Frustration

Note: This is a rant. Seeking your advice, from more experienced drummers.

I feel like I am at a impasse. I have started taking drums seriously over the past 5 months, although Ive had this used kit for more than a year.

My problem at the moment is I feel like I am not learning. I practice rudiments, a few atleast, and I still feel like I have bad technique.

First off, I cant play ghost notes. My left hand fails utterly and the 'ghost' part turns into a normal hit. My second problem is my left foot. When Im opening/closing the hat while playing it with my right hand, I play heel down. When im using it to keep time, I play heel-up. I don't feel comfortable with this at this point. I've been attempting to prove but I feel as if Im going nowhere.

I've been playing the same stuff for awhile, and I just recently started coming up with new beats/exercises at school in a small notebook Ive always kept in my pocket. I can play some songs almost perfectly: Enter Sandman, Back in Black, I-E-A-I-O(spelling, sorry) by System of a Down, The Game by Disturbed, etc. I 'play along' to stuff like Pendulum, Tool, and some random stuff I have on my iPod. I have sheet music from places like freedrumlessons.com, onlinedrummer.com, etc, and I have a PDF printed-out version of Stick Control. I've watched plenty of youtube vids and I practice with a metronome. I still feel as If Im making little progress.

Have you guys ever felt like this? No matter how much I practice, I go nowhere. Is this just a 'phase', where it just takes time to get better? Am I expecting too much for this amount of time? Should I just go get some lessons?(I havent had one yet, from an actual drum teacher)

/end rant. I apologize for that unorganized mess. I felt like I had to get that off my chest and Im looking for some advice from you guys.

Rome wasn't built in a day ... and that was a city. Your chops will take a bit longer than 5 months. Keep up w/ a concise, steady practice regimen.. .using a metronome if'n ya got one (there is a site online w/ metronome functions. ..Carmine knows of the link). The more you do it, the better you will become. Make sure to develope good habits. ..you don't wanna reinforce bad ones.

And make sure you're aware. . . you WILL hit plateaus of ability. Sudden increases in proficiency followed by months of nothing new. Keep at it. Fight through (across?) those plateaus.

Listen to as many different styles of music you can stand. Immerse yourself (as much as you can/want) into just learning the grooves, not to play them but to understand them. Proficient playing comes after understanding.

Thank you. I have a metronome track on my ipod, one at 90bpm and one at 120bpm. The one thing Im having a problem with is the basic jazz ride pattern. Ive been looking into more funk type beats and all, but I havent attempted any yet.

As for understanding the grooves, when I listen to stuff now I try to follow just the drums and imagine what they're playing. The sticking etc. In due time I guess.

Thank you

I recommend taking lessons. Get the fundamentals down correctly form the beginning.

I am considering it. Ill take a look around for drum teachers and try to get a few in once im on xmas break.

We all reach these impasses. All I can tell you now is once you get by the impasse, #1) it's a great day. #2) you'll be glad you stuck with it because one of the secrets to success is never quitting. Getting better on any instrument is a series of breaking down walls.

Ghost notes:

Try this. Play 16th notes alternating between your HH and SN. 1 HH e SN + HH a SN repeat. Keep the sticks heights about no more than an inch off of the surface(ghost notes are supposed to sound similar to HH notes). Now bring your RH over to hit the snare accents on 2 and 4. Your LH is now "ghosting." To start, put 1 and 3 underneath the rhythm on the BD. Once you get the coordination and the sound down. Experiment with other BD patterns and you'll be on your way Planet Funk, Earthling.

Ill try it out tomorrow. Bit late at the moment. A snow day would be nice...add the fact im in new jersey at my moms house and mmmmm

This sounds like a job for a good teacher. You may need to have your stick technique adjusted if you're having trouble with ghost notes. It's about finesse over power.

Maybe you're trying too hard to 'imitate' what you are seeing and hearing, and it's confining your creativity. Don't feel like you have to exactly duplicate any given drum part. Feel free to improvise a little, inserting little parts of rudiments into the fills so that you begin to get comfortable applying what you're practicing.

Yes, I think we all go through that. And yes, it is just a phase, and you'll get through it, just like we did. And lessons are always a good thing. Go get some!

Its because you improve slowly. So slow that it seems like your going nowhere. Its like my kids...I don't notice them getting bigger as much as someone who hasn't seen them in a while. Trust me, your getting better!!!!

If you don't want lessons, buy Jojo's DVD, Secret Weapons For The Modern Drummer, if you want to really get you're technique down.

As for Ghostnotes, true grace and subtlety takes a long time. The most basic thing i can possibly think of would be to try 16th note single strokes on the snare at a snails pace. Accent the 1,2,3,4 of the measures with a rimshot, and the E&A's as soft as possible. Gradually increase the tempo.

It should sound like

ONEE & A TWOE & A

Try and feel the accent as well, it's there for a reason, it creates a greater exclamatory feel. Eventually you'll get this {censored} fast as hell, it'll turn into BAdadadaBAdadadaBAdadada. But start slow.

Hmm. Thanks for all the insight. Might get some lessons and while Im at it hit up the local store and see if Jojo's DVD is there. I know of atleast one music store with a large selection of books/magazines/dvds.

I always have felt like in my process of becoming the player that I am... It was much like lifting weights. You work out hard... then you hit a plateau. Then all of a sudden, something unlocks and you figure things out quickly again... then hit another plateau... etc.. etc...

Do, or do not. There is no try.

I know some great teachers in New Jersey. If you don't mind me asking, what part of the state are you in? I might be able to steer to a teacher.

youve reached a point in your playing where youve learned what you can on your own. find a good teacher and he will show you the way young grasshopper. lol

same here. i know a few great teachers. im in the south jersey/suburb of philly area.

I would recommend splitting "practice" time between practicing rudiments/reading/metronome/practice pad work and just jamming along for fun. If you neglect one or the other, you can either lose the passion or lose focus.

Have you tried setting up your kit left-handed? If you seriously can't coordinate your left hand to play ghosts, maybe you're left-handed? Just a thought. Some drummers are left-handed and right-footed so they play a normal setup, just with the left hand playing the hats and right hand on the snare. Give it a shot.

I do the same thing with my feet. Heel up for more volume and heel down for more control.

I honestly haven't ever felt like I was unhappy with my progress while learning. Maybe it's because drums came really easy to me or because I've got a big ego, but if I was frustrated about not being able to play something, I would spend hours figuring out how to do it. So I can't really help you. I have been frustrated with lack of passion and dedication though.

It sounds like you're plenty passionate about the drums, so most likely you're hitting a wall and will soon break through the other side. Sometimes we make progress in baby steps and sometimes in giant leaps.

I have not seen JoJo's DVD but have heard great things about it. Still, I'm on the lessons side. That's because a JoJo can't look out through your DVD player and look at you technique and tell you what you need to do. You may think you're doing it right when in fact you are not. You may need to move your thumb up, or stop use our wrist more or whatever. A competent teacher could spot that very quickly and provide a recipe to fix it

You probably could see a vast improvement in your ghose note issue in just a couple of lessons.

Keep up the good work.

My parents are divorced. Mothers is in Carneys Point new jersey, and my dads(where my set is) is in southeastern PA. Folcroft/Glenolden/Norwood area.

practice, practice, practice..I remember in my younger days just jamming in front of mom and dads lp stereo..yes with optional 8-track, sometimes 4-5 days a week for 3 to 5 hours each night.....I learned a lot during those times.......now Its hard to find the time to practice. You ever had that feeling playing to something and pow you realize you just did something that sounded cool? so you do over and over again and it burns in your brain. It will also help to experiment to differant types of music other than the norm....a well rounded player will always get more opportunities.

On ghost notes as already posted play 16ths. Try this, 4/4 time,8th notes on the hat,1&3 bass,2&4 snare,now on 1a drop your left stick tip on the snare-pullup and play 2 like normal,same with 3a. Your sticks should not be higher than 2" off the snare head on ghost notes- lower is even better cause it's a ghost

Another thing I've done is break down my entire kit then rebuild it. I would do a complete overhaul on my drums and all hardware. Take the heads off and clean you drum and rims from top to bottom, inside and out. Grease up the lugs and free any dirt collected on the tension rods. Be sure to go through every screw and tighten it accordingly. Grease up all your hardware then wipe any fingerprints or dirt off, I hear windex works wonders on anything shiny. Cymbals are a personal preference. Some like them clean and some don't, I'll leave that up to you. Put it all back together, go out and get an album you have never owned and listen to that for a few weeks. Not just behind you kit, throw it in the car & on your computer also. Everytime I get in a rut I simply start over with new music and a clean kit. Gets my mind off learning for a day and a chance to get some fresh music on the brain. Its no alternative to good practice or a teacher. Be sure what you're are doing is the right way otherwise nasty habits will be harder to break later on.

LOL....that's because basic jazz ride is {censored}in difficult! Of course if you have trouble with ghosts...jazz ride is going to seem very hard. Don't worry. You're not alone. Jazz is like the calculus of music...you can't play it until you know your basic algebra. Even simple swinging jazz ride with feathered bass drum on the quarters and HH on 2 and 4 with NO snare is a coordination challenge.

Like I said; find a teacher who knows jazz (but hopefully is not ignorant of rock). They will show you the way.

And do yourself a favor and get Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials. Both the DVD and the Play along book. Fantastic. At this point you will find nearly all of it VERY challenging, but it will grow with you.

And don't give up; work slowly and carefully and set small goals that are achievable in one or two practice sessions. If it takes longer then you need to set your sites a little lower. When you start mastering some simple things then you'll get some confidence and it will snowball.

All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on...:poke:...where he was...:poke:...what he was doing.

your effort will make you good in time.

along with lessons, metronomes, and exposure to good music.

for 5 months, it sounds like you're doing just fine.