dazzag1982
Junior Member
Hi Guys
My first post so please excuse me if I don't explain this well.
I have been interested in drumming for probably over 15 years (im now 35 and i hope in 2018 to buy my first ever kit) Just haven't had the room in the house until now - Ive played a real kit a few times but just messing about with friends, school kit etc when I was younger... I currently use the yamaha DD65 drum machine so I can still practise etc but my arms don't get the chance to roam as much as a real kit...also different response to rebound etc etc so I know getting a proper kit will be very different and will take time to adjust.
I am a huge Queen fan so Roger Taylor is my idol so Ive had many years of doing world class air drums. Now Roger is known for his big sound and has always played big drums, he is now 68 and in my opinion drumming better than ever and still plays a huge kit..24 bass, 10/12/14/16/18 toms and large cymbals - the one thing about his kit is it sits quite high around him so his toms would be chest height and his cymbals would sit just above his head - see pic attached
And this is where my problem lies....
I received some drum lessons as a birthday gift but I feel my tutors kit is very small in size and the positioning of toms and cymbals doesn't fell natural however I don't want to say anything that would be offensive or critisize the guys kit - I still appreciate the opportunity to practice and learn.
My tutors kit has a 20 bass and has 2 rack toms, and a floor. One crash to the left above high hat/left tom and a ride to the right.
So you may or may not have guessed where I am going with this...I have spent years playing air drums with imagined visuals of Roger Taylor's kit around me....I've studied all the concert DVDs so much...so I know where my arms like to go naturally . ie high cymbals, chest height toms etc etc.
Because my tutors kit only has a 20 bass the toms sit straight on top of that with little air between them, therefore the crash above that feels very low -
also the ride on the right is angled very down that you can only really ride it...you cant hit the edge very well to crash it. Its also very low just above the floor tom. Roger's ride is above the floor tom but the edge would also just slightly higher than his right hand 14 inch rack tom. My tutors kit only has a single floor and I'm really struggling with not having a second. Also lack of cymbals....just the one crash...again Roger plays a 17 and 19 on his left a 20 above the ride on the right and then another 20/21 back right..so again from watching all his stuff over the years I know where my hands want to go in terms of different cymbals for different notes/colours.
So I know everyone has to start off somewhere but I feel that Roger's kit is so visually stapled in my mind that I can't play with less. In my lessons we're practicing Queen songs because that's what I know but because I know how Roger does certain things and what he's hitting, I don't know how to do the same with less around me and those things not at the correct height / angle of what i'm visualizing so sometimes I actually go to hit a cymbal that isnt there.
I'm going to get a pdp concept maple 7 piece (22 bass, 8/10/12/14/16) so not quite as big as Roger's but still 3 up 2 down and I know I can adjust the height of things to suit me.
Should I say anything to my tutor about this and have you any other advice for me. My lessons are only 30 mins long so I know he has to have his kit the same because the next guy coming in after me, and he teaches kids also but it just does not suit me but i'm embarrassed/scared to discuss with him.
Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thank You.
Darren
My first post so please excuse me if I don't explain this well.
I have been interested in drumming for probably over 15 years (im now 35 and i hope in 2018 to buy my first ever kit) Just haven't had the room in the house until now - Ive played a real kit a few times but just messing about with friends, school kit etc when I was younger... I currently use the yamaha DD65 drum machine so I can still practise etc but my arms don't get the chance to roam as much as a real kit...also different response to rebound etc etc so I know getting a proper kit will be very different and will take time to adjust.
I am a huge Queen fan so Roger Taylor is my idol so Ive had many years of doing world class air drums. Now Roger is known for his big sound and has always played big drums, he is now 68 and in my opinion drumming better than ever and still plays a huge kit..24 bass, 10/12/14/16/18 toms and large cymbals - the one thing about his kit is it sits quite high around him so his toms would be chest height and his cymbals would sit just above his head - see pic attached
And this is where my problem lies....
I received some drum lessons as a birthday gift but I feel my tutors kit is very small in size and the positioning of toms and cymbals doesn't fell natural however I don't want to say anything that would be offensive or critisize the guys kit - I still appreciate the opportunity to practice and learn.
My tutors kit has a 20 bass and has 2 rack toms, and a floor. One crash to the left above high hat/left tom and a ride to the right.
So you may or may not have guessed where I am going with this...I have spent years playing air drums with imagined visuals of Roger Taylor's kit around me....I've studied all the concert DVDs so much...so I know where my arms like to go naturally . ie high cymbals, chest height toms etc etc.
Because my tutors kit only has a 20 bass the toms sit straight on top of that with little air between them, therefore the crash above that feels very low -
also the ride on the right is angled very down that you can only really ride it...you cant hit the edge very well to crash it. Its also very low just above the floor tom. Roger's ride is above the floor tom but the edge would also just slightly higher than his right hand 14 inch rack tom. My tutors kit only has a single floor and I'm really struggling with not having a second. Also lack of cymbals....just the one crash...again Roger plays a 17 and 19 on his left a 20 above the ride on the right and then another 20/21 back right..so again from watching all his stuff over the years I know where my hands want to go in terms of different cymbals for different notes/colours.
So I know everyone has to start off somewhere but I feel that Roger's kit is so visually stapled in my mind that I can't play with less. In my lessons we're practicing Queen songs because that's what I know but because I know how Roger does certain things and what he's hitting, I don't know how to do the same with less around me and those things not at the correct height / angle of what i'm visualizing so sometimes I actually go to hit a cymbal that isnt there.
I'm going to get a pdp concept maple 7 piece (22 bass, 8/10/12/14/16) so not quite as big as Roger's but still 3 up 2 down and I know I can adjust the height of things to suit me.
Should I say anything to my tutor about this and have you any other advice for me. My lessons are only 30 mins long so I know he has to have his kit the same because the next guy coming in after me, and he teaches kids also but it just does not suit me but i'm embarrassed/scared to discuss with him.
Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thank You.
Darren