hi. i want to know a few tips and advices for getting started with drums.
1.i need to find just about the cheapest,yet decent drums around(help romanian metalstormers! )
2.what is the basic gear?(i.e.1 bass drum,1 low tom,etc.)
3.(again, for romanian metalstormers)can you reccomend me some good places and/or teachers to begin with?
4.should i get 1 or 2 bass drums?(knowing that i like power metal,and want to play it)
5.feel free also to discuss drum issues and troubles here,but don't ignore my distress!!

1. the ludwing drums have a cheap percussion kit ask for it, or try the powerbeat drums ($600 dollars)
2. the basic gear is: the snare, high, low and floor tom, hit-hats, cymbal and bass drum
4. You can have only one bass drum and add it two pedals, they go in the hit hat pedal instead...well iput that there.

is hard to begin the drums, but in metal i can recommend the mike portnoy video Drumavarium

Cheap drum brand: Active Silver
Decent cheap drum brand: DB Percussion

About the two bass drums-i've been playing drums for two years(double bass for 4-5 months) and can barely play "We will Rise" from Arch Enemy! At first you should just worry about keeping the rhythm and later on you can start wit double bass, therefore one bass drum should do! By the way Kratos' drummer is pretty impressive-never new Romanians had that much talent!

dammit you said that and it kind of ignited a lightbulb in my head what genre are they?since they aren't on ms...

Written by Remus on 07.07.2006 at 00:25

Cheap drum brand: Active Silver
Decent cheap drum brand: DB Percussion

About the two bass drums-i've been playing drums for two years(double bass for 4-5 months) and can barely play "We will Rise" from Arch Enemy! At first you should just worry about keeping the rhythm and later on you can start wit double bass, therefore one bass drum should do! By the way Kratos' drummer is pretty impressive-never new Romanians had that much talent!

Well, I talked to my friend who is an EXCELLENT drummer [ability well beyond his years] and he tells me the speed in which the double bass goes in 'We Will Rise' is reallllly awkward. So I guess that song in particular is tough for a lot of people.

Written by Guest on 09.07.2006 at 06:46

Well, I talked to my friend who is an EXCELLENT drummer [ability well beyond his years] and he tells me the speed in which the double bass goes in 'We Will Rise' is reallllly awkward. So I guess that song in particular is tough for a lot of people.

Well the "I am the enemy part" is rather unorthodox but the rest of the song is pretty standard technical stuff. My first double-bass song was Pull harder on the strings of your martyr from Trivium(wich i don't like at all but the rest of the band wanted to cover it) and then went on to we will rise as it is one of Daniel's easier songs! Sticking to the topic, two bass drums aren't necessary when you are a rookie!

Written by Valentin B on 07.07.2006 at 13:35

dammit you said that and it kind of ignited a lightbulb in my head what genre are they?since they aren't on ms...

Don't know. I downloaded three songs from their website so i can't really tell but it sounds like a mix of Black and Symphonic. The girl singer could do better though in "Reverse Effect"-it sounds like she isn't even breaking a sweat! They remind me Children of Bodom! How is it going with your drum purchase?

well,i'm actually saving up-don't know for what,guitar,bass,drum..keyboard?i really want to get a "electric" instrument...:D

Well, if you're looking to be in a band or something...I'd go with drums. Quicker to learn and whatnot...and ALWAYS in demand. If I had the space and time I would definitely pick up the drums, and make it my main instrument, but i don't.

Oh yeah...next to singers, drummers get all the chicks!

and what about the guitarists??!
also i noticed the bassists *ALWAYS* get fired first,unless he's a fantastic one i.e. steve harris(the only surviving member of maiden since 75)

Since this is the "Drum Help" forum i need some advice from advanced drummers. As i said i started playing double-bass a couple of months ago and i am getting better but still i have a question: does the way your pedal is set-up affect your speed? I have an Iron Cobra twin pedal and i tightened the springs as much as possible to get better rebound and so greater speed. But since it's a double pedal do you lose power through the rod which connects the left pedal to the left beater? And if this is so is it advised to tighten the left spring more than the right one in order to balance things out? Or should both left and right springs be tightened the same way?

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1.i need to find just about the cheapest,yet decent drums around(help romanian metalstormers! )

If you can afford it, go for a "name" brand. The build quality of the generic kits is generally not good, they tend to sound shitty and can't be tuned easily (less lugs). Consider buying a second hand kit but, if you can, take along someone who knows a bit about drums with you. You don't want to get a duff kit for a large price. Examples of "name" brands are Pearl, Premier, Tama, Mapex, Ludwig, Sonor, Yamaha, Drum Workshop, Pacific (PDP) and Gretsch. You'll be able to get a decent sound out of any kit manufactured by these companies, but bear in mind that you really get what you pay for. A common starter's kit is a Pearl Export.

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2.what is the basic gear?(i.e.1 bass drum,1 low tom,etc.)

Generally a basic kit comprises of five drums: snare drum, bass drum, two rack toms (tom-toms) and a floor tom. Usually a set of hihats controlled with the left foot, a crash cymbal (usually 16" on beginner kits) and a larger ride cymbal (often 18" or 20"). The number of drums determine how many "piece" it is, so a five-piece kit will comprise of five drums.

The three MOST IMPORTANT instruments in the kit are the hihat, the snare and the bass drum. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A good drum stool and bass drum pedal are also important.

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3.(again, for romanian metalstormers)can you reccomend me some good places and/or teachers to begin with?

Left to the Romanians :>

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4.should i get 1 or 2 bass drums?(knowing that i like power metal,and want to play it)

Get one. Two bass drums are a pain to carry around, a pain to store, a pain to tune and just generally irritating. Getting a decent double kick pedal will save you a lot of hassle.

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5.feel free also to discuss drum issues and troubles here,but don't ignore my distress!!

I need more snare drums :>

I need any tips I can get for double bass. Any whatsoever. Seriously, I bought my double kick and have no clue how to use it correctly, I need methods, proper set-up instructions etc etc.

Hmmmm... Christos seems to know his shit when it comes to drums so maybe he has some hints for you! But playing heel up will increase your speed. Having said that playing heel down improves your technique. S5tart slow till you get the beats solid and then slowly increase speed.

hey i´m from estonia, and i could use some advice. Which drums should I buy ? Price would bee 8000 to 9000 EEK. Thanks

Written by Doc G. on 08.03.2007 at 04:18

I need any tips I can get for double bass. Any whatsoever. Seriously, I bought my double kick and have no clue how to use it correctly, I need methods, proper set-up instructions etc etc.

I'll get back to you with some more detailed suggestions, maybe some exercises, at some point, but for now I would suggest playing heel-down as much as you can. I find it REALLY helps build technique and control and, in the long run, speed, since you will most likely use a similar motion when playing very fast tempi - even if playing heel-up.

Concentrate on the ACCURACY of your bass drum strokes, make sure everything is together and even. If you're hoping to build up some fast single stroke rolls, I would suggest playing contant 8th or 16th note patterns on the bass drum, keeping hihat playing 8th notes and snare drum on 2+4. Start VERY slowly, 60bpm or so, play heel-down and concentrate. I find double bass takes a long time to "come", but it will if you keep attacking it.

I also like to practice short runs of strokes (2-6) that can really add excitement to a fill or groove.

LISTEN - find a band whose drummer you like and absorb everything you can. Try and work out what they're doing, write down their fills, steal their ideas.

With reference to the setup, I sit on my drum stool and wherever my two feet feel comfortable, that's where I put my double pedal. I tension them almost as loose as they will go - but you may find it better to start somewhere in the middle and then decide whether to tighten or loosen the springs. When I play heel-up (which is most of the time - although I PRACTICE using heel-down a lot) I have the ball of my foot about half way down the footboard. You'll find a spot that feels better than everywhere else - that's called your "sweet spot".

Start slow, concentrate, don't get frustrated. Keep practicing!

[edit - there's also a couple of OK books on double bass playing. The Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming by Michael Rondinelli and Double Bass Drumming by Joe Franco (I think). Like I said, they're OK, and should at least be a start.]

Written by Doc G. on 08.03.2007 at 04:18

I need any tips I can get for double bass. Any whatsoever. Seriously, I bought my double kick and have no clue how to use it correctly, I need methods, proper set-up instructions etc etc.

start with patterns, always makes it easier, and eventually, go into constant 16th note double bass, that's the hardest part, but once you get it, it's all easy.

Lately when I've been playing I feel really stiff, and uncomfortable. It's making my fills that used to be easy really sloppy. Any suggestions on any techniques to help this?

Written by Doc G. on 08.03.2007 at 04:18

I need any tips I can get for double bass. Any whatsoever. Seriously, I bought my double kick and have no clue how to use it correctly, I need methods, proper set-up instructions etc etc.

Christos already gave you some great tips, but another thing to remember is to relax and figure out when to use your legs and when to use your ankles. At slower speeds it's easier to move your whole leg as you get more power and consistency, but at higher speeds you'll need a different technique: the movement should come from your ankle. Once you get used to relaxing your ankles you'll find you can play really fast really easily.

Christos said it best. Definitely stick with a name brand, even if it's one of the cheaper models. Again as Christos said, two rack toms, one floor tom, one bass drum, a snare and hats. For cymbals you can pick up a Wuhan china and splash for really cheap and they sound great, other than that get a 16" or 17" crash, maybe even a ride cymbal but I find having a few crashes for some diversity works just as well since you can always use the ride off one of them. Ah, and some decent skins can go a long way, they can really make or break a drum set's sound.

Damn I miss my kit.