Hmm... few general questions.

Hey. I'm new to this list, and relatively new to drumming as well. Right now I'm 15 and in a band with three other people, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and bass/vocals. I've been playing the longest out of them (a whopping four months) and recieved an almost complete kit for my birthday. It only has one cymbal, unfortunately. But my dad was a drummer, and still has his old kit (a transparent yellow special edition John Bonham thing. He said it was worth $6,000.) and he let me borrow a 21' Zildjian crash and the hi-hat.

Anyway, my questions. First off, my aspiration is to become like the drummer for Spinal Tap (even though they don't actually exist), and I've attempted to play the song 'Big Bottom'. But the drum solo intro at the beginning doesn't sound right! Anyone who's heard this song, can you help? I'm playing the bass, snare, and low tom-tom simultaneously for the steady beat. Also, is the background tom in the intro played with one arm or both?

Nextily, I can't make my fills (sp?) sound right. I can't seem to blend them from the beat to the fill and back to the beat. I am right handed and playing the hi-hat with the right arm and the snare with the left.

Thirdly, I also write about 90% of the lyrics for my band, but I need to write the music to go with it. I found this out the hard way when the lead singer sang one of heavy metal songs like rap. I hated it. Can anyone suggest a site where I can learn how to read and write drum, guitar, and bass guitar music?

Fourthly, anybody have any other general tips for drumming they can offer?

My dad, a former drummer, said I was too old to start drumming, but I watched a documentary about Keith Moon. He started drumming at the same age I did. That's inspiring.

Sounds like he has Ludwig Vistalites. If they are original and in good shape, they can get up there in price.

Sorry, haven't heard the song.

Sounds like a timing thing. Work with simple fills, just quarter notes. Then gradually use 8th notes, 16th notes, etc. Also, start at a slow tempo.

Take music lessons for at least one instrument. If you wanna learn guitar stuff, buy a guitar. Get some instructional books.

Play with other musicians. (Not like that you pervert!!!) Learn some theory. Learn a melodic (as opposed to a rythmic) instrument. Piano would be cool cuz it's lotsa theory plus u learn treble and bass clef. And practice. A lot. Everyday. A subscription to Modern Drummer would help. Call companies and ask them for literature about their products. Learn about the gear.

Bah! I started drumming at 16, moving over from guitar. And, I have to say, I think I've progressed nicely. I'm 18 now, btw.

***************************************** strat81 Rich '99 SL1

'Just because I wore a pink shirt doesn't mean I'm some kind of pink doughnut eater!'

Too old to start drumming? That's a bunch of crap, but I'm curious as to how old you are. I didn't start drumming on a regular basis until I was 16 (I'm 17 now). Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney didn't start until she was 22 and she's really good!

Sounds about right. They're 30+ years old, and he has a Rogers bass-pedal for it.

Maybe you should. I was actually hoping somebody would have picked it up off of Napster or something and could help me...

See, I don't know how to read drum music, so I'm not sure exactly how I would do that... unless you're suggesting regular music?

I can play at a pretty slow tempo right now. I usually practice my fills using an 'AC/DC' beat, if you know what I mean.

Lessons are rather expensive if you're not going to be playing that instrument, isn't it? I could get some books... I'm sure I could find someone I could at least borrow a guitar from...

Hey, I'm still a minor. Can't do that kind of stuff.

What do you mean by 'theory'? My grandmother has a really old Hammond keyboard/electric-organ thing. Anybody know of a program I can hook up to my computer so I can play the keyboard like a piano?

I practice at least a half hour a day, sometimes more, and longer when I have other musicians over.

Oh, I should mention, I have taken an 'Intro to Music' class in high school. I know about what the notes are, but I still don't remember the letters.

Oh, good. So by the time I'm 18, I should be better than you are now, eh?

I started drumming four months ago, and just had my fifteenth birthday (or will have, on April 29th, but I'll be out of town.).

All music looks the same, more or less, written out. It's written on a 5 line, 4 space staff. Different symbols are used to denote how long a certain sound should last and the placement of that symbol on the staff determines the pitch (or in the case of drum music, the piece of the kit). Have you thought about joining the school band?

Heh, I love AC/DC. 'Back in Black' is one of my favorite albums. As simple as the drumming is, it rocks, and it's great to start out on.

True, but if you're gonna be a drummer (primarily), take drum lessons. Instructional books are cheap. My guitar book, (Mel Bay Guitar Method Grade 1) was 5 bucks, my bass book (Mel Bay Electric Bass Method, Grade 1) was 5 bucks, and my drum book (Realistic Rock by Carmine Appice), was 20 bucks cuz it came with a CD of the lessons.

Music theory is stuff like scales, arpeggios, chords, keys, etc. Instructional books talk about that stuff, at least guitar, piano, and bass books do.

A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. B and E have no sharps, F and C have no flats.

Unlikely. I am a drum gawd. =)

***************************************** strat81 Rich '99 SL1

'Just because I wore a pink shirt doesn't mean I'm some kind of pink doughnut eater!'

I didn't get my first starter kit until I was out of High School... I was 19 when I first started learning... I was gigging and recording by 22.

It's NEVER too late...

Well, I'm pretty familiar with regular music... Almost everyday I fiddle around in my MIDI program and make up little drum rhythms.

I'd join the band, but... there's really no place in there for a rock drummer. That and they already have one.

Oh, no doubts about it. I like AC/DC too. But the drumming is rather simple, but good.

You know, I had originally planned not to take lessons, but I might reconsider it...

Don't know that appregio means, but I know what a chord is. Yes, I know most of that, although I don't remember some of it.

The tricky part for me is remembering which line and space it is.

Gawd, whazzat? Fake god?

Don't join to play rock. Join to learn theory. Then beat up the tuba player.

As long as it rocks, it's fine by me.

Consider it seriously. A good teacher can help tons.

An arpeggio is kinda like a chord but the notes are played one at a time, more or less.

If it's treble clef (which is what guitar music is written in), the lines are EGBDF, from bottom to top. Remember it as 'Every Good Boy Does Fine.' The spaces are FACE, from bottom to top. Remember it as, um, 'Face.'

Bingo.

***************************************** strat81 Rich '99 SL1

'Just because I wore a pink shirt doesn't mean I'm some kind of pink doughnut eater!'

Johann Sebastian Bach may disagree. All notes can have sharps and flats and even double sharps and double flats - it's all to do with keys.

I think he means there are no sharp or flat keys for those particular notes on a piano.