Whew ,just an update on how things are going,I have had 2 lessons so far and ,im practicing my sticks off..
I am having trouble with this weeks lesson,I am hitting the high hats on every beat with right and the snare on beats 2 and 4 with the left and on beats 1 and 3 im am to use the base pedal...geees its like trying to walk and chew gum at the same time..its very hard,,i do practice every day though for at least 30 minutes.
Is there any trick that can help my brain learn to do this lesson,every time i try to use that base pedal on 1 and 3 i mess it up..lol
But Im having fun.
Allan
Wow, I'm actually giving advice to someone on here YAY!
Oh Im going slow,,trust me..lol
"Music is not a race, enjoy it at your own pace" - Tommy Igoe.
Don't worry too much, you'll improve. just keep practicing.
Paiste Posse
14inch 2002 series Sound Edge Hi-hats
16inch and 18inch Signature series Fast crashes
20inch 3000 series Ride
18inch PST5 series China
Pearl Forum Series drum set
Pearl Chad Smith Signature snare(steel shell)
Tama Iron Cobra Chrome
RIP Frank - You will be remembered
what do you mean? u cant do bass on 1 and 3? but the bass is supposed to be on 1 and 3 isnt it?
im sure it is..lol
Hey Aunster, I remember that time very well! It does get better. When I started, I got the same advice for this group that you're getting - slow down. Go as slow as you need to go to get everything on the right beats, then gradually speed up. Sometimes, I even did just the bass and the snare, or the bass and the hi-hats, or the hi-hats and the snare, until I began to feel the right rhythm. I was painful at first, but it got better. Hang in there, brother, and don't get discouraged. You'll be shocked at how far you'll go in a short time.
BTW, cool avatar!
Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.
For coupons and specials, join the Drum Bum mailing list.
Buy Gifts for Drummers. And don't miss the free Drum Lessons!
Thanks all for the advice,I knew I would like this forum.
My instructor explained this as trying to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time.
I will not get discouraged..This is something I always wanted..Ill keep you all informed of my progress..
Something to try is to break them apart. So focus on getting the idea of playing the hi-hat and the bass only until it is comfortable and natural. Then do it again with the snare and hi hat ONLY, again till it feels comfortable and natural. When all is said and done, put the two together. And as had been said already, keep it slow.
Also if you mess up (and this is the most important piece of advice for ANY muso) DON'T STOP!!!! It doesn't matter. Don't focus on the mistake, just keep going with it and try again. Keep your hi-hat going non stop and keep counting (out loud) no matter what the mistake is. Eventually you'll start to get it. Also, be willing to lose yourself to it. Focusing too much and concentrating to much on it will usually effect your co-ordination and cause you to make a mistake. It's like riding your bike and you see a rock on the path and you just keep thinking "don't hit that rock, don't hit that rock, don't hit that rock". Chances are, your gonna hit that rock, because your soooooo focused on it. Just relax your mind and don't worry. It will come over time and soon enough it will feel like the most natural thing ever.
And yes, your instructor is right, it is EXACTLY like that as you are attempting to access both hemisphere's of your brain simultaneously to control opposing movements in your body. It's hard, and easy at the same time. It's something everyone is capable of, if they let themselves do it.
"What consumes your mind, controls your life" - So, what consumes your mind?
Like everyone has said take it nice and slow, it will getting better have you considered getting a dvd to watch at your leisure. I was the same as yourself and i got myself Tommy Igoe's Getting started on drums and Groove essentials they made a big difference to my learning.
Keep at it and enjoy yourself.
Last edited by corky; 09-29-2007 at 12:53 PM.
Great advice up there, thanks all, I can use it too. Yeah, like crazy said at first, one thing I do is if I have 3 things to play, hi-hat, snare and bass, I "delete" one or two of them... I play the bass drum but play the snare and hi-hat in the air. Then I add the hi-hat. Then I add the snare. Or whatever, in whatever order. It helps me get things thru my thick skull and then down thru my arms and legs hehe.
Just because it's old doesn't mean it's not just as good now as it was then.
by george I think Ive got it..
Way to go, Aunkster!!!! Big time congrats! You've conquered the hardest part!!
Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.
For coupons and specials, join the Drum Bum mailing list.
Buy Gifts for Drummers. And don't miss the free Drum Lessons!
when i was starting id play to something real easy with that basic beat, like hoobastank's the reason, or whatever...idk, having the beat in my head helps me, i can play with my bandmate much better (i feel) than solo
Well today was another great lesson,My instructor was very pleased with my progress,todays lesson he now has me mixing up the bass beats ,I still keep cymbals on every beat and the snare on 2 and 4.
Now I am hitting the bass pedal on different beats and different patterns..
Good stuff aunkster. Breaking up the beats is great advice from our fellow chatters. Something that works for me is to walk away from the mind twist for a couple of minutes. Go get a drink or something like that and hop back on the drums. I find when Im learning a beat and its taking alot of coordination, my mind goes into a knot after about ten minutes of trying to break the beat down and get coordinated etc. So walking away for two minutes brings me back nice and fresh.
I do the same thing as LiveWire
www.myspace.com/maudeephyfe
The good times won't roll themselves
Gretsch Renown Maple, Paiste Signature, Reflector, and Dark Energy
It all mental. Physicaly your body can do all tihs. Its just a case of your body needing to get used to all these thingas it hasnt done before. Its takes concentration and practice, thats all there is to it!
Hope that helps!
Sit down at your kit for 10 minutes, counting out 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & on your hi hats.
That should commit it to muscle memory, maybe not perfectly, but it gives you something to go off.
Then bring in the bass drum and snare, maybe one at a time, when you feel confident enough.
Remember, learning a song takes a long time. You may nail it the first go, but it won't be perfect. Most times I sit down, I play through a couple of songs to get them just that little bit better and more consistent. It really does help.
Today, on Ethel The Frog...
Here was the lesson that was written out for me on my week 2 lesson,It took me allot of practice but I have them down..the second one was the hardest for me to get down..
All your ideas have helped ,especially the walking away for a few minutes ..
i remember that feeling well aunkster when you can nail them all except one, when trying something new, i play each one through 4 times without any mistakes before moving on, it can get frustrating if you make the mistake on the 4th bar and have to start again, in the end it helps build muscle memory. you will feel good when you complete it.
Aunkster, I remember when I was working on putting the different bass beats with the sanre and the hi-hat. At first it felt impossible, then it just started feeling normal. Now I do it without even thinking about it (much). Every time, I try to learn something new, and I think it's hard, I remember that the first bass beats felt that way too.
Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.
For coupons and specials, join the Drum Bum mailing list.
Buy Gifts for Drummers. And don't miss the free Drum Lessons!
Bookmarks