learn the drums

Drums are a mythical beast to me. I’ve screwed around, but I think it’s time to learn. I’d like it to expand my appreciation for a rhythm section and add to my songwriting. After seeing Dave Grohl live recently, I really want to learn them. Right now, it’s a bit of a long-term goal for me, as I don’t have the space or indecency to put a drum kit in a smaller 2 bedroom, upstairs apartment. If I get a place with a basement, then I’m all in. I may get a practice pad and work on things, though.

Sonny boy was taking drum lessons for about 9 months, then stopped because he needed to adjust to his new school. Which means that I stopped, too, because I was learning vicariously through him.

The drums are still here, taking up bedroom space, collecting dust. But I don’t want to get rid of them yet…I want to look at this as a pause, not an end.

I’ve had some drums up in the attic for a loooonnngg time. I’ve never bothered to use them, up until someone brought the drums up to my attention. I thought about how drums were used in many types of music that I liked. Since I have the materials, all I have to do is: DO IT!

the djembe drum counts doesnt it? had a blast and broke the drum while i was at it :D

The first lesson for my son is set up for later this month, and i hope to learn by practicing with him.

Spent the last hour setting them up—may take a bit of learning, plus they are rather cramped in my bedroom (hey, it’s Central California, your average mortal has a SMALL home out here!), so it will take a bit of futzing around to get the positioning right. Will be learning how to tune them, plus the hard part (for me) has always been getting the high hat right. Anyway…now that I have devoted 1/4 of the floorspace in my bedroom to this thing, I damn well better learn to play!

Will post a photo as soon as I’m able!

And I’ve looked into drum lessons for, er, my son. Yeah, that’s it. Actually he will be taking the actual lessons and I will be the obnoxious parent hovering around who is too cheap (read: poor) to pay for lessons for both of us and will be taking notes the whole time.

_{Do you think the instructor would mind if I pulled out a videocamera?}

I am getting a drum set! My dad called and just happened on this deal where someone was trying to get rid of a set, it will be used temporarily for someone’s brief 2 week tour, and then I will buy it for about 1/3 of the price!! It will be here in September! WOW! WOWEEE! WOWWOWWOW!

_{Now I just have to figure out where I’m going to put it…ah, well, details, details!}

Actually got up in front of people to drum today—under duress, and very basic drumbeat, but woof, I was shaking. Went ok and was over faster than I thought. Have had two very good sessions in the past two days of just playing and messing around and adding impromptu fills that sounded really good. I have to learn more basic beats, though. Practicing some paradiddles == now need to know how they relate to actual playing….

Drummed for about an hour yesterday, came up with two more very simple fills. Ack, I think I need to learn drum notation.