How long from complete beginner to gigging?

As long as it takes for you to be confident enough individually and as a band to go find a gig. That could be years...it could be weeks.

Aptitide is less important than attitude.

(I don't mean 'Noel Gallagher attitude' by the way)
 
If you can consistently tap your foot...the same instant.
 
There's a 4 year old drummer online who sounds like he's ready for his first gig tomorrow. I forgot his name, but he was playing some SOAD and doing a pretty bang up job of it too. So, it all depends where your head is at. My head, for instance, had been stuck up my a$$ for many years. This is why it took me 30 years to become really comfortable behind the kit. In contrast, the other drummer in our band has only played for 15 years and he blows me away as far as technique and speed, but I got some deep groove and tasty licks in my beat which is what you will need to get the job done and nail the auditions. You can draw your own conclusions...

But really, unless you just take to the drums exceptionally well, you can start gigging in 4 years, I bet. I'm just throwing that out there. It's just an educated guess.
 
Ask me in a couple of months....
 
Gigging last night, 2.5 years in.

I had a nightmare because my bass drum was moving across the floor during the gig, but I guess I'm what you'd call sort of 'solid' enough on the drums that it all seemed OK
 
How long is it going to be before I could gig with a band at a level that wouldn't be plain embarrassing?

That is largely dependent on your threshold of embarrassment. YouTube tells me there are people out there that are unembarrassed by playing out before their mother's signature is dry on the credit card receipt for their first kit.
 
It's really not a matter of time. It's a matter of dedication and actual readiness. Don't forget, you're not making drum beats here, you're making music. As soon as your whole band sounds good on the songs you choose to play, you're ready to get out there. When I played my first "show" I really didn't know much about the drums, I couldn't play any covers, and had no idea about any sort of technique. It was all irrelevant, because as a band, we'd practiced our 10 songs to such an extent that it sounded good. We kicked ass, even though I "sucked".

If you really want to know, for us, it was about a years worth of 3 nights a week, 4-6 hours each night. We did nothing but play our songs over and over until it sounded good and we were all locked into each other.

Now, if you're just talking about wood shedding your drum kit until any band would be happy to invite you... It's going to be a long time. The drums is a huge rabbit hole, and it's only when you get way down there that you even start to see how deep it is and how much there is to learn and perfect.
 
If you join an AC/DC cover band, you should be gigging within 3 weeks....ok, seriously, depending on your age and raw ability, I'd say a year with good practice and professional lessons. This will get you the bare minimum to get through basic tunes and be able to perform. This is a very, very broad stroke estimation. It also depends on what you play. I have a friend who began playing late in life, around 38 years old. He can play some easier tunes now, he's 44. But he didn't approach it with 100 per cent effort, and he does sometimes make mistakes that should've been history by now. If you have the desire, time, and opportunity to commit to drums, you can probably be gig-worthy in even less time. Time and effort are key. Enjoy your journey.....
 
Took me about a year from first picking up the sticks to playing with a band. I too was mid forties, but had been playing music from an early age (piano, guitar, bass). I practice most days for around 30 to 60 minutes, sometimes a lot longer. Still learning all the time. :)

Good Luck
 
I realise that this is a 'how long is a piece of string' kinda question, but I'm new to drumming and am practicing for an hour or so every day. I used to play bass so I'm OK reading music and rhythm. How long is it going to be before I could gig with a band at a level that wouldn't be plain embarrassing? Am I talking months, years?

I want to play a mix of stuff - classic rock, some folk, just a range of covers etc.

What has been other people's experience of this?
It depends on what you want to play. You could likely easily play standard 4/4 rock groove + basic fills within a year.
 
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