Beginner - Stickings or Fills.....
- Thread starter Steve.B
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JustJames
Platinum Member
In theory, you should learn rudiments.
A lot depends on what you want to get out of drumming. I am big believer in learning songs in whatever genre floats your boat. To learn to play songs, you will be forced to learn appropriate rudiments, stickings and fills.
Whatever approach you follow, learn at least basic reading skills.
A lot depends on what you want to get out of drumming. I am big believer in learning songs in whatever genre floats your boat. To learn to play songs, you will be forced to learn appropriate rudiments, stickings and fills.
Whatever approach you follow, learn at least basic reading skills.
Larry
"Uncle Larry"
I apologize in advance if these suggestions aren't what you are looking for.
For beginners, before sticking and fills...before all drumming really, there is the way in which you move the stick. Your technique. I feel it is the most important thing to work on when just starting out.
Everything, all your ideas and everything you play...has to pass through your technique. So don't skimp there. Bill Bachman is the resident technique teacher here FWIW.
This is where I would start if I were teaching, the mechanics of your fingers, hands, wrists and everything else in relation to moving the stick.
I don't know how much of a beginner you are, but working on technique...it seems to me a lot of people skip that, like it's not important, and go to rudiments or something else in the beginning. Rudiments and everything else are really important. But I also think that there are essential steps to be taken before working on stickings and fills, which deserve all your attention.
Skipping over learning (earning) a good technique in the beginning is a big mistake IMO.
For beginners, before sticking and fills...before all drumming really, there is the way in which you move the stick. Your technique. I feel it is the most important thing to work on when just starting out.
Everything, all your ideas and everything you play...has to pass through your technique. So don't skimp there. Bill Bachman is the resident technique teacher here FWIW.
This is where I would start if I were teaching, the mechanics of your fingers, hands, wrists and everything else in relation to moving the stick.
I don't know how much of a beginner you are, but working on technique...it seems to me a lot of people skip that, like it's not important, and go to rudiments or something else in the beginning. Rudiments and everything else are really important. But I also think that there are essential steps to be taken before working on stickings and fills, which deserve all your attention.
Skipping over learning (earning) a good technique in the beginning is a big mistake IMO.
What Uncle Larry said for sure, and James also.
Now, if you learn 10 fills, you have 10 fills. That's it, 10.
If you learn rudiments (stickings) and learn to apply them in different ways around the kit, you have an infinite amount of fills.
Don't limit yourself to something that someone else made up. You will never grow as a drummer if you do.
Now, if you learn 10 fills, you have 10 fills. That's it, 10.
If you learn rudiments (stickings) and learn to apply them in different ways around the kit, you have an infinite amount of fills.
Don't limit yourself to something that someone else made up. You will never grow as a drummer if you do.
toddbishop
Platinum Member
Learn to read music, learn rhythm.
Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
I really try to incorporate all sorts of things really early. I don't take the concept very far, though.
There's not gonna be a completely right or wrong as people are different and don't just get motivated, but also get certain modalities and perspectives better.
It is possible to tie something together that incorporate all elements in a logical way and it's the best solution to the general challenges I hear so much about teaching kids today. It's a teacher's job, though. It ends up looking very simple, but you need a big ever growing vault to put it together.
There's not gonna be a completely right or wrong as people are different and don't just get motivated, but also get certain modalities and perspectives better.
It is possible to tie something together that incorporate all elements in a logical way and it's the best solution to the general challenges I hear so much about teaching kids today. It's a teacher's job, though. It ends up looking very simple, but you need a big ever growing vault to put it together.
Alain Rieder
Silver Member
If you were my student I would teach you basic groove and some basic rudiments, simple fills that sound good, etc.
I don't know who invented "the 10 great fills every drummer should know", but I wouldn't bother with this.
Hollywood Jim
Platinum Member
I agree with the others. Learn rudiments and sticking technique. The drum fills will come to you naturally.
As you play along with music and your favorite drummers you will learn the fills you need to know.
I have my own 10 great drum fills. The only problem is I have forgotten most of them. The other players in my band don’t want me to use them. During a song they simply want me to keep the band on tempo. If I add too many drum fills and cymbal crashes, sometimes they get lost and go off tempo. Also the drum fills take the attention off of them and puts the audience’s attention on me, and the guitar players don’t like that. Sorry; I would share my 10 great drum fills with you if I could.
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As you play along with music and your favorite drummers you will learn the fills you need to know.
I have my own 10 great drum fills. The only problem is I have forgotten most of them. The other players in my band don’t want me to use them. During a song they simply want me to keep the band on tempo. If I add too many drum fills and cymbal crashes, sometimes they get lost and go off tempo. Also the drum fills take the attention off of them and puts the audience’s attention on me, and the guitar players don’t like that. Sorry; I would share my 10 great drum fills with you if I could.
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I think everybody starts out that way, wanting to do as much as they can as quickly as they can.
The more time you spend on the basics, the more quickly you'll progress later. I think that's true for everyone, but more true for late learners. Late learners usually find it easier to understand what they're studying, but need a lot more repetition for it to sink in.
That makes sense. I'd suggest learning Lesson One, so to speak, of multiple topics first, before moving on to more advanced studies. Really master the "white belt" stuff and get all the various parts working together before moving on. In my case, I skipped through a lot of the beginner stuff, dug in to the intermediate stuff, and kept banging my head against a wall for years before finally realizing I needed to go back to the beginning. Don't make that mistake.
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Bonzo_CR
Silver Member
Some great advice here, especially:
May I add my 10 cents on "the beginners' road map":
1. Learn to read drum notation (it's not that hard, and will open up all the world of learning for you).
2. Learn a basic vocabulary of simple beats (maybe using a book to guide you - for example Alfred's Beginner Method Book 1 is a nice starter book)
3. Then practice slightly more varied/complex beats (Alfred's book has nice gentle progressions from page to page that will develop this ability).
4. Each time you practice something new, spend some time working on it for at least 5-10 practice sessions. At the start it will feel very mechanical or even impossible. After 3-4 sessions you will start to play things that you couldn't play before. After 7-10 sessions it starts to feel really natural.
5. Don't hold the sticks too tight. If you notice tension in your limbs when you play, usually it will release naturally.
6. If you can manage it, practice with a metronome. After you get a beat sounding good at one tempo, try it 10-20 BPM faster/slower. Not always as easy as it sounds, but it will build your ability to groove AND stay in time.
7. Stick with it. What you get out depends on what you put in. You will be surprised how much progress you will make in 6 months if you can practice 4-6 times a week even for 15-30 minutes.
8. Let us know how you get on! Any problem is easier to solve when you have a support group to discuss it with
and you will find a lot of folks here who have a lot of experience to offer and like helping!
Good luck!
May I add my 10 cents on "the beginners' road map":
1. Learn to read drum notation (it's not that hard, and will open up all the world of learning for you).
2. Learn a basic vocabulary of simple beats (maybe using a book to guide you - for example Alfred's Beginner Method Book 1 is a nice starter book)
3. Then practice slightly more varied/complex beats (Alfred's book has nice gentle progressions from page to page that will develop this ability).
4. Each time you practice something new, spend some time working on it for at least 5-10 practice sessions. At the start it will feel very mechanical or even impossible. After 3-4 sessions you will start to play things that you couldn't play before. After 7-10 sessions it starts to feel really natural.
5. Don't hold the sticks too tight. If you notice tension in your limbs when you play, usually it will release naturally.
6. If you can manage it, practice with a metronome. After you get a beat sounding good at one tempo, try it 10-20 BPM faster/slower. Not always as easy as it sounds, but it will build your ability to groove AND stay in time.
7. Stick with it. What you get out depends on what you put in. You will be surprised how much progress you will make in 6 months if you can practice 4-6 times a week even for 15-30 minutes.
8. Let us know how you get on! Any problem is easier to solve when you have a support group to discuss it with
and you will find a lot of folks here who have a lot of experience to offer and like helping! Good luck!