rainedrops:
You should ask your Instructor those questions (no need to be shy one)...because different instructor will have it's own way of grooming their drum students....they know best as they watch & listen to your playing.
Ask him in your next Drum Lesson. It is natural especially when a person is totally new to drumming (there is alot of things to catch-up)..but do have patient.
I myself has only been truly learning drums for 8 months actually (truly playing & practicing)...and honestly I still have problem with my grip...especially doing Rudiments with my Left-Hand (my greatest weakness).
Just to share my learning experience with you a little here. I realise Instructors does really have their ways to groom a student...They won't teach us everything at one go...I don't know how to clearly explain that well here...but it like:- They have a methodological step by step process
When I 1st started to learn Rim-Shots Accenting.
(1) My Instructor never teach me to do a perfect Rim-Shot (that was not his objective for that time)...cause I already had difficult not missing a Rim-Shot...so while I practice - naturally I tend to hit very hard, trying my very best not to miss a shot....He didn't say anything - just tell me to practice hard on it...and so I did.
(2) After about 2 months, I am very happy, cause I got it, I never miss - I thought I was good. Then he tells me - I should control my sticks (sticks must be same height so I get a balance sound - meaning not too loud, not too soft)..so that it will sound better.....I went home practicing...and find that I back to square one - cause it's tough...I cannot play fast but so slow now...and I miss some Rim-Shot again....I practice again...hard
(3) After a couple of months...I feel good, cause I finally got it - then I show him again....he tells me...carry on practicing like that. But then I ask him to show me again and I realise...that my rim-shot doesn't sound like his (far away)..so I asked "WHY HAR?"...He told me the reason why & above all he smile & showed me....finally I got it....at least quite close
(4) I went home as usual did the practice...Got the sound (close but not perfect)...but still lack the speed now.
(5) All the above took me months, where I had to be nutured progressively month by months...thinking back - I believed if it was all given to me at one go - I wouldn't be able to do it - Instructors does knows best what to do.
(6) Later - I was doing these Rim-Shots things around my Toms - then again (when I thought I was that good - my heart sank)....The Ghosting part moving around on the toms was a failure by me (it was tough)...again I have to practice hard....then comes doubling up all my un-accented strokes.....and it is here - he told me - Practice all these 16th notes accenting till "It's in the Pocket - meaning I don't have to think about it - it becomes 2nd Nature in me"...and I will be able to play this any where around the Kit, without even counting - (This I'm able to do now)
It is through learning that I benefitted and realise a truth about Drumming -that's it is not as easy as I initially thought Drumming is - and it is this realisation that push me to work harder on it.
As I mentioned - (I -can't explain well)..but above is an example of the process I had to go through eg In Just Learning Accenting. It goes to say - It's a long Journey...you must be patient, have preserverence - and you'll find yourself improving after sometime....This goes with some other Basic Techniques eg. (Right/Left Foot Tecniques or hand techniques)....
Ask your instructor - He must have plan everything for you in your progress towards drumming.
And you're definetely right, asking these "Basics In Drumming" - drumming does sound better & grooves above all getting these basics correct.. It is a pre-requsite to good drumming at a later stage...you're on your way - and Happy Drumming.
