Advice needed on correct gear.

NotADrummer77

Junior Member
I am the mother of a 14-year old who is in year 3 of Percussion lessons.

So far has several practice pads only.

Recently joined a local community group of street drummers (they are here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h74WmS_XpA4&feature=youtu.be ) and it has piqued his interest.

However he does not have any interest in rock band drumming. (Dang!!) He is only interested in Street drumming and Marching Band drumming, specifically quad/quint.

Knowing this is now a passion and seeing he has invested hours and hours a week in this for quite a while, I started looking into what I can get him for home practice.

I approached his band teacher and he suggested NOT getting him a Quad/quint tenor. Expensive and they are ONLY a quad/quint tenor, so not much else you can do with them if he ever wants to do anything else.

He suggested an electronic set and said I can configure it as a quad or quint.
He provided no other help after that suggestion.

I know NOTHING about this at all. I am lost. I do not have a huge budget to invest in something, but also don't want him to have a crap set that is a dust collector.

If you have any helpful advice on what to get him, I really appreciate it. I did take him to Guitar Center to try out the electronic sets but everyone there thought I was crazy when I sad "how do I configure this like a marching quad so he can practice at home?". I probably sounded like a complete idiot.

I thank anyone who has any useful advice.
 
I played triples and quads in high school. I was taking private lessons on y won prior to joining the marching band so I had a basic understanding of reading music at the time. There was no training or instruction for those, just regular snare drum or pad work. the music notes are the same, so learning on a single drum is still a step in the right direction. find a descent teacher that can show him reading and technique and let it grow from there.
 
Thank you. He can read music and he has had 3 years of lessons from professional instructors. He excels in percussion and has no problems here- lessons will continue.
My question was about what would be a good home set for him, as his instructors and drum mentors are not helpful with how I can support his specific interests.
Thanks again!
 
It would be easy enough to set up an e-kit at home. It's tubes and clamps and pads. This guy marches with an e-kit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6wBD6DEKIY Not that you'd want to go that route, but to replicate the drum positions in a static home kit, easy.​
 
He's on a pad right now, or pads (plural)?

What type of lessons? Rudimental? Concert band?

And, what does he see himself playing in this street band?

Is he in the school band, is he marching in the school band?

Rhythmically whether Marching or Street it's probably pretty well covered with the lessons.

How does he intend to approach street at this point? He might be more inventive than one would think. After all, street drumming became what it is because of a lack of equipment. Hence, garbage cans, 5 gal buckets, home made idiophones etc... Maybe he can get there on his own.

Timbales perhaps?

Does he have a snare for band yet? Bells (xylophone)? Pad etc... then I would think that he has the necessary tools at this point. I would have to believe that if the school is providing quads he is probably getting quality quad time while engaged in that activity.
 
GeoB,

He has private professional lessons from a drummer, and he is in a marching band at school. About to try out for high school marching band. He does march.

I do believe he is rhythmically covered with the lessons and his own personal time and practice.

In the Street band, he plays a garbage can, or a plastic paint can. So this is more practice with plating in a band for fun and making up his own stuff and working on a team than perfection. It has made him very interested as his mentor in the band is an amazing drummer.

I have bought him all of the stuff for street practice. He does well on it. Easy and cheap and loud.

Now he is interested in getting a scholarship for band - with the ultimate goal of playing in an award winning marching band. and he is still in middle school, so he wants to have better practice equipment. We have a friend who plays in the Chicago Bears Marching band, and he is also mentoring him.

Not sure what a timbale is but I will look into it.

Looking for something that will help him gain practice for playing quads in a marching band. He wants to try out for the Junior/Senior marching band in high school and he is only in 8th grade. Kid is good. I don't hate hearing him drum.

He has pads of various sizes and textures. When he plays, he only uses one at a time.

He has bells. Basic set. PLayed snare for 2 years, but doesn't have one- again, instructor says not to bother getting one - that his desire to play will be more rock band soon. I don't think so. He does not like snare so much.

If this were your kid, and you were thinking of dropping only a few hundred to maybe 700 bucks on something to have at home, what would you invest in?

Thanks again.
 
Well...

Is the band director committed to him playing quads? Will the High School Marching band director also be committed to him playing quads?

I have seen students turn into utility players and never "major" on one particular instrument. However, in percussion there are many opportunities to play on a variety of both membranophones and idiophones.

I think I would wait a year or two until something gels. While you're waiting and thinking quads check eBay out for quads. I have seen plenty of used marching gear up there.

Then there is the high tension, Kevlar headed, new-fangled marching snares and they too are easily found on eBay.

Have you talked to the High School Marching band drumline leader?

At this point it sort of sounds like positioning him into one type of drum or another is based upon the (school, drumline, marching band, concert band)needs once he passes the tryouts.

Another thing to think about is fit. Not so much the drums but the mounts that attach to the player. They vary in sizes as to young teens. It's one thing to practice with floor mounted equipment and quite another to strap it on and march around whilst playing.
 
Dear NotADrummer 77:

I think you should buy an electronic kit. It is good for practicing.
I have a Yamaha DTEXPLORER. You can find one for $200 to $300.
It uses hard rubber pads.

I can set it up like a drum set. Or like a set of Quads. Or like a set of street drums.

I can make any pad sound like anything I want. Drum sets, Quads, street drums, sound effects, space sounds, whatever.

Your son sounds like he could be very creative with it. And it won't disturb the neighbors.

He can hear the sounds on headphones. Or you can buy a small amplifier so that everyone can hear the sounds.



DTXPLORER-0001.jpg



.
 
+1 on the quadropad. Wish I had something like that back in 8th grade.

For <$700 you could easily get a pad like that AND a "craigslist special" e-kit. I see TD-7s and the like for 2-400 all the time. Nice headphones that cut out a lot of sound are a good investment too; the Vic Firth ones are pretty nice. Also a bag of salt to strap to his chest while he practices. Also a metronome.

Hollywood Jim makes that DTEXPLORER sound really nice.

Kidding about the bag of salt...but my school's quads were 40+ lbs. and I was only 95.
 
Dear NotADrummer 77:

I think you should buy an electronic kit. It is good for practicing.
I have a Yamaha DTEXPLORER. You can find one for $200 to $300.
It uses hard rubber pads.

Please note that in that price range... the rack and module is NOT included.
 
Please note that in that price range... the rack and module is NOT included.

You are correct for a new one. I was thinking about ebay or craigslist.

Right now in my town on craigslist there is a complete one for sale for $250.

.
 
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