New to Dumming

K

koty889

Junior Member
First off. Is 17 too old to learn the drums?

I've gotten very interested in drumming,
But the problem is I don't know what drum kit to pick up,

I also don't know much about the drums themselves, I know the basics of each drum, but i would like to know more,
Especially the toms.

Thanks.

Just ask if you need to know more, Class is about to start so im in a rush.

Edit: The kind of music I want to play is, Pop Punk, Rock, Metal, almost anything really. My friend wants to start up a band, He just picked up the guitar himself, And we'd be playing music like The White Stripes, The Strokes (Reptilia is one we've both wanted to learn) , The Hives, and bands like that.
 
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Hey and welcome to the forum :)
First off there is NO age too old to learn to play drums. I was 16 when I started, and I seem to remember some fairly big names didnt start until their 20s, so no 17 isnt too old!
As for what to pick up, if your starting out just get a starter kit, you don't need anything fancy. Get a set of solar sabians and a CB kit and a good practice book and teacher. All you need right now!
 
It's never too late to begin anything you are interested in and think you may enjoy.
I'm 65 and know a lot of very good musicians and musicians that like to mess with their
instruments from time to time that didn't begin until they were much older than you. I also
know musicians who began very young. The important thing is to begin.

You will get a lot of great advice on this forum. This forum is full of good advice for drummers of every level. Just ask.

(I see that was your first post....WELCOME)
 
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Lots of people here will tell you to buy pro cymbals in order to save on upgrades later on. As well as the whole "you can't change a crappy cymbal sound but you can change a crappy drum sound". I say get w.e you can with the money you can afford to spend. Looked for used drums. That's where you can get really amazing deals, but that requires tons of patience. Same goes for cymbals, go for used higher end like sabian aax, zildjian A's, A custom. Those are the most I see selling used. Get a practice pad and sticks and a rudiment book. Learn, read, watch videos, get a tutor (though I never had one). And be prepared to feel the pain, sweat, joy, love, disappointing, futile, exuberant, passionate experience called drumming.
 
koty889 said:
First off. Is 17 too old to learn the drums?

I've gotten very interested in drumming,
But the problem is I don't know what drum kit to pick up,

I also don't know much about the drums themselves, I know the basics of each drum, but i would like to know more,
Especially the toms.

Thanks.

Just ask if you need to know more, Class is about to start so im in a rush.
Click to expand...

Hi there, and welcome. Feel free to check out the forum rules if you already haven't.

17 is not too old to learn anything. We have forum members in their middle years who are new drummers and progressing nicely. But we are usually pretty unified here on this forum to suggest to new drummers that they search out a reputable teacher and take some lessons from the get-go. Some things such as tuning, grip, and setup of drums are best taught, not learned on one's own, and can prevent bad habits that will take extra effort to undo later.

As for what drum kit to pick up, that is best answered by what kind of music you are interested in, and what kind of music you would like to play. For most kinds of music, a four-piece (bass drum, snare drum, rack tom, floor tom), or five-piece (add one more rack or floor tom) with hi-hat, crash, and ride cymbals is usually plenty to start. As for what brand -- most drum manufacturers make kits marketed for beginners that are pretty comparable all in all. Names to look for include Pearl, Yamaha, Tama, Sonor, Ludwig, PDP, and Mapex, among others. Use Craigslist, eBay, and the local classified to try and locate a good deal on used equipment, you can save some money. Also if you have a local drum shop, check in there. You can also talk to any local drummers you might know for advice as well.

As for info about the drums themselves, the Wikipedia article on the drumset is a basic introduction. Feel free to use the search function on this forum to learn more about specific things. The backbone of the drumkit (and of rhythm) are the bass drum and snare drum. Cymbals add accents and divide time, and toms add color and tone during fills (the short breaks between phrases of a song).

Best of luck to you, and welcome again.
 
Gosh I hope not! I didn't start until I was almost 44!

Why not check with local teachers? You can always start with a practice pad and some sticks and then as you learn more about what you like and don't like...you can look for a kit. I'm sure whatever teacher you chose would have some good recomendations for you.

Whatever you do...good luck! And keep us posted. Oh, and welcome to the forum :)
 
You can learn a lot by simply browsing the forum for stuff. There's plenty of great info here!

Anyways, for a starter kit, really any cheap thing on Craigslist will do for now. Make sure to get a practice pad and some sticks, and a good private teacher to help you learn the ropes.
 
koty889 said:
First off. Is 17 too old to learn the drums?
Click to expand...

Are you kidding... 17? I wish I was 17 when I started, I was 18 or 19 and I'm 55 now...

koty889 said:
I've gotten very interested in drumming,
Click to expand...

That's very good :)

koty889 said:
But the problem is I don't know what drum kit to pick up,
Click to expand...

Don't worry, you'll know soon enough... but a basic 5 piece kit should the trick, why don't you invest first in a practice pad, a pair of sticks and a metronome until you've got some little basics under your belt. In the meantime, start saving... lol.

koty889 said:
I also don't know much about the drums themselves, I know the basics of each drum, but i would like to know more,
Especially the toms.
Click to expand...

Wanting to know is good... The best advice is to get a teacher, he/she'll be able to give you advice on all the questions you've ask in your opening post as well as teaching you your first steps into drumming.

Welcome to the forum :)
 
If you're over 3yrs old you're too old to start drumming...





















....not serious.
 
Hello and welcome!

Everybody else has said just about everything, but you might find this interesting: http://mikedrums.com/tuning/shell.html

Incidentally, if I'd started drumming at your age, I'd have over 30 years' experience by now, so when you're my age you should be damn good!
 
Welcome.

I'm three times your age, and I started playing drums two and a half years ago.

I suck now at a MUCH higher level than I did two years ago. I am having tons of fun, by the way.

I second the rudiments, metronome, sticks, and pad approach. This has helped my kit playing immensely.

As for buying a kit, trust that you will benefit lots from learning to get more from less. Skip the 10-piece cascading tom thing, and get a four or five piece. I started on a Ludwig Accent five piece that I got for $200 used. This took me a long way toward learning much of what is important about drumming for me.

Good luck!
 
koty889 said:
First off. Is 17 too old to learn the drums?

I've gotten very interested in drumming,
But the problem is I don't know what drum kit to pick up,

I also don't know much about the drums themselves, I know the basics of each drum, but i would like to know more,
Especially the toms.

Thanks.

Just ask if you need to know more, Class is about to start so im in a rush.

Edit: The kind of music I want to play is, Pop Punk, Rock, Metal, almost anything really. My friend wants to start up a band, He just picked up the guitar himself, And we'd be playing music like The White Stripes, The Strokes (Reptilia is one we've both wanted to learn) , The Hives, and bands like that.
Click to expand...

If you've never played before,just starting up a band and thinking you're going to be able to just sound good is not going to happen.

Realisticly,it takes time to master the skills necessary to play in a band.But if your friend just picked up a guitar,then you'll both find that out together.

It looks easy,and at the very beginning it may be easy to play a simple rock beat.But it just geat harder from there and requires lots of work,dedication and practice time.

In general,you'll get out what you put into it.There are shortcuts or magic pills.Just hard work and desire.

Steve B
 
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