Getting some lessons starting in 6 weeks, what should I do in preparation to help? Books, YouTube videos, forums?

I have to admit that when I started I just watched Top of the Pops, but that was decades ago!!! Depends how much you know already. If you want to improve technique there are some good things on YouTube but, unless you read drum music already, I can’t see how you could learn from a book. I played for over 10 years without taking a lesson, but went to improve technique and learn to read drum scores. It certainly worked and help me get work in theatre pits. Also the most important lesson you can learn is how to play quietly and know that, very often, less is more.

Been plying for 25 years now since age 7 but teaching for 8 apart from watching vids and looking what drum music looks like do little as picking up the bad habits now can only hinder your time in lessons later.I have spent weeks with some pupils trying to get them out of bad stick technique ok not a problem at first but as u develop you will realise how you hold and use the sticks is so important to get different sounds and of course speed hope this helps

Hit things, Fast.

http://www.howtoplaydrums.com/play-drums/

you can easily do this with a practice pad and stomping with your foot on the floor. If you’re right handed, right hand plays the hi-hat/ride patterns, left hand plays the snare drum, right foot plays the bass pedal (also known as kick pedal) and left foot plays the hi hat pedal

Saucepans and wooden spoons?

and dont forget the biscuit tin cymbal

no saucepans they sound awful. and don’t do fast, at least not at first

for forums, try here: http://www.mikedolbear.com/default.asp

Is this an excuse to show pictures of our drum kits?

No?

Is this an excuse to show pictures of our drum kits?

No but it could be an excuse to show stuff like this
John Bonham – Moby Dick

I’m at the other end of the journey these days – mid 30’s and no time or space to play anymore. Christ I miss it – love songwriting but it just ain’t the same as the drums. I’d recommend learning the moeller method – really opened my eyes to feeling the flow with the sticks. Best learnt early on. Save yourself years of bad habits. I had to deconstruct my whole approach after 20 odd years of playing and build it up from scratch again. Completely worth it though: increased the joy of playing and ease of expression tenfold. There’s a good DVD by a bloke called mike michalkow. Failing that you tube. Enjoy the drums – there’s soul in them thar tubs

No I really am a beginner no previous experience of sheet music or indeed remotely musical. What about drum kits, I am borrowing a set for a while to see if I get on with learning. What is a ‘typical’ setup and what do they look like 😉

a typical drum kit contains bass drum (the big one on its side on the floor), snare drum (the loud “crack” one between your knees), a floor tom (big but not as big as the bass drum) to one side, any number of other toms, usually arranged above and to either side of the bass drum, a hi hat (pair of cymbals upside down to each other) a ride cymbal (big one, makes a ‘ping’ sound) and any number of crash, splash and other accent cymbals.

probably 90% if not more are right handed setups, which look something like that in the video I linked to above.

Is this an excuse to show pictures of our drum kits?

No?

go on then:

I’m somewhat disappointed that the answer here wasn’t Rock Band…

Not a drummer, but I’d say practice tapping along with music REALLY accurately. Listen to your own tapping and really concentrate on getting it in time… Hard but fun to do 🙂

I would advise that you invest in a practice pad, I use mine a lot to practice my sticking and rudiments, much more neighbour friendly than an acoustic kit too!

Not a drummer, but I’d say practice tapping along with music REALLY accurately. Listen to your own tapping and really concentrate on getting it in time… Hard but fun to do

useful advice – if you know what you’re tapping along to…

most popular music since the 50s has been written in 4/4 time, meaning that the snare drum is played on beats 2 & 4 out of any 4 beat pattern. It’s a fairly high pitched “crack” sound that is probably the easiest drum to pick out & work back from. If you’re right handed, practice tapping along with that with your left hand. Again, the example I linked to will point out the sound of the snare drum.

The bass drum is a dull thud played often on beats 1 & 3, but with more intricate patterns in between. Try tapping your right foot (if you’re right handed) along with that, if you can pick it out. Then put in the cymbals with your right hand – they’re usually easy to pick out, being a high pitched “chick” or “ping” sound (hi-hat or ride)

Another useful tool is a metronome – you can pick up electronic ones from about a tenner, but obviously the more you spend the more flexible they’ll be.
If you ever get to the stage of doing a recording session, the engineer will try & get you to play along to a “click track”, which is a fancy way of saying “metronome”. The earlier you start playing to a metronome or click, the easier it will be… but strangely, molgrips’ advice can also have a positive effect.

For our last session, the engineer asked if I’d ever played to a click track; answer “not much”, so we gave it a try. I have a habit of drumming along to CDs on the steering wheel while I’m driving queueing at traffic lights, which made it so much easier to play to a click track than I expected. We got all the drum tracks for 3 songs done in no more than two separate takes.

As well as learning to play exactly to a metronome learn to play behind the beat, on the beat and ahead of the beat. That way you can give the music some life – lifting the chorus for example, pulling back on other parts. Playing behind the beat really helps with the blues. Listen to John Bonham and see how far behind he is.

just listening to a track now with the “ride” pattern played on the floor tom – a non-drummer will find that very hard to pick out 😉

Thanks guys.

Metronome Apps for iPhone any good?

Will get some sticks and a pad to get me started.

Only just seen this thread!

I bought some eleccy drums and attempting to learn the drums. My leg slapping has improved and has certainly helped with the rhythms on the drums. I can’t seem to sync the drums to the laptop though. 😥

Practice pad has also helped with trying to get the drum rolls right.

Really need a tutor tho, I’m rubbish, but an expert on Guitar Hero! 😳

Milkie in “Guitar hero not like real world” shocker 😉

Four on the floor and a slap in the lap.

seriously though, try here: http://www.howtoplaydrums.com/play-drums/ or maybe here: http://www.icanplaydrums.com/aboutus.htm

Milkie in “Guitar hero not like real world” shocker

Ah yes, but without GH, I wouldn’t have ever bought a set of drums. Whoever thinks “I’m amazing at GH, therefore real drums must be easy” is a total muppet, or havent a clue what a drummer actually does.

I’ll checkout the links tonight!

are you any good at counting?

Guitar Hero drumming is surprisingly hard, but is different to playing real drums.

REAL DRUMS LIKE THESE:

http://www.musicradar.com/gear/all/drums/acoustic/drum-kits/5-piece-drum-kits/stainless-steel-kit-17397/review

Just watch this guy!
Crazy drummer

Love this guy.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZyaOlrb7E[/video]
doh same as above!! “Jinx”