To all you real drummers out there

**DNA** · Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Posts: 967 Location: Montreal, CANADA

I've started to learn real drums about 6 months ago and I'm getting moderately better at it. I've been playing Rock Band for about 2 years-ish and that really made me fall in love with drumming.

I found that the hardest thing for me when I started to play real drums was that I didn't have anything to look at while playing (like in Rock Band) which made it really hard for me to remember songs or to understand patterns. So here's what I did : I put my computer in front of my drumset and I go on YouTube to play videos of drum FCs on Rock Band (so I don't have anything missing except for the drum fills) and it makes it A LOT easier for me to play songs. I mean I can play songs I never could have without this.

So here's my question to you real experienced drummers out there : Should I continue doing this ?! Am I going to become dependant on visual tracks or is it going to have bad influence on my drum learning ?? I mean, it's not that much different from guitar or piano players looking at music scores while playing, is it !?

Anyway, any opinions would be great, I'm really looking to improve my drumming skills because I'm having so much fun!

P.S. I'm not looking to play in a band or anything, I'm mostly playing for fun and personal accomplishment!
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**kcharles** · Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 127 Location: BEHIND YOU!

Hmm, I don't think it's that bad, as long as you still do work on stuff with non visual cues. It is the same thing as a bassist or guitarist or *insertotherinstrumenthere*ist looking at sheet music/tabs as they play. And if you're not looking to play in a band or anything, it's not even a problem really if you have to play from a visual thing for the first few playthroughs of a song.
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**DorkmasterFlek** · Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 1968 Location: Toronto, ON

What you really want to work on are recognizing certain patterns and beats. That's mostly what it's all about really. When you're playing RB, you have to follow exactly, but when you're playing along by yourself, you can improvise.
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**marko34256** · Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 215

when i learned how to play (almost 10 years ago), I learned mostly using sheet music. at one point i was even using a Rush book with sheet music for a lot of their songs.

the main thing you got to get over is you don't "learn songs" on the drums in the same sense as you learn songs on guitar or most other instruments. you don't need to play a song note for note. as long as you keep time and use tasteful (not over the top) fills, you're doing it right. after a while you get to the point where you can turn the radio on to any song play your own part to it that sounds just as good.

**nitemare** · Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 937 Location: Bloomington, MN

If your still new and your still feeling things out for your kit, than that is a great way to begin. Like you, i fell in love with drumming on RB and now i feel bad since i cant remember the last time i have actually played RB/GH. I started like you as well by watching charts and getting a feel for what to hit and when, but u can only use that so far. Eventually u will know your kit like the back of your hand and u will be able to pick out drum parts in songs. at least thats what happened to me. Like stated before, real drums can be awesome since u dont necessarily have to hit exactly what the music is doing, as long as u have a beat going, coming up with sweet fills is the fun part!

good luck in drumming. and if you do keep going and you get decent...join a band! its awesome...best thing i have done in last 5 years of my life...get up in front of people and blasting out beats is a great way to make some spare cash for all your hard work you have put into practicing

**spikie** · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:51 pm Post subject:

I did it quite similar, The best way to do it use it the first 2 or 5 times then take it away, Then play through a couple of times and then use the chart for that part if you struggle at all. just keep going through that process until you feel okay playing by ears
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**RustyWaffle** · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 796

As a drummer for five years, I highly recommend not. It gives you complete tunnel vision and if you're ever looking to learn a song that's not in RB, you're pretty much screwed. Also, when you learn a song by ear, you get better and better at picking parts and patterns out (it's also more fun ^_^). I have had to learn songs that are from Rock Band but I refused to rely on the chart in order to figure it out, simply because you can make what you hear out of it (copying the general consensus of the other posts on this thread). It's much more fun to play it how you want to, and not how a video game wants to.

And about the part with the tabs. When you mention sheet music, that is completely different than playing along to RB when it comes to "cheating" or however you may want to call it. If you're doing a live performance as a drummer, you do not have a television with Rock Band running Tom Sawyer through practice mode. When you're doing a live performance as a pianist, usually they use sheet music because it's easier to recover at a certain point if you fuck up a measure or something. It's highly unlikely that you can follow a drum tab measure by measure just by sightreading it. I have only used drum tabs a couple times if I absolutely can't figure out what the pattern or fill is at all (RushRushRushRushRush).
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**davidshek** · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2344 Location: Orlando, FL

**Mogwai** · Joined: 30 Jun 2007 Posts: 1219 Location: Bowling Green, KY

Eh, I think I'd suggest you try to break away from it. Especially if you're getting into drumming pretty well. I mean, if you think you'll do it for a while, you might not want to take on any sketchy habits.. And now would be a good time to try to avoid em, y'know?
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**RustyWaffle** · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 796

**davidshek** · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2344 Location: Orlando, FL

**DNA** · Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Posts: 967 Location: Montreal, CANADA

**footballtom3685** · Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 2478 Location: Bay Area, CA

I would say rather than following along while you play try watching the video before you play the song a couple of times. I've used RB or GH charts to see how songs go before when I can't quite figure it out, but I don't watch them while playing. I also like watching cover videos on YouTube to see how other people play. Anyway, I think it's best to not rely on anything while you play but instead use all the resources you can before you play (and after). Following charts while you play could also affect your ability to improvise. It's great to be able to play a song exactly as it goes, but you should also be able to mix it up or play well without any music - especially if you want to play in a band. And as others have said once you have played enough you get to the point where you can play along to pretty much anything on a first go - not perfectly, of course, but well enough to sound good and fit with the music.

**GodRockr** · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 291

I've also been wanting to learn to play the real drums.

I only recently got myself a GH World Tour drumkit. I'm still learning, but I love it. It's just so much fun. And I know it can't be too different from the real thing

But my main problem with it is the kick pedal. I can't seem to move my foot in time with the notes coming down the screen.
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**nextneilpeart95** · Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 9:56 pm Post subject:

Seriously don't recommend watching Youtube FCs while playing real drums. Personally, when I try to play a song, I envision an RB chart in my head, even if its not in RB. But I can also play by ear, so I guess I'm the only one.