Need advice

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Fri, 03/12/2010 - 19:10
tomo
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Hey guys just found the webiste and there seems to be a very helpful community here.

To the point, i am turning 17 in a few weeks and am thinking about finally buying a drum set after years of wanting to and a fascination with rockband, although i wouldnt like to take lessons as i did this with the guitar and made very slow progress as i get bored with a teacher.

What i need your advice on is weather or not it is possible to be good without lessons and do i have to learn how to read charts in order to learn how to play the songs i want to play from the internet?

i appreciate greatly you reading this and would like to thank those for replying in advance it means alot 

 

Thanks guys for the reply, i wil take all your advice on board and see how it goes thanks again

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Tue, 03/23/2010 - 14:27
#1
graysongodwin@y...
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Joined: 01/16/2010
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TAKE LESSONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think its great u wanna start getting to the drums. but YES IF U DONT TAKE LESSONS U WILL SUCK!!!!!!!! lots of people go without taking lessons and they think they can do good without lessons. and they suck at drums. I have been playing the drums for 6 years and I've been in a drumline for 4 years and without lessons I know I would be awful at playing the drums. Take lessons!!!!! I'm in a christian rockband that plays tons of gigs and everyone says im a great player. i've had many offers from tons of different bands and I owe all of it to the lessons i took.

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Sat, 03/13/2010 - 10:39
#2
jen0112
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Re:

Hi,

I think it's great that you're thinking of getting a drum set and starting to learn!

I have just started having lessons, maybe 2 months ago now, and I would say that lessons can be great. I have been in a situation where I got bored with a teacher (this was also with guitar) but it depends on the teacher and their method. My drum tutor is great, and involves what I want to learn into the lessons. It might be worth spending some time looking at different tutors depending on how you want to progress (i.e whether you're learning just for yourself, or looking to complete grades, or wanting to gig, etc)

YouTube can be great for videos on how to play certain songs, or even just watching people play drum covers of the songs. Of course you have to bear in mind they may be playing it wrong! But then you could argue as long as it sounds right, then what's the problem?! Smile

Reading music certainly helps, especially if there's a less-known song you want to learn and no one has a drum cover of it, and you have to get the drum tabs. However, it's quick to pick up, and not as difficult as it sounds. I find reading drum tabs a lot easier than guitar tabs for sure!!

Hope this helps.

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Sat, 03/13/2010 - 07:53
#3
DrumAce
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Joined: 12/12/2008
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Hey Tomo, I agree with the

Hey Tomo,

I agree with the previous reply in that when you first start to play the drums, learning by ear (copying what you hear being played) can be a great way to learn the fundamentals of playing an instrument. I was self taught when I first started and learnt all the subtle rules of music that are so hard to teach such as the song structure rules, when to play fills, musicality, drum beat construction etc.

It was once I hit that wall in my playing, where I just didn't seem to get any better, that I took lessons and later studied professionally. This is when my playing really accelerated.

In summary though I think it's perfectly fine to be self taught when you first start to play. Learn by playing along to your favourite music and do your best to copy what you hear being played on record. You certainly do NOT need to read music/charts to play along to music! Eventually you might feel that you want to take your playing to the next level and this is where a teacher can be so useful.

It doesn't hurt to have lessons right from the beginning but its not essential is basically what I'm trying to say. Didn't hurt me, that's for sure!

Rob

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Sat, 03/13/2010 - 06:29
#4
NavanMusicSchoo...
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Joined: 03/04/2010
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Progress to a point

To be totally honest its perfectly possible to get to a point were you will be able to play what you want and take it to a level your happy with but it does get to a point were progress will slow down dramatically or even hault without knowing a little bit of theory!! In my experience anyway, this could differ for others but i found being self taught was a great way of establishing a natural timing and being able to catch the beat in songs and stay in time from just training by ear but when it comes to playing some of the harder fills in certain songs i found that id come to a wall!! and lessons and grades was the way i went and im a teacher now in a school!! even if you only ever get yourself a little amount of theory do try and learn a little bit as it will help when you hit that wall!! This is all just my opinion, others could have differing experiences!

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