DRUMMERS: Advice for a beginner

i bought an electronic drum kit just as the pandemic hit and have been playing along with records every day. i'd say i'm 1000x the drummer i was even just last year. still a long way to go. also i need to stop playing along to records instead of practicing the actual exercises my instructor gives me

Yes!! Same only I have my drums in my basement and they’re not electronic. I’m so much better than I was even last year. Still do my 18 min practice pad warmup routine. I could use some new exercises but I’m not sure I have the mental bandwidth to learn anything.

What is your routine?

5 min single stroke on both hands (l then r) and then 8-1 strokes on each hand for 1 min each
8L-8R for 1 min
7L-7R for 1 min
Etc down to singles again

It takes 18 min total but really 20 bc I take little breaks

I was once as good of a drummer as I wanted or needed to be, but I haven't played in maybe a decade. Yet some lizard part of my brain thinks that it's a bit like riding a bicycle, and that if I started up again I would be fine in a week or so, calluses aside. I wonder ...

lol you said the same thing last year!
I used to play drums in bands, but have not played drums in ... 10 years? 15 years? But I sort of feel like with a week of practice I could get back up to speed. It's like riding a bike, but with calluses.

― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, June 15, 2019 6:56 PM (one year ago)

Ha, so add some time to it!

i don't believe you need calluses btw -- my tender tiny ladyhands are soft and smooth. Muscle strength in fingers/hands/wrists/forearms absolutely but calluses not required imo/ime

If you look at the dates of those two posts you will see that my time is impeccable. Nailed it within less than a week!

and yeah i am 100% positive you could sit down to play no problem if you had played in the past

it was timely because i bump on my birthday every year ;)

the only reason i posted late this week was bc work hijacked my birthday
i take my development extremely seriously!

happy birthday!

thanks!
i'm 7
i feel like i am getting old! that is why i asked if i get to graduate to low-intermediate at this point

or maybe i have to wait til i'm 12 or 13 to go to junior high

i mean i am kidding about asking permission
mostly i am curious where other drummers were at 7

for old time's sake, my original post itt
look at me now

in 2 hours i am going to pick up my very first drum set. i have convinced myself +/- that i am not too old or too stupid. i finally have time and a basement and in 2 hours i will have some drums of my own, if this transaction doesn't somehow get screwed up. for a while i was looking for approval to go ahead and do this, but soon enough it became evident that i was just being a chicken. now i'm just going to finally see what i can teach myself in my oodles of spare time. this is one of the most self-indulgent things i have ever done in my life and i just have to get over that because i think it will be super fun and also good for my general health.

― free your spirit pig (La Lechera), Saturday, June 15, 2013 9:22 AM (seven years ago)