Learning how to drum without becoming a drummer

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 10:14 am

You can probably learn just about any instrument by trial and error, but IMO learning the basics first makes learning a LOT faster, and you won't be limited in what you can do by poor technique and by learning things the wrong way.

For gifted virtuosi like freshdrumma, I'm sure this doesn't apply!

Gygaxian · Post by **Gygaxian** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 10:32 am

get an octapad, and set the latency to super-low.

then play all you want with the metronome. you will soon find out about your drum skills.
sometimes you have great timing, sometimes you don't.

its basically practice.
with practice comes feel and groove and etc.

good luck and enjoy.

TheAnimal · Post by **TheAnimal** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 10:46 am

rikhyray wrote:i notice tremendous difference, while playing the pads, playing "instruments" I play for real- tabla, all Indian perc, bongos and those I dont play well- like conga or timbales. Seems if you have in your had it does not take much to "translate" it into pads. So playing, learning anything real will help though if you take seriously to the pads then you can get good results.

That's exactly the problem I'm trying to solve. I play the guitar myself. So when I'm listening I can for example identify a certain sound as a pinch harmonic where I would otherwise only have been able to say "great sound". But that is only possible, because I already play the guitar.

Translated to drumming that means that I can probably listen as much as I want, but I just won't recognize important parts or details, because I don't know what to look for. Can you see what I mean?

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 10:52 am

And that's why knowledge of the basics helps so much!

Some think because they can tap an MPC/Octapad/TF/piano keys/whatever, they're instantly a drummer/percussionist. Percussion is probably the easiest instrument to start to learn, but one of the hardest to master.

I'm practicing and improving my Latin percussion. It's a lot harder than it sounds! It's a great break from Live programming, though.

TheAnimal · Post by **TheAnimal** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 1:12 pm

Absolutely! I started to learn playing conga/quinto a while ago and it took me ages to develop a halfway nice slap sound. I'd like to continue but I simply don't have a place where I could practice

freshdrumma · Post by **freshdrumma** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:09 pm

not virtuoso at all! just grooving, thanks for the irony