If you had to learn drums all over again what would you do differently?

mrthirsty

mrthirsty

Junior Member
Someone asked me this the other day and thought it was interesting.

For me:

Would have more discipline when it came to developing my left hand from the start.

Realize the benefits from slow deliberate practise sooner.

Having the knowledge that the study of this instrument is a lifetime.

I know hindsight is 20/20 but I think if I had a better understanding of the points above it would have helped a lot...…..or who knows.
 
I don’t have a lot of regrets but I think one thing I would do differently is start using a practice pad /working on snare rudiments and drumrolls sooner. I focused more on stuff like limb independence, playing to a click, copying drum parts from recordings. All of those things are valuable too but within the past six months or so I’ve been playing drumrolls and stuff every day and it’s made a huge difference in my playing.
 
Channing said:
I don’t have a lot of regrets but I think one thing I would do differently is start using a practice pad /working on snare rudiments and drumrolls sooner. I focused more on stuff like limb independence, playing to a click, copying drum parts from recordings. All of those things are valuable too but within the past six months or so I’ve been playing drumrolls and stuff every day and it’s made a huge difference in my playing.
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Good for you! Sounds like you already have a well rounded practise regime.
 
Country music is your friend. Learn to appreciate it and play it.
 
Been in this boat for the last year & a half - after not playing for almost 9 years, I got back to it. Since my skills were really down and had to get my chops back, I decided that I would do everything different - no longer be a heavy hitter, went to a lighter stick, focused more on rudiments & technique, playing to a metronome, got a couple Gary Chaffee books to study which made me realize I desparately need to work on my reading abilities. Definitely a work in progress, but I can see regular progression in my playing & I'm stoked every time I sit behind the kit.
 
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I wish there was youtube when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s. When I look back... actually it's hard to look back and ask that question.

This is an unfair question. Unfair!
 
Spreggy said:
I would get a teacher, first thing. And particpate in school band, marching bands, any opportunity to play.
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being a band director now, and having done all those things in school, I am happy to see this!!

as a kid, I went into band with the typical "drum set guy" attitude about school band - thinking that it was going to be a waste of time and lame....by the 3rd day of freshman year marching band, my world was rocked...I had A LOT to work on, and this was the place where it was going to happen. Playing to records and "jamming with my friends are only a small part of playing drums

the biggest thing I would do different would be to actually practice the rudimental/chops stuff my early teachers were giving me. I started drum lessons in 5th grade, but only practiced the cool rockin' stuff we would do.
 
I'm still learning drums now, but re: my formative years, ~ age 13-23: I could have played more— I should have been trying to play as much as humanly possible. Could have learned a few lessons sooner-- practiced more when I was 13-16, gotten control of my dynamics earlier, gotten serious about my time earlier. I wasted some time working on some things with no practical outlet, when there were more pressing issues.

Some things I did right: I learned from people whether I liked them or not. Listened a lot and was primarily into music. Worked out of Reed-- that plus a lot of listening made up for some other things that took me longer to figure out.
 
Given when and where I grew up, I would not have taken lessons with any of the local people. I’d have found my way to a Morello student ASAP, and worked on the Stone Killer exercise, playing to a click, and independence/linear stuff. I’d also worked on singing while playing much earlier. And not tried to make a career out of performing.
 
I'd work on alternate grips. I play with a palms-down German grip because that's how I learned in high school marching band (we played matched). I'd spend some time getting better with the palms-in French grip that I can currently only use effectively on the ride cymbal, and I'd work on traditional grip also, just 'cause. I'd also work more out of the classic books (Stick Control, Syncopation, etc), and work more with a click.
 
Nothing. I'm currently happy with my present state as a drummer, and the journey I took for me to get to this point. Sure, there are things I wish I had learned earlier. No changing that though. It's just like anything, hindsight is 20/20. No point in worrying about it, going forward is the only direction, that's where my concern lies.
 
I was fortunate in my chosen path - I initially learned to play drums because I wanted to play in the marching band. I saw the drum line during a parade when I was a freshman and it blew me away. I only got into drumkit playing after that. So I started with rudiments, traditional grip, and reading music and I'm very glad it worked out that way.

If I could do it again, I would have just taken it more seriously. I can't imagine how much better I might be if I had practiced seriously when I was young and had hours of free time every day.
 
Differently?

I would run away from home in third grade and found a family that would have let me play the drums in school band and not forced me to play trumpet because....

"Sorry son, I will not have drums in my house."

Bitter? Yea I am...I got buckets of bitterness all around the house because of it.

But life is short and eternity is long so in the end? "Meh"
 
Playing drums was a life long dream that I didn't start until I was an adult with my own house. I wish I would have convinced my mother that I would have been the next Don Henley if she'd have got me a drum kit for Christmas when I was 7 instead of the X-Wing Fighter I ended up with.
 
If I could bring some of my elderly wisdom backwards: :)

I would work way harder, knowing that this music thing was/is a great source of joy and peace in my life.

I would overcome some emotional and parental stuff that kept me from being the best I could be.

I would know what I don't know, and work on it feverishly.
[My childhood drum teacher was a great guy, talented player, and a fun teacher. He taught me full note for note charts for some great music. But he left me off the hook with mastering certain things I should have mastered then - namely, doubles at high speed and clean even press rolls.]
 
I would have went All-In "cack-handed" (golf terminology) traditional like Danial Glass. Basically a left-handed setup. It never even occurred to me in the 80s to setup my drum set "backwards". I played a lot of hi hat with my left and cracked the rim shots righty anyhow. I'm ambidextrous to about 80%, of course it doesn't translate to drumming entirely with my left hand which is still considerably weaker. I would obviously try and find a teacher that suited me, never had a lesson. But I was in symphonic, jazz, marching band during Jr/High school. We placed top 5 in state twice in marching at the Indiana State Fair during my years in marching. That was exciting stuff.

I would plainly make my left hand better. I would definitely try and play in more bands. Oh, and I would have started double bass WAY earlier. . .than last year :rolleyes:
 
I am playing drums now after a very, very long time as a working bass player, and I am finding that I have so much to learn...
Every day is something new and challenging, and I love threads like this for new ideas...
Thanks, all. :)
 
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