need some advice and help from you guys

[old low&slo]

ok guys I am new here so I could use some opinions to give me some ideas.
I need some direction . I have been away from drumming for probably closer to 15 years. I recently got a used set and want to get back into playing just for myself not a band my work schedule doesnt work for that.
here's where I am at. I tried playing to some songs I could do back then now
the chops and timing are not there though I still have a meter. I took alot of lessons when I was younger so I can still read pretty good. I would like to take lessons again but at 25 a half hour it is not doable right now. so here's where I could use the help cause I am kinda stuck.
how would you get started again ?? how would you go about practice time?
I have a practice pad and I could buy a metronome. I can split my time up
I work nights so I can do loud stuff before work and quiet after. I am willing
to do at least 2 hours a day. the music I would like to be able to play would be like funk/rock. like AWB and steely dan type stuff. so what would you guys reccomend to study and how would you set up a program?? any books dvd's to study ?? any help would be really appreciated !!

[Andreeew]

A practice pad and a metronome sounds good. You can find some lessons on the internet for free or if you want to get DVD's I recommend Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials and Jojo Mayer's Secret Weapons of the Modern Drummer: A guide to hand technique

[Brady]

Welcome to the forum old low&slo (hehe nice name)

What Andrew said is good advice. I also recommend getting a beginner drumbook. Don't underestimate those books... they have a fair bit in them and also are good later on for the hand technique exercises. They have rock/funk beats in them to which will be helpful for ya. We also be great for getting back into reading music.

All the best in your endeavors into getting back into drumming! It's just something that can't be let go eh

[Quadcam79]

less than a year ago I was in exactly the same situation as you.
I started taking lessons so I can give you a guideline as to how to go about getting your chops back. You say you can read music, thats a good start, what you should so i make a master note chart. what I mean by that is make a chart that works down the note subdivisions starting with 1/4 notes, then quarter note triplets, 1/8th, 8th triplets, 16th, 16th triplets.

write out one bar of each and put them in sequence down the page.
now break out the trusty metronome and starting slowly 60bpm, work your way down the list using single limbs. do 4 bars of each division...right hand, left hand, right foot , left foot. Keep working on that everyday, slowly building up your speed...once you feel comfortable with that start doing the same thing only this time do it with two limbs..LRLR LRLR etc.

meanwhile go to the Percussive arts society website and download the rudiment chart...start working on single stroke & double stroke rolls..after a few weeks add another rudiment.

on the kit just focus on basic beats and keeping a solid tempo, then you can work on breaking down songs measure by measure.

it works trust me. a year ago I couldnt even play a triplet..now I can blast em out at 180+ bpm with no tension in my arms at all. I'm currently learning latin drumming as well as breaking down Tom Sawyer a measure at a time.

I would say to pick up Ted reeds Syncopation for the Modern Drummer but it really helps to have a teacher to show you how to really put that book to use. You can still get alot from it by just following the exercises but when you put it in the hands of a good teacher you'll be blown away by just how much info is really in that book.

anyway, good luck...if you have more questions, people here are more than willing to help

[old low&slo]

great help guys I really appreciate it.
andreeew I will hunt down those dvd's

brady you are right man !!! I guess once a drummer you're a drummer for life.
and thats not a bad thing.
the local music store has quite a few books. I will look through them.

quadcam79 I will try out your exercise. it looks good. I can still read but not as good as before a little rusty. I used to have ted reed's syncapation book
I still have a book by ginger baker and one by vinny appice.
I will find a metronome never used one before

[Quadcam79]

....Korg metronome, blue, simple, cheap, makes click noise to drive my wife crazy and it's practically bulletproof, costs about $20-25 and you'll still be using it in 20 yrs

[gonefishin]

Just like riding a bike, it will come back to you in no time.

Welcome to the board........love your screen name.

[Redeye]

I highly recommend this book:



I learned a great deal from it when I was in high school (17 years ago) and I still read from it when I am bored. There are a lot of solid, usable grooves along side some strange things that you might not play as-is, but get your hands moving in new directions.

[Crazy Yodeler]

Hey there,

As well as following all this advice of building up with books etc. Try think back to when you did have lessons and what you were taught in the opening stages of drumming. I know it was a long time ago, but remembering one piece of advice your teacher gave you all that time ago will trigger a lot of the stuff you had learned and just need to refine now.

Good luck!

[Northern Redneck]

Just like riding a bike, it will come back to you in no time.

Welcome to the board........love your screen name.

Exactly!

The only thing I would suggest is to get together with some guys and start jamming. Its 10000000000000000000000000X more motivating than playing to a CD.

[Russ]

practice rudiments for about 20-30 minutes a day, then play some patterns for another hour, and after that try covering a couple songs to fill another 40 min. if you still feel like playing you can try and do some solos for 10-20 minutes, double bass exercises, and when you're done stretch and take a hot shower when you call it a day. jamming is a good idea too, but it's better to have the feel for a few things before working with other people.