On drummers and drumming

bean

bean

Legume Liaison
Years before I ever got interested in guitar (I'm talking like when I was maybe 6 or 7) I wanted to be a drummer. I remember asking my mom for a drumset for Christmas. This was probably around '78, '79. She got me one but it was one of those toy drumsets with like a disco guy on the bass drum cover, haha. Anyway, I played drums in a couple college bands but I was never very good at it, but I still love it. Probably more than guitar. Anyone else like me? I'm a bit lucky that my wife works for Mapex/Sonor so I got the opportunity to get a pretty sweet mid-level kit a few years ago. I just don't have much opportunity to practice any more. Kinda wish I could get back to it and become like a laid back cafe jazz drummer in 10 years in my golden years.
 
I had a brief attempt at drumming in my early 20s(been playing guitar since i was 10). my friends and I had rented a storage unit for practice and to keep all our gear. I dont think i was playing guitar in a band at the time but i really wanted to learn drums and my buddy was keeping his kit at the storage unit. so i would go there every day after ccommunity college and practice on my buddys kit for a few hours by myself(too embarrassed to play in front of anyone). I loved it. I wish i had a kit and somewhere to play like that these days. There was one time i was practicing drums in the storage unit alone and someone from another band that was rehearsing there too chucked a pack of firecrackers in my unit and i almost crapped my pants. turns out they just wanted to be friends and gave me cd's and asked me to watch them rehearse and give them notes hahaha. i still never got very good at drums but it was a hell of a lot of fun to bang away to some easy drum songs.
 
I thought I was interested until a highschool friend asked me to hang on to his set when he joined the army. Turns out my feet are in fact stupid. Makes sense that I'm also not a dancer.... welll.. that and like 50 other reasons. I live with my drummer's back up/rehearsal kit in my basement. He knocks the dust of it for me every other week.
 
I've been fortunate to have played with some very good drummers. A good drummer makes such a huge difference to how much fun playing guitar is. I can't drum to save my life! I haven't really put a lot of effort into trying but suspect it wouldn't make any difference!

Our neighbour is a drummer. Or should I say: he has a drum kit. It's very loud. I don't think I'll be asking him to join a band with me anytime soon.
 
PunchySunshine said:
Drums ARE fun! I've been eyeing getting a digital set just for exercise. Put on some Led Zep and try to get that gonzo lope.
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That's how I learned, on an e-kit. Less obnoxious that way, but what I found when I got an acoustic kit was that the rubber pads on the e-kit don't rebound and I was slamming the shit out of the drums in a way I didn't need to
 
I always wanted a drum set and finally got myself an acoustic set last year when there was the potential for a band. No band and I hardly play, but the kids love it. So, maybe I am just "cool dad" and the next generation will actually do something great.
 
I've always loved drumming but hadn't really tried learning because I figured that I didn't have the coordination (turns out I don't). But in 2008 or so, I bought a cheap Alesis kit, which I then gradually upgraded (basically replaced) with good Roland cymbals, hi-hat and pedal, 14-inch mesh snare and TD-9 drum brain. I love sitting around and banging on it, but I know that I am still relatively awful, and that's okay.

Mike
 
My dirty secret is that drums are actually my primary instrument. I'm an okay guitarist and bassist, but drums are my home. I always wanted to be a guitarist as a kid and was frustrated at how hard it was, then I tried my friend's drumset and was surprised at how easy it came to me. Played all through high school and college, and did a stint playing drums on cruise ships to save up money to get married.

Now I play drums in a local band, and I have a (now more or less neglected) youtube channel where I occasionally post covers of random songs. My main kit is a DW acrylic, and I also have an Alesis Strike Pro e-kit for practice when kiddos are sleeping.
 
I bought an electric set, but could get it together long enough to record a beat, so I sold them and but EZ Drummer. It’s a much better drummer than I am.
 
I've eyeballed drum sets here and there... once thought of getting an electric set and running that through 1 of Rob's reverb boxes for some vintage Bonham.. likely gone now, but last month at GC I saw a good starting set of Pearls, used for 250, bass, 3 toms and a snare... about 2 hours after I bought my mother a b-day present :ROFLMAO: .
 
I was at my friends house, and sat down at the drums. Picked up the sticks and he said "no no no, you're holding them wrong" and corrected me.

I then proceeded to play the drum part from "wipeout". The owner of the drums came out of his bedroom and said "WOW, THAT WAS GREAT. How many years have you been playing?"

When I told him I didn't know how to play drums he got pissed as hell, grabbed the sticks out of my hand and left.

His brother said "He's been playing for 2 years, but really sucks....."
 
RetiredUnit1 said:
I was at my friends house, and sat down at the drums. Picked up the sticks and he said "no no no, you're holding them wrong" and corrected me.

I then proceeded to play the drum part from "wipeout". The owner of the drums came out of his bedroom and said "WOW, THAT WAS GREAT. How many years have you been playing?"

When I told him I didn't know how to play drums he got pissed as hell, grabbed the sticks out of my hand and left.

His brother said "He's been playing for 2 years, but really sucks....."
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And that, my friends, is how you properly destroy an ego :)

(I'm just making a joke I'm not serious about that)

Earlier today I listened to some of the old Clarke Nova stuff (one of my college drumming bands). It's been a few years since I've done that. It's not terrible but not great either. I definitely do miss being in a band in the mid 90's while in my early 20's. That was at least a time you could do weird frigging rock music and still have people come see your shows, haha.

Oh, another kinda random thing. I played drums in a band with Matt Hullum back at UT/Austin. Matt was one of the founding members of Rooster Teeth and Red vs. Blue on YouTube. Super talented guy and a really good musician. We were called "Gibb's Free Energy Band." Funny and stupid.
 
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