Need advice for a total beginner please.

I think it's important to have a physical aspect to practice, otherwise it isn't fun. Rock is fun for the beginner. The mechanics and the structure of the song form are simple. Most of us that began at an early age were first beating on drums well before the first lessons. The physical aspect of doing a 16th note fill down the toms was pure adrenalin. If you aren't doing that as a beginner drummer, then that would explain the boredom.

It definitely helps to have validity space too - space that is unapologetic in volume and time-of-day.
 
You need a pad. Dont practice on the drums, it gets distracting. Also, you have to take the first few lessons with a grain of salt. Singles and 8 on a hand are boring AT FIRST. Once you get the hang and feel of how the stick works, your brain will click and you will get it. Then practice becomes fun. As you get farther into learning, you will understand how the first few lessons are applied to everything else, plus you will have different lessons that you can mix and match after you learn them. Hang in there, it gets fun.

thanks man. This is exactly what it feels like. I get some distracted trying to practice on the drums
 
Tell your teacher exactly what you have told us.
If he/she does not give you an answer that you like, find another teacher.

.
 
(not to dis on the CrazyPole....)
only if that is what you convince your self of...they can be a blast if you do them right!!! That is why I have my students do them with a metronome AND along to songs they like...I have been playing drums for 35 years, and I still love to just chop out 8 on a hand, or Stone patterns 1-4...make up a playlist of songs that you like and go for it

this is the playlist I use myself, and with my marching band drummers when we are doing basic motion stuff (I also use it to warm up on set with, and teach basic set to my students)


feel free to use it as well!!!
This beat is my recital, I think its very vital to snap your fingers, snap your neck
 
Just abit more about myself. I’m 33 years old, for about 10 years I have been watching drummers on YouTube and always listen for drums during songs. I listen to music EVERY day without fail.
Things have always got in the way of getting a drum kit, saving for house/doing house up/moving house/having a son. My Son is now 3 years old and I finally have some free time. I would love to learn the drums and help him learn in a couple of years.

A lot of you are correct, I have nothing to work with atm so practising seems boring, the drum kit gets very distracting to learn on. Saying all that I’m SOOOOO excited for my lesson again tomorrow. I’ll let you all know how it goes again tomorrow.
 
I learn by myself with books and DVDs. My drumming passion is jazz so everything revolves around that exactly. I think it's easier for me to do because of the specialization. It's a hobby so I only pick things I like to do.

Ultimately I listen to a tune and I say to myself: I want to play that because it's so awesome.

Then the homework comes naturally with various books, DVDs and play along, rudiments too. Every morning I practice the rudiments from my sheet, and I see the speed, control dexterity improving.

It's a cycle of things to practice, and it's living with the passion of Jazz only, it's more then enough.
 
As you listen to music so much...

In addition to the technical stuff your teacher is showing you (you can just do this for 10 mins per day as a warm up....)

...Put on a song you love and hits the drums in time to it. Play along with it. Play one song a day or as many as you feel like. There are many amazing drum lessons in listening to a song and playing along to it.

If it seems like it isn't working, just play along with the kick drum. If that is ok, add the snare. Then add other cymbals or drums as you feel you can.
 
Razovar, I assume you are interested in basic rock drumming and probably starting out in that style. While I totally endorse rudiments and practice pads, I encourage you to focus on drumming to songs at least a couple times per week. Start with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", simple beat to a great song. You can learn it fairly quickly and feel some fun success.
 
 
Razovar, I assume you are interested in basic rock drumming and probably starting out in that style. While I totally endorse rudiments and practice pads, I encourage you to focus on drumming to songs at least a couple times per week. Start with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", simple beat to a great song. You can learn it fairly quickly and feel some fun success.

yes rock is what I like, nirvana, foo fighters, I love arctic monkeys aswell
 
not to dis on the CrazyPole....)
only if that is what you convince your self of...they can be a blast if you do them right!!! That is why I have my students do them with a metronome AND along to songs they like...I have been playing drums for 35 years, and I still love to just chop out 8 on a hand, or Stone patterns 1-4...make up a playlist of songs that you like and go for it
That's why I stressed at first. Once the OP learns how to control the stick, those things are no longer boring.

-OR-

When one swings the stick like a hammer, the exercises seem pointless. It is only once one realizes that the stick is more like a basketball and less like a hammer does it get interesting.
 
That's why I stressed at first. Once the OP learns how to control the stick, those things are no longer boring.

-OR-

When one swings the stick like a hammer, the exercises seem pointless. It is only once one realizes that the stick is more like a basketball and less like a hammer does it get interesting.

yep...we actually use basketballs in our first drumline practice when learning technique...try to get them going in tempo...totally teaches the wrist motion, and the idea of catching the bounce as it comes back up to you...also use tennis balls sometimes
 
yep...we actually use basketballs in our first drumline practice when learning technique...try to get them going in tempo...totally teaches the wrist motion, and the idea of catching the bounce as it comes back up to you...also use tennis balls sometimes
My teacher told me it isnt how fast you get the stick down, its how fast it comes back. Then we talked about the basketball. Tennis ball is a good idea too. Its smaller, so harder to control, or less room for error if you will.
 
My teacher told me it isnt how fast you get the stick down, its how fast it comes back. Then we talked about the basketball. Tennis ball is a good idea too. Its smaller, so harder to control, or less room for error if you will.

yep...I actually use the tennis balls to get rid of "slice" because of the fact that it is harder to control...you have to throw it down straight with good mechanical motion and flow...and also have to "catch" it more accurately as well
 
@ Mr. Razovar:

Your desire to get yourself to a place where you really dig practicing (which for a beginner, would include playing to your favorite songs) is pretty important. You have to want it bad enough. When you do, you will want, and look forward, to putting in the time, like in a bad way. It could be the best thing you do for your brain plasticity EVER. So how bad do you want it? Hey if you don't want it bad, that's OK

No it's not! lol I was just kidding ha ha, this is a drum forum for Pete's sake!

Develop your desire, and I'll echo what CB said, have fun playing to music, your favorite songs. Just have fun first. And that's an order lol. Try your best and laugh at your mistakes, you learn the most from them, welcome them. Don't let them sour your mood, bad choice. So many great drummers started out doing exactly that, playing to their favorite songs. It's just the natural thing to do.

I always suggest playing to songs and doing a quick and dirty recording capture where you can hear the song you are playing to, and your playing. . So you can compare what you think happened, (your perceptions) with what actually happened (recorder). Typically, there's a pretty big gap between those two with beginners. The recorder will keep you honest, if you can face your drumming shortcomings like a man, and embrace the horror.

No rush, no worries, plenty to work on, (which can be really hard, but is always enjoyable to me) and the the whole thing is without a doubt the purest external love of my life apart from a few people.

Drums are your bitch like nothing else, you call ALL the shots, period. With zero backtalk to boot lol. That's quite satisfying in itself right there.

And to paraphrase Mr. Insane, hitting things, it makes a sound immediately, yea that never gets old
 
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Hope your second lesson went well, Razovar. And welcome to Drummerworld!

I was the same way when I first started playing. I found it hard to get motivated to practice. It'll come once you get a few fundamentals down.
 
Also, as a side note...it doesn't take all that much to notice decent progress and then get motivated by that progress. Take one thing that you find difficult and practice that in itty bitty chunks of 5-10 minutes here and there for a week...like every time you walk past your pad or set, you sit down and play that particular thing for 5 or 10 minutes, two, three or four times a day. You hardly notice the time investment as it's probably even less than having a hot cup of coffee, but those frequent mini-sessions really ingrain whatever it is it into your system and that's exactly what you want.

And then follows the nice part...you see, hear and feel progress and you can't wait to jump that next hurdle. All of a sudden, because you broke that first, seemingly insurmountable, barrier, you feel the next one is there for the taking and so on and so on....

Don't be discouraged if those legendary 5-6 hour practice sessions every accomplished musician talks about (except doggyd69b...he doesn't need those) seem to be just too much right now...if you keep chipping away at it, before long you'll have to divide up your precious time, cause there's just too much to do
 
Just abit more about myself. I’m 33 years old, for about 10 years I have been watching drummers on YouTube and always listen for drums during songs. I listen to music EVERY day without fail.
Things have always got in the way of getting a drum kit, saving for house/doing house up/moving house/having a son. My Son is now 3 years old and I finally have some free time. I would love to learn the drums and help him learn in a couple of years.

A lot of you are correct, I have nothing to work with atm so practising seems boring, the drum kit gets very distracting to learn on. Saying all that I’m SOOOOO excited for my lesson again tomorrow. I’ll let you all know how it goes again tomorrow.

One small bit of advice. Don't learn the drums so you can teach your son when he's old enough. I have a son. He wanted nothing to do with the drums. He was overly sensitive to loud noises. He ended up taking up the electric bass. I guess my playing all sorts of fusion all the time rubbed off. One day he told me who his "inspiration" is to play the bass. Jaco Pastorius. Your son can still make you proud without playing the drums. Play the drums for you. You kid will find his own way.
 
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