Learn to play the drums

After a very long time I have a drum set to play again.
I had pieced together a Pearl set a number of years back because the basic set was selling for a crazy good price. So, I played on it some and eventually got caught up in other things. After a while I decided to give the kit to my best friend who had always wanted to play drums but didn’t have the means to get a kit.

He played the crap out of it for a while and then moved to a place which he couldn’t keep them at. So they sat stored at his parents house until this last weekend, where we made an agreement for me to semi permanently borrow them back. I’m not an indian giver. But drums should be used, not stored in a corner.

So, I’m now ready to get started again. after about six months. I really haven’t been practicing my rudiments as I was meaning to. But I’m always drumming on things with my hands and I know I’ve been getting faster and more accurate even just doing that.

I’m trying to focus on learning some basic rudiments without having a kit available. And everytime I sit down I forget to pick up the sticks. I’m really quite bad about that. But I am thinking about it.
I may try taking some lessons soon.

One of my co-workers is a drummer as I’ve previously mentioned. He’s been showing me some things to do to help teach me seperation of limbs. syncopating left and right legs with arms together to start. It’s f’n hard. But it looks so simple.
I’m going to start taking a few lessons from him here and there. He’ll be a good teacher mainly because we know each other and he loves drums.

I’ve been working with my stix using my thumb and index to pivot and the others to toggle the stick. I’ve been doing a routine on leg or with a pillow (something without bounce back) where I practice with each finger tapping once and then two and then three times trying to keep my arms and writs loose. It’s difficult because my arms naturally want to tighten to grip the stix. And drumming doesn’t really work well that way.
I’ll be practicing this for the rest of my days. But I should be greatly improved at it in a mouth or two.

Two friends of mine luckily play drums and have been able to give me some great tips. I’ve learned how to hold the stix, what size stix to get, and simple techniques to help strengthen my arms without tiring them out or hurting them.

Even though I bought the pad. I’m going to be practicing on pillows and things that don’t have any bounce back. This helps with muscle memory and better control.

I bought a $20 practice pad and I already had a pair of stix. So far I’ve practiced a few rudiments over the last couple days. I need to strengthen my left arm. So, I’m putting emphasis on that. I’m going to map out a practice procedure to follow in the next day or so and keep to it for the next couple months, until I feel comfortable with my arm strength and ability.

Today I’m going to buy a practice pad and start on my rudiments.
I got a few lessons from by best friend who has taken lessons. And I’m going to buy a few books on techniques. Also, I’ll use websites like http://www.vicfirth.com/education/rudiments.html
to really get what I need.
I’m going to practice rudiments everyday I can for the next 3-4 months before I get a trap set or e-drum kit. At which point I will start incorporating all my limbs.