I’ve played some guitar before, but I’m hoping to get into percussion now; how difficult is it to learn to play drums (mostly for rock and maybe some pseudo-metal, ie. throwing in some double-bass and fast beats)? Is an entry-level 5-piece kit sufficient to play effectively in a rock/metal style? Is it cheaper to buy the drums and equipment separately or as part of a kit?
I’ll answer part of your question. Five piece is enough for a rock/punk-type band. I know many very good drummers who are just happy with a kick, snare, one rack tom and one floor tom. You also want a high hat (of course), a crash, and a ride.
Metal styles tend to go a little crazier on the hardware (throwing in things like chinas, splashes, a wide assortment of crashes), but even a four-piece with what I mentioned should suffice – especially while learning. There’s no need to overwhelm yourself. In the beginning, you should just be concentrating on getting the coordination and feel between all your limbs. If later you decide you need more, go for it. But it’s not absolutely necessary.
You’ll be doing youself a big favor if you buy a good used kit. Put an ad in the paper, lots of guys who want to sell their kit are almost waiting for an opportunity.
A five piece kit is fine to start off with. You’ll need to start squirelling some money away for that $300 double bass pedal, I reccomend the Tama Iron Cobra. If you have a friend who knows his drum stuff, have him come over and tune your kit and position it in a way that makes sense. You might consider buying an instructional video from a favorite drummer, but make sure it says beginner, otherwise he’ll show you all sorts of stuff that you can’t do yet which is discouraging. Most importantly BUY A GOOD METRONOME, and a good drum pad will help alot as well I reccomend RealFeel pads and metronomes with headphone attachments. Good luck, and may the Rock be with you.
There are a couple key things to remember when getting a drum set. Make sure you get a snare that sounds good! Nothing ruins a set more than a flat, dull snare. You don’t have to get something super expensive (those sound shitty sometimes, too), but get something that sounds pleasing. Also make sure you get decent hardware. My brother broke the toms off of the mounts because of skimpy hardware, and he isn’t a hard player. But as mentioned, work on your technique and limb independance. Practice tempo and syncopatioin exercises and do speed drills and all that junk. Before you know it, you’ll be a regular Akira Jimbo (google that name and watch the vids…he makes Neil Peart look like a little bitch!).
Akira Jimbo (my favorite technical drummer) has made many a drummer want to hand in their sticks upon seeing him play. Telling a begginer to watch him can be both encouraging and discouraging. It like explaining chess to someone and then having them play Gary Kasparov.
Every drum and cymbal, even if it is the same brand/type/maker sounds different. Monetary reasons will probably dictate some “less than great” equipment for a beginner. That’s fine. You wouldn’t want to spend lots of cash on something that will either get beat up, or thrown in the closet. Like I said before, have someone who knows their gear (and preferrably the real value of instruments) go with you to purcase your first items.
I used to sell drums for a major chain, I’ve toured the midwest, and I hate to see people get ripped off. I’d be happy to give you my opinions on any future drum purchase you might make.
Wow…Akira Jimbo is pretty damn impressive…inspirational as well as intimidating, as you said.
Truthfully, my favorite drummers thus far have been Danny Carey from Tool, Brandon Graves from Waterdeep and Peppershaker and Ari Hoenig (who happened to be my roommate for a summer in high school at the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts).
I’d be happy to acheive Meg White levels of playing ability to begin with, though…
You be fine. Most decent guitarists (and rock musicians) I know can hold a steady rock beat behind the kit. I’m not a drummer myself, but I could hold the backbone of a beat. The hardest part in the beginning is getting a good kick down. In my opinion, a steady and accurate right foot is what separates noodlers from drummers.
[hijack]Coincidentally, I’m listening to my ridiculously expensive MFSL CD of Tommy, and I found myself wondering: how has Keith Moon held up in the pantheon of rock drummers?[/hijack]
Not quite, a good 2/4 is essential, if you want to keep vanilla time. Great drummers vary slightly from perfectly metronomic time, yet still maintain clock-like accuracy. Most people would be surprised upon hearing the difference between “straight time”, and time with a “feel”. Some drummers have an “accurate” right foot, but have no creativity, what’s the point?
Good drummers can stay in the “pocket” or the “groove”, the others are either human metronomes, or a-rythmic wanna-be’s. I agree with the other contributors picks for drumers.
Perhaps “accurate” is not exactly the right word I’m looking for. I don’t mean clock-like accuracy; I mean “groove accuracy.” Yes, there are drummers that play the kick on the front of the beat (Stewart Copeland), in the middle of the beat (Phil Collins) and on the back of the beat (John Bonham.) But what I mean by a bad kick is one that is inconsistent. One whose accent patterns and placement are all over the place–sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, sometimes on top.
It’s just a peeve of mine. I hear some drummers with great handwork, but terrible foot work. To me, the groove is in the kick drum; that’s what makes you get up and shake your ass, lays down the foundation for where the One is. And if it wobbles too much in an unmusical way, the groove falls flat.
This is what I mean by an accurate kick…I suspect we’re on the same page here, I just didn’t explain it well. Of course how you play the hi hat and your accent patterns, level of swing, etc, affect the groove, too…It’s just that I tend to hear a lot of drummers you seem to groove with their hands, but not their feet.