I took the first step (drums)!

OK... I swear this is the last iteration of the "super-practice-pad-kit!"

Practice-Pad-Kit-6A.jpg
 
So are you going to post some audio or what? 🤔 A "range report" if you will... ;)
 
Bobster said:
So are you going to post some audio or what? 🤔A "range report" if you will... ;)
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LOL! The pitter-patter of drum practice pads? Probably not going to be very entertaining.

And I'm hardly ready. I've got a LONG way to go on the learning curve. But I'm working at it with a Drumeo subscription. I've got about 26 hours of practice / instruction logged.
 
Bobster said:
So are you going to post some audio or what? 🤔A "range report" if you will... ;)
Click to expand...

I started with this to begin learning while I wait for the right time to spring for the real kit...

Practice-pad-small.jpg


Then it "evolved" as I went through more and more lessons and practice on Drumeo:

Practice-Pad-Kit-Evolution.jpg


I think I'm good now. This will serve me well before and after I get a real kit. I'll still use this for late night practice.
 
That’s just a great kit setup. May hits were made with even less than a 5-piece kit, but that should keep you quite busy for awhile, maybe adding a second kick pedal when you’re ready if you want to go that route. (Snare, two mounted toms, one floor tom, one kick) are the bread and butter kit of many drummers and have made thousands of hits over the years with that setup. You will learn to finesse both the skins/pads but also the cymbals and find you have so much to work with right there. Textures. They can be downright musical and not just rhythmic.

Maybe add another crash at some point as you grow…..great job, Racer!!
 
One Ping Only said:
maybe adding a second kick pedal when you’re ready if you want to go that route.
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That's mainly for hard core metal, death metal, etc.... definitely NOT my genre. Personally, I don't I'm not a fan of drum performances that seem to be dominated by very fast double bass beats. I really don't like them. It's a cacophony to me, rather than a groove.

One Ping Only said:
You will learn to finesse both the skins/pads but also the cymbals and find you have so much to work with right there. Textures. They can be downright musical and not just rhythmic.
Click to expand...

Bear in mind what you see here is just practice pads and low-volume cymbals. It's a "quiet" practice pad kit. So, it's limited on what I can do with it. But it will certainly serve me well for learning the fundamentals of drumming.

I'm into classic rock... 80s "big hair".... and some hard rock / metal.

This is the kit I'm wanting:

Roland VAD516.jpg
 
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About 45 minutes of practice / lessons tonight on Drumeo.

And for the first time, for fun... I tried to play a real song. AC/DC's "Highway to Hell." I found a scored cover on YouTube. The groove is fairly easy, though I flubbed a couple of times on the double bass hits. And the same for the fills. Got some. Totally missed others. But it was fun, and I ran through it twice. I'll come back to that! The "super-practice-pad-kit" (SPPK!) worked perfectly for that ATTEMPT at the song.

A work in progress! This isn't easy! But I'm loving it.
 
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Racer88 said:
That's mainly for hard core metal, death metal, etc.... definitely NOT my genre. Personally, I don't I'm not a fan of drum performances that seem to be dominated by very fast double bass beats. I really don't like them. It's a cacophony to me, rather than a groove.
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Not necessarily just for the genres you cited. Being the huge Rush fan that you are, your thoughts on that may change. There’s far more application for double kick than thrash or speed metal... lots a classic, 80’s hair bands & hard rockers used them, too. (both Carmen and Vinnie Appice, Neil Peart, Barrymore Barlow (Tull), Alex Van Halen, and many more) mostly with taste, mind you. hehe. Some
were for show- but many who had the double kick setup used them. You may not care to get into that. It’s fine either way. The music you make is the most important thing and how you contribute to it.

“Bear in mind what you see here is just practice pads and low-volume cymbals. It's a "quiet" practice pad kit. So, it's limited on what I can do with it. But it will certainly serve me well for learning the fundamentals of drumming.”

Oh absolutely. When you grow and upgrade, you will notice the responsiveness of the Roland V-Drum system that’s just astounding. Your stick work will grow. Just as where and how you hit a cymbal in real life- the textures that are there from the bell clear on out (ride or crash), where and how you hit the batter head- all so accurately replicated. It took them a few generations of V-Drums to get the cymbals (both the sonics and the pads) to where they are now- just amazing. I’ve been around these firsthand in bands since the 90’’s and they just kept getting better and better. They are a spectacular tool and instrument today.

But as a phenomenal classical pianist I once knew and had the pleasure of her friendship and work on worship platforms many years ago, had a sign on her Steinway grand at home I’m sure that she would still maintain to this day.. that little placard said:

“Enjoy the music”.

Have fun, Racer!!!
 
One Ping Only said:
Not necessarily just for the genres you cited. Being the huge Rush fan that you are, your thoughts on that may change. There’s far more application for double kick than thrash or speed metal... lots a classic, 80’s hair bands & hard rockers used them, too. (both Carmen and Vinnie Appice, Neil Peart, Barrymore Barlow (Tull), Alex Van Halen, and many more) mostly with taste, mind you. hehe. Some
were for show- but many who had the double kick setup used them. You may not care to get into that. It’s fine either way. The music you make is the most important thing and how you contribute to it.

“Bear in mind what you see here is just practice pads and low-volume cymbals. It's a "quiet" practice pad kit. So, it's limited on what I can do with it. But it will certainly serve me well for learning the fundamentals of drumming.”

Oh absolutely. When you grow and upgrade, you will notice the responsiveness of the Roland V-Drum system that’s just astounding. Your stick work will grow. Just as where and how you hit a cymbal in real life- the textures that are there from the bell clear on out (ride or crash), where and how you hit the batter head- all so accurately replicated. It took them a few generations of V-Drums to get the cymbals (both the sonics and the pads) to where they are now- just amazing. I’ve been around these firsthand in bands since the 90’’s and they just kept getting better and better. They are a spectacular tool and instrument today.

But as a phenomenal classical pianist I once knew and had the pleasure of her friendship and work on worship platforms many years ago, had a sign on her Steinway grand at home I’m sure that she would still maintain to this day.. that little placard said:

“Enjoy the music”.

Have fun, Racer!!!
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I'm a long way from attempting a Rush cover! LOL! But right now, as a super-beginner, I just need to learn with a single bass pedal. I can always upgrade to a double later. Now and for the foreseeable future, the slave pedal would be nothing more than a decoration.

Yeah, the newest e-drums are pretty amazing. But the good ones ain't cheap! So, I wait.... until all the other priorities are squared away.
 
It’s a growth process. If you look at my earlier post I wasn’t suggesting you rush into one next week. Hehe. But I believe at some point, you will. And if not, that’s fine too. So many great drummers that haven’t used the double bass drums. Bonham being but one of many- it was Carmen Appice that got John into Ludwig’s, and he’d set up John with a double bass kit, like his own. That didn’t last very long and Jimmy Page (according to Carmen) complained that two bass drums were too loud “get rid of that second bass drum” lol.
 
Oh and, the number of drums in your kit matters not. Last year I’d seen a video of Smitty (Steve Smith) at a NAMM show that I sadly was not at (I’ve not been to one in years), and he sat down behind a little cocktail kit. (Snare, kick, and cymbal). Nothing else. He just started playing…with brushes; and as he was playing it suddenly became apparent he wasn’t keeping just a beat, but making a musical song. It was musical and not just rhythmic. Astounding, humbling and so beautiful. And he was having a great time doing it. Complete mastery.
 
One Ping Only said:
Oh and, the number of drums in your kit matters not. Last year I’d seen a video of Smitty (Steve Smith) at a NAMM show that I sadly was not at (I’ve not been to one in years), and he sat down behind a little cocktail kit. (Snare, kick, and cymbal). Nothing else. He just started playing…with brushes; and as he was playing it suddenly became apparent he wasn’t keeping just a beat, but making a musical song. It was musical and not just rhythmic. Astounding, humbling and so beautiful. And he was having a great time doing it. Complete mastery.
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Yep... less is often more with drums. Not just gear, but also playing. Too many drummers out there overplaying the song.

This explains it well...


View: https://youtu.be/RR_ZwCqymSc?si=CBuUG_0PI4LzJU-C
 
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There are actual scientific studies showing that drumming (and playing other instruments can delay dementia / Alzheimer's, help people with autism, etc. (reference links below).​

  • The greatest benefit was experienced by older adults who “always” listened to music. Their risk for dementia was 39 percent lower than that of adults who “never,” “rarely,” or “sometimes” listened to music. They also had 17 percent lower risk for other types of cognitive impairment, and better cognition and memory scores overall.
  • Playing a musical instrument “often or always” was linked with a 35 percent lower risk for dementia, though there were no associations with reduced risk of cognitive impairment, and no changes in cognitive test scores over time.
  • Frequently listening to music and playing an instrument was associated not only with a 33 percent lower incidence of dementia, but also with a 22 percent lower incidence of other types of cognitive impairment.
  • Although the neurological effects of playing musical instruments in general have long been known, no one had previously studied the neurological benefits for drummers specifically. Lara Schlaffke, lead author of the study, says, “Most people can only perform fine motor tasks with one hand and have problems playing different rhythms with both hands at the same time...Drummers can do things that are impossible for untrained people.”
  • According to a recent study, the cabling that runs between the two hemispheres of a drummer’s brain is significantly different from non-musicians.

References:​

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2106244119

https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/31/health/music-dementia-link

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gps.70163

Rhythmic musical intervention improves response time of memory tests: A pilot study on the application of a digital cognitive assessment - PMC

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324958517_The_effects_of_drumming_on_working_memory_in_older_adults

Drumming makes your brain more efficient

https://www.labroots.com/trending/neuroscience/17283/playing-drums-changes-brain

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/brb3.1490



View: https://youtu.be/R0JKCYZ8hng?si=S5MQPZ-BoZGLt1Qw
 
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