Anyone's DC's have drum lessons?

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

DD is nearly 9 and is starting next week.

I was wondering how long (roughly) before she gets to a stage where she is capable of practising on her own(I don't drum) and hopefully cut the lessons down a bit.

My DH has given drum lessons to children of this age and he provides them with homework on basic techniques from the start. She wouldn't need kit at home, just a pair of sticks, I believe.

So a half-hour lesson once a week might be enough - I'll ask him and get back to you if I can.

Hope she enjoys it!

I started playing the drums about 11. I never had a drum kit at home, just sticks, and I was told to practice on a tape box. As that was also good for making sure you could hit in a small area, if you know what i mean.

I had lessons for half an hour every week, and then did practice at home

Thanks both of you for that. Interesting that a drum kit isn't necessary, I was assuming it would be after a while and that we'd need to get one.

Space is a bit of an issue so we'd been looking at electronic kits, but then they're £££££.

Fotheringhay - could you please ask your DH if he thinks something like this would be of any use for maybe the first 6 months while we make sure she's goingto stick with it. I'm worried about spending £600 on somethingthat takes up half the living room and then doesn't get used so this may be a good option for a while instead of a proper kit.

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5400148/Trail/searchtext%3EDRUM.htm

Yes I'll certainly ask him - he's on tour at the moment so I'll email him.

Thankyou. Sounds very exciting being on tour. Is he with anyone famous?

I'm also finding this interesting. Dd has been harping on about percussion for years but I turn a very deaf ear to it. However if they just need sticks to practice at home , I might consider it after all

He's touring with a famous-ish French musician. Will be home by Christmas, luckily.

I spoke to him earlier and he said he'd reply soon.

Personally I think drumming is great for releasing pent-up emotions. Our (future) dcs will definitely be encouraged in that direction!

I started percussion lessons when I was about 9 years old. I had them during school time and basically just had the sticks and that was it. At first it's about learning the techniques which you don't actually need a drum for so much.

Once I went to senior school (11) they had a full kit and I learnt on that. I was also allowed to use it during lunch times to practice. I never had a kit at home and I learnt how to play a full kit no problems.

Well DD had her first lesson today and loved it.

Got home to find an email from someone I know saying she is selling her Roland TD6 kit for £500. Which is about what I was expecting to pay for a more basic kit in a few months time.

So I'm thinking about it now - and hastily reading reviews. It looks very nice but I know nothing about them. I hadn't been planning to get a kit so soon but it seems a good opportunity and at least with a 2nd hand kit if she doesn't stick to it then we can sell on for hopefully the same price.

I'm really coming round to this, especially with the releasing pent up emotions bit (not that dd is much into penting them up so far...)

Really didn#t know you could learn without a drum kit. Might let her have a gothen, she has always wanted to learn.

Dh will have a fit

don't know the first thing about drum kits and what they cost stripey. Do you have the teacher's email/phone number? Could you ask him/her?

Her drum teacher also has a shop and he's already told me he doesn't rate Roland kits. Funnily enough he only sells Yamaha. So I don't think I'll get an unbiased opinion.

People on the forums say good things though so I'm going for it.

When I learned to play many moons ago, I only had a practice pad & some sticks. Eventually, I convinced my parents to buy a snare drum. To learn the basic techniques, that's all you really need. The great jazz drummers of the past made fantastic music with just a 3 piece kit. Admittedly, I'm biased against electronic drums since I don't like the sound or feel of them, but you can actually get a real kit in the same amount of space. I once considered buying Arbiter Flats, but I just did a quick search & they don't seem to be around anymore. There's now a kit by Traps which looks the same and is a good price for a beginner. Please please consider that before going electronic.

My DCs play the drums. They started at a saturday morning group where they learnt drumming and other percussion instruments and then went on to do a weeks intensive course over a holiday and really enjoyed it and grew in confidence so much.

We do have a drum kit but it was on special offer (complete kit for less than £200 from a drum shop just recently opened) They have now been drumming for about 18 months and love it. They can play along to a variety of songs and read drumming music well too.

Different teachers seem to have different ways of teaching. A friend's child has been learning for about 2 years but they only play on a snare drum. He enjoys it and loves coming to bash about on our kit!

Oh our drum kit has silencer pads so the practice sessions arent as noisy as you imagine! +

HTH