New drummers prioritizing wrong gear?

RickP

Gold Member
My friend owns a very busy drum shop and I teach and full in occasionally there .Lately I have noticed something that I find interesting and puzzling at the same time . I am seeing drummers (especially younger drummers ) , spending big dough on top of the line double pedals and owning entry level drums and cymbals . I think they would be far more prudent looking at investing their cash in better cymbals and drums . The better (not saying something too of the line ) drums and cymbals will help them sound better . What are your thoughts ?
 
I would think that the younger drummers want a expensive double pedal because they think it will make them play faster, and therefore they spend money on the pedals. For me, I choose to put money towards cymbals and heads because that’s what makes the difference. My double pedal is a low end single chain because I don’t play that fast, and I know that the fancy pedals don’t make me faster.
 
My friend owns a very busy drum shop and I teach and full in occasionally there .Lately I have noticed something that I find interesting and puzzling at the same time . I am seeing drummers (especially younger drummers ) , spending big dough on top of the line double pedals and owning entry level drums and cymbals . I think they would be far more prudent looking at investing their cash in better cymbals and drums . The better (not saying something too of the line ) drums and cymbals will help them sound better . What are your thoughts ?
My guess:
They're using triggers and the computer to process everything so the drums and cymbals don't really matter, but one needs a quality pedal in the quest for insane speed like Thomas Lang.
 
I would think that the younger drummers want a expensive double pedal because they think it will make them play faster, and therefore they spend money on the pedals. For me, I choose to put money towards cymbals and heads because that’s what makes the difference. My double pedal is a low end single chain because I don’t play that fast, and I know that the fancy pedals don’t make me faster.

I am a teacher of many of these types, and it is sort of that "instant results/gratification myth" that they have been raised under.
They buy certain kinds of sticks under the myth that it will make their hands faster
They subscribe to things on the internet that will "give them flawless chops with out all the work"
They order a widget from Australia and expect it to be there in 2 hours
They expect to get praise and glory for putting their name on the list

then they all come to me in lessons and learn that the "secret" is reps, muscle building, and patience
 
One of the reasons I gave up teaching was because kids came to me saying, "I want to play like Lars Ulrich right away!"

I got sick of telling them it doesn't work that way.
 
I am a teacher of many of these types, and it is sort of that "instant results/gratification myth" that they have been raised under.
They buy certain kinds of sticks under the myth that it will make their hands faster
They subscribe to things on the internet that will "give them flawless chops with out all the work"
They order a widget from Australia and expect it to be there in 2 hours
They expect to get praise and glory for putting their name on the list

then they all come to me in lessons and learn that the "secret" is reps, muscle building, and patience

All so true ! We need good teaching and examples in drumming as well as life 👍🏼
 
I agree completely, but I would still recommend getting the best feeling pedals you can afford. That makes them a joy to play especially for fast and/or intricate footwork.
Buying pedals is more comparable to buying hands than buying sticks. They don't merely respond to your input, they are designed and engineered to enhance your performance.

Pedals might be the only piece of gear that actually augments a drummer's ability, although maybe to RickP's point, this augmentation doesn't become a factor below a certain skill level.
 
My guess:
They're using triggers and the computer to process everything so the drums and cymbals don't really matter,
but one needs a quality pedal in the quest for insane speed like Thomas Lang.

True. Makes me a little sad.
 
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My guess:
They're using triggers and the computer to process everything so the drums and cymbals don't really matter, but one needs a quality pedal in the quest for insane speed like Thomas Lang.
A very sad truth, the massive irony is that the inevitable sloppy double bass drum work will get replaced too because their weak foot will be really weak.

A guy I knew was in a metal band that programmed all the drums, just means that you can't play what's been recorded live.

I was lucky and had some great guidance from old pros and teachers, I went down the good snare and cymbals route. First proper pedal I bought and still have was a Ludwig Speed King in 2002 and I practiced like mad on it.
 
I was lucky and had some great guidance from old pros and teachers, I went down the good snare and cymbals route. First proper pedal I bought and still have was a Ludwig Speed King in 2002 and I practiced like mad on it.
Me too…snare, cymbals, drums in that order! :)
 
Priorities. If they are happy (for the time being) with their sound and want to get their double bass drumming up, then what's the point steering them towards better cymbals and drums? I'm sure they don't mind having better sounding kits, but that's not what they are looking for right now.

When I go out buying premium meat, I'm not listening to comments on my sub-par frying pans. 😘😇
 
Priorities. If they are happy (for the time being) with their sound and want to get their double bass drumming up, then what's the point steering them towards better cymbals and drums?
Well this ^^^
Priorities have changed. people make more money and get sponsorships from having a Youtube following.
Professional sound is obviously not a priority as they are usually filmed in a home studio using budget mics. When I started it was expensive and rare to record, so you spent years honing your sounds and buying the best drums and cymbals to help you achieve that.
Many of the younger celebrity drummers have never made an album or been on tour, where your sound is viewed more critically.
 
I think it's kinda lovely to see these younglings going out all enthused to put their energies into a skill which takes a lot of discipline and practice to achieve.

I guess I'd rather see them working, saving hard for a shiny new pedal and getting a good drumming skill than getting into trouble with the law.

The money they are putting towards a new pedal I guess keeps these businesses going.

YouTube is full of these kids blasting away with their feet.......I suppose other kiddies want to "do that" and forgo having new drums....so they just focus on the pedals.

Some of these kids are bloody fast with their feet....... just amazing.
 
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Curious what their playing goals are......we are assuming fast feet are clearly a priority. What are their influences?
 
I guess one other thing here is that, if you're trying to play certain kinds of metal, a double pedal is the one piece of gear you really NEED to play it that's not on a standard five piece kit. A five piece kit with a single pedal can't play metal. A five piece kit WITH a double pedal can.

And they've probably learned-- in some cases correctly-- that the double pedal really needs to be well-built to withstand the punishment it'll take.

If I were playing that genre, I'd almost certainly want a really well-built double pedal and, depending on the kit that I had, it might be the #1 upgrade for me, too. Like, if I had a Stage Custom with a set of Paiste PST7s, that's what I'd do.

BTW, this is emphatically NOT what I would do personally because I don't play metal. But I think I get it.
 
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I was that kid. My drumming goals were all metal. I had drums, I had cymbals, I NEEDED that other item to complete my set so I could get to work on being a metal drummer.

I didnt buy a double pedal. I got a second kit, painted it to match (logo head also), and started from there.

It might sound stupid, but to a young drummer with metal goals that pedal is important. Much more important than quality of cymbals or drums. That comes later. The goal is to sound like a tractor with the feet and go fast. The rest will come later.
 
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