alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
I know I can't be the only one.
Drums?
- Thread starter alterbridgefan
- Start date
Day-mun
Hero Member
- Messages
- 925
I'll bite.
-Gotta Pearl Export series kit in my basement. Zildjian ZBT Cymbals. I can't play 'em for nothin'. -Don't get it. (-I know what they should sound like, just can't teach my hands/feet to make it happen.) :dontknow:
-Bought 'em off CL thinking I could get the drummer to agree to occasional practices at my house. My son took them over during his high school years; he got pretty good at playing 'em... then he got married & joined the military. :doh:
...and the damn things are still takin' up a quarter of my basement for no apparent reason at all. :icon_scratch:
-Not sure if that is whatcha was lookin' for, Preston, but there ya go! :laughing7:
-Gotta Pearl Export series kit in my basement. Zildjian ZBT Cymbals. I can't play 'em for nothin'. -Don't get it. (-I know what they should sound like, just can't teach my hands/feet to make it happen.) :dontknow:
-Bought 'em off CL thinking I could get the drummer to agree to occasional practices at my house. My son took them over during his high school years; he got pretty good at playing 'em... then he got married & joined the military. :doh:
...and the damn things are still takin' up a quarter of my basement for no apparent reason at all. :icon_scratch:
-Not sure if that is whatcha was lookin' for, Preston, but there ya go! :laughing7:
S
swarfrat
Guest
I lived with drums in college. Fun but it was enought to convince me they collect dust. I made a bongo cajon for my son, currently thinking this is the ticket for non drummers who want something to bang on
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
I'm not sure what the original question was, but I grew up with a drummer and have known a number of them out of necessity.
One thing I learned is that for as simple as they seem to be, they're not. They're like any other instrument in that they take a lot of training and practice to be satisfying to both the player and listener. What's different about them is that unlike most instruments, they're very physical. I used to watch my brother practice, and I'm tellin' ya - it was some sweaty stuff. He worked his ass off on those things.
On the plus side, the time paid off. Danny was Neil Peart's clone. We played a lotta Rush stuff, and if you're familiar with that band, you know something about timing and percussion.
Myself, I keep thinking I can program drum accompaniment using either a keyboard or a MIDI sequencer program, but that's an incredibly time-consuming fool's game that rarely works out. You need a drummer. Regardless of the million drummer jokes out there, there are some tricks to it and not everybody can pull them off. Common knowledge is it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in anything. Working full-time, that's roughly 5 years, which sounds about right. Anybody here want to spend 40 hours a week for 5 years playing drums?
Hire a drummer. He'll bring the pizza <grin>
One thing I learned is that for as simple as they seem to be, they're not. They're like any other instrument in that they take a lot of training and practice to be satisfying to both the player and listener. What's different about them is that unlike most instruments, they're very physical. I used to watch my brother practice, and I'm tellin' ya - it was some sweaty stuff. He worked his ass off on those things.
On the plus side, the time paid off. Danny was Neil Peart's clone. We played a lotta Rush stuff, and if you're familiar with that band, you know something about timing and percussion.
Myself, I keep thinking I can program drum accompaniment using either a keyboard or a MIDI sequencer program, but that's an incredibly time-consuming fool's game that rarely works out. You need a drummer. Regardless of the million drummer jokes out there, there are some tricks to it and not everybody can pull them off. Common knowledge is it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in anything. Working full-time, that's roughly 5 years, which sounds about right. Anybody here want to spend 40 hours a week for 5 years playing drums?
Hire a drummer. He'll bring the pizza <grin>
S
swarfrat
Guest
I arrived at the cajon idea because I can't even play a drummer on tv, but I can beat on stuff. I too quickly figured out that a drum machine is a quick ticket to robodance heck unless you actually are both a real drummer and [computer] literate. Since the two are mutually exclusive, its a hypothetical case.
So far I'm mostly banging on as a toy, but I get usuable stuff this way. Way stripped back, I really have no ride function, just kick/snare, and the kick doubles as tom fill depending on how you hit it. I can't wait to try laying down rhythm tracks this way. The physical aspect is actually what I enjoy most about playing drums.
So far I'm mostly banging on as a toy, but I get usuable stuff this way. Way stripped back, I really have no ride function, just kick/snare, and the kick doubles as tom fill depending on how you hit it. I can't wait to try laying down rhythm tracks this way. The physical aspect is actually what I enjoy most about playing drums.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
Haha, Damon... This is what I figured I would get. 
Cagey - They really aren't simple at all, haha, and the physical aspect is maddening. I've been working out to build up the endurance I need, because I've been playing 6-8 hour practice sessions daily... My arms and legs are sore, constantly. I'm currently working on playing this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f3pHYwL9kY
The intro is extremely difficult(listen to the hats), but I'm finally getting it all pieced together. The timing, though... Gah.
I really honestly don't know how I've come this far with the drums... I've had drummers tell me I sound like someone who's been playing for three or four years, and I can't honestly say that I know... But I think most if it is just intuition. I played on a practice pad for almost a year before I got a full kit, and things just came so easily after that. Played kick, snare, ride for a while, before adding a crash, and now I'm up to a ride, two crashes, a pair of hats, and a decent kit in jazz sizes... But I sure as hell don't play much jazz. :icon_biggrin:
One of the coolest things I've realized about playing the drums is that it has helped me come SO far on the guitar... My finger independence is far improved, as well as my speed... And the funniest thing is that I've given up a pick, and most of what I play now is tapped or slapped. I suppose it shows where my focus lies... :laughing7:
I suppose my biggest reason for playing the drums is that I wasn't improving on guitar, and the bar for musicians is rising. Tons of 13 and 14 year old guitarists are covering bands like animals as leaders, the amount of kids that can flawlessly play any given Rush tune is insane... So since I was getting nowhere on guitar, I needed to step up my game with another instrument... And I'm just growing with these things, so quickly. I want to be at the top, not to feed my ego, although that's always fun, but to be able to walk into a studio and be able to play anything that's thrown at me. Just getting ready... I've got two years to get to where I want to be, and nothing but practice will get me there. I'm just lucky to have the talent there as well.
GEAR! Everyone's favorite!
Meinl Byzance cymbals now... These things are fantastic.
22" Extra Dry Ride
16" Extra Dry Hi Hats
16" Vintage Trash Crash
20" Jazz Thin Ride... It's used as my main crash.
Look them up if you feel like it... mycymbal.com has some great demos of all these cymbals, up on youtube. They are very musical cymbals, they sit in the background very well. Not bright or powerful like typical metal/prog drummers would use... Matt Garstka is a very good example of a metal drummer that uses these sorts of cymbals... Same ride, in fact. Great drummer too.
Cagey - They really aren't simple at all, haha, and the physical aspect is maddening. I've been working out to build up the endurance I need, because I've been playing 6-8 hour practice sessions daily... My arms and legs are sore, constantly. I'm currently working on playing this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f3pHYwL9kY
The intro is extremely difficult(listen to the hats), but I'm finally getting it all pieced together. The timing, though... Gah.
I really honestly don't know how I've come this far with the drums... I've had drummers tell me I sound like someone who's been playing for three or four years, and I can't honestly say that I know... But I think most if it is just intuition. I played on a practice pad for almost a year before I got a full kit, and things just came so easily after that. Played kick, snare, ride for a while, before adding a crash, and now I'm up to a ride, two crashes, a pair of hats, and a decent kit in jazz sizes... But I sure as hell don't play much jazz. :icon_biggrin:
One of the coolest things I've realized about playing the drums is that it has helped me come SO far on the guitar... My finger independence is far improved, as well as my speed... And the funniest thing is that I've given up a pick, and most of what I play now is tapped or slapped. I suppose it shows where my focus lies... :laughing7:
I suppose my biggest reason for playing the drums is that I wasn't improving on guitar, and the bar for musicians is rising. Tons of 13 and 14 year old guitarists are covering bands like animals as leaders, the amount of kids that can flawlessly play any given Rush tune is insane... So since I was getting nowhere on guitar, I needed to step up my game with another instrument... And I'm just growing with these things, so quickly. I want to be at the top, not to feed my ego, although that's always fun, but to be able to walk into a studio and be able to play anything that's thrown at me. Just getting ready... I've got two years to get to where I want to be, and nothing but practice will get me there. I'm just lucky to have the talent there as well.
GEAR! Everyone's favorite!
Meinl Byzance cymbals now... These things are fantastic.
22" Extra Dry Ride
16" Extra Dry Hi Hats
16" Vintage Trash Crash
20" Jazz Thin Ride... It's used as my main crash.
Look them up if you feel like it... mycymbal.com has some great demos of all these cymbals, up on youtube. They are very musical cymbals, they sit in the background very well. Not bright or powerful like typical metal/prog drummers would use... Matt Garstka is a very good example of a metal drummer that uses these sorts of cymbals... Same ride, in fact. Great drummer too.
stratamania
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 11,113
I am not a drummer but like Cagey, I played with a couple of drummers that were Neil Peart type clones. Used to play a few Rush covers.
Here's one of them. I haven't seen the guy for about 25 years however. Great to see his other band is still playing.
http://youtu.be/8bKh8dJJaO0
I also played with drummers who were more four on the floor bashers but with great feel.
A great rythym section is a joy to play with.
I never tried to play drums myself, but they interest me quite a bit. I have a couple of Neil Pearts DVDs, A Work in Progress, which covers how he approached the Presto album and how prior to that he had relearnt the drums with Freddie Gruber an older jazz cat.
The other is Anatomy of a Drum Solo.
Here's one of them. I haven't seen the guy for about 25 years however. Great to see his other band is still playing.
http://youtu.be/8bKh8dJJaO0
I also played with drummers who were more four on the floor bashers but with great feel.
A great rythym section is a joy to play with.
I never tried to play drums myself, but they interest me quite a bit. I have a couple of Neil Pearts DVDs, A Work in Progress, which covers how he approached the Presto album and how prior to that he had relearnt the drums with Freddie Gruber an older jazz cat.
The other is Anatomy of a Drum Solo.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
stratamania said:
Gah, the Spirit of Radio... That intro is REALLY damned hard to count.
S
swarfrat
Guest
What always amazes me most about drums... is the amount of crap they haul around, and then hit just once in the entire set. Do you really need double bass drums and the Neil Pert rack o toms? Sure it might be fun to have, but I'm thinking the jazz guys are on to something.
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
I think there's a little of the "better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it" attitude going on with those guys. Plus, the Neil Pearts of this world aren't carrying/setting up those monster sets themselves - they have people. If there's no sweat off your back, you tend to not care about the amount of work involved. Kinda like politicians and tax dollars. It's just mad money. Spend it irresponsibly, who cares? It's just bits and bytes in the computers.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
swarfrat said:
Good lord, no. That's what double pedals are for. And toms aren't truly a necessary part of the drum kit... Plenty of drummers play with only one floor tom, or no toms.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
I've seen some older pictures of drummers using chairs as not only their thrones, but as their snare stands... Talk about ghetto.
Like guitars, I do have a bit of a thing for old drums... Too much sexy:
Like guitars, I do have a bit of a thing for old drums... Too much sexy:
stratamania
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 11,113
ಠ_ಠ said:
The drummer in the video, played with these guys for years. He was in another band with me doing more top 40 stuff, but I used to jam odd Rush stuff with him at rehearsals. The band I was in with him, he was unable to keep playing for both bands and I moved away from the area. I haven't seen them for years. This guy as good as he is I think just feels most of it.
The other drummer was a time guru, he would even stop at a rehearsal and come out with stuff like try playing that harmonic with an upstroke so it's just that hair closer to the specific part of the flam he wanted to hear it. This guy then left his job and went to do a degree in Percussion.
You can learn a lot from drummers or drumming. Groove, swing is so important I think.
stratamania
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 11,113
Cagey said:
No it is a bit surprising. Years ago of course they all had longer hair and so on. But they are all just part time and have day jobs etc.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
AutoBat said:
Some do covers very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqm2ScA1Uyc
here a youtube of my friends kid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngEYmjdtDpo
His dad is a helluva drummer and Cole has been banging on drums since he was 10 months old and literally playing the drums at under 2 years of age. As for me I tried the drums and failed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngEYmjdtDpo
His dad is a helluva drummer and Cole has been banging on drums since he was 10 months old and literally playing the drums at under 2 years of age. As for me I tried the drums and failed.
alterbridgefan
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,274
ocguy106 said:
Is Cole Ellis' kid? P. Ellis is a great guy, I've met him a couple times, we play drums at the same church, although technically I shouldn't be playing in any church. :laughing7: Kind of funny though, our styles are completely different. He's definitely helped set the style for drums in alternative churches like hillsong and the stone.
