[Drumsticks1]

This is a question for the populous out there in the forum. 1. How long have you been drumming for? 2. Did you start out by reading sheet music or by just listening and 3. How long did it take you to pick up on it really good and able to lay some songs down.

Peace out!

[parkerdj]

I'm currently 30-going-on-31.

I started taking percussion lessons in grade 4 (age 9), which included learning some rudiments, learning rhythms on a practice pad, etc. and being able to read snare rhythms from sheet music.

I first played a drum set in grade 8 jazz band (age 13). I learned to read drum tab beginning there.

I got my first kit for christmas in grade 10 (age 15). My first ever "paying gig" came shortly after, as I played in a dance cotillion band (learned latin, honed jazz/swing, cha-cha, that type of stuff).

In HS, I played:
4 years snare in the marching band (senior year: drum line captain)
4 years symphonic band percussion (played a lot of timpani)
2 years orchestra percussion (same as above)
3 years jazz ensemble
I also played for a good portion of my junior and senior years in my first "rock band"

In college, I played:
1 year jazz ensemble
2 years percussion lessons
I continued in the same band for a year, and then it dissolved/reformed as a new/different band my junior year. I played in that band until about 9 months after graduation (~1999)

I have since been in the band linked in my sig since fall of 2004.

As I said, I learned to read general percussion music (i.e., the visual representations of patterns, rudiments, etc). Marching band was hugely beneficial because it taught me how to memorize things and recall them by feel.

I was blessed with a tremendous ear; I have perfect pitch (some say it's wasted on a drummer, hehehe) which made me pretty good at timpani and being able to read music and tune on the fly.

Jazz band helped me learn to read drum tab, though I'm horribly out of practice with it at present, having not been forced to read any kind of tab in many, many years.

I play most all of what I do now by ear. But I'd be lying if I said the ability to visualize the notes (and transpose what I hear into something written) wasn't HUGELY IMPORTANT in being able to do so. I dabble with a computer sequencer on my own, and being able to express rhythms as mathematical patterns (read: written music/notes) is invaluable.

Your question #3 is hard to answer, and is going to be hugely different for many people. We all have different talents. And, when I was in HS and playing with my band, I thought I was bad-sh!t. I can go back and listen to those tapes/CDs and realize how brutal I really was. Perspective can be a wonderful and yet horrible thing, hehehe.

[Church Drummer]

I started playing drums over 3 years ago. I already knew how to read music when I started (from several decades of playing piano and other instruments). So I started drums by reading, from drum methods, and books. Now that I've learned most of the basics, from books I'm starting to apply myself to listening more to drum parts, and picking out things by ear.

[weatherman]

My age is 46. Now everyone knows I'm old. It was a nice Spring school day and I was 13. A jazz band visited my school. I remember just staring at the drummer... so cool! I went home and told my parents I wanted to play the drums. Took 3 years of lessons. My teacher loved Danny Seraphim and I did too. I began picking up some fills and grooves from Neil Pert. Played in a garage band through HS. In College, played in the Jazz Ensemble and some gigs. Went AWOL in my late 20's and 30's then, in 2001, started practicing and playing again for Church and small gigs. Two years ago, got serious again and started lessons. Best instrument in the world IMHO. Learn as much as possible and play as much as possible!

[juan (the ping-pong ref.)]

I am 15 an have been palying for a year and a half. I have never had a lesson and i learned how to read sheet music. i knew two beets before i started playing, then i leared how to read seet music and it got much easier. In no time i was jaming with my friends.

[gospelwraith]

I am 17 and I have been playing for about a year and a half. I started out self taught then when i decided to up my game I started taking lessons and now i am a whole lot better!

[drumbumm164]

I have been playing percusion for abot 10 years I started in 4th grade in the band then got in to high school band and then stage band where I learnd to use the drum kit and then started marching band I played for two years! now I play the set pritty much every night after I get home from work! been playing the drumset about 6 and a half years!