Drums question!!!???

Question:I have a question... do you need lessons to play the drums because i can read music just fine and my friend says i dont need to but my parents say i do

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have a question... do you need lessons to play the drums because i can read music just fine and my friend says i dont need to but my parents say i do

Yes, you need lessons. Playing Rock Band is no substitute for drum lessons.

You need to learn fundamentals - single stroke, paradiddle, flams, 5/7/9 stroke rolls, traditional and match grip. You also need to learn what type of sticks are used and for what reason. If you play the drums you have to know how to tune the drum heads. Just because you read music doesn't mean you can play a swing, bossa nova, calypso, tango or rock rhythm correctly. You will have to learn what to do for drum fills and solos and exercises to coordinate your bass and hi-hat pedals. There are also when to and how to use brushes, soft mallets for cymbal rolls, when to do cymbal crashes etc. etc.......

You need to learn how to sit at a drum set as well, its not that simple. Posture is important so you don't get tired, and most importantly you have to learn how to listen. You don't just go on stage and bang away. There is a science to playing drums. Not only do you keep the beat, but you also accompany the other members.

I imagine you were speaking of drum set.

If you have aspirations of other percussion instruments - snare, marimba, timpani, etc... each has its own techique. You will have to develop those as well.

And finally, you have to learn how to keep a beat and not rush the tempo or fluctuate it. These are things that you cannot do on your own. A teacher can help you with all of this.

You should have lessons. Reading drum sheet music is different than other sheet music. And do you know all the different beats and how to achieve them? Get lessons. Let Your teacher put you through the paces even before 1 lesson so he or she know where to start.

I wouldn't say that you NEED lessons but they help a tremendous amount and you will be able to pick it up a lot faster than by teaching yourself. You being able to read music is a good start but you need to expand on that, just remember drums is like nothing you have ever done before you have get the coordination down and the technique. It is really up to you but I feel that if I didn't start with lessons and tried to teach my self i would of given up.

You do not need lessons to PLAY any instrument. You need lessons to understand how to BECOME your instrument and play it well.

You can never learn enough about any instrument. The greatest drummers/percussionists that I have performed with had the greatest ears. Drummers highlight what all of the other musicians are doing. It is a very special position. Seek a pro, you won't regret it!

Get lessons. It will help you with your technique which I think is very important. Take lessons until you confident about your technique with your hands. (and feet if you're playing kit)

I took lessons only for rudimental and orchestral percussion, which I think helped me a ton. I put it all together on the drumset on my own, which I have been doing for the past 6 years or so. Everyonce in awhile, I will take lessons from teachers in the city, or from drummers who are giving clinics, masterclasses and what not. It's nice to be able to get direction from more than one person.

All teachers won't agree with each other. One will tell you to do something this way, and others will tell you to do something another way. Sometimes they'll even tell you that whatever you were taught is completley wrong. That's where you begin to choose what is more comfortable with you.

Reading drum music is a little different but not too much. The reason you need lessons is to learn proper technique, not to learn how to read drum music. I teach many of my students to play by ear. There are a lot of bad habits you can form, from the way you hold your sticks to the way you setup your drums and cymbals. Habits are hard to break once you have been playing for a while. Reading is a very small part of being a good drummer.