Beginner's Qs: Have a kit, now what... (Recommended YouTube channels, avoiding injury)

[Chris_is_trying]

Hi all. New here.

Early 30s, used to listen to lots of punk / grunge sort of stuff and film my friends' bands when we were in school, but enjoy most things really (except for "electro swing" which we can launch off to Mars on the next rocket). Few examples: PJ Harvey, Satchel (Shawn Smith), Tool, UK garage, Joanna Sternberg, The Band, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Zutomayo, Lauryn Hill etc. Mostly popular stuff, but need to expand my horizons.

Picked up a second-hand Tama Silverstar complete kit (photos below from the eBay listing), some 5A sticks and 3M ear defenders, and just wanted to ask a few questions about the next steps:

1. Places to learn: Are there any particularly good YouTube channels or Instagram pages I should investigate?
2. Any tips for complete beginners with technique etc?
3. Health and avoiding injury: Should I be thinking about something more than getting up every once in a while to walk around, and keeping a good posture? For example: Common injuries, stretches, warm ups etc?
4. I think I have everything apart from something to sit on (looking at the round Sonor DT 4000 or standard Roc N Soc "bicycle" style seat - both about the same price). Oh and maybe a metronome.

Feel free to share a link with some of your favourite drumming to assist me with some avenues to explore. Here's something from me:

Thank you <3

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8SoAAOSwDYJgHDep/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/c94AAOSwVJBgHDeu/s-l1600.jpg

 

[Johnny K]

Congrats and welcome. I was where you are now a few years ago. After 30 years of guitar I wanted a new challenge.

Here is what I did, done and still do.

1. Lots of good info on the Youtube. Too much in fact Instagram, not so much. Drumeo is a good place to start. I never have subscribed though. The free content is good. If you look hard enough, you will find what you're looking for. Just be consistent. If you find someone's content you like, stick with it.
2. Get a pad, a metronome app for your phone and a copy of Stick Control. PLAY EVERY DAY! Even if it's just 15 mins on the pad working on singles and doubles.
3. If you have the means, find a teacher. A good teacher will help you learn faster, correct mistakes, help you with proper technique and give encouragement. COVID wont last forever.
4. I have a good DW round top and a Roc&Soc. Both will be around long after you upgrade the Tama kit.
5. Listen to music. Listening is practice too. Listen to music you want to play.

FWIW, everything you do on a kit will involve single and double strokes. Practice, practice, practice. I have a sticks and pads everywhere I am. Home, car, work. It's a great stress reliever to hit something with a stick.

Two books that have helped me the most are Stick Control and Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials Vol 1. If you get groove essentials, you get access to all the videos that go with the book.

 

[Loud]

I recommend buying a double bass drum pedal even if you aren’t going to play heavy metal. Slowly playing stick control or rudiments with your feet while using a metronome will help development IMO more than typical playing.

 

[Pat A Flafla]

Great performance there from Stanier! I enjoy playing that way, and there are some technique things there for developing percussionists to be aware of. Those big swats involve back fulcrum, i.e. gripping primarily with the ring finger and pinkie. Certainly play like that to your heart's content, but be aware that there are other things that are more difficult to do with a back fulcrum than a front fulcrum (pinching front fingers and relaxing the back). For example, it's just plain frustrating to try to get a back fulcrum rebound strokes to not sound crappy.All kinds of finesse stuff is easier with a front fulcrum, so it's worth developing independently, parallel to your cathartic walloping sessions, maybe on a pad or on closed hihats. Any kind of structured concert or rudimental snare drum stuff is going to revolve around front fulcrum development, so maybe just get a beginner snare book to read out of for 5 or ten minutes before releasing the kraken. Then when that one little roll lick pops up in the middle of a tune you're learning, you'll already have that tool in the box. Remember: the standard front fulcrum grip is like a mullet: business in the front; party in the back. I guess that means the back fulcrum swat is like Jerry Only's hair.

 

[Tornado]

Find a good teacher once covid is over. Someone who can closely look at your grip and move your hands. It's so hard to break bad habits. There's no substitute for in person interaction in the beginning.

 

[Houndog]

Find a good teacher once covid is over. Someone who can closely look at your grip and move your hands. It's so hard to break bad habits. There's no substitute for in person interaction in the beginning.

I second this , I would find one maybe 2 You tube people to get stuff from .
I like Stephen Clark .

 

[Pat A Flafla]

RE: the image above, I wouldn't say that burying the beater is always bad. It's stylistically appropriate for the kind of stuff the OP seems to be into.

 

[Squirrel Man]

Get a practice pad and youtube some rudiments. Work them until your fingers bleed.

Then get behind your kit but just the bass, snare and hats and work those rudiments.

Best advice I can give right now.

 

[DamnSingerAlsoDrums]

I second this , I would find one maybe 2 You tube people to get stuff from .
I like Stephen Clark . View attachment 487522

Stephen Clark is a good no non-sense dude. Lots of good info on his channel.

Stephen Taylor as well, plus he hosts a podcast and. Runs an online school. Was in a punk rock band at some point.

Rob Brown (Beatdown Brown) good advice, funny cat.

Mike Johnston is more oriented towards fusion-y stuff but has great workout routines, if you can stomach the over enthusiastic "camp counselor" vibe.

Stanton Moore if you like greasy New Orleans grooves.

On Insta, the list of drummers to check out is just neverending. A few I follow: Carter Mclean, Nate Smith, Aaron Sterling, Ash Soan, Benny Grebb. Maybe not your bunch if you are looking for punk bashers tho...

Anyway, congrats on picking up the sticks. Enjoy the ride, and play as much as you can...

 

[supershifter2]

wear earplugs. if your hair is long keep it away from sticks when playing. keep your face away from sticks. I can sit for 6 hours at a time BUTT the seats I'v using the last 8 years make my butt sore. relax when you play. I can destroy thick cymbals and heads and stuff with 3A sticks while relaxed and using wrist and fingers. Strength will build as you play. dont slouch, sit up straight.

 

[drummer5359]

Welcome to Drum Forum Dot Org, and welcome to drumming.

A teacher can help you learn to do things the right way. But no matter what, don't forget to have fun, that's what it is all about.

And lastly, this is a good place to digitally hang.

Good luck!

 

[& You Dont Stop]

1. Protect your hearing

2. have fun

 

[jccabinets]

Find a good teacher once covid is over. Someone who can closely look at your grip and move your hands. It's so hard to break bad habits. There's no substitute for in person interaction in the beginning.

Exactly! Take a break from the tech world and learn from a real human, in person.

 

[Drm1979]

Look for and get the app drummate free. It has list of all 40 drum rudiments, plays them for you and you can loop them to play over and over again. You can set what tempo it plays at so that you can play along slowly and work up your speed. Single, doubles and paradiddles would be the first things I would work on.

 

[ConvertedLudwigPlayer]

I have multiple kits and just recently picked up a new/used kit with hanging floor toms and have been working on the setup a bit. I started watching a series of videos on ergonomics to see if I may find something I didn't know or hadn't thought of.
I though this guy put together some good info that may be helpful for you. He has a bunch of videos, but I would start on the one I posted. The one on hi-hat height may be helpful also for a beginner. Good luck and happy drumming!

 

[Chris_is_trying]

Thank you all for the tips and recommendations! Really means a lot, especially now we're all stuck at home. There seems to be a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm here which I very much appreciate. I'll work through all of your information and links and report back with any progress / questions. Although punk sort of stuff is what I grew up with, I'm open to any and all styles and don't really just want to thrash the kit as hard as possible. Saw the JD Beck Zildjian video last year which I'm sure you're all familiar with and really blew me away with something that seemed so fresh and original. Of course, his skills are another level, but just an example of a different style.

 

[highmileage]

I’m in kind of the same boat, getting back into it after a 30-year break. Stephen Clark and Rob Brown have been the two I’ve watched the most and they’ve been a huge help. But I do agree that an in-person teacher is best, maybe to go along with YouTube stuff.

And hey, if you’re learning from Stephen and Rob, flip them a couple bucks, buy a shirt, etc. They haven’t exactly had a lot of gigging money in the last year. YouTube gets them something, but it doesn’t hurt.

 

[Chris_is_trying]

Sorry, just another question:

I was taking apart the kick drum to remove the previous owner's pillows, and noticed it could probably do with a clean: There is a little bit of mould just on the rubber section of the hoop hook nearest the ground where I guess something wet was, and it's a bit dusty and grubby overall. The heads on the snare and toms are a bit dirty around the edges too.

Any tips for cleaning these birch shells? Should I be rubbing anything on them or just dust them and leave them be? For things like minor mould is it just a damp towel and a little bit of vinegar job, or should I use something else? How about the dirt around the edges of the heads? And any tips for general maintenance of the shells, heads, and hardware? Sorry if these are silly questions.

Thank you.

 

[Loud]

Sorry, just another question:

I was taking apart the kick drum to remove the previous owner's pillows, and noticed it could probably do with a clean: There is a little bit of mould just on the rubber section of the hoop hook nearest the ground where I guess something wet was, and it's a bit dusty and grubby overall. The heads on the snare and toms are a bit dirty around the edges too.

Any tips for cleaning these birch shells? Should I be rubbing anything on them or just dust them and leave them be? For things like minor mould is it just a damp towel and a little bit of vinegar job, or should I use something else? How about the dirt around the edges of the heads? And any tips for general maintenance of the shells, heads, and hardware? Sorry if these are silly questions.

Thank you.

I don’t recommend vinegar. Distilled white vinegar is 95% water. It is more likely to raise the grain on wood. Hopefully someone can comment. For now, don’t use vinegar and wait for more information. 99% isopropyl alcohol may be less likely to “raise“ wood grain and kills mold. I would advise you wait for someone who has used these products.

 

[Loud]

How about the dirt around the edges of the heads?

Are you talking about the wood drum part (bearing edge) or the plastic drum heads themselves?