Question for Drummers
surferdude
Posts: 2,057
My 12 year old son just started playing drums about 6 weeks ago. He's having lots of fun but .....
1. His bass drum leg gets tired easy. He says he can last about the length of Blitzkreig Bop before he starts to lose beats. Is this common? How long should he expect it to take to build up his leg muscles?
2. What are some fun, easy drumming songs? He's into music like Green Day, Sum 41 and that whole pop-punk thing.
3. Is going from never drumming to playing with friends in six weeks good? It sounds good to me but I don't know much about the drum learning curve.
4. Can anyone recommend an amp, as he uses electronic drums at home?
5. Are there any good drum tab sites?
Cheers!
1. His bass drum leg gets tired easy. He says he can last about the length of Blitzkreig Bop before he starts to lose beats. Is this common? How long should he expect it to take to build up his leg muscles?
2. What are some fun, easy drumming songs? He's into music like Green Day, Sum 41 and that whole pop-punk thing.
3. Is going from never drumming to playing with friends in six weeks good? It sounds good to me but I don't know much about the drum learning curve.
4. Can anyone recommend an amp, as he uses electronic drums at home?
5. Are there any good drum tab sites?
Cheers!
“One good thing about music,
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
Thats all its really down to, just tell him to keep practicing, and his leg (and other) muscles will build up to it. Its natural to be tired when you start.
Oh, and I'll try and find some good drum tab sites, but because most of them have been closed down because of copyright etc. it'll be pretty hard.
EDIT: Found a decent one: http://www.mxtabs.net/drumtabs.php
there you are.
- brain of c
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
1. If he's also doing athletics and being active he should develop the endurance he needs in no time at all.
2. Green Day when i come around, not too fast and it's got an easy pocket to play in...doesn't require fast fills really. Don't know too many other bands like that and the drumming with them.
3. It's always fun to play with others with music. I'd let him run with it. It's good to play with CD's b/c you can practice but you really get a feel for time and music when playing with others. Let him have fun.
5. don't know, i can't read drum tabs...too confusing. The best thing I've found is listening and watching. Go to some concerts and watch the drummers and see what they do.
Good luck to your son on the road to being a drummer
there you are.
- brain of c
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Roland-PM10-VDrum-Speaker-System?sku=449926
7/9/06 LA 1
7/10/06 LA 2
10/21/06 Bridge 1
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
1. First and foremost, playing as relaxed as possible is very helpful for both endurance and technique. When I started playing, I was like a gorrilla or something, and it caused me to get more tired than I should have in a shorter span of time. As my technique has improved and I've really focused on relaxation, I have noticed that I am still able to play with the same intensity and volume with less physical output. And, of course, normal practice is going to improve his endurance. Also, start out simple: play as many "simple" beats as you can learn. Try to really focus on playing those beats as relaxed as possible. If his leg is tired after playing for a while, encourage him to work on snare drum alone. I highly recommend the book Stick Control--there's a lifetime worth of practice in that book alone--it's a very good place to start with fundamentals.
2. Punk rock tends to be faster paced. I recommend that he listens to some Beatles or Rolling Stones. Ringo Starr and Charlie Watts are great examples of straight forward rock n' roll drumming at its finest. Also, stress the importance of listening. One could spend an entire drum lesson simply listening to other drummers and trying to really focus on what they're doing.
3. Playing with others, almost always, is a good thing. Balance that with practice on his own, and he's on his way...
4. Sorry I don't know anything about electronic drums.
5. At this point in his playing, I'd recommend he stick with playing along to music as best he can, without trying to read drum tabs. If he has an interest in learning how to read, it would be better if he learned to read music (i.e. notes, etc.) and not drum tabs. Also, drum tab sites tend to have a lot of mis-information and mistakes in notation. So, I would avoid drum tab sites entirely. If you have the money and the time, set him up with some lessons--they really make a difference.
Cheers