Forums. Get ahead of the competition.

Sparkboss

Senior Member
So after spending about 5-6 years partially lurking and partially asking stupid adolescent new drummer questions on the REMO forums, and then recently moving over here to drummerworld forums and continuing my lurking spree, i have come to a conclusion (run on sentence i know). My conclusion is that, simply being on forums and researching and asking whatever questions my little brain can crank out, i have become much more knowledgable than almost any drummer i attempt to have a casual conversation with.

Surely most of you have noticed this same thing!

I was told that a new guy checked into my command and has played drums for about 13 years! I have been playing for 10. i expected him to have quite a bit of information stored in his head. Truth is, he wasn't too bad - well, maybe he was! I got into a conversation with him and it seemed that when i used certain termonology, he just nodded and agreed and didn't seem to have much to say about it. Even on basic things such as drum heads. I asked what his prefference in drum heads were after he succesfully told me that his shells are maple, and nodded his head when i asked about how many plies, and guessed the number 7. The answer i got was "I usually like the clear ones" i asked about ambassador / emperor, as well as g1 / g2, he didnt seem to recognize exactly what i meant so i made it more universal and talked about plies. All nods and question marks above the head hehe....

I feel bad ranting about him because he is a really cool guy, and has some talent in drumming, just doesn't seem to have all the auxiliary knowledge to make him much better! However i wanted to touch on this subject of how forum surfing, for any amount of time, will remarkably set you ahead of the competition.

Now, i am requesting for other stories of some poor souls that you guys / gals have met who could have been a much better drummer with some aid and support from such a great community like we have here on the drummerworld forums.

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading all of my blabber!
 
Totally concur. My involvement with these forums coincided with a marked improvement in my playing. I blame this forum for that lol. Just thinking about drumming apparently is almost as good as actually drumming, that's my conclusion. Crystallizing how you mentally approach drumming is an amazingly effective tool. That's why I don't feel too guilty when I am on these boards, because I know honing my mental approach is beneficial too. Just connecting with other drummers feels right. I love the stories and the friendships I've made here. Drummers rock. Hey if it wasn't for DW, I wouldn't be going to the UK later on this year. It will be my first time overseas, to a place I've always wanted to go. In fact I always wanted it to be the first European country I traveled to. That's pretty huge for me. Long live Bernhard's DrummerWorld!
 
My conclusion is that, simply being on forums and researching and asking whatever questions my little brain can crank out, i have become much more knowledgable than almost any drummer i attempt to have a casual conversation with.

As they say, everybody knows more than somebody.

There's a lot to be learned from the collective knowledge and experience of players, instructors, and other musicians and industry people, beginners and professionals, involved in all styles of music, from all over the world, on a fairly immediate basis. This just wasn't possible prior to the internet taking hold in the '90s.

As a young drummer, I never had access to the masses like I do now. There was no Modern Drummer yet, so I couldn't even get monthly updates. I knew a handful of players, my teachers, and that was about it. Up & coming players today - pros as well - are in a much better position to learn and grow and share than at any time before.

Bermuda
 
I totally agree as well. Don't take this as a negative thing, but these online forums are frequented by people that are really curious to know more about gear, technique, etc... and the stuff we talk about on here doesn't really apply to the MAJORITY of drummers out in the "real world."

I'm a long time guitar player and have been on guitar message boards since around 1996 (from the beginning, more or less.) I can tell you for sure that I knew more about guitar gear than anyone I ever ran across in real life. Most people had no idea about different speakers, different types of tubes, etc...

As long as we all keep that in perspective, these forums are awesome!
 
as you can tell from my join date compared to post count .......that I love this place.

I am extremely busy person and still find a few minutes .... multiple times a day usually ....to pop in and contribute to my brothers and sisters conversations

I have checked in while warming up backstage , between takes and on breaks at a recording session, between lessons, while others take smoke breaks at rehearsals , and of course hanging at home........

I do try my best to stay out of "technique" discussions......to me they are a bit like discussing religion , politics, or chiropractics in a bar ....sometimes I cannot help myself though

honestly this place is probably on my mind more than it should be....but I enjoy it and have learned so much here ....I also do my best to help others when the very rare occasion arises where a topic I am well versed in is being discussed :)

in my opinion we are blessed to have each other and I feel honored to be a member here

we are also lucky to have access to the drummers that pop in ......and extremely lucky to have a guy like Bermuda around quite regularly

I'm not sure there is another forum like this on on the internet
 
Get ahead of the competition? Well, I suppose so, but it's certainly not how I look at it, or why I come here. I think Sgt's observation about the naturally curious amongst us frequenting the boards more than most, is a consideration.

I completely concur with Larry's post, & very much look forward to hanging with him later this year. I've already physically met up with a number of forum members, & on each occasion, it's been an absolute joy & privilege to do so. I also enjoy "meeting up" on here with members too. I pick up a real sense of kinship with quite a few members, & even if we never meet in person, I feel like I've shared something worthwhile & wholesome. For all manner of reasons, this is a very satisfying place to be.

I agree with Jon's observation on just how revolutionary the internet experience is for (ahem) the more senior amongst us who remember years of playing in virtual industry isolation. We had our little playing bubble, & that was just about it.
 
Back to the OP's original request, I've had a few similar encounters on gigs, setting up, tearing down, or on breaks (usually leading up to "hey can I try 'em out?" or "hey can I sit in on a few?"). A guy will approach me and tell me he's also a drummer. We'll start talking, and I can start gauging how proficient he is (not necessarily technical proficiency on the kit). I'll ask a few questions. "What kind of cymbals do you play?" "Zildjian" "Oh? What line?" "Oh, you know, the F Customs". Or maybe they play Sabian Sound-Edge hi-hats. Or Remo Super-Kick 8 bass drum head. That kinda stuff tells me they probably have a $200 beater kit in their bedroom and their mommy (or girlfriend) tells them they're really good, and they believe it. And NO, they CAN'T sit in!
 
I'm sad to report that this forum has thus far not prevented my slow decline into idiocy. I'm not sure anything can arrest that progress.
 
The internet is a lot like what used to be said about television - a ' vast wasteland '.

Even the most cynical agreed on its potential though, and that there were some real gems to be found with a little effort.

About the OP - some people just play drums and don't care to explore all the details.
Their loss - but people approach things differently.
 
I'm self taught. My only 'lessons' are on here. My drumming has improved much reading this all the time.....and so have my drum equipment costs! lol
I also find the site quite humourous at times.
 
I lurked for a few months before joining and can tell you that never would I have thought that the connections here would have me talking to and rubbing elbows with some of the drummers from some very popular bands. I had a 32 year hiatus from drumming and can only praise the drumming community on this forum for making me a more knowlegable person. Abe Lincoln once said, We all know a lot,just about different things. It costs nothing to share and there is absolutely no pain involved. However my goal here is not to compete, but only to socialize and learn. Peace
 
About the OP - some people just play drums and don't care to explore all the details.
Very much so! There's one player that I know well, & has also met a couple of forum members I regard as friends, that by her own admission, has absolutely zero gear knowledge. Anyone who used her lack of gear knowledge as an indication of poor ability would be in for a seriously embarrassing shock :)
 
i just hope it (forum learning) is not too much a case of 'the blind leading the blind' and more a case of 'in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.'

lol

personally being on this forum for over 6 years has accelerated my drum learning and engaged me far more than school ever did. i have written more words and more thoughtful ones than all the papers and essays i ever wrote in my youth and have had greater (unpaid) teachers here. i hope i have paid it forward in my own way through the years too.
j
 
As long as you're looking for a number of different kinds of information on the forum (or the internet in general), you are in a good position to progress as a player. Not just gear questions, but also technique questions, asking people for their opinions or experience, checking out new bands and new sounds, asking questions to the pros, watching videos... I'm an unabashed gearhound, I love to talk about gear, and I love to tinker. Am I the best player? No, probably not. I know how to read, but I don't spend nearly as much time as I ought to working on sticking. But I do know that if I wanted to delve into it at any point, there are like 100 threads on it here on the forum I could investigate.
 
I agree mostly, but there can be downsides. Overthinking things, mainly. Every little aspect of everything is considered, analyzed, and optimized. It can make things better, but it can also make everything more stressful and less fun.

This place's effect on my GAS can also be expensive.
 
....We all know a lot,just about different things. It costs nothing to share and there is absolutely no pain involved. However my goal here is not to compete, but only to socialize and learn. Peace

Pretty much sums up my existence here as well Grunt! I come to learn and hopefully share. The more you know, the more you know you don't know as the saying goes. I always feel I have little to offer and take much more than I leave.

GAS is certainly more rampant than I ever known before I joined. When I joined I was already about 1/2 way in the process of transitioning out of all my old gear and moving into new gear.

One I joined and started reading, I was shocked and amazed how much emphasis was placed on gear acquisition. I actually had no idea....
 
One I joined and started reading, I was shocked and amazed how much emphasis was placed on gear acquisition. I actually had no idea....
I don't think it's so much an "emphasis" on gear acquisition, more that it's a big fun element for some. If I detach my obvious professional gear interest for a moment, there's no way I place gear details above my playing, in the same way I don't place technique above performance.
 
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Comparison of my drumming knowledge before and after Drummerworld.


I agree mostly, but there can be downsides. Overthinking things, mainly. Every little aspect of everything is considered, analyzed, and optimized. It can make things better, but it can also make everything more stressful and less fun.

I agree. If my brain gets involved the house of cards falls down. It seems ironic that I need to think and respond completely differently here to when writing or playing.
 
I don't think it's so much an "emphasis" on gear acquisition, more that it's a big fun element for some. If I detach my obvious professional gear interest for a moment, there's no way I place gear details above my playing, in the same way I don't place technique above performance.

I guess I didn't state it well Andy. I just never realized people had that much interest in the topic of gear exploration. Sorry for not being clear.
 
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