I got an electronic drum kit! It makes drum sounds when I hit it! I can plug My headphones into it and it doesn’t annoy the neighbours!
I played a simple beat on it and it was fun. I want to practice until I’m really good at it and I can invent great music.
Any drummers out there with newbie advice?
First things first, have fun! Play along with songs and just have a good time playing. That will help you to keep playing.
Secondly, learn some basic stick rudiments like parradiddles and such. Start VERY slowly and be patient with the speed. You’re working on building up muscle memory.
I also suggest using Drumeo for training lessons as well, if you spending money that is. They have all kinds of lessons available from beginners to advanced players. And the cost isn’t too much for what you get. Though I would suggest waiting for a sale price if you can.
There are plenty of free lessons you can find on YouTube as well. They’re just usually not as organized as you would find on something like Drumeo. But there are some really great lessons to be found. Rob Brown is one I always suggest. He has good, clear lessons and provides a lot of great details. I specifically suggest his video on how to pay the kick pedal and how to pay doubles on the kick. That really helped me.
Have fun, try to stick to a loose schedule, and keep playing! You’ll be surprised at how much you improve if you just stick with it!
I’m not a drummer, but I raised one.
The electronic set isn’t a bad starting point, but according to what her teacher said, you’re better off with an acoustic drum set if you’re learning.
I no longer remember exactly why, but I think it had to do with how the sticks rebound of the drum heads. You can get a better feel and learn dynamics better on an acoustic set.
So, you might want to get an acoustic set later. You can get practice heads and cymbals that aren’t as loud.
When I got hers, I found a used set on eBay. It was her Christmas present that year:
“I hope it’s a puppy!”
I’d it really depends on if you own a house that does not share any wall with any neighbors or if you rent an apartment. If you own a house, an acoustic drum may be feasible. Otherwise, having an electronic drum set is the only realistic scenario in which you can practice drums regularly. I had to drive to a secluded rehearsal space, pay rent and deal with the other people and their time schedule just to practice a bit. I wanted to practice every day, but I couldn’t. And it sucked. I’d say it’s better to practice a lot with a slightly altered feel from a real kit than to practice much less with a better feel. Also, edrum sets have improved a lot over the years.
Hiya, I’m a drums teacher. Congratulations! My advice? Keep practicing like a madlad / madlass, learn many different styles, learn brakekbeats as soon as possible (it takes a while to figure them out, but they are amazing for practice). I’d also recommend renting a session room and buying accoustic drums. I’m a sucker for Gretsch kits (I own 3 by now) because I love the classic Rock ‘n’ Roll sound they create. In the beginning, keep on repeating simple beats, include the Hi Hat, include the Kick Drum. It really takes a while to learn how to use all 4 limbs very differently at the same time.
In case you’ve got any questions, feel free to comment or send me a DM. Happy to help. Also, take very good care of your knees! You’ll need them a lot. Mine are fucked beyond repair by now (not because of drumming), and I am resigning from my teacher position by the end of this year. At least for drumming.
PS: Don’t care too much about what other drummers say. Everyone’s got their own unique style, like every person has their own and unique handwriting. What works great for someone else might not work great for you.
PSS: I do recommend Drumeo. They’ve got a lot of cool things going on in terms of teaching many basics for free on YouTube and I do appreaciate the teachers working for the platform a lot. I hope this does not sound like some kind of advertisement, but they really do know their stuff.
Cool! Yesterday I reached basic proficiency with opening and closing the hi-hat, so later today I’ll see if I can learn what a breakbeat is from Drumeo
Just imagine a big smile on a random drummer gal while you’re at it. That’s me in my happy state. :)
Set your drum throne/stool to a height where your upper legs are at a slight downward angle.
The heel of the foot on the kick pedal should be floating, like you’re kinda tiptoeing.
Right on!! I taught myself how to play a couple decades ago. I started off by playing along with my favorite songs. Get the beats down and get your technique right and it’s so much fun just to Jam.
Online you can search for “drummer-less tracks” and they are my favorite for making up beats on the spot.
If I could go back and change one thing, it would be my grip and learning to use my fingers/wrist earlier on instead of my whole arm. Makes playing those 16th notes with one hand MUCH easier with the right technique.
Is that using just the wrist and fingers to switch between drums (like snare to high hat) or just to actually hit it?
Actually hitting it. If you try to play a song like Rush’s Tom Sawyer with a poor technique, you will be tired halfway through the song. If you use your fingers more, you are able to do these faster notes cleaner and for much longer.
If you can find a local teacher or mentor, go for it. But tons of awesome online videos on these techniques.
I think I already use My wrist and fingers to hit drums. My elbows don’t move at all when I repeatedly play the same drum. Dunno if My grip is any good, I just followed the advice to hold the sticks in a loose grip.
Yesterday while practicing I realised I can get a crisp single hit if I let the stick bounce and don’t hold it too loose or too tight. But if I want the hit to gain some texture, I can keep pushing the stick down after the first hit. It’ll bounce on the pad a couple times before it stops.
I think what they’re referring to is being able to get some rolls and ghost notes and things that are subtle parts of a beat or a fill but aren’t the main part of it.
An edrum set is way fun, and a great way to learn the basics and figure out what styles you like etc etc. but unless you get a super-fancy expensive one that has multiple triggers and such, it’s basically one hit = one sound. Whereas on an acoustic drum the way you hit it (angle, force, stick type, head type, drum type, tuning) all change the sound in certain ways. Cymbals, the hi-hat in particular, are super expressive but in electric form usually get limited to one or two sounds.
Don’t worry about it for a long time though, just have fun. I love that there’s tons of drummerless tracks out there so you can play along with songs you know. Do that. Rock the Casbah.
I’m not a good enough drummer to give advice but just wanted to say that you’re going to have a ton of fun!
So far learning drums is way easier than learning piano. Piano has like a hundred inputs. Drums has seven inputs. No weird hand shapes, just hitting things with sticks. It’s easy to make something that sounds good.
Try Rosanna by TOTO
They’re so much fun! Great choice, you’re gonna have a blast. My best advice is play regularly, and especially early on practice rudiments. They’re super important to be comfortable with.
Hell yeah! I did the same about a year and a half ago. Lots of fun, should’ve done it years ago
My wife plays Rockband drums, which is similar since it’s like an electronic kit. I can’t do it. She can do it very well. Good luck in Your journey!
I got a cool metronome app that can be set to any time signature, and can also be muted for a few bars when it plays in a loop. Practicing with it really helped me learn to keep time. The drummer is the one who sets the tempo, so it is an important piece to practice.
Look into hearing protection.
Sadly My drums are too quiet. I may need to invest in an amp.
If they’re electronic, you’ll need some volts too.
with an electronic kit it isn’t necessary cus you can just lower the volume
Have Fun!
Wow, music sounds weird without any drums. I’d better fix that!
What kit did you get?
I got a cheap huxley kit from aldi. I’m not one of those people who spends a thousand dollars on gear for a new hobby
Perfect!
