I have been playing in bands and orchestras for years. At the moment I am the lead drum teacher for a music school in Orange County providing piano lessons, guitar lessons and drum lessons Orange County and Los Angeles with in-home private lessons. I wanted to show everyone how easy it really is to play the drums so here is a brief introductory lesson.
If you are a fan of music, then you can play the drums easy. Since practically everyone likes music, we all have that potential in us. If you pause to think, music is everywhere! It\’s at the movie theater, at our favorite restaurant, at the chiropractor and at the supermarket. This is proof that pretty much everyone likes music. When was the last time you caught yourself bouncing along to your favorite song or tapping your fingers to the rhythm of a beat? If you can remember the last time you did this, get ready for what\’s next!
If any part of you can recall the last time you did any of the things mentioned above, then I\’m nearly certain that you will be able to play a simple drum beat by the end of just one lesson. I hear people say all the time that they have not musical talent, but we\’re not really talking music, we\’re talking about banging out rhythms! If you tap out beats on your steering wheel while blasting your favorite song, you can drum. If you like to go out and dance at clubs and parties, you can drum. If you nod your head to a song on the radio, you can drum. Since we listen to music all the time, rhythm has become built into us. So how about a quick lesson…are you ready?
So here are the very basics of drumming. In singing, Julie Andrews has taught us that we begin with do-re-mi. Now I\’m going to say that playing the drums begins with 1-2-3 and 4! Try this, turn on your radio. Nearly every song you hear on the radio is composed in what\’s called 4/4 time or \”common\” time unless it\’s an old country song or waltz. The simplest way to explain this is, every measure has four beats in it, hence 1, 2, 3, 4.
So, to prevent losing your attention I will now stop and give you your first homework assignment. Real easy, the next time you are driving count the beats in the song on the radio. Then tap your finger or toe to the beat. Hey! You\’re drumming! Now all we have to do is sit you down behind a drum set with sticks in your hands and have you count to four. Bet you can\’t do it without hitting the drums four times. Sounds fun and easy doesn\’t it? See you next time!
Brian has played the drums for over 30 years and is a drum teacher for a music school in Orange County providing piano lessons, guitar lessons and drum lessons Orange County and Los Angeles with in-home private lessons.