lessons vs. teaching yourself

Inferno · Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 10:11 am Post subject:

a good one i've always used is www.taborama.com

i find sometimes taught drummers have trouble improvising, so i'd recommend anyone who wants to try some free funk or jazz to spend a bit of time just riffing without a teacher, to develop some personal edge!
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david · Kitten Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 136 Location: UK

amen to that

Drummin_Dan · Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 10:50 am Post subject:

Books are definitely important. I think having a teacher behind you to make sure you don't "cheat" or make "errors" while reading the exercises allows more precise learning. So, once you get it down you can learn more on your own and you can check it to make sure it's right

david · Kitten Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 136 Location: UK

i think the bottom line is that talent and artistic ability will out- of the kids who go through drum academys to be "taught" to be drummers 9/10 will probably all sound the same. But the 1/10 who has the ability will be a better drummer in the long run for the training.

You cant "teach" someone talent, but you can nurture and direct it

dave

Drummin_Dan · Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 3:11 pm Post subject:

It's kinda wierd. For myself (not to ego boast) but I'm someone who picks up an instrument and gets a sound out of it. After playing for a few minutes I can make a chord progression. I liked drums though, since it provided a nice challenge. I do agree with the 1/10 "good" drummers. Being where I am, I see drummers, but generally, it'll be a fairly large group of the same drummers I know. Sort of an interesting community being drummers.

Guitaro · Newbie Alert Joined: 01 Sep 2003 Posts: 3

Well, I myself am a advanced guitarist, not the greatest, but I am getting better and better each day and am in a few bands. I picked up a drumset cuz i always wanted to learn. I put most of my money into guitar and i take lessons for it, so i cant front the cash or even the time for drum lessons. I wanna learn for fun, and im the leader of my band, so therefore i wanna know how to play every instrument so i can help get the band moving creatively in many ways by learning and creating with them. Whats your advice, give up or try and find some books or what? THanks

Drummin_Dan · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 1:48 pm Post subject:

Well, firstly, write stuff that's challenging for your drummer Very Happy

. Never use conventional guitar rhythms. Being a jazz drummer, listening to rock bands play, I hear alot of the same chord progressions and rhythms. So, if you can sit down and try to think of something that isn't a blue print of all the other rock songs and have it flow without sounding forced, you're getting somewhere. If you get more technical in music, it forces the drummer to listen to what you play. It's not everything though. Technical music won't be good music unless it has a good melody. It's a combination of knowledge and ideas. Studying drumming can advance your knowledge of rhythms which can give you better ideas on guitar. To be REALLY good at drums you need alot of commitment. So set goals for what you want to accomplish in the next year depending on how often you play.

Tenor_freak · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 3:07 pm Post subject:

Also to keep things interesting go out and buy a drum book that looks liek something you wouldnt normally buy. Say your a heavy metal fanatic well go buy a book on afro cuban druming or something else that is off key to what your normally accustom too. A good book for this is essentail styles it even comes with a play along cd. Its a great tool for making you a better player. It show cases alot of diffrent playing styles so you can expand your playing. Because we all know metal is metal and jazz is jazz but you can always incorporate extra beats to ake it more beefy or make up various grooves and such on the toms. This is the kind of book to help you learn to play other things than the same old 2 and 4. Same thing with music if you listen to jazz religiously then go buy something that seems like something you wouldnt like. though its no replacement for lessons it still helps. As for all you people who dont want to take lesson you should at least learn to read sheetmusic so you will be able to learn from any source on your own.
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Inferno · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 11:52 am Post subject:

i really admire any drummer who can take control of the show - i don't have any respect for some drummers i see, those who just sit at the back and blend in with the wallpaper! anyone has the potential to be great, it's sometimes more about playing the right thing and less about playing as fast or as complicated a riff as you can!
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NoirDeath · Little Hamster Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 75

holycow · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 1:07 pm Post subject:

Zildjian! · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject:

It's a good point that you make there, holycow. Anyone can benefit from lessons. Period. The trick is just finding a teacher more accomplished than you. Obviously for some of the best drummers in the world, this is nearly impossible, but most of us on this board will probably not reach that point Wink

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david · Kitten Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 136 Location: UK

even the best get lessions

from freddie gruber

wonder who teaches him

Laughing

dave

drumgod111285 · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 5:54 pm Post subject:

buddy rich taught dennis chambers. actually, dennis learned from many drummers. that's what i think matters the most. if you constantly learn from only one drummer, you'll be missing out on a lot of other techniques and styles. i watch as many drummers as i can...it helps my style as far as not being a "2-Dimensional player." as a 3D player, i try to have as many sides (styles) in my repertoire of playing, which helps my style overall.

you're never to good to learn from someone else, but never incapable of teaching yourself new "tricks."
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kingofdrums · Tadpole Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Posts: 22

lessons give you an edge, but they may tend to bore you after awhile if you're always learning the material easily
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