I am Very Very Sad & A Little Demoralise Now !

[RudimentalDrummer]

Hi Bros:

Sorry to bore you all down...I'm just drowning my sorrows here. Actually I'm lost now...really...You see my dear Bros

Lately I've been having very little drum lessons from my Instructor (I've been a year with him) because he has alot of gigs....Last time I've more though not every week i have lessons (at least I can have 2 to 3 lessons)

It's not his fault of course as he needs to make a living mah - but I guess learning drums from a Professional is like that one - or is it not maybe, I don't know really? I work really hard on my drums, as I'm no good, after 9 months of drumming my instructor advices me to go out and Jam with other Musicians..and so I did.....I now Jam with a Blue's Band once a week, and a Jazz Band (New to me as I'm learning) - all this was indeed very beneficial to me to boost my confidence in playing.....Wha I mean is that my Instructor is indeed a very good instructor who had help me to where I am today (I'm still not very good - but I have improve alot)...

Jamming with bands made me realise - I'm far from being good now...When I play Jazz (I do not know how to use a Brush), when they do Trade 4 or Trade 8 - I die.eeee - run out of idea how to Solo.....In Blues it's easier as there are less fill-ins I have to do and my groove are very solid after playing for 3 months every week with them.

This is a time I realise I need more lessons - to learn specifically pratical stuffs so that I can apply it...but..........too bad - my Instructor is too busy with gigs.


I used to have lessons at 3pm on every Saturday (as I finished work at 1pm on a Saturday), sometimes 4pm - in this case - I can have lessons from 3pm to 4pm or 4pm to 5pm, or even 3pm to 5pm for past 6months as 3 months I cannot have lessons - company sent me for a 3 month course that time). I ressume after the exams.

A few months ago my time-slot had been changed to 5pm onwards (and studio closed at 7pm) - the problem is here - Whenever my Instructor got gig - 5pm slot onwards all - no lessons...so I already miss 2 weeks of lessons...n actually I will not have lessons this week and next week (but I tell him I need lessons man - so he gave me an hour this week 5 to 6pm - but next week I will have no lesson again.

This is what I'm facing Bros - you see...I needed lessons very badly, as I am actually very new into drumming - I can practice every day after work, jam with bands - and when I see myself improving...I feel so good...but now - it seems - I don't know what to do - I'm stuck as I've less lessons, I can't do certain simple things that I'm required to do in a band eg BrushWorks...and that's demoralising especially when I have no one to turn to to consult and learn.......I feel uneasy, something is amiss now....

All I'm experiencing is - When I find myself not improving, and no Instructor to consult for weeks - the problem will be with me for weeks and that's Frustrating - so those here that had an Instructor who will give you time and provide you lessons at least 3 times a month is very good liao - - - but I know getting a good instructor who will spare us the time in teaching is not an easy task - Lucky I have someone in my mind already - thanks to Soft...

and so I will try to Preserve and is now looking for alternatives......will let you all know very soon.

My objective is to continue learning under a Good Drummig Instructor for 4 to 5 years continuously at minimum - as developing good Techniques take years (as what I was told) and I'm prepared for it so that I can be a fairly good drummer one of these days....and I'm looking for that particular one - I found liao - now waiting for his reply.


Thanks for giving a listening ear - sorry for the long eaasy...

 

[drum_hobbyist]

My brother's band drummer is an Englishman. He is an English teacher by profession in a international school. Heard from my brother that he is in partnership with another American drummer to setup drumming school... will let you know the details... press on Bro!

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Thank you so much for the lead my Bro (that was very helpful) - but I do have someone in my mind that I want to learn from...as I mentioned, I only hope he had the time to teach me.

Tama Goh is actually my boss personal friend and is very close(even though they say - Tama doesn't wants to take students anymore because he is more busy than my current Instructor)...He might take me for my boss sake - but I want to learn drums continuously for the next 4 to 5 years - hopefully with only one-instructor...so Tama though good will not be able to give me regular lessons which I need most to improve myself....because I'm very new into drumming - and Yamaha Scholl will never make me a good drummer oneday.

Anyway Bro - this guy you mentioned an Englishman partnering with another guy to form a School...I guess I know who that is (though I could be wrong here ) - check it out - It could be Joshie's Drumming Instructor.

 

[weckl-x]

Hmm, this is just my personal opinion, but it seems to me that you have grown to be very dependent on lessons. Without them, you tend to become demoralized and crumble?

I think maybe you could look to the times when you don't have lessons as a break? Note down the things which frustrate you, you can set them aside till you meet your teacher, while patiently working at it. If you really have no idea on how to work it through on your own, then just set it aside first.

I think having a good teacher is essential to development, but over dependence on a teacher might only serve to hamper that development. You gotta believe in yourself too.

Maybe things like instructional DVDs/books can help fill in the gap when your lessons don't happen. Take heart brother.

 

[blurred]

jazzz is hard man, trading 4's is not easy. dun feel bad when i trade 4's i sounds like a train wreck and i intensely studied it for 6mths. i know 6mths isn't anything. when doing trades listen for the soloist th u are answering copy he's rhythmic pattern or play the melody or watever, there are some rules but its flexible. most impt thing i find is ur right hand. ur sprang a lang rythm must be swinging hard.
try alvin i'm sure he has slots open.
wat i did when i didn't have a teacher was i read alot of modern drummer and i hit the drumming forums alot. i was in the saf band and i had like 30 other drummers to ask for advice. u have this forum members. modern drummer was really gd for practice tips.
best tip i got from all of this was to be able to read, have gd time and tht i shld open my ears and listen to wat everyone else is doing.
split my practice up so i cover all these points.
2 thing i noticed being able to read charts and having gd time saved my ass alot when i've come unprepared or the material is above my head.

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

I believed that I need to rely on a Proper Drumming Instructor, and I do have my reasons as to why so..

I started drumming without a proper Instructor, play for a few months - learn a litle only - then remain stagnant - I gave up during those times....all I could do was play along with songs - but it don't Groove at all.

Next I then learn at Yamaha, drumming improve but at a very very slow-rate....Worst, when I managed to learn from my current Instructor he told me my Techniques were all wrong - Unlearning was terrible for me - It really took me 5 months to throw away all those old-habits...

Like I say - I could not have thank my current Instructor with all my heart for teaching me good Techniques - this was proven as I can see my progress and control nowadays within a year - that I could never achieve without a Good Instructor....nevertherless he told me countless of times to go Jam with a Band to boost confidence and I did which I appreciated alot...but I'm really far from being good.

The time has not come for me to be independent - as there are many other Techniques (even Basic ones I pressume) I had not yet acquire...and I've learn my lesson well previously as not to unlearn bad habits.

Having an Instructor for me will help me go through a shorter route to improving my drumming through the instructor experience (rather then I go through Trial & Error)......experience tells me as a student drummer that Good Techniques is a Pre-Requisite to future good drumming. Many a times, I look at the notes, I just do it as what is written - but an instructor can look at the same piece of notes and gives me many variation on how I can play it and even make it sound better ... creativity comes from their vast experience in this area.

Yes i do agree, I become dependent on an Instructor, but you all have to understand - I'm still very new in area of drumming even if I work hard on my drumming - there are many times my instructor corrected my mistakes technically - - - one very good example was my Strokes (Rudiments) - Whenever I play fast I rely heavily (or I should say automatically) on Finger works countless of times this is instinctive - I was reminded again and again many a times by my Instructor to use "All Wrist Works" - and so I did without knowing "Why Must Be Like That"..but now I feel it - Control Of My Left-Hand is better...but brothers it takes me months to remember to use "All-Wrists"I have been doing this for 4 months now (minimum 2 to even more than 3 hours each night - when I have no Jamming till I'm so tired everyday) - I did gain speed and control - but not very very fast and superb control - then this tells me - I need years lah to be good.

Because I strongly believe that Good Drumming is about "sound" one produce which is correlated to techniques & controls (and is not achievable within a short period - it could take years) - If I can have an instructor beside me - eyeing for details on how I play - he will correct me till I'm almost perfectly correct ...The thing is to be good take Years...so I need an Instructor till I am independent enough. - - - When I play I listen to the sound I produce (eveness in sound - I was train in this manner) - - nobody told me that before till I met my current instructor and now it's a habit in me when I practice any Rudiments.....this include all Accenting & Ghosting too.

I am very confident to say that - With and Without A Good Drumming Instructor Makes A Whole World Of Difference In A Student Drummer..Progress (provided he has regular lessons).... - - - To this - I believe it's not only the number of years one had been drumming (though it helps a little here - unless you are gigging every-night) - it is getting the basics right correct from the start through a good instructor for a couple of years.

I feel so good knowing that you bros really gave me encouragement here - as this is really what I needed most now. Thank YOu all so much

 

[reuben]

RD - hey man.. cheer up k? anyway all will work out.. good thing we toked or else might have misunderstood where you were coming fr

Weckl - have you found a teacher yet?

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Thks Reuben 4 yr understanding..yeah I've been drumming so very hard that my Instructor tells me countless of times " Eric Drumming is Not Everything In Your Life - and he even tells me I'm the only student of his practicing like this, not many will put in the time like this (but I don't know if he got bluff me or not here) - but it was motivating of course to me....

and.ddddddddddddd I am dying for drum lessons all these while.

 

[weckl-x]

Yo Reuben: Nope, not yet. Still looking.

Spending my time listening to records, watching videos, transcribing stuff, studying the styles of different drummers, playing with a band, working on grooves and rudiments, working from books, asking pros on forums.

 

[DullTheater]

yo bro...

ure one of the lucky few where you got 5 sets of drumsets at home..
me, i dont even own a set...
all i got are 8 cymbals and 2 pairs of hats...
plus my double pedals and a snare...

anyway, seeing you got 5 sets, i presume u can make them into different types of sound... ie, one is for jazz, one for blues.. yada yada yada..

anyway, again, why dont for the time being, w/o any instructors, u be less dependant on them...
maybe you shud listen to more songs and play along wif them...
also, listen and try to catch and play the grooves and fill-ins.....
more and more times you do like that, you'll be less dependant of your intrcutors, thus be more confident of yourself when playing solos..

to the other bros in here, pls correct me if i'm wrong.... coz that's how so far i play my drums...
w/o any kit at home to practice, and w/o any instructors from day1 till now..

cheer up dude!

 

[soft]

RudimentalDrummer

one thing you can do to improve is to FORCE yourself transcribe songs and learn to play them. start from not too difficult to more complicated stuff.

by doing this, you will learn how they do it and then you will learn to do it too.

 

[Guest]

RD,

You may be seeing only difficulties in getting a good instructor. There are still a lot more things you can do, you can be resourceful. e.g. Watch instructional videos (Esplanade library has some you can borrow). Watch your favorite band/drummer concert DVDs (observe how they play). Like what James mentioned, transcribe songs. (e.g. use Winamp + Pacemaker plugin to slow down the music and listen out for every note). Play in bands, play more genres of music.

And lastly, if you can, leave everything behind, go overseas for a full-time study on drumming. That will definitely fulfill your hunger for lessons.

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Thank you all bros here.

I am already Transcribing songs and playing each week. I'm am learning.

My own Band is a Blues Band - every week I've to listen to a few new songs then Transcribe it (through MP3 they sent me) - we then play it together.

I have a friend (he is a Jazz Guitarists) luckily he gave me an opportunity to learn Jazz - I just got my song book (600 over Jazz Songs) - he teach me how to read it, how to look at the notes and play the songs with them - thia is another area I am learning now - so I go and Jam to learn these Jazz songs (I'm totally new here).

Just this week - there is another 2 Pop Band asking me to be their drummer (they have seen me play in the Blues Band)...and just Thursday someone in a Pop Band ask me to stand in as his drummer (cause his drummer is very busy) - Now all these are Jamming - not gigging - but I know I'm improving or else they won't ask me to play for them...though I am far from being good (the way I see it). I was asked to play for them because I went for all my practices (never miss a single Jam), I work with all of them with a open-mind - discuss never argue, do not play politics among musicians there (if you know what I mean), and most importantly I do keep time and groove a little.

This also means - I spend alot of time gaining experience jamming with a real band to gain confident...but not enough to me - with more Jamming it also means less time for my practice nowadays - but that's not true (my current instructor told me)....Jamming is the best way to learn to work with other musician - as I do not look at drum notes nowadays (like Yamaha Song Sheets specially for Drum parts) - I look at the band song sheets. The Jazz Group looks at songs sheet with Notes/Tow-Gay where they is a Bar for Bass Clef and another cleff for Guitarists, Keyboardists - I am supposed to know when to come in whatever I wanna do and not lose track - this they teach me - there is a method, how to read the notes/bar ...sometimes they want to do a Trade-4 or Trade-8...this I have to be careful - don't get lost etc)...the wind instruments will use another book as the chords are different from the Guitarists/Organists- - My blues Band uses only song Lyrics and chords - nothing on notes - so you can imagine - I'm learning from them now how to work with fellow musicians. Initially I cannot understand what they are saying - they talk a different language from my drumming terminology - Today I am still learning to understnad their language...simple ones like some band uses Intro, Verse, Chorus/Bridge, end...some uses play AABA etc.

I have to make a point very clearly here - I am really not looking for the Best Drummer as my Instructor - because the Best Drummers do not produce ALL THE BEST STUDENTS...It is really up to the student own hard work and effort - that means both hands must clap......There are many many things I consider - yes of course I want a very good drummer as my instructor (but this is just one point), I need a good drummer who can also teaches well (of course my current Instructor fill both these criteria) - - - but because he is very busy and circumstances is such that now he gigs, do recording alot and I needed lessons badly - which is inevitable now for both of us - I've to look for alternatives.

I did all the above (Jamming with Other Musician) through my current Instructor advice and that was truly a most valuable advice I ever had...he was a great teacher...but I too have a great thrist to be good - I needed both - To learn (taking weekly lesson) and at the same time Jam like hell with different people - what I found out was the "Feel" is different whenever one play with different group............wah low I'm again so loh-soh again...sorry sorry

The good news is that - I will be taking my regular lesson from next month onwards and I'm very very happy now - hey "Lessons is Food To Me" so that I don't go "Hungry" - I guess by now (even though I did not mention who I will be learning drumming from - you all would have guess who he is liao ?) - A nice & very good drummer/instructor as I found out - I've to thanks him - as he really put in the extra mile just to get me a slot (not easy for him) for Saturday Afternoon and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart - I've yet come across any Instructor who will put in that kind of effort just to help a student in this manner (this I speak the truth from experience- as they all have plenty of students waiting)....

Thank you all ... you were all great drumming brothers to have...cheers

 

[shred5]

Don'r Worry RD,

We'll be there when U need us.. Play more, Drink more, Smoke More!!

:lol:

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Bro shred...how come your "Nick" below got the words - " Volunteer" one....What's that? Hehehehe !

 

[blurred]

transcribing is a damn good way of learning something lah, but aiyooo its such a headache mannnnnnn. i can send like 5hrs over 3days transcribing a song, i recently did this one called fool to think by dave matthews. the chorus has a bar of 5/4 and abar of 4/4 i just made it 9/4. can beauford plays alot of small things in between can die ah. i kep being a 8th note short every bar till i figured out the pattern correctly.

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Bro DT:

I am not rich, just an average income earner - but I used up my monthly pay to buy gears/drums etc each month a little at a time - and I scout around for good buy.

People are wondering (including) my family - why did I buy so many drums as I only need 1 set actually. I have my reasons. Everyone is different when it comes to motivation. I spend quite alot of $$$ on my gears to push myself forward to work hard on drums. As mentioned - I'm not rich (the money means lot to me) so I don't want to see it go down the drain - by spending these kind of $$$ it pushes me on to build my preserverence, my stamina to be good oneday. I know it seems stupid - but that is one area I used to motivate myself honestly...I tried many ways to push myself to be good.

I wake up in the morning (Monday to Saturday) at 6am to prepare myself to work as I needed the $$$ to sustain my family. I finished work at 6pm....take a bus home and reach home at 6.30pm...bath & eat 20 minutes...I only have a 10 minutes break after dinner - then I start to drum at 7 to 8pm...8 to 9pm (I take a break) - - 9pm onwards I drum (practice Rudiments till 11pm sometimes 12pm) - then sleep and have to wake up at 6am.

So you see - I have literally no time for myself....The only time I do not practice is - whenever I have Jamming and I do spend a little time sometimes Transcribing songs in preparation for Jam.....Then Saturday afternoon - I go for my lessons....and have only Sunday for myself & my wify.family....This is my life now.

Yes I play on all Large Kit to small 4pc kit - the idea is to allow myself to be able to play on any kit in the future. I also play on not so good kit in the studio and try to make my drumming sound good on whatever kit I have to play....I only bring my own Cymbals each time.

you are absolutely correct - that I should and I did nowadays listening to many types of songs. I do practice or play along with songs too at times - but there is a great difference playing with songs/CD and Jamming playing with Musicians eg in a Jam. The learning acquire through playing with live-bands are irreplaceable by any CD...unless all bands play exactly like Cover-Band...but in actual fact how many bands can really play cover? - they have to be very very good....so one gets to understand "Feel" through playing with different band...that's how I feel.

I always believed that a Drummer needs a Good Instructor to guide them throughout the 1st few years to get the Basic correct before they can really be on their own oneday and be independent - but this takes at least minimum 3 to 4 years (from my own observation).

Yamaha teaches drumming for a 2 year course - Book 1 & 2 (not beginning, Internediate & Advance)....by the end of 2 years, a student will have to be on their own (they have no more to teach) - Now we all have friends who finished this 2 year course. Tell me honesty - What do you think of their drumming?...Excellent, Good, No-Good....Yes it depends on the students - but most of these are "Very Basic Stuffs" ...not enough to make us an Awesome Drummer..... 2 years of training is not enough at Yamaha - Why????? Because - they don't teach a drummer all the Basic Techniques (which there are many) but just Bass Drum, hats etc - Hand Techniques are taught very little....and to develop that to a level where Strokes are superb take years & years.....but say we don't have an Instructor who teach us to play correctly - 10 years also no use - still crappy, 20 years also no use - still crappy - unless we are playing professionally everyday in a band gigging (we take drumming as our Profession) that's a different story - but how many are professional drummers - but hobbyist here drumming for passion only.

If we don't have a Instructor who is to correct us - when we do something wrong - and worst we didn't know that it's wrong...this becomes a habit....A bad habit

I give a simple example - I look at a note (we all can read notes) eg a Flam - it's ( lR, rL )...simple - everyone can read that - Now to play it and make it sound good - How??? Is it just ( lR, rL ) ...NO because I make that mistake....There is a Technique how to expedite tha using the hands - the hand that is the first to hit (less than an inch to the snare drum) must never never be lift-up but if we ask someone who did not have an instructor to teach them properly - he will lift-up the hand automatically (instinct) and there are reasons why not to - the most important being - not able to play it fast later on smoothly and make it sound good - this I've learn that without an Instructor - I can still do it but will never never improve at a later stage - not forgetting also that alot of other Rudiments uses Flams too..This was my experience - and I see the importance of having an Instructor.

Many of the great Drummers here does have Instructors and they learn not just for 1 or 2 years under the Instructor - it was many many years...

To play Drums It's Easy...To Master it - Wah..Damn Difficult Lah - so I need Instructors.

So I copy lol ! Aiyoh..hehehehe :lol:

 

[weckl-x]

Well, I think a main part of any form of education, boils down to being aware of what your learning styles are. Most of us usually have a dominant one, which function together with a mix of other styles.

"By recognizing and understanding your own learning styles, you can use techniques better suited to you. This improves the speed and quality of your learning."

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/

but if we ask someone who did not have an instructor to teach them properly - he will lift-up the hand automatically

No leh, I know that without ever having an instructor Depends on whether that individual is resourceful enough to search in the right places. Well, technically I had one, Mark Wessels was my virtual teacher through videos on Vic Firth's educational section. :wink:

Eh RD, I envy you, so many bands jio you to play

 

[RudimentalDrummer]

Bro Weckl

Maybe I'm a slower learner I guess - but I really need an Instructor to observe me when I learned. I like Instructors who will eyes on Details, so that he will correct my mistake - when I learn something new - especially my hands. Just this Saturday, I was learning for the 1st-time - BrushWorks from my Sifu....He was telling me again - Hey "Left hand must move in circle - it's not moving smoothly", and "Your right hand lift up a bit ok liao - no need so high".."and "Hey - your finger how come how the brush like that - wrong - like this".....I like Instructors like that eyeing for details on my entire lesson on whatever I learned....cause I do have bad habits many a times....and I like it that way.

To me "Speed" is always secondary as it take time to develop, "Playing It Correctly is 1st Priority". Assumming I can play fast oneday through time & practice (but I got it wrong) - what happens is that - the "Sound" will not be nice - then how can I be Dynamical, forgetting about Musicality side of it in my drumming...unless I get all my Basics right - That's the reason and it's also my beliefs - why an Instructor is very necessary for me here...

Thks Weckl for everything...maybe I'm lucky only as those other bands saw me Jamming for 3 months there, we do talk to each other (as friends) - so they saw my improvement (that doesn't means I am very good) - just being able to Keep Time and it was Dynamical (that's what they say)....I am still learning here...and a very new drummer gaining experience.

 

[kari_convention]

bro RD... i know how u feel. Been in that shoes before. See, ive been playing since i was 16 (in primary school) and from that time until i met my private drum teacher early last year, i think i am just a super beginner drummer. I dont know what the hell is rudiments, single stroke, double stroke, flam, and i dont know how to read as well!

Thank god for meeting us in a gig in my U. After few lesson, I realized i have wasted 7 years just like that. I just realized that I am very very new to drums although I have played more than 5 years and also have played in several gigs in town.

To me, a drummer really need a guidance from an experienced drummer/teacher. Drumming is a very wide and to learn all that, we need someone to teach us one by one. Yes, there's people who can learn by themselves but genius like that is one in million. (at least for drums)