Take up drums at age 56?

I've never seen Step Brothers. I can only handle Will Ferrell in very small doses.

I can't get the "@" function to work to tag bdp24. But he is a professional drummer and I'm sure my drumming aspirations will sound silly to him. Although I'd be interested in what he has to say about just playing on his own for fun. But I have always felt there is a big difference in doing something professionally verses doing it _just_ for fun. I know when I get home from work doing what I do professionally.....I'm not particularly interested in doing it at home or on the weekend....

As far as having fun, I guess the only way to know is to try it. 

Thanks for all the great replies guys. This really helps. @bdp24 I think probably my biggest hesitation would be that even if I learned to do it I don't have any way to play with other musicians. I don't even know anyone to play with. So while it sounds fun and interesting, it also seems very unlikely. Even getting proficient seems unlikely. So my immediate goal would be some level of basic proficiency and then playing along to music. Who knows where it might go from there.....but probably nowhere.

In regard to what I would like to do, admittedly one thinks of Peart, Moon, Bonham, etc and years ago that's where my fantasy was.

But now I'm actually more tuned into subtle playing. When I listen to music I often focus on drums and it is the subtle and perfectly timed transitions and quiet 'flourishes' that don't intrude into the music that impress me the most. Of course, that sort of thing is probably harder than the crashing solo type performances. My current leanings would be toward retro type R&B and even straight blues....deep blues actually.

I had only slightly entertained the idea of an electric kit. On the one hand an acoustic kit has much more appeal to me but have to admit that an electric kit would be far more practical. Does an electric kit require an amp?

Thanks @jc4659 . Good info.

Today at lunch I made the mistake of going by our local music store. It is not a chain store but is very large and well respected locally.

I went in to get a new harmonica. My previous two had non-functioning reeds.

I got the harmonica. Starting from scratch there. It has been years and even then I was hardly past "Mary Has a Little Lamb."

But right in the doorway was a used electric drum kit by a brand called Alesis, complete, for $450. It looks new. Know nothing about the brand but a cursory look on the web shows they have a wide range of kits, some in the $2500 dollar range. I don’t know what model this used kit was but assuming one of their lower end ones.

The tax man beat me up really bad this year so there is little cash in hand for something this silly. But, I am sorely tempted.

Edit: The model is the DM10. New about $800-1000. Gets widely mixed reviews.

Here is the sort of thing that inspires me to want to play the drums. The Song is "Laughs and Jokes and Drinks and Smokes".

With a cursory listen it might sound like the drummer is playing a very simple repeating pattern but if you listen closely, especially during the instrumental section toward the very end of the song (but all throughout it as well) there are very subtle variations and nuances on the snare and also so fine, sometimes barely audible change ups and flourishes on the cymbals. (I’m sure I have all the terms wrong but you can get my drift.) I’ve linked to song below but not sure you will hear all the nuances in a low res version. This is a wonderful song to highlight a systems chops to, so listen to it even if you don’t give a rip about drums.

https://youtu.be/_zz2j_tCXLE

Anyway, that’s the sort of drumming that gets me going and makes me want to try it. But, sounds like he has 6 arms and three legs so........

Ian Thomas is the drummer. He is credited on Wikipedia but there are no links about him.

@lowrider57 : Correct. There is a brand new Tama set and a Ludwig for about that price. I'm sure they are low end as well but more than enough for a beginner. I'm guessing a better bass pedal and cymbals could improve that if needed over time.

But the sound volume is a big issue and would limit practice time etc whereas an electric kit would not. Trade offs both ways.

@millercarbon, agreed. I've always liked harmonica and my musical interests are heavily blues weighted. There are also amazing harmonica lessons on YouTube for free.

Of course, as inexpensive as harmonica is it does not have to be either or.

I'm going to mention the electric drum kit to my wife tonight. There are two realistic possibilities and one utterly unrealistic possibility. In order of probability: 1. Sour look and then reminding me of our recent tax bill. 2. Thoughtful look as she considers how quiet it would be compared to an acoustic set. 3. Enthusiastic look because she has a thing for drummers.

@jc4659 : Appreciate the offer but I'm way down in South Carolina.

Fortunately I'm probably the least OC member on Audiogon.....in regard to audio anyway. Plenty OCD in other areas. But I prefer CDO.....so that the letters are in alphabetical order.............

I hear that the cymbals on the lower end kits sound like trash can lids.

I think if I decide to go acoustic I will talk to the local guy who refurbishes kits. I think he could get me in the door for around $500 and probably with better gear than a new starter kit.

Excellent references @bdp24 . Fortunately those are many of the people I like to listen to already (without knowing who the specific drummers were).

I think I am very sensitive to timing and rhythm when I listen to it. It seems very common for a lot of rock drummers to play too fast during shows. It rushes the guitarist and the singer and it drives me nuts.

But having a sensitive ear for timing is very different from having it myself. I'm also the type that if I'm going up stairs real fast and think about it....I'll trip.....so will probably be hopeless on drums.

Anyway, here is another example of more simple playing that I'd like to be able to do. This girl was playing drums for Big George Brock, a delta blues man now living in St. Louis. He is in poor health and had to be assisted to his chair but I liked the way the big girl on drums played. This was at the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi earlier this month. It was cold and wet that morning.

https://youtu.be/85TTp3_Htjw

@bigkidz : That Rundgren song is always in my head.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Will have to see if that used electric kit hangs around the music store a little longer. I've pretty much concluded that an acoustic set would be my preference and also the best bang for the buck but would also get used way less due to sound levels. So if that used electric kit is around in a few weeks I might get the nerve to go get it.

I've been practicing on the new harmonica and have found that it is something I can do. In other words, I'm not even playing my way through a song but I can do all the things required to. I can hit all the single notes. I can bend notes. I can string the notes together with decent timing. What this tells me is that with practice I should be able to play this thing. Can already do most of the opening section of Love Me Do. 

@noromance : " Better to fail trying to succeed than regret not trying and die."

You mean I'll die if I don't try playing the drums? ;-)
Seriously, I agree with you. It doesn't mean we should try everything that pops into our heads...........but I think if it is something we have wanted to do a long time and it has the potential to be constructive, useful....or even character building then it is worthwhile. And failure can surely be character building.

@stringreen : The music store that has the kit offers 4 lessons a month for $100 dollars a month. That is pretty cheap.

@16f4 : I’m in a good place at age 56. Life is good. Finally have the means to do some things I’ve always wanted to do.

But that statistic really surprises me. For me my 50’s have been a challenge. Aging parents. Getting kids out of the nest. Job changes. Despite all that maybe maturity helps guide us through that stuff. Caring for others. It has not been bad, but not what I would call care-free.

Oddly, when I think back to when I was happiest (a dangerous thing to do, and probably not entirely accurate) I always go back to med school. Not high school. Not college. Broke as heck. Newly married. Working (clinical rotations) 80+ hours a week. Close, close friends who where in the same boat and lived two doors down. Some of that is probably related to immaturity. We mostly thought about ourselves.

All-in-all I’ve been blessed through hard times and easy.

You guys have inspired me. I think if that drum kit is still there in a couple of weeks I'll get it. I told my wife that tonight.

She didn’t throw anything at me.

My wife, who is a musician (flute) is amazed at what's available on YouTube but also says for really getting good it is important to have a teacher who can listen and correct on the spot.

It I do this I will YouTube it, practice rudiments and then if it catches on take some lessons.

Thanks for the additional advice guys.

Took my wife by the music store today to see if the kit was still there. It was. She looked at it and said "$450? I thought you said it was $800. You better get it so it doesn’t get sold."

It is sitting in my living room right now. I feel a bit silly.

I wish I could do an acoustic kit but the volume would just be so prohibitive.

A couple of observations:

1) The sound quality through the headphones is uncanny. Each drum and cymbal actually sound located where they are.

2) The high hat is weird in terms of open vs closed strikes. Something isn’t quite right. It is not a malfunction; it is mentioned in a number of reviews. I’ll need to read the manual.

3) I’ve been practicing some basic rudiments. My left hand is a real problem. Not near the finesse and control of my right. That is going to take work.

4) I know a lot of this has to do with grip and fingering but the snare does not seem to have the rebound of a real snare. Doing single stroke rudiments the sticks do not rebound as briskly as I’d want. Could be all from lack of technique. We’ll see. The drum heads can be adjusted with a key. Not sure how tightly it is safe to adjust them though. Again, I need to find the manual and read it.

5) I need to do some reading about body position, arm position, throne position and snare position. I can already tell just doing rudiments that it is important but don’t think I have it quite right.

Thanks @bdp24 .

I will keep that in mind. Noticed that a lot of the local blues bands in Mississippi used Gretsch. Maybe a coincidence, I don't know.

However, this Alesis kit has mylar drum heads and steel cymbals and even though it is way quieter than an acoustic set, it can still be heard throughout the house, even now that I'm in the basement. They make 'mesh' heads that a quieter but I'm not spending any more money on this right now. So it would be a while before I could realistically bring an acoustic kit home. I like the convenience of this electric set....but would really like to go acoustic eventually. 

We'll have to see where this goes.

Working on rudiments via YouTube. Struggling with some of the paradiddles and flams. I'll get them for a second or two then think about it and screw up. 

Update: I'm enjoying this. Practicing and playing for a couple of hours a day sometimes. Not spending enough time on rudiments though. Working on 'independence" exercises. That's where you work on getting your right arm to do different things from your right foot, etc. That is not going well and I have to slow it down to a crawl to get it right and even then don't get it right for long. I'll stick with it since its fun. But I'm not sure I'll ever conquer that issue.

Although, I did finally get heel-and-toe downshifting at the racetrack and it is now second nature so there may be hope for me.

It is fun to play along with music. I can turn the music up enough that I can't hear how awful I'm doing. 

@jc

Tiny breakthrough tonight. Got right arm, left arm and right foot doing different things and sustained it. So now I know that it is _possible_ for me. For a brief moment had all four doing different things: high hat, snare, kick and ride. That did not last long.

Not to completely blame my gear but the (simulated) action of the high hat seems a bit lifeless and the pedal never feels just right.

@10000_hz_legend : I've never messed with an acoustic set but I'm sure you are right. I really want one but it would be very impractical.

I think I will set myself a goal that if I become reasonably proficient on the electric set that I will get a real one.

@bdp24 : Thanks for that link. I would say that if I continue to practice most days it would still be a long time before I'd be able to play with anyone else. I noticed that the music store where I bought this kit has a bulletin board dedicated to people who want to get together and play.

@larryi : With this being an electric kit I'm using headphones only so I have control over volume. Still have to be careful though. I'm not a big headphone fan so I may look into a cheap amp that I can lay at low volumes.....or high when no one is home.

@lowrider57 : "Didn't you say the music shop offers lessons?"

Yes, $100 per month which is 4 lessons. Very reasonable in my opinion. I would like to be better at rudiments and overall feel for the kit before I do lessons. I'm nervous about not being able to do _anything_ the teacher asks me to do. Some simple kit exercises that require limb independence completely elude me. I know it sounds backwards but I'd like to be a little better before I take lessons.

So I've had the kit for about a month now. 'Practicing' at least an hour a day on most weekdays and weekends when I'm in town.

I'm practicing rudiments and limb independence exercises and working on some shuffles. Left hand still very lacking in precision and coordination compared to right.

I can do a basic shuffle but wanted to learn the Purdie shuffle. It just sounds so cool. But I'm not getting anywhere close even when it is broken down by YouTube instructors. A bit too soon I think. But it is a long term goal.

I've got a couple of simple retro style rock songs that I can play all the way through (JD McPherson). On one of them I saw the band live a few weeks ago and the drummer played it very different at the show than he does on the album.

********************

So now a question. I do most practice through the headphones but I've also got a computer audio system (two small ribbon speakers and a subwoofer with the amp in it.) I prefer this to the headphones when I can do it without disturbing anyone at home. It sounds okay but is obviously limited, but it was lying around so cost nothing.

I have access to an old beat up pair of B&W towers with a huge subwoofer along with an integrated Yamaha home theater system.

Any reason not to give those a try? The module on these drums has RCA output. I know a dedicated amp or PA would be better, but not ready to spend any money in that direction yet.

Finally, how should I position such a system. On the drumming videos most drummers have a PA system behind them.....but I'm not performing for anyone so I would assume I'd just have it facing me? 

@bdp24 , @lowrider57 , good advice guys. Will start working on those things because this is never going to work well until I improve the dexterity of my left hand.

I am also learning drum notation. Not sure how useful it will be but it is not hard to learn.

@shadorne : "Use a soft or gel practice pad - less rebound forces you to use better technique."

It is interesting that you mention that because when I watch videos of these guys demonstrating various rudiments and how fast they can do them the practice pads they are using look and sound hard as a rock. Heck, I'm pretty fast too if I'm banging on a wooden desk top.

Currently with this electric drum kit it is simple to remove the smallish snare unit from the rack and use it is a practice pad. It has a mylar head which feels less tight than real snares I have seen.

I will look up the exercises you mention. 

I've got the Sound Brenner app on phone but the control unit on these electric drums have a great built in metronome which I use most of the time.

One problem I'm having real difficulty with is that I can't get the snare settings right. In other words, each strike sounds about the same. It is hard to differentiate a ghost note, from an accent, from a regular strike. I've messed with the trigger and threshold settings but just can't get it right. I may have to post on the Alesis forums to see what others have done but it could just be the limitation of a cheap electric kit.

I probably need to take lessons just so I can get some time on an acoustic set.

I've pretty much given up on Audiogon because of the heavy handed and arbitrary moderating but I wanted to come back to this thread to give an update since you guys are the ones who encouraged me to dabble in drums for the first time at age 56.
I've been practicing at least an hour every day, usually closer to two either on the kit or on the practice pad.
I bought the George Stone Stick Control book and I'm playing through it. Playing each of 24 exercises on a page for 1 minute each playing one page every day for one week.
I signed up for a paid online drum course called Drumeo which is extremely well done and well thought out.
Learning fills, beats, shuffles along with basic rudiments and limb independence exercises. All with the metronome most of the time.

Working on some play-alongs.
Can play through two rock/blues songs pretty accurately and reliably.
Have a homemade PA system that I like better than headphones. (75w Onkyo home theater receiver, giant B&W powered (200w) subwoofer and a set of old Bose bookshelves.) With a little tuning it works great and obviously I can keep the volume where I want it.
Enjoying this more than I thought I would. In fact, when I'm not practicing I'm watching how-to videos etc.
Because of that I'm not spending much time with my hi-fi system, sadly.
I still feel a little frustrated by the limitations of the e-kit. It just seems that no amount of tuning triggers and thresholds will get the subtlety out of the high hat and snare that I'm looking for. I might even pick up a real hi-hat and snare just to see.
Anyway, thanks for the advice and encouragement. I'm having a lot of fun. I have no real plans to do anything with this but you never know.

I had forgotten about this thread. So here is an update. Much of it verifies the great advice I got here.

For about the last 18 months I’ve been a member of Drumeo, a drum instruction web site. It is simply amazing. Set courses. Hundreds if not thousands of popular songs transcribed into notation that has a moving cursor as the song plays. Hundreds of drumless backing tracks. Can’t say enough about this site. So comprehensive. Lots of great teacher including a number of big names. Famularo. Bernard Purdie. etc. The regular staff teachers are excellent as well. All sessions have the music below the video with a moving cursor and metronome. I still have not taken an in-person lesson. I know it would be beneficial too.

Last month I bought an acoustic kit. It was not a specific kit I was looking for but when it came up on Craig’s List is was too good to pass up. It is a Yamaha Stage Custom Birch set with a small bass drum. It was purchased by a professional drummer as a travel kit right before COVID hit. Of course gigs ended and he was out of work so he had to sell it. Came with everything but cymbals, even cymbal stands, etc. It was like new. In fact, the snare and some of the hardware were in unopened boxes. It is an intermediate level kit. I bought some intermediate level cymbals to go with it.

It is in a storage room on the second floor under the eaves that we cleared out. It is a tight space but it works. I have moving blankets and acoustic foam on the walls. Two layers of rugs on the floor.

I sold my e-kit to buy a few cymbals. I miss the convenience of it but did not have room for it. I am more limited in the times I can practice due to volume but my wife says she can go to the other end of the house and not be bothered so that’s good.

Having said that, just in the last month I have learned more, faster, than I have in the previous 12 months. Ghost notes and subtle hi-hat work were just impossible (for me anyway) on the e-kit. Because of the greater ease of dynamics and more subtle techniques I’m enjoying myself way more and wanting to practice a lot more.

I posted a thread a while back about exploring jazz music for the first time. I listened a good bit for about a year and appreciated it but did not really fall in love with it. However, with this acoustic kit I find myself drawn to jazz. That in turn is making me appreciate jazz music more. I don’t think playing jazz is going to be my goal but practicing it is definitely making me a better drummer.

Sorry about the long post but part of the reason I’m enjoying this so much is all the advice I got here. (And yes, I have gotten a little OCD about tuning and cymbals etc. Already have a list of new drum heads I want!)

As time goes by I may look into some low volume cymbals and mutes for the drums if I need to extend practice time when volume would be an issue.

That pretty much describes me. I don't think I'll ever be good but I'm having a lot of fun. Also learning a LOT. About drumming and technique of course but also about music in general, as well as about a lot of great drummers.

The thing that keeps me going is that at the level I'm at I am able to pick up most things if I stick to it and practice. There are a few things that my brain/body can't seem to master in the short term but even with those I feel like persistence would eventually work.

Great video. Reminds me of Bernard Purdie's ghost notes. You can't even see his hand move.