Picking up the drums again

S

SickRick

Guest
After a pretty long break from drumming (with some brief exceptions for very few gigs and sessions), it seems like the drums are really calling me back now.

For the first time in way over a year I feel the urge to get back behind those drums to practise and to have some fun. I had some moments in the past where I thought it would be kinda nice to play again, but I never really wanted it and when I tried it wasn't so much fun. Well, it seems like this bad feeling and lack of fun and interest has finally gone away and now I want to be playing again.

I had a studio session last weekend which was great fun - I got called to record one song for a singer-songwriter project. I wasn't really keen about it but said yes anyway. So I got to the studio (never heard the song before) and found out the guys were really nice and talented so I was having way more fun than expected.
I had brought my Starclassics but they didn't really feel like they fitted the song very well, so I ditched them and used a 25 years old Sonor HiLite that the music school where I teach owns. The fact alone that I suddenly cared for my drumsound again surprised me a bit at that moment. I realized that I cared about the outcome, that it was something I wanted to be proud of. I also realized that if the guys would decide to record a whole album, I wanted to be the guy who will get the call.

The HiLite blew me away. It is pretty safe to say that these were easily the best drums I ever took to any studio. My Starclassic will go on ebay now as I realized that my taste in drumsound seems to have changed dramatically. They just don't offer what I want. Now I'm deciding in between getting a brand new SQ2 made for me or a DW Collectors which I could get used for a steal.

At about the same time (last Thursday) I was browsing Amazon for a new cellphone. I swear to god, the system never ever suggested my anything drumrelated on the front page but that day, the first suggestion for me was a drumbook called "Daily Drumset Workout" by Claus Hessler. I didn't really think about it and made a pretty unconscious decision to order it. The next recommendation pops up: "Universal Rhythms" by Dave DiCenso. Wow. A drumbook by one of my favourite drummers - I had transcribed every bit of Daves playing I found on YouTube when I was still playing. This time the click on "add to shopping cart" is a conscious decision.
The book arrived on Saturday (the day when I was in Studio) so I had a first look at it on Sunday. I was blown out of the water. I sat there and listened to every single of the 500 examples and my smile grew bigger and bigger. Dave has put out a book with 500 exercises of which each single one sounds so absurdly good that I would like to play them all at once. If you had asked me a week ago, I would have said that it would be impossible for about any human being on this planet to write a drumbook that would make me burst in laughter and joy by just looking at the scores and listening in my head. Well... Dave has done exactly that and allthough he will probably never read this: Thank you Dave!

Yet, another thing happened this weekend: I went to see my ex band live. It was really hard to go there for be but I am happy I did. The guys were great, they were happy to see me again and they played their butts off. It was easily one of the best concerts I ever went to. The new drummer is an old friend of mine and he blew me away. So much skill, so much love for the music - it almost put me to tears. I was surprised that I could stand there in the audience and just enjoy it without any sign of enviousness. He played most of my parts almost exactly the way I did (I have to admit he played them a lot better than I ever played them, but he played the same notes) which gave me a nice feeling of having once created something that fits the songs so well that there is no need to change it.

So here I am now, day 2 of of my second drumming life as I started to work on Dave's book yesterday and I feel positively curious about where it will lead me this time.

Thanks for every word of support some of you gave me over this last year. I'm sorry it took me so long to come back.
 
WB Lutz - we all knew you'd be back :) What did you get up to while having the break?

Great that your friend was playing your parts ... a bit of you was playing the gig ...
 
Yeeaahhh!! We knew it, you knew it, there's no escaping Lutzy boy!!

I love the little "happenings" that have steered you towards a decision over the last week. I'm sure there's a bigger plan somewhere, as you're a seriously talented musician with so much to offer, both in terms of performance, as well as inspiration. You're humility is touching, but I think pleasingly misguided to a degree. You significantly underestimate your own ability. I'd give a selection of redundant body parts to have half your ability, so make bloody well sure you don't waste it!

C'mon, national pride Lutz, it has to be the Sonor! (or call me if you want something truly signature Lutz reincarnation :) )
 
YES!!!!!!!! Welcome back buddy!
 
Nice story, - you're meant for playing! - it seems!
I would be too proud to go see my ex-band.. Nice done.
 
Polly: While I was away from the drums I started to learn the piano. I've been playing for a year and a half now and I love it. The hardest part in the future will be to find a balance between these two instruments. I'm thinking something like 1,5 hours each daily. The past month I spent about the same time on the piano.

KIS: I'm thinking SQ2 too, but it will be really hard to afford. I guess it's a once in a lifetime thing, so you have to see it as a long term investment. The other thing is that I wouldn't really know what to order (wood, shell sizes, shell thickness etc.)... It would suck big time to order an SQ2 and get a drumset that doesn't sound as expected.
The DW sounds great and is a lovely kit for a great price. On the other hand I had dreamed about getting a Sonor kit for the last 10 years or so, so maybe this is the right time for it.

Muckster: Great you picked up that book! The CD that comes with it will blow your mind. Dave DiCenso is absolutely incredible. The counting loud part of the book might melt your brain though, so be careful. I got a few examples down today with counting loud and the feeling that I got out of that was incredible.
 
I only read the title of the thread and who started it....AWESOME!!!!! Lutz is back!!!!
 
Always a pleasure to see you Lutz.

As for the drums, I'd be tempted to try and buy an old set of HiLites. They are seriously nice drums - but what you're playing doesn't really matter. I remember a few years ago when you posted a video of you playing with your old band on a low-end Basix kit and you sounded great. So, there isn't a problem there.

I'm just glad you've found that you love playing the drums again. It always saddens me when somebody of your calibre lacks the motivation to do something but these things happen. All I can hope is that you're a happy man.
 
Man, you guys should consider yourselves lucky. I play the drums every chance I get. Lately it hasn't been often enough. I'll tell you what, I have a beautiful Les Paul Jr. just sitting here in arms reach. Yeah, I like to play it, but mostly it just sits there. Just like my XBox. But the drums are another story. I've been playing for the better part of 30 years and I can't remember the last time I missed a practice, and I've never missed a gig. I just don't get near enough opportunities to play nowadays. Too busy trying to survive.

What motivated me to post was that you ditched Tama for Sonor. This is exactly what I've been thinking of doing too. I was seriously looking at Sonor yesterday. Thanks for helping me decide. You make a good point. Good that you are back in the saddle again so to speak.
 
Man, you guys should consider yourselves lucky. I play the drums every chance I get. Lately it hasn't been often enough.


I have always considered myself lucky to play the drums and to actually make quite a good living out of playing the drums. I just had to find out over the last year that sometimes life can get in your way I guess and now looking back I have to say that taking a break was the right decision. I was still teaching during that past year, so I was still in touch with the instrument, I was just not really having fun paying the instrument and never practised anything for myself.

If you like you can check some of playing here on the forum.

It was great though, to start playing piano. For that reason alone it was the right move to take a break.
 
KIS: I'm thinking SQ2 too, but it will be really hard to afford. I guess it's a once in a lifetime thing, so you have to see it as a long term investment. The other thing is that I wouldn't really know what to order (wood, shell sizes, shell thickness etc.)... It would suck big time to order an SQ2 and get a drumset that doesn't sound as expected.
The DW sounds great and is a lovely kit for a great price. On the other hand I had dreamed about getting a Sonor kit for the last 10 years or so, so maybe this is the right time for it.
Tough one this. You like the DW, & it's affordable, so the sensible option's to go for something you're already happy to play. Problem is, buying any instrument is rarely sensible, it's a big chunk of emotive thinking too. We buy with our hearts, & pay with our brain. I'm getting the impression that the DW is the sensible option, & the Sonor is a purchase of the heart.

If you don't know what build to specify with Sonor, there seems little point in going for their custom line, & run the risk of it not being to your liking. If I really wanted a Sonor, I'd be much more inclined to try out some of their non custom models, then go find a good used example, or maybe order a new one.

I'd love it for Guru to build a kit very specific to an exacting Lutz requirement, & I know we'd do an amazing job in hand crafted stave or steam bent solid for less than SQ2 money, but as you're not sure of what you want yourself, I'm holding back on such a suggestion.

Either way, you could play some buckets & they'd sound great, so here's to your return!
 
Welcome back to drumming!

Personally I'd go for a SQ2, actually as soon as I have the cash I want order one of
those myself, the sound (and the look for that matter) is just awesome.

As for not knowing what specifications: On one hand if you don't really know what to order,
how about a delite or even SClassix kit? If you find what you're looking for there you'd
save quite some money. On the other hand: Why not start from the specifications of the
hilite kit you were playing in the studio?

Yesterday I stumbled across your - sadly - ultra-short thread about the Drumbassadors
(they really deserve more credit and a much longer thread!!), and I wondered if you
actually did get some lessons from Wim or Rene in the meantime?
 
Yesterday I stumbled across your - sadly - ultra-short thread about the Drumbassadors
(they really deserve more credit and a much longer thread!!), and I wondered if you
actually did get some lessons from Wim or Rene in the meantime?

Sadly I didn't. I had made an appointment with Wim a few years back, but then it didn't work out because he was busy. I did however learn the whole "Heavy Shit" solo back then with all the tricks...

I guess it would take me months to relearn that one. It's absolutely crazy.
 
Tough one this. You like the DW, & it's affordable, so the sensible option's to go for something you're already happy to play. Problem is, buying any instrument is rarely sensible, it's a big chunk of emotive thinking too. We buy with our hearts, & pay with our brain. I'm getting the impression that the DW is the sensible option, & the Sonor is a purchase of the heart.

If you don't know what build to specify with Sonor, there seems little point in going for their custom line, & run the risk of it not being to your liking. If I really wanted a Sonor, I'd be much more inclined to try out some of their non custom models, then go find a good used example, or maybe order a new one.

I'd love it for Guru to build a kit very specific to an exacting Lutz requirement, & I know we'd do an amazing job in hand crafted stave or steam bent solid for less than SQ2 money, but as you're not sure of what you want yourself, I'm holding back on such a suggestion.

Either way, you could play some buckets & they'd sound great, so here's to your return!


It's exactly as you describe it. When I first started playing drums I once had the chance to play on a back then brand new Sonor Designer kit. Since then it's Sonor all the way but I never had the cash to one for myself.

I love the Hilite, the Delite and the S Classix - they are all great kits allthogh I don't really dig the look of them. SQ2 is the biggest dream in drumming for me. But if I order, it has to be perfect.

I'll try to find some SQ2s that I can check out to see what I like and then see if and how I can afford one.
 
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