Taking up drums in middle age

Haych

I quite fancy taking up the drums.  Always have done if I'm honest.

Thing is, I'm hardly a young whipper-snapper anymore and personal time is limited too.

So, how feasible is it that I could take up drums and reach a reasonable competence and standard of playing?

I suppose that's like asking how long the proverbial piece of string is, but hopefully the gist of the query is coming through.

At the moment it's all academic as I don't think I have anywhere to place a drum kit in the house and I haven't told the wife yet, lol.

octatonic

I started drums about 12 years ago.
I took it seriously, had lessons, worked hard.
I've been gigging primarily as a drummer for the last 7 years or so.

The issue is 'where do you practice'?
An acoustic drum set at home is loud and electronic kits suck.
I've had two different high end Roland kits and never again.

The way to do it is to buy a Yamaha Stage custom (used is better but they are only £600 new), a decent hardware pack (again, Yamaha are good), some Zildjian low volume cymbals and triple mesh heads for the kit.

That way you can play at low volume without annoying too many people.
It won't 'sound' like a drum kit but you can do all the work you need to to get decent.

Then get another kit for gigging, so you don't have to swap heads all the time.

Playing drums is awesome- you are the band's engine room.
If you suck, the band sucks.
It is physical, good exercise and great for musicianship overall.

mrkb

I started playing when I was 45. Initially on an electronic kit with weekly lessons. The key for me was daily 15 mins of practice as you need to develop muscle memory and limb independence, and an ekit and weekly lessons enabled me to make quick progress. 

The lessons were great as the tutor helped me break down the rhythms into separate parts, learn them on each limb separately, then put them back together which really helped when I couldn’t get the coordination right. Video lessons wouldn’t have done that. Other useful skill from the lessons was learning to read drum score which helps me now in quickly learning new songs (though I rely on it too much now).

I then moved into proper kit (had to build a garden music room to house it!) and agree with Octatonic - real drums are a large step on from edrums- which took some time to get used to from a position, feel and dynamics point of view.

so yes you can learn them later in life. Just make sure you can get regular practice time in to get those limbs working separately. The rest is just being able to count to 4 or 6 in your head and you have already learnt that

Haych

@octatonic, @mrkb, thank you for your input.  I'll take that into account.

What is so different about e-drums compared to a full fat acoustic kit?  Obviously I don't know jot about drums, but I thought the likes of Roland had made massive steps in recent years in making their V-drums feel like the real thing.

I'm not arguing, just curious what proper drummers make of them.

If I do do this then I was also thinking of some sort of garden room/studio kind of thing.

mrkb

EDrums pads have smaller diameters, tend to be located closer together, have more rebound, less dynamics.

The cymbals are smaller, don’t swing like the real thing and less variations in sound due to the position they are hit in. Hi hats in particular don’t have the same foot position to sound capability and feel on EDrums (even the higher end ones like the VH11 I have which uses a real hihat stand.

but EDrums are convenient for regular practice at low volumes which I think is more important at the beginning to get those limbs working independently. I still use my EDrums when I need to learn a new song/technique as they are ready to play in an under stairs room and I can play for 15 mins before work,etc.

stickyfiddle

I love drumming. I started in 2019, when I was 35 - it’s never too late.

I agree electronic kits aren’t as good as acoustic, but the Roland stuff isn’t that bad if it’s the only practical solution. Certainly for me in an apartment it’s that or not playing at all. 

It’s great fun, good exercise (bloody knackering at times!), and will help your overall musicianship almost immeasurably. I love that I can now communicate with every different band member using their language and really explain what I’m thinking without just resorting to mouth noises and hand signals!

blobb

Drumming is the best all round cardio workout. Don't let age put you off, you wouldn't say 'I'm not going swimming', just work on what you can, at the pace you want to go at. It develops muscular independance and keeps your brain active. You can achieve all of this with two pencils and some cardboard boxes. ... but.... you can't beat letting rip on a full acoustic kit - if you have a place to do it. e-drums changed that, esp. if you hook up to midi samples, but it's a compromise. The latest 'thing' is to convert acoustic shells to electronic by fitting triggers and mesh heads. Start easy, learn to count, learn about timing and consistency, there's a lot of basics to grasp early doors, but when it clicks it's a great feeling. I spent hours with just a snare drum moving accents, then added a bass, etc... Best thing about drumming for me, every time you get back on it you are better. So tangible progress (not like guitar where you can get stuck in a rut sometimes).

Bungle1

octatonic said:

The way to do it is to buy a Yamaha Stage custom (used is better but they are only £600 new), a decent hardware pack (again, Yamaha are good), some Zildjian low volume cymbals and triple mesh heads for the kit.

Are triple mesh better than the single ply for tone as well as feel?

I use the Remo SilentStroke at the moment (1 ply) but would love to have a bit more of the drum tone out of the kit at lower volume.

octatonic

Bungle1 said:

octatonic said:

The way to do it is to buy a Yamaha Stage custom (used is better but they are only £600 new), a decent hardware pack (again, Yamaha are good), some Zildjian low volume cymbals and triple mesh heads for the kit.

Are triple mesh better than the single ply for tone as well as feel?

I use the Remo SilentStroke at the moment (1 ply) but would love to have a bit more of the drum tone out of the kit at lower volume.

No, but it feels more like a normal drum skin.
If you want more of a kit sound then use a regular head on the bottom and a triple ply mesh head on top.
I prefer all mesh as I don't care how it sounds, it is a technique session for me, period.

Svennn

I read it as taking up drums in the middle ages and thought even on here there is no one old enough to remember that

Teetonetal

I also love drumming, only began when i was about 35

For me the e kit is a great solution.

Thereis no way that an can have an acoustic kit and the shells / mesh, / low volume approach that Octatonic mentioned didn't occur to me, so I bought a mid range 2nd hand kit.

My aim was not to become a giging drummer, but to get to a level of competence where I could start recording my own drum parts for my own music. I got to that stage quite quickly. The e kit makes this super easy to do.

I can't comment on whether my technique has suffered for being ekit only - but my goals have been reaced. I love drumming and actually spend a lot more time on the drums than guitar at home. As mentioned above, it's good exercise and extremely good for your guitar playing and overal musical competence.

Boromedic

I learnt drums before guitar and then went back to them for a band I was in, I don't think it makes any difference playing an e-kit vs acoustic. It's awesome to let rip on a proper kit and the feel is different of course, but once you're good enough it makes no odds really, you can bash out tunes and practice rudiments on any. Heck some folk learnt rudiments on pots and pans or practice pads in the past!

I'm tempted to pick up an e-kit for me and my little girl but I'm waiting till she's older I think, can't wait!

octatonic

Teetonetal said:

I also love drumming, only began when i was about 35

For me the e kit is a great solution.

Thereis no way that an can have an acoustic kit and the shells / mesh, / low volume approach that Octatonic mentioned didn't occur to me, so I bought a mid range 2nd hand kit.

My aim was not to become a giging drummer, but to get to a level of competence where I could start recording my own drum parts for my own music. I got to that stage quite quickly. The e kit makes this super easy to do.

I can't comment on whether my technique has suffered for being ekit only - but my goals have been reaced. I love drumming and actually spend a lot more time on the drums than guitar at home. As mentioned above, it's good exercise and extremely good for your guitar playing and overal musical competence.

I'm not trying to be fundamentalist about it- any playing is good but if the eventual goal is to gig on an acoustic kit then starting on an electric will make it a longer route.

Teetonetal

octatonic said:

Teetonetal said:

I also love drumming, only began when i was about 35

For me the e kit is a great solution.

Thereis no way that an can have an acoustic kit and the shells / mesh, / low volume approach that Octatonic mentioned didn't occur to me, so I bought a mid range 2nd hand kit.

My aim was not to become a giging drummer, but to get to a level of competence where I could start recording my own drum parts for my own music. I got to that stage quite quickly. The e kit makes this super easy to do.

I can't comment on whether my technique has suffered for being ekit only - but my goals have been reaced. I love drumming and actually spend a lot more time on the drums than guitar at home. As mentioned above, it's good exercise and extremely good for your guitar playing and overal musical competence.

I'm not trying to be fundamentalist about it- any playing is good but if the eventual goal is to gig on an acoustic kit then starting on an electric will make it a longer route.

It makes a lot of sense to me... if I had the extra space I would do it

Lodious

I'm learning drums in later life. I started playing about 10 years ago, but I've had long breaks away from it due to working away and having kids etc. I've now been practicing an hour or so a day for the last couple of months and really enjoying it. I've just put in for my Grade 1 RSL exam so I'm still at a pretty basic level. 

 I've got an electronic kit in my home studio and a real kit I used to leave in the practice room (it's in the loft now). No question, acoustic kits are better as there are so many more inflections and dynamics which you can't get on an electronic kit. I think playing on acoustic kits are more rewarding, as you can play simple ideas and bring them to life with some subtle variations which won't translate on an electronic kit. 

That said, there any some advantages to using an electronic kit. Being able to learn without the whole neighbourhood hearing your mistakes is liberating. I really don't want people hearing me practicing rudiments, I can also practice up till 9 PM without upsetting the family. I use the kit with Superior Drummer running as a VST, so if I want to record something, it's all setup and ready to go. If I've played something on guitar and I want a drum part, I can record it in seconds. 

 It's also great fun using electronic sounds.

TBH, I don't really have a choice, a real kit at home is a total non starter for me, so I guess I embrace the electronic kit as it's the only option I have. 

I have to say though, for me, it's not been easy. It takes a lot of repetition to get some of the muscle memory built up and getting my right foot working effectively has been hard. 

I'd definitely recommend it though, it's really, really good fun. 

Stuckfast

Totally agree with @octatonic about e-drums. They just aren't any fun to play, and you won't learn anything about tuning drums which is such an important part of the art of drumming. I have an old Yamaha acoustic kit set up in my studio and it's great to be able to sit down and blast away for ten minutes when I need a break. I'm still terrible though.

Btrcu

This may be a "low long is a piece of string" question, but if you did want an acoustic set in a shed, just how much soundproofing, and at what cost, would you need to get away with playing until 9pm without disturbing neighbours? Is it at all feasible?

Whistler

A sound pressure level meter (or app) can be used for someone to measure how loud the drums are. Get the person measuring to stand at the property boundary. Let's say 90dBC for now. Work out how many dB your neighbours can put up with after 9pm, probably around 35dBC. Take 35 from 90 and you get 55dB which is how much isolation is needed (aka soundproofing). Properly done, a room in a room construction using everyday building materials, eg. brick shed and an inner room of OSB and a couple of layers of plasterboard, can provide up to 60dB, so it is possible. To see what it takes, here is the write-up from a chap in Nottingham who has built himself a proper garden shed music room.

mikenetic

I'm picking up drums again in my 40s, having dabbled when younger. Yes, acoustic kits feel nice to play, but having played them, also used mesh heads instead of standard skins, I've now settled on a Roland V-drum kit for home practice. That's because it's quiet and compact (no kick drum to contend with) and because I practice more regularly I'm improving faster.

Horses for courses, really. There's no real substitute for powering away on a full acoustic kit, but only you can work out what'll work best for you and get you playing.

Power-Beef

Haych said:

I quite fancy taking up the drums.  Always have done if I'm honest.

Thing is, I'm hardly a young whipper-snapper anymore and ...
At the moment it's all academic ...

I must admit I feel the same! Have you a plan to get a teacher, or do you have someone in mind already?

DrumBob

It's never too late if you want to do it. Pick up a decent used medium priced kit, some good cymbals, and sign up for lessons to get off on the right foot. There are basics you need to learn first before trying to become a real player. I wouldn't start on E-drums. Start on the real thing. E-drums are a whole different animal. 

If you have a friend who plays drums, take him with you when you check gear out.