For all you older chaps out there!

drumgeek93

Senior Member
Where were you in your drumming experience when you were my age?

Is there anything you wish you knew then, that you know now?

Any advice you have for the younger lads and there playing?

~Justin
 
When I was sixteen I was still in school. I'd been playing the drums for fours years, I guess. I was playing in a locally popular soul band. You probably don't know what soul music is (was.)

It would be two more years before I began my drumming career in earnest.

No, I don't wish I knew anything then that I know now, not where music is concerned anyway.

I really can't give you any advice without knowing what it is you want to do as a musician, which is not to say that I'm anyone to give advice in the first place.
 
Do you think that it was all good for you, the way it all happened? Or do you wish you would have practiced other things?
 
Do you think that it was all good for you, the way it all happened? Or do you wish you would have practiced other things?

Well, notwithstanding the normal umpredictability and general ups and downs of the business, yes I'd have to say that it's been a great life, one that I wouldn't trade for any other.

Music is all I was ever really good at, so it's not like I had a lot of options.
 
Music is all I was ever really good at, so it's not like I had a lot of options.

I didnt mean practice different from music. But practicing different things in your drumming.


And thank you Polly, I have been debating getting lessons for awhile now. Things have worked pretty good so far without them. I have gotten plenty of instructional DVD's. Any particular reason you think lessons would be better, or not?
 
I didnt mean practice different from music. But practicing different things in your drumming.

There were no DVDs or any of that back then, so I had to learn a lot of different things about drumming and I had to learn them quickly in order to keep working. It was a matter of picking up whatever was required and playing it convincingly well enough to stay afloat!

Latin? I'd have to find a "latin guy" and get him to show me some beats. Jazz? Same thing. You name it, you'd have to get it into your hands and feet the best you could. Not the best way to learn, absolutely, but if you were clever enough you could take it and run with it.
 
haha i gotcha. so any advice for the rising drummers out there?

Everything is different now. So, no, I can't really advise you. I'm not at all up on how things are done these days. But there are many, many threads on this site where all sorts of good advice is to be had. To start, you might have a look that this thread.

Keep reading and keep posting questions.
 
I have been debating getting lessons for awhile now. Things have worked pretty good so far without them. I have gotten plenty of instructional DVD's. Any particular reason you think lessons would be better, or not?

DG, I developed a lot of bad habits early on. By the time I thought of getting lessons the teacher wanted me to go back to the very beginning and stop playing in my rock band because it would reinforce my poor technique. I liked my rock band, we had regular gigs and I was having fun. So I figured I'd just work within my limitations.

So now, many years later, my playing is necessarily very limited. I think getting the push-pull stroke down early so you can get clean doubles from a single movement is super-helpful. The DVDs are no doubt a good tool but a teacher can pick up straight away if you're going off course and correct errors before they become habitual.

I have always found the drumming/musical body of knowledge to be rather overhwelming - there are about 100 different things I could be working on at any one time!

Should I practice my stroke and stick control? The 40 rudiments? The rudiment combinations? Speed? Slow playing for timing and groove? Four limb coordination? Two and three limb combinations? Foot control? Swing? Latin? Rock? Reggae? Odd time signatures? Different accents? Dynamic control? Feel and touch?

I found it all too overwhelming and ended up just playing along with records plus doing singles and doubles on the pad plus some pretty half-hearted paradiddles, five, six and seven stroke rolls. I now work as a statistician - lol

A good teacher can chunk down this humungous body of knowledge and put it in a logical sequence that will help you execute your musical ideas with ease and control - the musical holy grail.
 
I see what your saying. I had tried a teacher earlier in my playing, and it was almost bringing me down as a drummer, cuz he was teaching me different ways to play, that he was saying is the "right" way of playing. Where as the DVD's out there are saying, find your own way of getting into the groove, and finding your personal method of playing.

I am still deciding whether or not too get lessons. I will definitely take your words into consideration!
~Justin
 
I see what your saying. I had tried a teacher earlier in my playing, and it was almost bringing me down as a drummer, cuz he was teaching me different ways to play, that he was saying is the "right" way of playing. ~Justin

I know how you feel. I'm beginning to get just the tiniest bit frustrated with my lessons because all I am doing is working through a book with him that I already worked through on my own. I'm kinda ready to move on to some new stuff. One thing I will admit though is he has pointed out a few errors I would never have noticed otherwise. I'm certain that will make me a better drummer. I may just look for another teacher. I also think a 30 min. lesson is just not enough time.
 
One thing I will admit though is he has pointed out a few errors I would never have noticed otherwise. I'm certain that will make me a better drummer. I may just look for another teacher. I also think a 30 min. lesson is just not enough time.

That I agree is a wonderful thing. Someone pointing out your flaws. Luckily I have a perfectionist musician as a father. lol. He tells me where im right and wrong. Basically like a teacher that doesnt play. Which is why im doing good with just DVD's right now.
And 30 minutes a session is not enough!! haha
 
Malti and DG -

Have you heard or thought about online lessons with Mike Johnston? I have been supplementing with these live lessons and they are phenomenal to say the least... not to mention that Mike is a great teacher and pro player. Its worth checking out at $20/month. Completely live lessons with Q&A session at the end.... all from the comfort of your home computer. Search him on youtube to understand his ability. Here is the live lesson link:

http://www.mikeslessons.com
 
A good teacher can provide many benifits to your drumming journey. Another set of eyes seeing things that you do from a different angle or viewpoint for one thing. A teacher can also answer questions and help you through your frustrations (which will be inevidible) in ways that vids and online lessons cannot.
A mentor relationship can be very valuable to your growth as a drummer.
 
When I was sixteen I had already recorded my first cd (this was before you could record a cd at home on the computer) I was also first chair in the snare line at school, and first chair in jazz ensembles. I was taking private lessons from joe raynor at the time.

My advice for younger kids is to ask more questions of your teachers and other musicians. Be vocal and be an active participant in your development. ask other musicians to critique your work. If you have music teachers ask them to listen to your music and be critical of your playing. The sooner you learn to take critique well and to take direction well you will be on your way to being a good musician.

Also this might sound wrong but bug your parents for the right equipment that you need to do your job (drumming) I sat on an upside down bucket for the first 4 years I was playing drums. If you are of working age you should get a job and save money for proper equipment. I understand my parents reservations that they probably thought I was going to quit after a few months, but after I showed dedication and success?

as for the private lessons issues, if you are bored in your lessons tell your teacher. If you don't feel challenged speak up about it, don't be afraid to do this. Give your teacher a chance to help you, that being said there is a time to leave. One of my teachers was very old and senile and he only had about 2 years worth of lesson materials and he started recycling old lessons and it got to a point (after I complained to him about this) that I just had to move on and find a different teacher who could take me beyond.

30 minutes is plenty of time, I have had some 30 minute lessons that happened over a decade ago and I'm still working on the things I learned in that time. I met Jim Chapin at pasic for about 10 minutes 7 years ago and I'm still working on things he showed me.
 
I played drums in school. Stage band, jazz band, pit band, etc. I also played outside of school with other schoolmates. We started gigging before we were out of school. We went pretty far.

If I would have known then: To focus more on my career and not just the band.

My advice to new drummers today. Bands come and go. You need the fortitude to press on.
 
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