Any other closet drummers in the house?

tjalla · August 26th, 2004, 09:14 AM

I'm sure there something primal in nature that's common to playing a tele.. and playing drums :)

I actually practice drums more than I do guitar these past few weeks/months, cause I find myself progressing faster on the kit. That's not to say i'm much good, but its just easier to improve from "crap-to-not-so-crap" on the drums than it is from "respectable-to-great" on the guitar you know what I mean

Its bad enough I have GAS for guitar gear, but I lust over drums n cymbals too, downloading soundfiles from zildjian, sabian, bosporus websites to hear the differences in cymbals (the old K-type cymbals especially).

I've got a pretty nice setup too - Yamaha Manu Katche Jr kit, the 4-pc with the punchy lil 16" kick. Now i'm looking to change the stock Yamaha heads, prob going with Remo emperors/ambassadors. I'm using a real nice set of Bosphorus Antique/Ferit cymbals (half lathed on top) - 14 hats, 16 & 18" crashes, 21" ride.

If there's anything that feels nicer than playing a thick Texas shuffle on a tele... its playing on the drums. Yea baby!

Who else here is a closet drummer?

Cheers,
Trev

tenstrings · August 26th, 2004, 11:11 AM

me.
I actually play much less drums now than when I was younger. I play pedal steel more than tele and tele more than drums.
I still love them and enjoy thumping them from time to time...
that manu kit is pretty cool. not your run of the mill for sure...
brian

here's mine...

Jakedog · August 26th, 2004, 11:21 AM

Count me in! I bought my four year old a drum kit for Christmas last year, and I've been thumping on it quite a bit when he let's me.

(He has to ask to touch my things, so I show him the same courtesy.)

It ain't nothing fancy like you guys have, but it sounds great. It's an old vintage Pearl kit I bought from my drummer, I'd really like to get some better cymbals, but they cost big bucks, so the Sabian B8's will do for now.

Jake

trag-o-caster · August 26th, 2004, 11:32 AM

Me

If you ever heard my stuff at soundclick.com, then chances are you've heard my drumming (on two song: "Long, Lonely Nights, and "All I've Got To Say About Love"). That's only because there were no "REAL" drummers available that day, and I wanted to replace the cheezy drum machine track.

I like to sit in on drums sometimes, when I hit the jam nights, but only when the REALLY good drummers haven't come in yet. I think I may have even played drums behind Larry McCray once or twice on these jam nights

I'm actually quite bad! I won't even use ME for my own recordings unless I absolutely HAVE to! What makes it even worse is that I actually knew how to play basic beats on a drum kit BEFORE I ever learned any proper chords on the guitar. I always wanted to be a drummer until Jeff Beck's "Truth" came out. That changed my mind. My drumming chops seems to have been frozen when I hit 8 years old!

Tylercaster · August 26th, 2004, 11:50 AM

Being that my dad played, I started off on drums. Actually I can't remember not being able to play the drums. But a trip to Graceland convinced me that holding a guitar was something to try. I play drums mostly in studio sessions. Once in a while I'll get a call to play live.

Joel Terry · August 26th, 2004, 01:15 PM

so, I picked up a little bit of drumming through sheer osmosis. However, the knowledge gained through my big and li'l bro's drumming has been far more beneficial to my ability to program an Alesis SR-16 drum machine to sound decently realistic than it has been to my actual drumming abilities. I wouldn't call myself even a passable drummer by any means. :?

Joel

Horrorshow · August 26th, 2004, 01:43 PM

Although I've been a guitarist for many years, I'm actually thinking seriously about buying a set of drums. Like many other guitarists who've spent years in bands, especially those such as I whose house we used quite often, when a set was left there by the band drummer I often played around on it. I'm actually a fairly decent drummer now because of it, too.

tjalla · August 26th, 2004, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenstrings

here's mine...

*drool*

Our band's first drummer had a pearl DW too... real nice. That's ride of yours is low and real close tho!. Do ya play with a drumstick tied to your knee?

I'm hoping that playing more on the kit will help to better my time, which in theory should help my guitar playing. In theory.

Trev

BB · August 26th, 2004, 03:50 PM

Although I'm not very good, ( I can keep a blues shuffle going, but that's about it ) I do love to sit down behind a set of drums and play. I prefer playing in a band setting rather than by myself, as a drummer doing the solo thing can get very annoying! Trev, you're correct on the primal thing.......that cave man instinct to beat on something, plus it's agreat way to rid yourself of stress and frustrations.

The only bad thing about being a closet drummer is the closet is the only place they'll allow me to play!

From 85 to 90, I played in a power trio. The drummer
also played pretty good guitar and the bass player was a fairly good drummer. On several songs, we would switch and I'd play bass, the bass player would move to drums and the drummer to guitar. We would also do a few Hendrix tunes ( Red House, Little Wing, Wind Cries Mary )where I'd move to drums and let the drummer have his fun since he was a stone Hendrix freak.

I know several excellent guitarists that are very good drummers. I'm just not one of them!

Rob Rent · August 27th, 2004, 07:24 AM

My Dad took me to New York to see Gene Krupa when I was a little kid....he even let me stay up late to watch the "Gene Krupa Story" movie on the late show back when I was in th 3rd grade....I got a set of drums for Christmas that year and began taking lessons...for the next nine years I took lessons and practiced and studied and listened...then I met Chuck Williams...voted "Most Popular" 2 years in a row at school and I'm completely persuaded that most of it was because he played guitar and sang....He's one of those guys you hate because he had a natural gift and was just as good at 17 as he is today at 50 after playing professionally for all this time....I got a guitar and after playing in a duo with Chuck for a little while I discovered that somehow girls liked guitar players better than drummers (maybe they did...maybe they didn't but that's how I felt)PLUS you needed someone's parents' station wagon to haul drums....You could take a bus with your guitar!...Somehow I seemed to get further with the guitar than the drums...band after band.....lot's of gigs and I had the extreme good fortune to meet, develop friendships with and sometimes even play with some really good players.
About 7 years ago I needed a drummer and couldn't find one worth a damn...and a lot of the guitar guys I know said that if I EVER find a good, solid and responible drummer...get his number for them....I was returning some tapes to a bar owner friend of mine one night, when the drummer for an ad hoc blues band didn't show up...and on some goofy dare I sat in....I played the whole night and ended up buying a cheap set of Pearl "Export" drums and some used cymbals and started screwing around (having not held sticks for almost 30 years) playing along with cds in my headphones locked away in my basement...then I hired a teacher...and now I get as much work as I want playing drums....I'm a much better drummer than I've ever been a guitarist....and about 4 years ago I bought a set of mid 40s Slingerland "Radio Kings" with 2 floor toms and a 28" bass drum just like both Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa used way back when....

Rob Rent · August 27th, 2004, 07:28 AM

I think what makes me a good drummer is that I've been a sideman as well as frontman and bandleader and I know all the reasons that I would hire someone as well as fire someone and I try to play like the kind of drummer I would look forward to playing with.
I apologize for hogging the thread...

trag-o-caster · August 27th, 2004, 09:36 AM

Rob - that's funny! You just made me think of all the times that I'd be playing drums and thinking to myself "Boy, if I were on guitar right now, and heard THAT coming out of the drummer, I'd be REAL :evil: "

holndav · August 27th, 2004, 10:03 AM

No! and don't ask again...

But seriously, I have been trying to play a little drums at my father-in-law's place. He has a jam room with a kit set-up and it is fun to play even if I can't do more than two things at once (how do drummers do four things at once? Never mind...just thinking about that question explains a lot).

I've also been plunking around on his Fender Jazz bass.

8)

David

tjalla · August 27th, 2004, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Rent

I think what makes me a good drummer is that I've been a sideman as well as frontman and bandleader and I know all the reasons that I would hire someone as well as fire someone and I try to play like the kind of drummer I would look forward to playing with.

You couldn't have summed it up better... I'm constantly thinking of how *I* would want the drums to sound from a frontman's/bandleader's point of view - as right now that's exactly what I do for a living, and good, solid and responsible drummers are few and far between.

Hmmm... now there's inspiration to keep working on my playing. I can definitely see why you'd get more work as a drummer - guitarists are always in oversupply (chick factor from our younger days I suppose!), and drummers/bassists are always wanted in musicians classifieds.

Great story, and that 28" kick must KILL! I can't even imagine it looking at my 16"

Trev

hippietim · August 28th, 2004, 12:45 AM

I love to beat on the drums. I'm not good but I have fun. I've had an electronic kit for a while. Our new house is much larger so I'll be picking up an acoustic set. My wife said she was interested in learning the drums - so the GAS will be her fault.

tjalla · August 29th, 2004, 08:10 PM

For me, I dig the shuffle playin' of George Rains (Jimmie Vaughan) and the ol' jump-era BB King players (unknowns). That, and the funk of Clyde Stubblefield & Jabo Starks (James Brown) Raymond Weber (Harry Connick Jr) and Joseph "Zigaboo" Modaliste (Meters).

Oh, Steve Ferrone w/AWB and on Clapton's 24-nights and Marty Binder on Albert Collins w/Icebreakers "Live 92-93"

I'll go out on a limb here and say that I just don't get Steve Gadd who's usually a fave of many drummers... but I do need to listen to him more.

August 26th, 2004, 09:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
tjalla Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,812 7 Photos	Any other closet drummers in the house? I'm sure there something primal in nature that's common to playing a tele.. and playing drums :) I actually practice drums more than I do guitar these past few weeks/months, cause I find myself progressing faster on the kit. That's not to say i'm much good, but its just easier to improve from "crap-to-not-so-crap" on the drums than it is from "respectable-to-great" on the guitar you know what I mean Its bad enough I have GAS for guitar gear, but I lust over drums n cymbals too, downloading soundfiles from zildjian, sabian, bosporus websites to hear the differences in cymbals (the old K-type cymbals especially). I've got a pretty nice setup too - Yamaha Manu Katche Jr kit, the 4-pc with the punchy lil 16" kick. Now i'm looking to change the stock Yamaha heads, prob going with Remo emperors/ambassadors. I'm using a real nice set of Bosphorus Antique/Ferit cymbals (half lathed on top) - 14 hats, 16 & 18" crashes, 21" ride. If there's anything that feels nicer than playing a thick Texas shuffle on a tele... its playing on the drums. Yea baby! Who else here is a closet drummer? Cheers, Trev

August 26th, 2004, 11:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
tenstrings Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: seattle Posts: 238 1 Photos	me. I actually play much less drums now than when I was younger. I play pedal steel more than tele and tele more than drums. I still love them and enjoy thumping them from time to time... that manu kit is pretty cool. not your run of the mill for sure... brian here's mine... __________________ "all that racket from wood and wire"

August 26th, 2004, 11:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
Jakedog Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cleveland,OH But my heart's still in TE Posts: 2,974	Count me in! I bought my four year old a drum kit for Christmas last year, and I've been thumping on it quite a bit when he let's me. (He has to ask to touch my things, so I show him the same courtesy.) It ain't nothing fancy like you guys have, but it sounds great. It's an old vintage Pearl kit I bought from my drummer, I'd really like to get some better cymbals, but they cost big bucks, so the Sabian B8's will do for now. Jake __________________ "Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him..."

August 26th, 2004, 11:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
trag-o-caster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flushing, Michigan Posts: 4,498	Me If you ever heard my stuff at soundclick.com, then chances are you've heard my drumming (on two song: "Long, Lonely Nights, and "All I've Got To Say About Love"). That's only because there were no "REAL" drummers available that day, and I wanted to replace the cheezy drum machine track. I like to sit in on drums sometimes, when I hit the jam nights, but only when the REALLY good drummers haven't come in yet. I think I may have even played drums behind Larry McCray once or twice on these jam nights I'm actually quite bad! I won't even use ME for my own recordings unless I absolutely HAVE to! What makes it even worse is that I actually knew how to play basic beats on a drum kit BEFORE I ever learned any proper chords on the guitar. I always wanted to be a drummer until Jeff Beck's "Truth" came out. That changed my mind. My drumming chops seems to have been frozen when I hit 8 years old! __________________ Timothy Jon Lamb

August 26th, 2004, 11:50 AM	#5 (permalink)
Tylercaster Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Mississippi Age: 30 Posts: 378	I raise my sticks as well.. Being that my dad played, I started off on drums. Actually I can't remember not being able to play the drums. But a trip to Graceland convinced me that holding a guitar was something to try. I play drums mostly in studio sessions. Once in a while I'll get a call to play live. __________________ Psalm 33:3 - Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to Him!

August 26th, 2004, 01:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
Joel Terry Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Old Hickory (Nashville), Tennessee, USA Age: 40 Posts: 4,405 17 Photos	Both my older brother and younger brother are drummers so, I picked up a little bit of drumming through sheer osmosis. However, the knowledge gained through my big and li'l bro's drumming has been far more beneficial to my ability to program an Alesis SR-16 drum machine to sound decently realistic than it has been to my actual drumming abilities. I wouldn't call myself even a passable drummer by any means. :? Joel __________________ Jesus saves--and He passes the savings on to YOU! ASPCA "Well...."

August 26th, 2004, 01:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
Horrorshow Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 227	Although I've been a guitarist for many years, I'm actually thinking seriously about buying a set of drums. Like many other guitarists who've spent years in bands, especially those such as I whose house we used quite often, when a set was left there by the band drummer I often played around on it. I'm actually a fairly decent drummer now because of it, too.

August 26th, 2004, 03:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
BB Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Pacific NW Age: 53 Posts: 3,105	Although I'm not very good, ( I can keep a blues shuffle going, but that's about it ) I do love to sit down behind a set of drums and play. I prefer playing in a band setting rather than by myself, as a drummer doing the solo thing can get very annoying! Trev, you're correct on the primal thing.......that cave man instinct to beat on something, plus it's agreat way to rid yourself of stress and frustrations. The only bad thing about being a closet drummer is the closet is the only place they'll allow me to play! From 85 to 90, I played in a power trio. The drummer also played pretty good guitar and the bass player was a fairly good drummer. On several songs, we would switch and I'd play bass, the bass player would move to drums and the drummer to guitar. We would also do a few Hendrix tunes ( Red House, Little Wing, Wind Cries Mary )where I'd move to drums and let the drummer have his fun since he was a stone Hendrix freak. I know several excellent guitarists that are very good drummers. I'm just not one of them!

August 27th, 2004, 07:24 AM	#10 (permalink)
Rob Rent Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Baltimore Maryland Posts: 393	I'm an OUT of the closet drummer My Dad took me to New York to see Gene Krupa when I was a little kid....he even let me stay up late to watch the "Gene Krupa Story" movie on the late show back when I was in th 3rd grade....I got a set of drums for Christmas that year and began taking lessons...for the next nine years I took lessons and practiced and studied and listened...then I met Chuck Williams...voted "Most Popular" 2 years in a row at school and I'm completely persuaded that most of it was because he played guitar and sang....He's one of those guys you hate because he had a natural gift and was just as good at 17 as he is today at 50 after playing professionally for all this time....I got a guitar and after playing in a duo with Chuck for a little while I discovered that somehow girls liked guitar players better than drummers (maybe they did...maybe they didn't but that's how I felt)PLUS you needed someone's parents' station wagon to haul drums....You could take a bus with your guitar!...Somehow I seemed to get further with the guitar than the drums...band after band.....lot's of gigs and I had the extreme good fortune to meet, develop friendships with and sometimes even play with some really good players. About 7 years ago I needed a drummer and couldn't find one worth a damn...and a lot of the guitar guys I know said that if I EVER find a good, solid and responible drummer...get his number for them....I was returning some tapes to a bar owner friend of mine one night, when the drummer for an ad hoc blues band didn't show up...and on some goofy dare I sat in....I played the whole night and ended up buying a cheap set of Pearl "Export" drums and some used cymbals and started screwing around (having not held sticks for almost 30 years) playing along with cds in my headphones locked away in my basement...then I hired a teacher...and now I get as much work as I want playing drums....I'm a much better drummer than I've ever been a guitarist....and about 4 years ago I bought a set of mid 40s Slingerland "Radio Kings" with 2 floor toms and a 28" bass drum just like both Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa used way back when.... __________________ A lot of what these guys play might not be blues........but it sure makes me sad to listen to it.

August 27th, 2004, 07:28 AM	#11 (permalink)
Rob Rent Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Baltimore Maryland Posts: 393	one more thing I think what makes me a good drummer is that I've been a sideman as well as frontman and bandleader and I know all the reasons that I would hire someone as well as fire someone and I try to play like the kind of drummer I would look forward to playing with. I apologize for hogging the thread... __________________ A lot of what these guys play might not be blues........but it sure makes me sad to listen to it.

August 27th, 2004, 09:36 AM	#12 (permalink)
trag-o-caster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Flushing, Michigan Posts: 4,498	Rob - that's funny! You just made me think of all the times that I'd be playing drums and thinking to myself "Boy, if I were on guitar right now, and heard THAT coming out of the drummer, I'd be REAL :evil: " __________________ Timothy Jon Lamb

August 27th, 2004, 10:03 AM	#13 (permalink)
holndav Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tampa FL Posts: 1,269 44 Photos	NO! No! and don't ask again... But seriously, I have been trying to play a little drums at my father-in-law's place. He has a jam room with a kit set-up and it is fun to play even if I can't do more than two things at once (how do drummers do four things at once? Never mind...just thinking about that question explains a lot). I've also been plunking around on his Fender Jazz bass. 8) David __________________ "If we can't be free at least we can be cheap". FZ

August 28th, 2004, 12:45 AM	#15 (permalink)
hippietim Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Raleigh Posts: 2,097	I love to beat on the drums. I'm not good but I have fun. I've had an electronic kit for a while. Our new house is much larger so I'll be picking up an acoustic set. My wife said she was interested in learning the drums - so the GAS will be her fault.

August 29th, 2004, 08:10 PM	#16 (permalink)
tjalla Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,812 7 Photos	Favourite drummers? For me, I dig the shuffle playin' of George Rains (Jimmie Vaughan) and the ol' jump-era BB King players (unknowns). That, and the funk of Clyde Stubblefield & Jabo Starks (James Brown) Raymond Weber (Harry Connick Jr) and Joseph "Zigaboo" Modaliste (Meters). Oh, Steve Ferrone w/AWB and on Clapton's 24-nights and Marty Binder on Albert Collins w/Icebreakers "Live 92-93" I'll go out on a limb here and say that I just don't get Steve Gadd who's usually a fave of many drummers... but I do need to listen to him more.