Drummers and Percussionists Converge!

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   alqxposted 13 years ago

   Zero threads on Drums and Percussion? Surely there are drummers and percussionists in this community. Oh well, let me be the first to start.
   
   I started playing drums/percussion two and a half years ago in a school concert band. I'm just about to start taking drum lessons. I'm addicted to drumming currently. I could sit in front of my practice pad with my metronome and sticks for hours!
   
   So, just to spark of a little discussion:
   
   1) Do you see yourself as a drumming/percussion addict?
   
   2) How do you practise? Rudiments? Play-alongs? George Stone's Stick Control?
   
   3) Do you take drum lessons?
   
   4) What genres do you play/perform?

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      peterxdunnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Alqx
      
      I'm not into actually playing the drums - but I do put drum trax (along with bass, lead and harmony etc) together using Reason and Sonar software.
      
      If you've got any midi drum trax going spare perhaps you could consider firing them my way so I could use them for creating trax and groove templates.
      
      Best of luck with all your endeavours.

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         alqxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Do you need midi drum trax or just groove ideas?

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            peterxdunnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            The actual midi would be cool.
            
            Perhaps we could do an exchange: you send me the drums and I send you a bass line (midi or audio) for you to play along with.
            
            Groove ideas (in four bar segments) would also be great.

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               alqxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I've never dabbled with MIDI software. Tell me more about it and this Reason and Sonar software. How user friendly is is it?
               
               I'm quite interested, just that I haven't found information online to help me with starting out.

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                  peterxdunnposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  If you are contemplating going down the sequencing route I would recommend that you buy an issue of Computer Music Magazine which ships with a DVD loaded with free VST (virtual studio technology) software.
                  
                  Alternatively you could Google 'Reason Adapted': this is a free, 'lite' (IE stripped down) version of Propellerhead Reason.
                  
                  This way you can try stuff out at nil expense.
                  
                  I wouldn't recommend Sonar to a beginner: the pdf manual runs to over a 1000 pages.
                  
                  Be warned, however, that if you do get bitten by the sequencing bug you'll become a recluse and fall out with all your neighbors (pump up the volume!).
                  
                  Give it a go.

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                     alqxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Okay, I will. Thanks for the information.

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         klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I'm a Sonar user myself. No drums. I'm a pianist and I can play a bit of guitar too.

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            peterxdunnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Hi kiarawieck
            
            It seems like alqx has started something here.

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               peterxdunnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Sorry that should have been klarawieck (where 've I left those spec's).

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                  klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  no problem. IT's about time we make a musicians forum!

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                     alqxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Yes indeed.
                     
                     Comically, this thread I have created for Drummers/Percussionists has attracted none of them so far. I'm beginning to wonder if there's an opposing correlation between drumming and writing.

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                        AK8000posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                        Hello alqx,
                        indeed strange thing that drums forum hasn't gotten more topics. One could think that drummers can only count and can't write
                        But seriously it's probably because they concentrate around more drumming oriented sites like drummer world.
                        
                        I am a drummer, so let me answer your questions:
                        
                        1) I don't see myself as a drum addict, but probably those around me know better if I am one *smiles*. Certainly drumming is a big part of my life, and definitely changed it in many ways.
                        2) I practice mostly play-alongs, or play loops that I compose. Lots of polyrythmics lately.
                        3) No. I did, but that was long time ago.
                        4) Metal/death/core/experimental/math/extreme? Hard to categorize. Also, I want to start a drum'n'bass project with live instruments, but unfortunately don't have the time right now.

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                           alqxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                           Drummerworld forum is great, I'm a 'Junior Member' there of the same user.
                           
                           Anyway, welcome! You're the first drummer in this thread besides myself.

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      Sammyanthaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I'm trying LOL.
      
      I play Djembe, Dun duns, and other African percussion.
      
      In process of getting together a nice load of Djembe and drum related articles on here.
      
      Looking forward to reading all of yours

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         alqxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I've not learned djembe before. It's kind of difficult to get a good sound. I'm more of a drumstick/mallet drummer/percussionist.
         
         I currently play in a Concert Band, but my practice material is drumset-based. I might join a Brazilian-percussion group in near future.

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   tb_tellinposted 13 years ago

   thats cool

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   Maddie Ruudposted 13 years ago

   As a bassist, I say the world could always use more drummers.  Real live drummers.  While computer-generated bass lines and drum trax are useful for practicing purposes, they are no replacement for the real thing.
   
   Out of curiosity, do any of you know any good web-jamming software?  My favorite guitarist to play with moved cross-country and I'd still like to be able to jam with him.

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      alqxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree that computer software can't replace the musician.
      
      But experimenting with MIDI is a good way to develop a musician's creativity and also share it with others. I suppose it will help quite much in improvisation since you create, modify and examine music (midi files?). That's why I am interested to learn how to do it.
      
      I don't know of any jamming-software.

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   Beelzedadposted 13 years ago

   My son is a drummer, we just purchased a Roland TD-8 for him. These things are amazing. Not only can you pick and choose from a number of drum sounds, but there are also a great array of other percussion instruments available. As well, there are various drum tracks and pattern styles you can follow along with and learn. Built in drum teacher.
   
   Of course, as a parent, electronic drums are great as they have a volume control.

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      alqxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You mean the Roland TD9? That's a great electronic drum set. If I could afford to spend so much I would've gotten it because of noise issues.
      
      Though electronic drums could never be as responsive and sensitive as acoustic ones, Roland V-drums of that model and up are at least decent and provide good options for practising (even in the middle of the night).

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         peterxdunnposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I'm heavily into midi and audio sequencing but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the sound and dynamism of an acoustic kit played live by a good drummer.
         
         My view isn't that midi will - one day - replace 'real' musicians: but it will extend the range of what can be produced in a studio. Midi enables producers to do with sound what CGI and motion capture have enabled film producers to do with the movies. The upshot of this is that - in the future - the only limit placed on what can be produced will be done so by the imagination's of those doing the producing.
         
         As for the responsiveness of electronic drum kits; well, it might not be as good as an acoustic kit at the moment - but they are working on it and they will get there.
         
         My best regards to everybody here at 'Rhythm Central'.
         
         pxd

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   timorousposted 12 years ago

   Here's another drummer;
   
   I seem to have had a natural aptitude for rhythm at an early age, and started playing drums when I was about 12 (back in the mid 60's).  I never took any lessons, and my timing was more than good enough that I never practised (much) with a metronome.  Besides, absolutely strict timing is mechanical.  I prefer a more human feel, that plays off the other musicians.  I played in a number of bands, although none you will have heard of.
   
   I don't have the time play my drums anymore (although I still have my 7 piece Tama Royal Star kit...don't have the heart to sell them ).  A while back, I recorded my own hi-rez samples of each drum and cymbal..played as many ways as I could imagine.  Most of the drum samplers I've heard are pretty low rez, and obviously played by some techie who doesn't play drums at all...I can tell   Don't know what I'm gonna do with these samples just yet.
   
   At some point, a former bandmate and I are going to re-mix the 8 track recordings we made back in the 80's, using these samples to augment the original tracks.  We'll see.
   
   Does anyone have any recommendations on a good drum sampler..such as the (iZotope) iDrums?

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   DrumsAcousticMuseposted 12 years ago

   Yet another drummer here,
   sorry i didn't get back to this post sooner- i've been wanting to meet other drummers on hubpages and elsewhere.
   
   I started playing drums about twelve years ago (in fifth grade). when i got to junior year of high school, i decided i wanted to play them professionally. I'm currently trying hard to make that happen with my band, Black Jack Persia. I would also like to make a bit of extra cash by writing about musical subjects here on hubpages.
   
   We need more drummers in this community!

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      DrumsAcousticMuseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @timorous, i usually use logic studio for mixing drums. You can even upload your own sound samples into their sample folder and use them for mixing.
      
      not much experience with Izotope, though, i'm afraid- although my band's producer has used it extensively and seems to really like it.

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         timorousposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         thanks for the input.  This is more of a back-burner issue for me at the moment.

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