Originally Posted by
Julian
Hello Kari, glad to hear that you might take up drumming! To answer some of the questions you asked, depending on the school, they should provide you with marching equipment (marching snare, bass drum, quads, etc.) And they should have a practice drum set, mine does at least. My high school does not make us buy and bring our own instruments, they have all the concert and marching band instruments already in stock, in fact, our section leader doesn't even have a drum set at home! You may want to speak with the band director at your school for more information on that.
Naturally, when you learn something new, it will be either confusing or hard, my dad said that I wanted to quit the drums because I couldn't get paradiddles down! Over time with patience, and practice, I'm sure you can learn to play the drums.
How loud do they get? Oohh.. about this loud --> |-------|. Drumming can get pretty loud, so if you live in a neighborhood with a houses near you, I'm pretty sure that people will be able to hear you jamming away in your garage. Although, as Norske mentioned, better to hold off buying a whole drum set until you are sure you are serious about it.
Now addressing your last three questions: How long you practice is up to you, I normally practice for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours every day, but you might want to talk to your neighbors and see what time is OK with them for you to practice.
Something I would like to add: If you do take up the drums, please, please, PLEASE, have fun. And don't give up! Good luck!