[cartoonfox]

I was pretty much self taught. In high school one day I walked into one of the music rooms where this Jamaican guy had his steel band. I said, "I want to play the drums". He showed me to the kit and I just played. He explained to me the basic 4/4 beat, then he taught me how to take a drum apart and put it back together again. That was it, I was in the school's steel band playing drums and picking it up as I went along!

...I'm 23 now and still learning new technical terms! :s

[diadrummer]

I too am self-taught and have been playing for 17 years and in the last 2 years I have figured out that not knowing how to read music or the right way to practiced has really held me back. Because I have been playing so long and gig on a weekly basis, when trying to work on exercises and things like that I have a hard time training myself to slow it down and take it slow. I don't know I really wish I had taken lessons from somebody when I was 10 and not after 17 years of wrong doings. I think I am a fine drummer and want to get to the next level and now being 27 with a family, work and home time is leaving me and I get so upset at myself when I am playing and hear things I want to do but when I go to it I F-it all up and get discouraged.

[chezm]

I took lessons for 1 month, and that was only to learn how to play single pedal double kick hits...after i learned i dropped lessons lol. im self taught though, aside from that 1 month I never took lessons or training, i've just practiced for the last 11 years.

[tit4tat44]

hi fellow drummers- I'M 44 yrs old live in Windsor Ontario Canada i played in wedding bands-dance bands-as well as pop music bands i also attend a pentecostal church also. Self taught comes down to the fact that you will not be playing in a symphony or a community orchestra?I have taken 8 yrs of lessons with a professional i read music up to the intermediate level. learning to read has helped me play by ear better as the saying goes drummers who read can see what they hear. I agree there is alot more out there cd's books but i also believe being taught by some-one with a lot of experience is a help especially when it comes to technique, bad technique brings on bad habits and they do appear., and are hard to break

[Harry]

Hi All

My drum "career" started at College from the age of 14. I was allready into drumming for a couple of years and in College we had "compulsery" music lessons which included reading. So I ended up with 4 years general music education, and played in the school orchestra which played musicals etc. big band stuff.
Then we decided ( some friends and I ) to start a Jazz combo, which we did, it was a lot of fun.
But Jazz being Jazz, the reading fell by the wayside.
Apart from the odd "cheat sheet" I really did not get back into reading much.
At the moment (and some 35 years later) I am actively playing in different bands and I am also into recording.
Lately I felt the need to spruce up the reading a bit in order to improve my overview and technique.
I have been doing this now for over a year and I am the better for it!!

Then I came accross The Book, CD, and DVD from Tommy Igoe "Groove Essentials"
I bought them and now I am practicing with the charts for the grooves and Tommy explaining how it works and what to do where and when. Then he plays with the associated music (band) two versions of each groove, a slow one and a fast one.
This is a fabulous way to spruce up the reading and the skills.

Cheers and Happy Drumming,

Harry

[Gus]

were you a child prodigy? 14 years old in college!???

[Tainojim]

Mr. Gus,
School levels in Europe differ from those of U.S.A. Just as the the "Metric System" is used in Europe and the "Standard System" is used in the U.S.A. Check out Ccalc, it's a free down load conversion table for measurements and currency. It's a really handy tool to have on your desk top.

I posted in the forum also, about the different drum levels used in Europe.

[AustinBalasco]

Originally Posted by Gus

were you a child prodigy? 14 years old in college!???

Hahahahah I was just thinking the same thing xD

[Harry]

Hi Guys,
You crack me up!

As usual Mr. TJim is right on the money!
To add to your agony I have to tell you that we had French lessons compulsory in the 4th year of... Primary School!
English, German and Dutch were added at the start of College.
So any guy (or girl of course ) of my generation was leaving college with four languages under their belt.
Not that I LIKED having to study all of that next to all the other subjects, I rather drummed, sailed, played soccer or looked.... at the girls !!

But now I am very grateful, I even took up Spanish to top it all off. My job involves extensive travelling all over the world so those lingos come in quite handy.
The education in Euirope is quite matter of fact, no career for you because you are handy in some sport either.
Do not take me wrong , I moved to New Zealand to find more "space" for body and mind, as Europe has become quite "anal" about a lot of things.
This was in 1989. I never regretted it and my new-found "freedom" facilitates my hobbies and the esoteric aspects of my life much better.

Anyhow to come back to the thread, I love the Tommy Igoe tuturials!

Cheers and Happy Drumming

Harry

[Tainojim]

Never too old to learn something new.

But it's true, in the U.S. it was all about satisfying the needs of the big industries withing the upcoming next few years. Back in the days we used the slide rule, as apposed to a calculator.

Today the industries move millions from one country to another. Which means leaving all those kids today graduating from college, only to end up washing dishes or flipping burgers in the end. All the jobs moved over seas, that's why the unemployment rate here is one of the highest in the world.

Over this past Memorial Day weekend, I was remembering my father who also spoke five different languages. He was a Merchant Marine, and was sunk in the waters 3 times during his time of duty serving his country.
Merchant Marines were not given any military benefits until about 5 years before his death.

Even though these men transported the supplies and armory needed during World War 2 and the Mediterranean War, they were not technically considered as part of the U.S. Military or Veterans of war.

Thanks to all the Vets out there in the world for fighting for something you all believe in. Don't forget the unknown soldiers.

Hey Harry, Yo Soy Morivenyo de Boriken, Somos hispanos, no somos espanoles, somos indios y estamos vien jodidos.