New Zealand Heavy Metal Forum & Discussion

[Obzen]

I've been playing drums for over 6 years now, and up until a couple of months ago was completely self taught. I've started getting lessons from a qualified and rad-tastic drummer. Finding it really helpful and inspiring, I've started to learn/practice a whole lot of stuff I wouldnt have though of to do on my own, I wish I had've been tutuored years ago.

What are other drummers thoughts on the matter? Have you been trained or are yourself-taught?

[bloodnutt]

Ive had lessons from school since 11 but man i must say I have learnt much more stuff through gigging and youtube. teachers can only show you so much. then its up to you to further explore the musical journey.

[blastman]

Whether or not you are self-taught (Oxymoron) or have had lessons from teachers is IMO fine either way. Chances are no matter what level you're at "technically" as a drummer, you probably could've gotten there quicker with a teacher.

The main thing is to get into a band and play LIVE asap. All the situations you get put into while playing live will not only make you a better drummer BUT a better musician overall. There are simply things you learn while being a gigging musician that you simply can't learn from being a closet-musician or from a teacher.

[yrahcaz]

being formally trained don't mean shit. how formal is formal? paying a few grand a year to learn and play your instrument? i think sitting down at the kit, going over some fukd up beat over and over until u get that shit is the real formal part.
ive had a few lessons throughout my years of drumming and think these have played a significant part. i also want to say that learning new things on my own (keeping in mind that everything comes from something) and playing LIVE, being in BANDS is definatly what enabled me ''learn'' the drums. i'm bias to both sides. in a way you cant have one without the other.
whoa.

[yrahcaz]

oh, double kick rules \m/ \m/

[Obzen]

oh, double kick rules \m/ \m/

I think I'm almost completely over double kick. It's all I'd really been good at for years. But once youve learned to do it fast and tight and in various different patterns theres not really much left to explore. I never used to even touch my hi-hat pedal, but now-days when I'm drumming on my own (as opposed to playing with my metal band) I always have my foot on the hi-hat pedal and seldom on the double kick.

There are things that I'm getting taught at the moment that bring so much more interesting dynamics to drumming.. ghost notes, putting accents on different notes of a paradidle and other rudiments. Things that I wouldnt have figured out or thought were important on my own.

[Death]

I'm not a drummer, but just like guitar its a bit of both, theres things that you wont learn on ur own and things u can only learn on your own if that makes sense

[weblord pepe]

I was told to learn properly right at the very beginning, and then go self taught. That way you don't forge bad habits from day #1. Its hard to get out of bad habits. Im still siphoning petrol out of jazz's truck every morning. Can I help it? Yes. Will I? No. Will drinking fuel eventually kill me? Maybe. But whatever that has to do with drumming is besides the point.

Every time I learn something musically I reward myself with making it tremolo and in power chords. Or distortion. Anything to make it cool.

[Obzen]

(lol) 26points

[yrahcaz]

oh, double kick rules \m/ \m/

I think I'm almost completely over double kick. It's all I'd really been good at for years. But once youve learned to do it fast and tight and in various different patterns theres not really much left to explore. I never used to even touch my hi-hat pedal, but now-days when I'm drumming on my own (as opposed to playing with my metal band) I always have my foot on the hi-hat pedal and seldom on the double kick.

There are things that I'm getting taught at the moment that bring so much more interesting dynamics to drumming.. ghost notes, putting accents on different notes of a paradidle and other rudiments. Things that I wouldnt have figured out or thought were important on my own.

oh are you now joke
but there is SO much to explore. do everything with your feet the same as you would hands - paradiddle, accents, flams, spam. bit of a hyppocrit, not doing this very often... i started with single kick for the first three years. its only since moving to anti-chch three years ago and joining a metal band have i been getting more into double ass kick. (doesnt help in the first year when all your guitarist says to you is MORE DOUBLE KICK! [or very helpful])
maybe i am tryna justify myself. double kick is still awsome
whats ya metal band dude?

[Obzen]

Haha yeah, I hate it when the guitarist tells you how to play drums..... Mine even wrote drum stuff for me in 'easydrummer' for a few songs.... One of those songs is the most fkn exhausting song for me to play, I would never willingly write that much fast double kick into a song... bastard

I play in Belligerance http://www.myspace.com/belligerance but we are kinda in hiding at the mo, just working on a new singer and recording an ep.

[Rob]

ive had lessons in bass/guitar but never drums, now i'm a drummer. i'm completely self taught. from watching other drummers i get the general gist of it.
typically i learn all songs i play on guitar/bass then i understand how the drumming should be. so i can somewhat naturally jump on the kit and have it down ( somewhat )

[The Mighty Jazrodian]

Im still siphoning petrol out of jazz's truck every morning. Can I help it? Yes. Will I? No. Will drinking fuel eventually kill me? Maybe.

bastid!

i knew 2 miles to the gallon wasn't frotting normal!

[blastman]

ive had lessons in bass/guitar but never drums, now i'm a drummer. i'm completely self taught. from watching other drummers i get the general gist of it.
typically i learn all songs i play on guitar/bass then i understand how the drumming should be. so i can somewhat naturally jump on the kit and have it down ( somewhat )

My background is in playing guitar and it TOTALLY helps me when I'm playing drums.

Also: working out of drum books like "jazz co-ordination" books has really helped out my drumming immensely. Once you can execute difficult jazz figures it pretty much makes all rock drum books obsolete and redundant.

Bobby Rondelnelli's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DOUBLE BASS DRUMMING book is a good book to develope a basic concept of how to play single-stroke orientated double-bass.

[Mince]

Learn how to play rock beats---> just a little tip to improve your metal drumming.

[Obzen]

I dont think theres much you can do with any type of drumming without learning rock beats

[Death]

metronome for the win with any instrument.

[Mince]

Just learn all the drumming from the police

[Torturor]

Just learn all the drumming from the police

Are cops beating Maori's with paradiddles now?!

[Obzen]

HAHA, what a ridiculous and amusing suggestion

[Mince]

The police are the only band up there with Phill collins and genesis

[The Mighty Jazrodian]

Phil Collins is losing his hearing apparently... makes him the luckiest person at a Phil Collins concert!!!!

[Mince]

Stink

[Doomatron]

Getting lessons must be a help if you can be botherd,i know im old and stuck in my own ways and just want to be able to play my own bands songs with creativity and with ease some day!haha

[Rob]

yeah ive been thinking about getting lessons 2.