Son has started drum lessons (video)

[Shawn]

My son started drum lessons 6 weeks ago,he goes every 2 weeks. He is getting better with each lesson and with what I teach at home. Here is a video from today of him practicing.He is doing better then he was just a few weeks ago.He couldn't hold the high hats and hit the snare or bass without stopping on the hats.He is proud he can do it now.
He is starting to get the hang of things and finding out how hard it is to keep things in time.He will improve with practice and hopefully he stays with it.Lessons are not cheap and the reason why he only goes every 2 weeks for.They are $32 per hour. I need a new profession LOL


http://youtu.be/9a1kaiwnKJY

[soloist]

He's getting good, Shawn! He's well coordinated and
has good rhythm. Here's hoping that he continu-
es to improve with each lesson he receives
whether it be home or the classes. Eve-
ry two weeks sounds fine consideri-
ng the cost which is why it's goo-
d for him to learn from you w-
henever possible if you hav-
e the patience. Maybe y-
ou should teach music
and merge your pro-
fession and inter-
est (laughs). A-
ctually, that
sounds lik-
e a goo-
d ide-
a!



I
wo-
uld like
to make $3-
2 an hour right
about now (laughs).

[Shawn]

He's getting good, Shawn! He's well coordinated and
has good rhythm. Here's hoping that he continu-
es to improve with each lesson he receives
whether it be home or the classes. Eve-
ry two weeks sounds fine consideri-
ng the cost which is why it's goo-
d for him to learn from you w-
henever possible if you hav-
e the patience. Maybe y-
ou should teach music
and merge your pro-
fession and inter-
est (laughs). A-
ctually, that
sounds lik-
e a goo-
d ide-
a!



I
wo-
uld like
to make $3-
2 an hour right
about now (laughs).

He is getting the hang of it.I can show you a video from 9 months ago where he couldn't do what he is now.He wasn't interested enough back then to take lessons but he is now.After 6 weeks of this,I feel he is ready to stick with it.He is having a bunch of fun doing it.
His goal is to play in the talent show next school year.I think he will be more then ready and will I will have to buy him a drum kit of his own to put in his room when he progresses and won't stay off mine LOL
I do teach him small stuff at home but I don't have the patience to teach him all that he needs to know or others. With the lessons,I feel they are better for him.He is not only learning how to play,he is learning how to read music. You'd be surprised at how many professional drummers that don't know how to read music.I want him to learn the right way the first time around and I will gladly pay for lessons for 10 years if I have to if he keeps doing as good as he is. I think 2 years worth of lessons will probably be enough,but if not,I will keep taking him. He needed a new hobby and this was the perfect thing for him.It makes him think and concentrate,which is something he has a hard time with sometimes.

[Diabolique]

Awww he's so cute! Looks like he's enjoying those drums too! Congratulations!!!

[soloist]

That is great to hear, Shawn... and yes, drumming definitely helps
to release tension, though I do hope that your son plays duri-
ng appropriate timeframes (aka, not 2:30 am or when t-
he parent or neighbors are asleep... laughs). At the
rate your son is going, he'll be more than read-
y for the talent show. Since he's getting m-
uch better at drum playing and music
reading, do you think you'll be ab-
le to teach him specialized tr-
icks on the drums such as
flipping drum sticks f-
or example? That
would get so-
me atten-
tion a-
t
any
talent s-
how. I guess
it's easier to say
though, and you me-
ntioned of not having th-
e patience you'd like in teach-
ing him. Looking at it from a differ-
rent perspective, it probably won't be t-
he best of ideas though because it may take
his concentration off the professionalism of the c-
raft. That being said, forget what I typed about the tr-
icks (laughs). I hope he continues to pursue his interest in
this instrument. It's great the he's also learning to read music
because I've read of famous musicians who never knew how to re-
ad music and it can be quite the limitation in terms of potential. Whi-
le it's possible to do well in the music industry without such skill, it does p-
revent you from another string of opportunities both musically and financially.

(here's hoping that your son continues to do well...)

[Shawn]

Didn't see this sooner Soloist.I won't teach him any "glam" tricks with the sticks. I actually make fun of people who do that for attention. I want my son to get attention from how well he plays.
Last week he told me he wanted to stop taking lessons. I told him to think about it and I would ask him after the weekend and see if that is really wants to do. I asked him Monday and he said he wanted to keep going and playing. I was nervous about him saying he wanted to quit.He has been doing so good and his instructor said he is a natural when it comes to playing. He had his lesson Yesterday and the person who oversees the drums came in to tell him how well he is doing.
He is not only learning how to play,but also learning how to read music and how important keeping time is and how to count it out. I sat in with him for the first 30 minutes of his lesson.He has started learning what 16th notes are and how to use the toms when playing fills. He picked it up very very quick.I was shocked myself.I knew he was learning fast but learning the 16th notes as fast as he did was just awesome. A lot of drummers struggle to keep up with that and he nailed it pretty good. Now using the toms is going to take a little time for him to be able to play fast.He is getting it but just needs to speed up some. He started lessons in March and within 4 months.In that time frame,he has probably learned about 6 months or so of drumming.
So by the time the talent show comes around,he will be more then ready to show off his skills he has been working on and will see that he can do anything that he puts effort into doing.
Playing drums is no easy task.You either can or you can't play.It's much harder then what it looks,but I am proud he didn't give up on them. I did tell the instructor he was wanting to quit and he told him he should keep with it since he is doing so good and will be learning songs by ear left and right within the next 6 months.

[soloist]

Not a problem, Shawn. Better late than never (laughs).
I'm certain you were shocked to hear that your so-
n was considering the idea of ending his tutor-
ing of the drums. And yes, I understand w-
hy the tricks would be a bad idea for h-
im to learn (laughs). Sometimes whe-
n there's little or no challenge, ki-
ds get bored or if they're not g-
iven the opportunity to prac-
tice what they've learned
in a forum where such
progress can be me-
asured and appr-
eciated. With
your son le-
arning at
the acc-
elera-
ted pac-
e that he I-
s, he definitel-
y will need to be
challenged. Have yo-
u ever thought of lettin-
g him try some advanced d-
rumming sessions of classic ar-
tists? An example would be this:





I know the quality of the video
is poor but he was indeed
an innovator of his ti-
me. Maybe mimic-
ing different s-
tyles of dru-
mming m-
ay chan-
ge thi-
ngs:

(up a bit...)

[Shawn]

His teacher seen he was getting a little bored with just using the snare,bass and high hats and playing nothing more then 8th notes. So he switched it to him starting to learn 16th notes and bringing the toms in with it. He is a little ways away from being able to learn a song or different styles of music.He is only 4 months in to his lessons so it's going to be a little bit before he is actually able to play a song all the way. He has been practicing parts of Highway To Hell and has some of it down already,but he doesn't move off the Bass,Hats or Snare so I have been slowly showing him the song piece by piece so he can learn it. It's his favorite song because it's one I have played myself with a friends band a few times and he has seen the videos.
He has more then enough time to practice and he isn't limited to just what he is being taught in the books.I encourage him to bang around on the drums and cymbals as much as he wants even if it makes no sense at all and is way out of time. I am going to shoot a new video soon when he gets this new stuff he is working on down pretty good. I think he is back to wanting to play now more then ever and we sat down yesterday in front of the computer and I let him pick out another cymbal to buy. He has a 19" Sabian Holy China which is basically a China cymbal with a bunch of holes in it.I guess he thought it needed a friend because he picked out a 12" Holy China Kang to match. I think he has an addiction to cymbals with holes in them like I have an addiction to China cymbals. I have more China cymbals then I do crashes,but it all works out in the end and we are both pretty happy with the way the kit is set up now. I think his instructor is a bit jealous of the kit we use and the size of it. I didn't go cheap,I wanted something that was going to last for several years.

[soloist]

I'm glad to learn that the instructor has altered the lessons because
whenever a child gets bored with anything that they're learning,
it's because they need a challenge or something to measure
their progress to. The cymbals should help significantly!
Quality is definitely something to look for when usi-
ng instruments, especially for long term usage.
Then again, staying within ones means is y-
et another aspect. This is why searchi-
ng for bargains help. There are ple-
nty of good deals online. One ju-
st needs to know where to lo-
ok. Anyway, it's great that
you've invested in the c-
ymbals for your son.
The cymbals and
the new lesso-
ns should k-
eep his i-
ntere-
st!

[Shawn]

I'm glad to learn that the instructor has altered the lessons because
whenever a child gets bored with anything that they're learning,
it's because they need a challenge or something to measure
their progress to. The cymbals should help significantly!
Quality is definitely something to look for when usi-
ng instruments, especially for long term usage.
Then again, staying within ones means is y-
et another aspect. This is why searchi-
ng for bargains help. There are ple-
nty of good deals online. One ju-
st needs to know where to lo-
ok. Anyway, it's great that
you've invested in the c-
ymbals for your son.
The cymbals and
the new lesso-
ns should k-
eep his i-
ntere-
st!

I usually look online at Guitar Centers used section and craigslist.Both have treated me pretty fair. I prefer Guitar Center over anything since they do have a 30 day return policy.It helped me get the right cymbals to match up right as far as sound goes. I haven't played the drums in a week or so since my back has been giving me some problems as of late and then my left arm having the pain shoot through it,but they are not going unused.The most I have played was just showing him a few things and then letting him jump back on to repeat it or make the attempt to.I do throw some hard ones at him and some he can get right off and some it takes a few tries. I'm just glad he decided to stick with it and not give up. Kids need to have something that will keep them busy and out of trouble and hopefully he will stay with it for several years after his lessons are done. I gave him the tools needed,he just needs to use them. Most kids his age who start out playing don't have the chance to start on a kit as nice as mine or as big,which gives him endless possibilities as far as drumming goes.

[soloist]

I could imagine how relieved you were to learn that your son decided
to stick with the drums, especially after all of the lessons and the
progress. I'm trying to get into the habit of searching online fo-
r items of interest myself. It just requires a bit of research
and informed decisions based on said preparation pract-
ices. I normally don't purchase items online, but afte-
r seeing all of the deals available and noticing how
physical big name stores are overcharging (unle-
ss the items have weak warranties or are not
selling and considered overstock which is
expecting to be replaced soon), I'm lo-
oking for ways to save... and this is
one. Just one bit of advise when
it comes to your son and his i-
nterest in drumming. It is
great to expose children-
n to a variety of medi-
ums, but keep in m-
ind that ultimate-
ly, they will m-
ake the deci-
sion on w-
here t-
hey
want t-
o go with i-
t. Just hope th-
at they will make
an good choice base-
d on what we expose th-
em to and not get sidetrack-
ed. Hopefully you can get back
to drumming yourself once you ge-
t yourself repaired (easier said though,
eh?). Continue supporting your son as you
do and continue to challenge him so that his
boredom won't lead to disinterest. You're doing
well, Shawn. Here's hoping your condition improves.

[Shawn]

My son is pretty open as far as music goes. If it sounds good to him,he'll listen to it. So he has a wide range of music interest,which is good when learning to play an instrument and not limiting yourself to just 1 or 2 types of music. I will always keep throwing things at him on drums to throw him off until his lessons are done and he starts doing it to me
I am hoping to get behind the kit and play more then a few songs,but need new headphones.Mine got broke during the move I guess it was a well spent $20 4 years ago when I bought them.I have been looking to buy better ones anyways so this is my chance!
Shopping online for certain things can be good.I would never buy a TV or monitor online since it's a big risk at getting it broke on it's way to you.Shipping companies don't care how they handle items and I have had a few boxes ripped in places and if they items weren't packed well,they would of been damaged.When I was building my kit I had a few of the toms come with split boxes but the drum was find with no scratches somehow.

[Shawn]

I skipped work tonight for a few reasons I felt were more important to me. I won't discuss here. Kind of the boring stuff anyways lol
I went out to see a friends band play and jumped behind for the normal song I usually do,Highway to Hell. I done ok except I hit the 10" tom not once but twice and fumbled a stick. I think you can barely see me shake my head because I knew I screwed it up. I had fun and always enjoy playing a song or 2. The guitar player was a little upset we didn't get to play Comfortably Numb.He was wanting me to play on that also but some of the band was a little tipsey and let it slip. Always a next time though. One question I always get asked,why don't I join a band.I'd like to if it paid better,but with a kit of my size and the work it would take,I don't think $100-$125 a gig is worth it,especially when it is usually a 1 night per weekend thing around here now.
Anyways here is the video my wife shot with my cheapo point and shoot camera. I am impressed with what a $100 camera can do. http://youtu.be/EXslOSjCUwk

[Shawn]

Well went to the lesson this evening and they want him coming every week instead of every 2 weeks. He is just flying through pages in his 3 books.He can read music and can now count time.The instructor said he was surprised he knew every little detail on timing and what everything in the book meant as far as reading music. He said with the amount of time between lessons,he is surprised he remembers so much of it and can pick up where he leaves off at the previous lesson. He does practice a lot and asked today if he can practice even more at home. I told him to play his heart out as long as he wants and as many times a day he wants. I think it's starting to get interesting for him and more of a challenge now that he has him hitting the toms and cymbals and keeping time.He'll be way better then me in no time.

[soloist]

Wow, those must have been SOME headphone, Shawn! Either that or you didn't use them much
which also helps to preserve them (laughs). It's good to get a pair of athletic headphones o-
r earbuds since they both are built to endure constant movement and aggressive motio-
ns. I have a pair of earbuds that I've purchase from BestBuy and they've worked well
for more than 2 years so far. Also, check the warranty. If the warranty is more th-
an a year, get the warranty and keep the receipt. This way, if they expire bef-
ore the time of the warranty, you should be able to get them replaced (un-
less you break them or cause some degree of abnormal damage that co-
uld be considered as your fault). I agree in terms of not purchasing c-
ertain items online, because in the case of televisions and larger
electronics, I'd rather deliver them myself to insure their saf-
e transport (call me old-school... laughs). Exposing your s-
on to various forms of music helps to broaden the exte-
nt of his vision and imagination when it comes to hi-
s drumming skills and even his way of thinking a-
ctually. And based on all he learns, he can co-
me up with a method that's his own which
may be an amalgamation of what he le-
arned. Cheap cameras should not be
slept on these days. My brother p-
icked up a digital camera for l-
ess than $100 which takes H-
D images and videos. I bel-
ieve it's a Fuji Finepix c-
amera and it works v-
ery well! In fact, it
inspired me to g-
et a new one
myself. I c-
an unde-
rstan-
d
how
difficult
it would be
to play gigs in
your area since y-
ou'd need something
more steady to have a c-
omfortable sense of income.
Also, gigs tend to be quite lengt-
hy, and with your condition being s-
eated for extended periods of time may
not be the best position to be in without ad-
equate intermissions (which I doubt will take pl-
ace during a session). And like you mentioned, the
drum kit is heavy so bringing that to and from various
locations is a good deal of work... and that's for someone
in standard condition, so imagine how much more of a hassle
it would be for you. At this point, it's best left as a hobby or a si-
de venture when it fits your schedule and health (as well as interest
and time). I'll watch the performance in a few minutes. I'll be back, ok?