At what age did you start drumming?

My first love was guitar and every time my mom went to Walgreens I (had) to go. They had this 4 pickup weird shaped guitar on a pedestal that mesmerized me. Somehow I got a drumset first at 17. I've always thought I missed my calling. To this day I tend to follow the guitar over the bass while drumming.
 
5th grade. My parents got me a Slingerland student snare from Volkweins in downtown Pittsburgh, around 1968. Marine pearl. I still have it. It came in a big black carrying case, with stand, drum pad and sticks. I can still remember lugging that thing to the bus stop as an elementary student.
 
Around 11/12 for me. I had been playing violin since 4, and had a few years of piano lessons under my belt as well.

My Dad was a symphony violinst, and hated that I wanted to switch. To get a set, I had to prove I was serious and take lessons with one of his symphony percussionist friends. It was nothing but pad and snare work for most of the first year. Because I could read, it went better than he (my dad) expected/hoped. Once I got a drumset there was no going back :)
 
At 13. I realized i sucked at guitar and gave it up to be a drummer.

I’m completely self taught. Never a lesson in my life, so those first few years were rough

That was 23 years ago. Kids starting now have so many awesome resources
 
I was sent to musical school at 4, started playing the piano at 6, must have been 7 when I entered the local marching band and was allowed to become a drummer there at 8 (first time being able to carry around a Lefima marching drum). I then started banging on everything in the house so my parents bought me the first orange tiny jazz drumset at about 11. The money I got from my confirmation (14) was used to buy my first "real" drumset - a NewSound in wine red.
 
Played guitar and drums from 11 to 17, quit drums when I joined the military. Devoted myself to guitar until I was 35.
Returned to drumming at about 38.



Did you have any other musical experience? That probably makes a huge difference. I've seen people start out on drums having no musical ability and I think to myself "how?"

I started with guitar at 21 and played very badly for about fifteen years before giving up. Not many people would have accused me of having musical ability. My grandfather left me his kit when he died and I thought why not? Definitely feels like a better fit, for whatever reason
 
I was 8. Wow I’m amazed that a majority of us started relatively young. Maybe it’s just a sampling error and more people speak up the age go up? But as it is I think it’s significant maybe it’s a behavioral trait or one that would lend itself to drumming-like specific improved motor skills, etc. ?
Thinking back to when I started, I definitely had some concerns about aggravating the hearing loss that seems to come naturally with aging (or is that just me?). Also about the impacts of more chair-sitting on my back and neck (again with the aging). I was very surprised about the physical demands - not something I really expected from a musical instrument. In retrospect I guess that should have been pretty obvious...
 
I got a toy drumset for something similar like Christmas when i was almost 3 years old. Had a lot of fun with it and when i was 5 or 6 i wanted to pick up an instrument. I believe drums were my first choice, but my parents wouldn't allow me. So picked up guitar instead. Had lessons for 6 months, but since my heart wasn't in it and was too busy playing outside so i quit.

Wasn't until i was 15 or 16 that i made a new friend who played drums that set everything in motion. Somehow persuaded my parents and they saw my devotion (also because i was still talking about drums) and they agreed to me buying my first set. Pearl Export with Paiste 302 cymbals. Man i miss those days!
 
I was 10 (45 years ago) using my Dad's 1941 Ludwigs. My Dad was insistent I take formal lessons to learn to read, etc so he hooked me up with a teacher 2 weeks after he set up his drums for me to bash.

Still have the hihats, bass & snare with their original canvas bags. The matching tom went MIA back in the early 80's. Ride cracked decades ago.

The original calf head is still on the bass drum and is in perfect shape.
 
I was always banging on furniture and fascinated by drums, particularly when Mr Copeland & The Police came into my life when I was 7. I joined the school band at 13 but was completely self taught and couldn’t read a note; my music teacher liked what I came up with and let me jam along to whatever tunes they played!! I did that till I left school. I met my drum teacher at college when I was 16, he was an awesome player/teacher & taught me to read. My folks saw that drumming was my true passion and got me my first Pearl Export kit; so 16 is when I really started drumming.
 
I started playing the drums on an every day basis around 9 years old. But here is something to think about. I was in my mom's tummy while my Mom and Dad were on the bus traveling the country with the Ted Fio Rito Band. My Mom was a singer and my Dad was the drummer. So before I was born, I was picking up the musical vibe from a bus full of musicians and the rhythmic movements of the bus........ LOL

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