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A humble plea to help a beginner....

T

TakenHigherByU

Senior Member
Hey Guys,
I've been drumming for about a year and a half....seriously for about 4 months though. I love covering songs, and the majority of my time spent drumming each night is playing various songs that I have figured out and enjoy playing. I'm totally self taught, other than watching youtube videos galore and wandering around on this forum for technical info. That being said, I have no clue where to go from here. I'd love to make something more of my drumming than just for personal enjoyment, but I'm having difficultly figuring out where covering stops and real drumming begins. I have no experience in rudiments, other than a one page printout that a friend gave me showing me what paradiddles and flams and buzz rolls are...< those being rather pointless in my estimation because they don't fit into any songs I cover anywhere.....BUT I know that they must have a very very good point to them, otherwise they wouldn't exist and be so widely talked about.

I would love to find a drum teacher, but seeing as I am a full-time college student and work full-time, time is rather used up in my life, as well as all the $ that I supposedly make every week.

So, what is next? where do rudiments fit in? what is your advice for someone who's shoving his pride in the can so he can amount to something?

Thanks!
 
Well lets start with where you live. Someone here might know an affordable teacher.

I managed to find a teacher here in town that only charges $25 for a hour lesson. Time may be a precious commodity at this point in your life but you'd be amazed at the progress you can make with just a few lessons. After just 6 months of lessons and practicing my butt off I made immense progress in my playing. Money and time well spent.
 
Yep....get some lessons. I know you say you're busy, but ask yourself how much your development means to you.....how keen are you to progress?

In the meantime : http://www.vicfirth.com/education/rudiments.php work your way through that. It's obvioulsy not meant to be absorbed all at once. But pick a few and work through them (I'd suggest singles and doubles for a bit, then paradiddles and flams from there). Rudiments are your vocabulary. Sure, you can play along without bothering to learn them (you'll actually be playing some anyway and just not know it), but they open up a world of possibilities if you start to get them down. Combine the basic rudiments with a book called 'Stick Control' and together they'll provide the best training your hands will ever get.

But IMHO, if you're serious about your development, you'll find a teacher and get the fundamentals in order from the get go.
 
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NE Pennsylvania...the closest one I know of that lives anywhere near me is 45 minutes away and I get the impression from one of his students that I know that he isn't a very good teacher.
 
Pocket-full-of-gold said:
Yep....get some lessons. I know you say you're busy, but ask yourself how much your development means to you.....how keen are you to progress?
Click to expand...

I'm keen enough to spend as much time as possible on it, but I cannot justify spending money I don't have on a teacher, especially at the expense of a college degree....that being said I graduate in a year and will have alot more time on my hands, at which point i totally intend to find a good teacher.
 
TakenHigherByU said:
I'm keen enough to spend as much time as possible on it, but I cannot justify spending money I don't have on a teacher, especially at the expense of a college degree....that being said I graduate in a year and will have alot more time on my hands, at which point i totally intend to find a good teacher.
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In that case, have a look at a dvd by Tommy Igoe called 'Great Hands For A Lifetime'. He works on various technique issues and basic fundamentals that will set you in good stead for later on. There's plenty of rudimental practice in there too. I highly recommend it to tide you over until you've got more time to investigate one-on-one lessons. The only problem with learning off a dvd is that there is no-one there to monitor your development, which is why your own teacher is highly desirable. However, it will certainly have you up and running in no time and there's a lifetime of stuff contained within it that will have you referring back to it for years to come.
 
Pocket-full-of-gold said:
Rudiments are your vocabulary. Sure, you can play along without bothering to learn them (you'll actually be playing some anyway and just not know it), but they open up a world of possibilities if you start to get them down.
Click to expand...
So I'm sitting here working on a single stroke roll from that Vic Firth page you linked me to, but I'm curious to know what you meant by vocabulary. Can you expound upon that?
 
TakenHigherByU said:
So I'm sitting here working on a single stroke roll from that Vic Firth page you linked me to, but I'm curious to know what you meant by vocabulary. Can you expound upon that?
Click to expand...

The knowledge and use of rudiments aids your ability to be able to play pretty much anything and everything that your brain can conjure up. They enable you to add tone and texture to your playing, allowing a more multi-dimensional aspect to what's possible. They teach you various stickings, accents, ghosting that will enable you to open up all sorts of possibilities around the drum kit.

Check out all the great drummers from Krupa to Rich to Morello to Gadd to Colaiuta.....the examples are endless, their knowledge and use of rudiments enables them to say what they want to say on the kit.......it's their "musical vocabulary".

A pianist or guitarist rely on scales to form the foundation of what's musically possible for them. A drummer uses rudiments in the same manner. They are a drummer's "scales" so to speak.
 
TakenHigherByU said:
So I'm sitting here working on a single stroke roll from that Vic Firth page you linked me to, but I'm curious to know what you meant by vocabulary. Can you expound upon that?
Click to expand...


just like the more words you know helps you communicate...... rudiments will eventually help you express yourself when playing.....

rudiments are the beginning of being able to have a conversation other than only being able to ask where the bathroom is.....

I always tell my students....the more weaknesses you expose the more strengths you will eventually have

our ultimate goal is to be able to express our thoughts and feelings on the kit.......rudiments are the chefs ingredients
 
Pocket-full-of-gold said:
A pianist or guitarist rely on scales to form the foundation of what's musically possible for them. A drummer uses rudiments in the same manner. They are a drummer's "scales" so to speak.
Click to expand...

That one makes sense. I played piano for 7 years before taking up drums, so the scales comparison to rudiments clicks in my brain. So, am I dumbing it down to say that drumming is just an expansion of rudiments? Or did I totally miss the point there?
 
TakenHigherByU said:
So, am I dumbing it down to say that drumming is just an expansion of rudiments? Or did I totally miss the point there?
Click to expand...

Well lets try this: Is a pianist playing just an expansion of scalar patterns and chord progressions? I would say No because there are other accepts that make up a composition like feel, tempo ect that make up a piano piece. It is oversimplifying it to say that drumming is just rudiments. That's like saying that speaking is just a collection of words.

Think of your rudiments like practicing scales and exercises like Stick Control as chop builder like you Hannon exercises.
 
Also try checking out your local Craigslist and see if there's a teacher in your area. It's worth a look.

Someone is probably going to post on here to check out Vic Firth's website, they have a listing on teachers by city but no contact info. You can try googling them but in my experience that's a waste of time.

Edit: Whooo!! 400th post!
 
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TakenHigherByU said:
So, am I dumbing it down to say that drumming is just an expansion of rudiments?
Click to expand...

Amongst other things. Red's commentary in post 11 is spot on......especially this; "It is oversimplifying it to say that drumming is just rudiments. That's like saying that speaking is just a collection of words."........an excellent description.


It's difficult to see in the early stages when you're just banging out rudiments on a practice pad over and over again. But when you get them down their true value becomes evident once you start voicing them on different elements of the kit.

A paradiddle for example, makes a very cool groove when you shift your right hand to the ride cymbal, keep your left hand on the snare. Add an accent to the first left hand lead which gives you the back beat and add the bass drum. That's just one very basic example of how voicing them around the kit comes into play.

Check this song out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R-voFL4ZL8 ....it's just paradiddles played over and over again, yet it makes for an excellent groove. One teeny weeny example of the possibilities.
 
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ugg...I always hated Piano Theory...but the point is that rudiments will help my playing, correct?
 
TakenHigherByU said:
And suddenly the lightbulb clicks!!!!!!!!!!! for some reason my mind was not making the connection where you move off the practice pad and onto the drumset.
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Yep.....and another reason why a good teacher is highly beneficial. A good teacher should always show you the "end game." If you understand what it is you're working towards, it makes the journey there so much more enjoyable. There is very little fun in just playing a diddle over and over again, forever amen. But when you start to combine them with other rudiments, the rhythms that can be created are a sheer joy.

To this day, I sit with a practice pad in my lap each night and just blast out combinations of rudiments. Great hand training and a hell of a lot of fun, I assure you......although my wife may beg to differ. :)
 
I must say, I had more fun in the hour and a half I did rudiments tonight than the 15 minutes I played a few songs....I never thought that was possible! (I'm sure my initial joy will wear off, but...)

Thanks for you help guys, it is very much appreciated.
 
There have been so many replies to these questions. I answered yet another last night.

As for "totally self taught", an impossibility. OP, you have been influenced thousands of times by drummers on radio, TV etc.

Get a teacher or no? Yes, get a teacher.

But money is tight! If you are unprepared to sacrifice for drumming, goodbye and those prepared to sacrifice will happily take your place.

Music is a highly competitive industry. Seriously, HIGHLY competitive!

One must decide where one's desires and ambition lie. One can be a hobbyist. A pro. Whatever.

Let's say you want to be a session player. Vinnie Colaiuta is one of your competitors.

Perhaps you want to tour. Carlock is a competitor.

Take lesson? Even apprentice plumbers take lessons.

Of course plumbing usually pays more.
 
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