Starting to drum.

[sKarr]

Well, I think i've convinced my parents into letting me get a kit. What should I learn first. I don't want to take lessons right away, i'd like to get atleast some of the beginners stuff out of the way before I start to take lessons.

[crumbdrums]

Get George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control and practice the entire thing with the metronome set at 50 BPM. When you've conquered the first page, bump it up to 60 BPM, and play that page again, then 70, etc...

For some more fun parts of drumming, lsiten to some of your favorite drum tracks, (not rediculously dificult ones, obviously) and break them down slowly until you can play them well.

[nhzoso]

Well, I think i've convinced my parents into letting me get a kit. What should I learn first. I don't want to take lessons right away, i'd like to get atleast some of the beginners stuff out of the way before I start to take lessons.

May as well just start with lessons, every instructor I know of will start you from the basics as soon as you tell them you been playing for less than a year or 2 anyway. Plus you wont have time to develop bad habits which are hard to break. Best advice I know of is to start your lessons as soon as possible.

[Class A Drummer]

I agree with nhzoso. Start of with a teacher. I say this because he will give you a good grip to work with, and you wont get use to using a bad one. Also, its just alot eaiser and more enjoyable when you have someone showing you how to do somthing difficult.

[maddrummr]

Dude, you sound so much like me 2 years ago when i started drumming. I kept getting better and better on my own so I figured i didnt need lessons. But that was my loss because now i have to figure out some way to teach myself jazz because my parents dont want to pay for lessons and i have no money.
Get a teacher, learn that stuff, have more fun making your own stuff up.

Start with a simple rock beat and throw in some fills when and where-ever untill you start lessons up, that will keep you occupyed.

[sKarr]

Well should I learn how to read music or something first? Because honestly I know nothing about reading music or transcribes(I saw this word used on a drum forum somewhere else I think). I know nothing abotu drums, should I learn to read music first?

Like I said I play bass, but I taught myself and I just use tabs 100% of the time.

[jazzsnob]

If you screw around yourself, you might take a year to get to a beginner level, if you get a teacher and work slightly hard you'll be done with that stuff in 3 months.

[PreppieNerd]

all the 'beginner stuff' you want to learn will be taught much quicker if you get a teacher.

[JAHdrumming]

I recommend lessons to get comfy with drumming but if you want to develop your own style always remember that in the end there are no rules in drumming that can't be bent or even broken if need be. A teacher is a very good idea for getting started. I had a teacher for 6 months of all my 27 years of playing. Nothing is a better substitute for you, a drumkit, determination, time and patient parents.

[hauk]

i second (or eight it, probably) the idea to start out with a teacher. its gonna be a lot easier to develop good "beginner" technique with a teacher, you don't want your first lesson to be "how to unlearn bad habits 101"

[MuffinMan]

I've always found it helpful to watch others better than yourself play (including a teacher). You can learn quite a bit about posture etc. just from doing that...

[ermghoti]

You would do far better to take lessons for six months, and head out on your own, than to start by yourself and start lessons after six months. Better still to continue lessons, of course, I'm just making a point.

[WYdrummer09]

1. Take Lessons From a Good Teacher.
2. Join Your School Music Program (Drumline, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Pit Orchestra)
3. Learn Rudiments!!! (it is the language of drumming)
4. Listen to drummers suggested by teachers or people on this site.
5. Learn as many styles as u can...don't just limit yourself to one style...it's a lot more fun to take what you learn and make it your own.
6. Buy Drumming Books and DVD's (Seriously! over the 11 years I have been drumming I have made a collection of some really great drum books and DVD's that have helped me to get where I am now)

[GRUNTERSDAD]

I will advise this...you didn't learn English, math, Geography etc by your self by doing all of the "beginner" stuff first and then getting a teacher, you had a teacher to teach you all of that beginner stuff. Thats why it takes 12 years to get where you need to be. The drums are the same. Thats why I am whrere I am because after 6 years I no longer have a teacher. And those 6 years were 40 years ago. Do yourself a favor, learn the beginner stuff right from a teacher and if you can afford it stay with it. You will see that the pros on this web site are still learning. And as stated above get in the band or orcheatra at school and get as much exposure as possible. Sure you may have to play some of that "yucky" stuff, but any learning is good, trust me. Good Luck.