Howdy, uh I’m 14 and have been playing for about a year now, and as I’m practicing I’ll have a good time for the first 10 minutes or so I’m playing and then after a little while I’ll start to get bored and frustrated with getting beats or fills off. I’ve continued to practice every day for around an hour to two but I feel more like I’m playing cause it’s something to do rather than really wanting to play everyday.
Not having fun playing
- Thread starter Npirsch
- Start date
Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
Go and play with others. Form a band. Organise a jam session. Lay it down with a guitar, or bass, or piano. Whatever. It'll change your focus from playing patterns and beats and fills for the hell of it, to making music. Which is ultimately what it's all about.
sumdrumguy
Senior Member
Are you working on material a teacher has assigned? Or learning on your own?
Getting together with players, and jamming songs you all like is a great idea.
If you don't know anyone, try some song study on your own. Pick a song, listen to it, and really dig in to the drum parts.
Watch live footage of your favorite band, or clips of your favorite drummer, on Youtube. Steal, and practice, their licks
Bo Eder
Platinum Member
Take a break too while you’re having fun. I’ve known kids in practicing regimens that ended up playing baseball instead. So I would say try not to push yourself too hard if you’re not feeling it. You may hate it and leave it all behind. This only moves forward if you really love to play.
The other advice is good too: start a band or join a group. That definitely puts everything you’re studying into perspective.
The other advice is good too: start a band or join a group. That definitely puts everything you’re studying into perspective.
Are you working on material a teacher has assigned? Or learning on your own?
Getting together with players, and jamming songs you all like is a great idea.
If you don't know anyone, try some song study on your own. Pick a song, listen to it, and really dig in to the drum parts.
Watch live footage of your favorite band, or clips of your favorite drummer, on Youtube. Steal, and practice, their licks
Hey, I’ve been learning on my own but watch a couple of YouTube videos on the basics and rudiments and all that sort
Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
What exactly do your practice sessions look like?
Are you doing things in a holistic and musically meaningful way?
Are you doing things in a holistic and musically meaningful way?
No Way Jose
Silver Member
If you don't want to do it then maybe it is time to do something else.
Icetech
.
Quick question.. are you playing or practicing? they are really 2 different things.. I sit at my drums for 2-4 hours every night, usually 1 hour is practice which is rudiments and practicing odd times. or whatever it is i'm working on. After that i play for the rest of the time which is when i have fun.. The practice time SUCKS.. but if i don't then i don't get better.
As far as playing for fun.. i actually have a projector setup that projects onto a wall in front of the drums and i play along with youtube vids of sings i like.. If i didn't do this i couldn't see playing more than 20 minutes without getting bored and walking away. Just my input.. good luck to you
P.S. someone warned me when i started that at a point i would start just playing and stop practicing.. they were right, and i stopped growing at that point Takes discipline to put in the work time before the play time at least for me.. good luck to you!
As far as playing for fun.. i actually have a projector setup that projects onto a wall in front of the drums and i play along with youtube vids of sings i like.. If i didn't do this i couldn't see playing more than 20 minutes without getting bored and walking away. Just my input.. good luck to you
P.S. someone warned me when i started that at a point i would start just playing and stop practicing.. they were right, and i stopped growing at that point
Takes discipline to put in the work time before the play time at least for me.. good luck to you!
Morrisman
Platinum Member
Find some songs with beats you can play, put headphones on and play along. The recording sounds so much better than just practicing drums on their own, and keeps the momentum going.
There are also links to some drumless tracks in the other sections of this websits, outside the forum.
There are also links to some drumless tracks in the other sections of this websits, outside the forum.
Larry
"Uncle Larry"
Attitude adjustment all the way.
I say this with the best of intentions for you. So get ready for some truth.
You could be a little more grateful. You have all your human needs taken care of and you also have a lot beyond that because you have drums and a place and time to practice, but yet you get bored. With all due respect, this is your problem totally, and a hallmark of your generation, from what I can tell. Drums are not supposed to be easy, that's what makes them great. Forget easy. Instead, think challenge. Constant challenge. Like you can do this. Push yourself. Mistakes are completely fine. No one gets hurt in music.
You have to get used to the fact that the things in life that bring honest to goodness rewards, take a crap ton of effort. Mental effort mostly.
If there's no effort there's no reward. Can't have one without the other. There's no shortcuts. Bored people don't deserve rewards. You're not hungry enough. There's guys out there that would KILL for what you have. Know that. Be grateful.
If you could turn your attitude around 180 degrees, and find humor in the fact that you are trying to do something, but your mind and body is preventing that, practice can be really great. The only thing that has ever truly made me satisfied...were my own accomplishments. Scaling mental walls. You won't accomplish anything if you allow boredom to take over your mind.
Forget instant gratification, it doesn't exist in the drumming world. The opposite of that is really what needs to be embraced, not avoided. Delayed gratification...is where it's at when it comes to drumming. Learn to love, and strive for, delayed gratification. It's SO much sweeter, it's very much worth it.
On the other hand it's good that you are honest and admitting how you feel. Good for you there. And I am on your side. I'm just trying to help you see things clearer. I hope you take this in the way I intended it.
I say this with the best of intentions for you. So get ready for some truth.
You could be a little more grateful. You have all your human needs taken care of and you also have a lot beyond that because you have drums and a place and time to practice, but yet you get bored. With all due respect, this is your problem totally, and a hallmark of your generation, from what I can tell. Drums are not supposed to be easy, that's what makes them great. Forget easy. Instead, think challenge. Constant challenge. Like you can do this. Push yourself. Mistakes are completely fine. No one gets hurt in music.
You have to get used to the fact that the things in life that bring honest to goodness rewards, take a crap ton of effort. Mental effort mostly.
If there's no effort there's no reward. Can't have one without the other. There's no shortcuts. Bored people don't deserve rewards. You're not hungry enough. There's guys out there that would KILL for what you have. Know that. Be grateful.
If you could turn your attitude around 180 degrees, and find humor in the fact that you are trying to do something, but your mind and body is preventing that, practice can be really great. The only thing that has ever truly made me satisfied...were my own accomplishments. Scaling mental walls. You won't accomplish anything if you allow boredom to take over your mind.
Forget instant gratification, it doesn't exist in the drumming world. The opposite of that is really what needs to be embraced, not avoided. Delayed gratification...is where it's at when it comes to drumming. Learn to love, and strive for, delayed gratification. It's SO much sweeter, it's very much worth it.
On the other hand it's good that you are honest and admitting how you feel. Good for you there. And I am on your side. I'm just trying to help you see things clearer. I hope you take this in the way I intended it.
Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
Practicing sucks?!?
Delayed gratification?!?
What's next? Embrace the suck?!?
WTF?!?
I love practicing.
Delayed gratification?!?
What's next? Embrace the suck?!?
WTF?!?
I love practicing.
Are you in lessons? They help a lot to make things easier and teach you the tricks. If you cannot afford them, tons of lessons online and helpful information.
Music - there are website that have the music already done for many popular songs. Find music you like and play to the song.
Are you going to concerts? I find tickets for my son/our family on groupon/living social for lawn tickets and they are usually $25 minus a 20% off coupon (sometimes a higher coupon). I usually pay $12-20 a person. Lawn tickets are cheap - often you cannot see the band except a tiny dot (they have it on tv monitors) but bring binoculars and just enjoy. Great way to spend a summer night at the same cost of a movie or other activities. (some clubs will allow teens or kids with parents - we did that too once but no good bands have come back to the one club we went that welcomed kids).
How is your kit? When we upgraded my son from a worn out kids kit to a regular kit, that encouraged him play more. If money is an issue- its leaf season - offer to rake for money or snow season, offer to shovel.
Music - there are website that have the music already done for many popular songs. Find music you like and play to the song.
Are you going to concerts? I find tickets for my son/our family on groupon/living social for lawn tickets and they are usually $25 minus a 20% off coupon (sometimes a higher coupon). I usually pay $12-20 a person. Lawn tickets are cheap - often you cannot see the band except a tiny dot (they have it on tv monitors) but bring binoculars and just enjoy. Great way to spend a summer night at the same cost of a movie or other activities. (some clubs will allow teens or kids with parents - we did that too once but no good bands have come back to the one club we went that welcomed kids).
How is your kit? When we upgraded my son from a worn out kids kit to a regular kit, that encouraged him play more. If money is an issue- its leaf season - offer to rake for money or snow season, offer to shovel.
Hey, I’ve been teaching myself and watching a couple of videos online. I find lessons to cost a lot of money for something I could teach myself with a bit more time. I go to as many concerts as I can but don’t have an income at the moment, last concert I went to was Ozzy in September. And for my kit I have a Alexis nitro 8 (the rubber pad one) and I’m trying to save up for a Gretsch energy kit.
Time to get a job or earn money - drumming as I am learning is an expensive hobby. You can buy all the fancy kits but until you know how to play it doesn't make sense. Our instructor likes a regular kit, not electronic as the feel is very different. Spend the money for lessons even if it is just twice a month/30 minutes. We do weekly/30 minutes. With a kit, remember those don't come with everything so you will still need cymbals, stands, a throne and more (as I had to learn but shopping for deals). You can earn money shoveling, raking, babysitting....seriously, lessons help. If your parents are willing and can afford it, maybe ask for them for the holidays. Having expensive gear and not knowing how to play it makes no sense.
My son likes Ozzy too and went to the concert..
Also, just play 10-15 minutes at a time and build up. You don't have to play hours like some the folks on here to get started. The more you play the easier it gets.
My son complains his hands hurt. He usually plays with gloves but I've tried to tape the sticks with athletic tape and use the plastic dip on the sticks too - he just likes gloves but try different things to see what works - lots of great suggestions here and online/youtube.
Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
Definetly recommend an acoustic kit. It's a completely different thing. Look at second hand stuff. Shouldn't be hard to find something decent for pretty cheap.
I've taught a bunch of kids your age. When I come to a new school and meet someone I can bare save, sometimes I'm not able to, it comes down an elecotrinc kit that's not very motivating and that they've not been taught about music and drumming in a meaningful way.
Yes, you can teach yourself a lot of things, but some guidance is recommended even if it's just once in a while. I've never met anyone "self taught" with anything but horrendous technique. They're hurting themselves, doing something fundamentally wrong and creating bad habits.
If a student is ready a good teacher will teach all the elements of making music on the drums in parallel. Some technique, a bit of coordination and lots of musical material.
I've taught a bunch of kids your age. When I come to a new school and meet someone I can bare save, sometimes I'm not able to, it comes down an elecotrinc kit that's not very motivating and that they've not been taught about music and drumming in a meaningful way.
Yes, you can teach yourself a lot of things, but some guidance is recommended even if it's just once in a while. I've never met anyone "self taught" with anything but horrendous technique. They're hurting themselves, doing something fundamentally wrong and creating bad habits.
If a student is ready a good teacher will teach all the elements of making music on the drums in parallel. Some technique, a bit of coordination and lots of musical material.
As someone new to playing, in less you have someone who can look at the kit, I'd be concerned about buying used. I also didn't find buying used was such a great deal (in less you know what you are buying/higher end). I got a good sale on my son's kit and watching sales on the cymbals. You don't have to buy all at once. With the lower kit (not what you are looking at) if they come with the cymbals, they are not good quality. Cymbals can be cracked, wood split and buying new heads for 5 drums can add up. I was watching prices for about 9 months and got an $800/850 drum set for $500. I got cymbals that were $200+ for $100 - everyone recommended used but in the end it was cheaper new. If you are one of the guys here who knows how to fix any drum, used makes sense. Even the used at the stores were more than what I paid. The one negative of being a kid (or a kid with a mom) though is may of the music shops are not nice, welcoming or helpful - had many experiences so now I usually go in knowing what I want. They get super annoyed when my son comes to try things acting like he will break it.
My son enjoys playing so much more on his new kit - he had a kids one that was terrible and the difference is huge.
But, do get lessons. There are some amazing drummers if you watch the interviews who never had lessons but most do. Even just twice a month/30 minutes.
My son enjoys playing so much more on his new kit - he had a kids one that was terrible and the difference is huge.
But, do get lessons. There are some amazing drummers if you watch the interviews who never had lessons but most do. Even just twice a month/30 minutes.
brentcn
Platinum Member
The people who join bands stick with it much longer, and enjoy it much more.
About ten years ago I gave up my drum lesson teaching job, and started teaching at a music studio that also puts the kids (and adults) into small rock bands (drums, bass, guitar, keys, vocals). Across the board, the students learn way more, have more fun, meet many other people, and I get to see them grow and learn over a much longer period of time.
Get into a band ASAP and learn songs that you actually play in front of people, because you will be much more motivated to learn things that are difficult, if you have a place to apply the skills. This is true for most people, of any age or generation. Get in-person lessons, too, if you can.
What area are you in? Are there any teaching studios nearby? The school where I teach has a nonprofit scholarship program, specifically made for students who aren't able to afford lessons.
Alex Sanguinetti
Silver Member
Don¨t worry, most drummers and musicians have NO fun playing at all ´though they will never confess it...
The only chance you have is to study seriously and then you MIGHT enjoy playing. It is a very long process...
The only chance you have is to study seriously and then you MIGHT enjoy playing. It is a very long process...