People More Involved w/ Music Tend to Better at Drums?

**Amadedus** · Joined: 13 Dec 2007 Posts: 154 Location: YYZ

I can't play a real instrument, but I've passed every song I've played on RB1/2 X guitar, and I've passed all but a few songs on drums (DFTR/RTTH, the last five on RB2 + Peace Sells).

I've got a reasonable sense of rhythm and I've certainly listened to a lot of music.

As a side note, I work in post-production, including cutting a bunch of music videos (I worked on Float On, for one, so it makes me laugh that it's in RB2). ALL the best editors are musicians, even moreso if they're drummers, since visual story has a pace and a flow to it.

(And all the best directors are editors, but that's another story.)
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**Blacktooth** · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 168 Location: TX

Drummers are the time keepers for the band. Whatever tempo they play, the rest of the band follows. Previous music experience never hurts, but it isn't a guarantee that you have limb interdepence either.

I disagree it's just about hand/eye coordination. Mute your game when you play and tell me you still get the same scores on songs like Panic Attack or Pain Killer. It's a combination of skills, and your ears play an important role.

**Kaelaen** · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 371 Location: Sending out an SOS

**iSnipeYou0108** · Joined: 07 Nov 2008 Posts: 11

lemmy's voice is so bad that it's good
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**BizCasFri** · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 1833 Location: Winnipeg, MB

I think it's more of a coincidental thing that people who are good at drums have musical experience. As people here before me have stated, you need to have a solid understanding of rhythm, rhythmic patterns and keeping time and tempo. As a student in a music school, I hang out with musicians (both student, amateur and professional) all the time. And the reality is that a lot of them do not have an understanding of those essentials (yes, even professionals). Many of them simply cannot read rhythms correctly. This phenomenon tends to be more prevalent among singers and string players, but instrumentalists do due it too sometimes.

If anything, I would propose that people who did well in math would be better at drums. They would more easily understand beat numbers, division of beats, and pattern memorization. The physical parts of the drums would come later.
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**One3Se7eN** · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 570 Location: East Coast

I'd just like to point out that I was in fact in the advanced math course during all of high school but I always did so bad during it. Especially during 11th and 12th grade

So that plus my extreme distaste in music just leave a giant question mark in my head at why I even play this game and also why the eff am I as good as I am.
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**azeldin** · Joined: 05 May 2008 Posts: 648 Location: BC, Canada

I don't think it's a huge advantage for drums, but it certainly does help. Knowing general concepts by heart (like feeling downbeats and the strong-weak-medium-weak emphasis of measures) gives an instinctive understanding, but beyond that, I believe it's more a matter of good coordination and stamina.
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idk... not really playing games much anymore

**blingdomepiece** · Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 4358 Location: Ottawa ON Canada

I think having some previous musical exposure can help with a sense of rhythm, but you could get that sense of rhythm any number of ways. I also think that previous musical exposure might also HURT in some cases. For example, if you are used to playing on the beat the end of Peace Sells is just awful. But if you were to put that song on mute and just play the notes (e.g. pure hand eye coordination) the fact that it's all off-beat might not bother you.
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**One3Se7eN** · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 570 Location: East Coast

**SketchyGalore** · Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 81

yeah, i play guitar and listen to music all the time, and i'm ranked 187th or so (not to brag... XD)

i didn't really have much trouble learning drums.

some people i know are really suckish, and i'm pretty sure they don't listen to music like i do. also, they don't play instruments.

so i agree
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**sedron** · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 1:31 am Post subject:

With Rock Band drums (or other GH/RB instruments for that matter,) the game can be played two completely different ways. In the first way, the game is really just a game of reflexes. My Dad, who has some musical background, plays this way. He just sees notes on the screen and plays them regardless of whether or not they are off-beat. If the notes are off-sync or the game is uncalibrated, it doesn't affect him.

I play rythmically. In this case, musical background is very helpful. I see notes on screen and play them as patterns and beats. Off-beat notes and patterns can beat me to a pulp since I play this way, but since I'm not just reacting to each note as they come, I have the advantage of hitting most anything that is rythmic (provided I'm fast enough to hit it and my equipment doesn't crap out on me.)

So, a musical background can be helpful, but isn't necessary. It also brings with it some downsides. It depends on how one plays the game. Sorry if I'm repeating a lot of what's already been said here.