Have a professional show you how to hold the sticks and strike the drum.

I know a lot of drummers that have been playing for years and suck because they never did either of those things.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Your local music store will have high-schoolers who can give you lessons for not much money. Even if a kid is only 16, he's probably been playing for 3-4 years, which is enough to give starter lessons.

I second the suggestions of the practice pad and rudiments, as well as the metronome. If you have no music background, you need to learn to count the rythyms. You can also get an entire set that is practice pads or you can buy a junky set and put rubber on the drumming surfaces. When you move from a single drum to a set, start with the most basic setup. You can go a long way with just a snare and bass drum, high hats, and a ride and/or crash cymbal. Beginners tend to want elaborate drum sets, but you learn better by mastering a simple drum set.

Back in his day, Buddy Rich was one hell of a drummer:
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Buddy_Rich.html

 

[Bonhomme]

One interesting thing Bill Bruford (King Crimson, et. al.) does is hold the sticks pretty lightly, between his thumb and forefinger, and "pop" the drums, like bouncing a pencil. I never forgot that little "trick," which helps nimbleness. Don't "strangle" the sticks.

RedPill wrote:

... focus on producing great tones, versus producing noise. Notice the percussive qualities of all kinds of striking objects around you in your daily life. Get away from the pad for a bit and drum on a hardcover book, a shoe sole, or a chair cushion.

That's very good advice.

A lot of drummers who are very accurate and capable have very poor "feel," an sound like drum machines all the time. "Feel" is very important.

Another thing is to play with a lot of different timings and techniques straight away. I played guitar before drums, and when learning that developed my rhythmic ability by playing in a lot of whacked-out time signatures. Now unconventional rhythms come easy.