How do I start playing drums?

Question

I want to begin learing how to play drums. I like rock and blues and jazz but I'm not sure how to start out. Do I need drumsticks? How do I hold them? what could be so hard about this? I probably dont need to know how to read music. Right?

Answer 1

A great place to start learing how to play drums and percussion is with a decent pair of stcks and a practice pad. Proper playing technique is incredibly important for learing how to play drums and good fundamentals will result in easier playing and a more natural sound across the instrument.

Fundamentals are key because the experience of putting energy into the drum and feeling the energy it gives back in unlike any other instrument. It's important to know to do this effectively as it will greatly impact your experience as a player.

Answer 2

The way I teach a beginning drummer is to not overwhelm them with the hands and feet, coordination exercises, etc. at first. What is important is to understand the hands first, the feet next, then put them together. This way you have a basic understanding of what a drummer needs to do to create good grooves and keep time.

Start with a good pair of sticks. I recommend Vic Firth American Classic SD1 General as it is easy to hold and has enough mass to develop the muscles you need to control the stick. This is a personal choice and other teachers may prefer something else. Next is to learn how to hold the stick, finding where the stick bounces the best and using "conservation of energy" to let the stick's bounce do much of the work for you. A good practice pad is important. One that has a similar feel to a real drum and is not too bouncy, so you can feel what the drum would really feel like. I recommend a Remo 8" practice pad for this. Practice rudiments to get better technique and learn the basic language of drumming. You can get the 13 basic rudiments online and download them. Practice them, one at a time, for at least a week, slow-fast-slow, as well as loud-soft-loud to get more control.

Lastly, a few lessons from a good drum teacher will show you the fine points you can't get learning on your own. This should give you a solid start.