what are the basics ?
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WhoIsTony?
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Larry
"Uncle Larry"
All this is JMO, but it would be the grip, first. You have to know how to efficiently move a drumstick first. Also a foot pedal technique is something to be considered. There's heel down, heel up, bury the beater, rebound the beater, and all combinations of the above, plus you got your heel toe motion and other advanced concepts.
After that, mechanically speaking, all drumming consists of singles, doubles and flams, done with the sticks and pedals. (and the occasional forehead lol) So that's about as basic as it gets. Practicing those, and the other rudiments to a metronome, preferably on a real drum kit, at different tempos, is my definition of learning the basics. Stick Control applied to the feet and hands is your bible basically. Work your way up to Accents and Rebounds. Working the Tables of Time is seriously helpful too.
You can learn reading concurrently. That's enough for many years of work right there.
The sooner you can play drums within a band context, the better.
After that, mechanically speaking, all drumming consists of singles, doubles and flams, done with the sticks and pedals. (and the occasional forehead lol) So that's about as basic as it gets. Practicing those, and the other rudiments to a metronome, preferably on a real drum kit, at different tempos, is my definition of learning the basics. Stick Control applied to the feet and hands is your bible basically. Work your way up to Accents and Rebounds. Working the Tables of Time is seriously helpful too.
You can learn reading concurrently. That's enough for many years of work right there.
The sooner you can play drums within a band context, the better.
Duck Tape
Platinum Member
Yeah, all the things drummers would skip in favour of playing fast/flashy and all that.
I don't really have strong regrets but I didn't learn proper technique, and now I'm working really hard to fix that. And I never worked on learning the double stroke roll or other rudiments. I still used them but wasn't very good at them, so my style was more based on single strokes because I sounded alot better using them. Then I reached a limit and now I'm forced to go and learn all of that stuff.. don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying it.
Also, playing slow and being perfectly on time... there were lots of things that I found difficult because I never developed the patience or steadiness, e.g slow rock songs, neat 1/4 notes on the crash, very slow double bass grooves etc
I don't really have strong regrets but I didn't learn proper technique, and now I'm working really hard to fix that. And I never worked on learning the double stroke roll or other rudiments. I still used them but wasn't very good at them, so my style was more based on single strokes because I sounded alot better using them. Then I reached a limit and now I'm forced to go and learn all of that stuff.. don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying it.
Also, playing slow and being perfectly on time... there were lots of things that I found difficult because I never developed the patience or steadiness, e.g slow rock songs, neat 1/4 notes on the crash, very slow double bass grooves etc
EricT43
Senior Member
Besides the basic mechanics of drumming (Larry covered that pretty well), I'd add some basic musicianship as well: playing in time, listening to the other musicians, dynamic control, and as already mentioned, being able to read music. Knowing how to tune your drums and select heads and sticks to achieve the appropriate sounds for the situation.
Torkerz
Senior Member
Basics, play in frickin time...
The amount of drummers i hear and speak to who go on about the latest Tony Royster chop or Derek Roddy's feet... I saw a guy who could play bass drum at a million miles an hour with blast beats and all sorts. Ask him to play a simple groove, slow with feel and in time - crumbled... This guy was at a music academy specialising in drums too...
Time is everything, technique and delivery yes, you have to make it Sound as good as it feels, but time keeping even in free music like jazz, is everything.
The amount of drummers i hear and speak to who go on about the latest Tony Royster chop or Derek Roddy's feet... I saw a guy who could play bass drum at a million miles an hour with blast beats and all sorts. Ask him to play a simple groove, slow with feel and in time - crumbled... This guy was at a music academy specialising in drums too...
Time is everything, technique and delivery yes, you have to make it Sound as good as it feels, but time keeping even in free music like jazz, is everything.
Mad About Drums
Pollyanna's Agent
Just buy this CD... and you're sorted, simple 
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you forgot coffee and beer !
Odd-Arne Oseberg
Platinum Member
Good time
Rhythmical understanding
Good technique
Rhythmical understanding
Good technique
EricT43
Senior Member
+1
Couldn't agree more. Good time is the ticket for admission. Without that, chops don't mean squat.
Torkerz
Senior Member
Why thankya Squire ;-)
stellar92010
Senior Member
Well, I've been playing less than 4 months, but been playing music for over 40 years. I started lessons about 6 weeks ago with an on call studio drummer who is an orchestral drummer. Here is how he is approaching:
1: Grip.
2: Posture
3: Counting.
4: Reading, starting with the book Understanding Rhythm by Michael Lauren.
5: Within the context of this book, everything is counted, and done with a simple sticking method he taught me called 'Root Sticking' and non-hits (rests etc) are mimiced.
6: We started with whole and half notes and phrases, then their rests, and added quarters eights, and sixteenths as the lessons progressed.
7: Grooves: Counting and playing through basic grooves on the kit. 'Money Groves'
8: Everyhting is counted out loud, done with a metronome, very slowly and only increased when it is mastered. He made the comment that he has seen studio drummers replaced because they aren't disciplined to play with a click track. I started some exercises at 40Bpm and mastered them, he said it is extremely difficult to keep hard time at really slow beats so it will increase your timing sense immensley.
9: He watches everything I do like a hawk, and he always corrects bad habits, and makes me start bars over when I fail to do them right. It's very exacting.
10: Throughout all this, he occasionally mentions things about dynamics, stick height, etc.
He said in a few weeks we will start rudiments. He has a number of books he uses as the player advances including stick control, and Syncopation by Ted Reed.
He said eventually we get to the Chaffee Books and advanced topics. He also said almost all the 'starting books' like stick control, etc, are much more advanced than they appear at first glance.
His main point is that those things I listed--basic timing counting, reading, body mechanics, and simple phrasing--are absolute key to getting better. I feel quite lucky--I'm advancing way faster than I would on my own.
One other thing he mentioned--putting on songs and trying to play with them is a valuable tool even at an early stage.
1: Grip.
2: Posture
3: Counting.
4: Reading, starting with the book Understanding Rhythm by Michael Lauren.
5: Within the context of this book, everything is counted, and done with a simple sticking method he taught me called 'Root Sticking' and non-hits (rests etc) are mimiced.
6: We started with whole and half notes and phrases, then their rests, and added quarters eights, and sixteenths as the lessons progressed.
7: Grooves: Counting and playing through basic grooves on the kit. 'Money Groves'
8: Everyhting is counted out loud, done with a metronome, very slowly and only increased when it is mastered. He made the comment that he has seen studio drummers replaced because they aren't disciplined to play with a click track. I started some exercises at 40Bpm and mastered them, he said it is extremely difficult to keep hard time at really slow beats so it will increase your timing sense immensley.
9: He watches everything I do like a hawk, and he always corrects bad habits, and makes me start bars over when I fail to do them right. It's very exacting.
10: Throughout all this, he occasionally mentions things about dynamics, stick height, etc.
He said in a few weeks we will start rudiments. He has a number of books he uses as the player advances including stick control, and Syncopation by Ted Reed.
He said eventually we get to the Chaffee Books and advanced topics. He also said almost all the 'starting books' like stick control, etc, are much more advanced than they appear at first glance.
His main point is that those things I listed--basic timing counting, reading, body mechanics, and simple phrasing--are absolute key to getting better. I feel quite lucky--I'm advancing way faster than I would on my own.
One other thing he mentioned--putting on songs and trying to play with them is a valuable tool even at an early stage.
Anon La Ply
Diamond Member
interesting thread, great replies. Bottom line is to just play the song. The fancy extras can come later, maybe.
Jeff Almeyda
Senior Consultant
Dave Weckl's video "Back to Basics" is a decent place to start.
Remember your primary duty as a drummer is to serve the music. Everything else is icing on the cake. That usually means providing a solid time feel.
There are "untrained" drummers like, Steve Wonder, who are fantastic at making the song feel good. Don't get caught up in the flash over the substance.
Remember your primary duty as a drummer is to serve the music. Everything else is icing on the cake. That usually means providing a solid time feel.
There are "untrained" drummers like, Steve Wonder, who are fantastic at making the song feel good. Don't get caught up in the flash over the substance.
Torkerz
Senior Member
+1 to that. However, it is debatable. A drummer can provide melodic and harmonic substance to the music. The job of 'timekeeper' can be debated depending the context
Larry
"Uncle Larry"
Agree about melodic and harmonic substance. This thread is geared more towards the substantial basics there are to learn. The melodic and harmonic part are down the road a bit. Keeping good musical time.... is quite a high skill, and it needs to be explored substantially before anything more advanced is attempted, JMO.
As an analogy, the foundation and walls have to be in place before the roof can go on.
WhoIsTony?
Member
I don't consider good technique part of "the basics".... whatever that term means ....I assume he means fundamentals ?
none of my beginner students give a scratch about technique and most get bored to tears when we discuss it
I have always believed a student absorbs something like technique more completely when they develop a desire to seek it as apposed to it being suggested strongly or forced upon them....sure I sneak things in a way where they don't even know they are learning certain techniques ...... but I don't find it to be all that important until a certain point in ones musical journey
most of them just want to make music....which to me is what it is all about ....I find that to be a beautiful thing
and you certainly can make music without this subjective "proper technique"
we certainly get awfully wrapped up in techniques in this day and age and it often distracts from the much more important picture
I see guys with impeccable technique who sound like robots all the time
so instill the music and how it feels to accompany other musicians while keeping his/her own time steady and technique and more importantly the desire to seek technique is sure to follow ... in my opinion anyway
I leared to play music by listening to music and did not have a teacher until many years later.....I wouldn't trade that foundation for anyone elses foundation
I developed a very keen musical understanding at a very young age that made everything else very easy to learn because all the intangibles were deeply instilled due to being surrounded by great music from day one
it's like understanding the goal before someone tells you what the goal is
an amazing advantage
I always say....be a musician before a technician
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britchops
Guest
I have created a beginner drum course that looks at the 'basics' of drumming in a PDF ebook download. Try it @ www.britchops.co.uk if you wish.
Cheers
TJ
Cheers
TJ
Larry
"Uncle Larry"
I always love your perspective on things WhoIs? I get a lot from you. Your students are very fortunate indeed. Simply put, like you say, playing music is the goal.
Myself I'm very fascinated with the mechanics of it all. I always seek out "how" to do things. I could not get my inner sounds out onto the set effectively until I was lucky enough to hook up with a guy who was very technique based right from the start. He got my hands together and only after that did I start sounding OK, because, now, I had basic control of my hands.
But it's all good, ultimately, however you start the process. It's ultimately up to the student to develop a learning attitude always. It is really up to the individual how committed they are to it and how hard they choose work at it.