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Thread: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

  1. #1

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    Default Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    So sorry if this has been asked a million times, but I'm in a situation with my daughter where I have limited knowledge so reaching out for some input from drummers. Daughter is 8 (not a prodigy or anything) and has playing drums for about a year. She just started recently with a new teacher but so far on her own can play some basic Green Day, Pat Benetar, etc. She wants to learn to play some modern songs but not as simple as say Ac/DC and more pop. Would appreciate any suggestions.
    Thanks so much!
    Last edited by Drumama; 10-24-2016 at 02:14 PM.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    The most important thing I have found with all of my students is truly finding something that they love. We can recommend songs but if she doesn't love it she won't put that extra effort in.

    What about something fun and exciting like Bruno Mars? Up Town funk was a popular one with some of my students.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    Congratulations to you Mom !

    First for having a daughter with an interest in a fun and physical activity that is associated with a love for music.
    And secondly for being a great Mom that wants to help that daughter move forward with her objectives.

    I play in a band that has a female lead vocalist............we are always on the lookout for material that is appropriate for her (and us)........and we play a lot of pop.

    Her range is leaning more toward alto than soprano so there are certain songs from high-tenor male lead singers that also work for her.

    We have worked very hard on a few pop songs lately that are going over very well in the clubs when we play:

    Just A Girl (No Doubt)
    Ready To Go (Republica)
    Love Shack (B52s)
    Come Out and Play (Offspring)

    We also do quite a few from Heart, Blondie, Joan Jett, Sheryl Crow and Pat Benatar.

    I hope the more she sees and hears from female musicians, the more she will feel welcome and excited.

    Also look at Hannah Ford and other female drummers on YouTube............there are some great female players out there that surely will provide inspiration.
    Last edited by Ricardo; 10-24-2016 at 03:04 PM.
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    When my son and I started lessons, the first thing our instructor did was sit with us and go over our catalog of music we liked. He would listen to part of a song we liked and then play us part of a song he liked that was maybe in a different genre but had a similar feel. When we started learning songs, he made sure to bring in songs from artists/genres we liked. It really made a difference for my son as he enjoyed the music he was learning.
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  5. #5

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    Sometimes the simplest of songs are the hardest to play properly. We frequently discuss the pitfalls of "overplaying" a song or being a one-dimensional drummer. It's important to be excited about the music you play, but it's just as important to be versatile with a well rounded foundation. Drums are rhythm, and rhythm has no real boundaries in genre.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    I started playing because I liked the drummer from Def Leppard as a child. I would set up tupperware bowls like a drum set, pull my left arm into my shirt so I could play with one arm, and I learned to keep a beat and play their songs. That drove me to play those songs and learn them, and eventually towards playing drums legitimately.

    I agree with what has already been stated, let her find something she likes, and let her have at it!
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  7. #7

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    Quote Originally Posted by Ricardo View Post
    Congratulations to you Mom !

    First for having a daughter with an interest in a fun and physical activity that is associated with a love for music.
    And secondly for being a great Mom that wants to help that daughter move forward with her objectives.

    I play in a band that has a female lead vocalist............we are always on the lookout for material that is appropriate for her (and us)........and we play a lot of pop.

    Her range is leaning more toward alto than soprano so there are certain songs from high-tenor male lead singers that also work for her.

    We have worked very hard on a few pop songs lately that are going over very well in the clubs when we play:

    Just A Girl (No Doubt)
    Ready To Go (Republica)
    Love Shack (B52s)
    Come Out and Play (Offspring)

    We also do quite a few from Heart, Blondie, Joan Jett, Sheryl Crow and Pat Benatar.

    I hope the more she sees and hears from female musicians, the more she will feel welcome and excited.

    Also look at Hannah Ford and other female drummers on YouTube............there are some great female players out there that surely will provide inspiration.
    I rarely admit it, but I was always impressed with No Doubt. Their song structures, rhythms and melodies were a fantastic mix of genres and well beyond most of the pop bands at the time (in my opinion). Great musicians too. One of my all time favorite artists in the '90s was Melissa Etheridge. Fantastic songs, great vocals. I always felt like she was playing from her soul and not trying to put out the next big hit. She was (is) genuine and did it for the love of music...not to be a star. You guys do any of her stuff? Sounds like it might be in your singers vocal range.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    Thank you all for your input and song suggestions. I am writing them all down. Bruno Mars and No Doubt sound like possibilities. It's tricky, as my daughter is finally starting to form her own preferences musically and even she recognizes that most of the songs she likes don't have actual drummers. DH and I don't listen to pop at all really but I would like her to stay as motivated as she is to learn. She likes Pink a lot so we are trying to find something there.

    I agree that mastering simple songs is a great idea, but she's looking to play one song at a live school performance so she's afraid of it being "boring".

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    Honestly, it doesn't matter if there isn't a real drummer and it's a sample...playing along to rap music is great training to keep the same beat, as well as to do fills.

    The most important thing is that she plays and practices! I mean, if you wanted her to play Rush or Hard Bop Jazz there might be an issue, but just keep encouraging her!
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  10. #10

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    Default Re: Beginning drummer Q from a mom :)

    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    I rarely admit it, but I was always impressed with No Doubt. Their song structures, rhythms and melodies were a fantastic mix of genres and well beyond most of the pop bands at the time (in my opinion). Great musicians too. One of my all time favorite artists in the '90s was Melissa Etheridge. Fantastic songs, great vocals. I always felt like she was playing from her soul and not trying to put out the next big hit. She was (is) genuine and did it for the love of music...not to be a star. You guys do any of her stuff? Sounds like it might be in your singers vocal range.
    No..............but I will bring it up next time we are looking for new material.
    You are correct -- the lady has a soul

    Quote Originally Posted by Drumama View Post
    Thank you all for your input and song suggestions. I am writing them all down. Bruno Mars and No Doubt sound like possibilities. It's tricky, as my daughter is finally starting to form her own preferences musically and even she recognizes that most of the songs she likes don't have actual drummers. DH and I don't listen to pop at all really but I would like her to stay as motivated as she is to learn. She likes Pink a lot so we are trying to find something there.

    I agree that mastering simple songs is a great idea, but she's looking to play one song at a live school performance so she's afraid of it being "boring".
    I'd love to have an hour or two with an eager, motivated kid-drummer like that -- we would find that one song.
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
    (What Else Would I Ever Need ?)


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