..did you learn the drums?

Did you take lessons or teach yourself?

I started at first reading drum tabs off taborama. Big mistake because they suck.

I then started learning some simple songs by ear. First song I learned was Thunder Kiss 65 by White Zombie. ALWAYS a fun song to play around with.

Then I started taking lessons in about a year. I stopped when school started. I've been meaning to get back into doing them, but they're just pretty expensive. Not a huge hole in the wallet, but if they end up not really teaching me and just end up drilling me, I can just do that by myself.

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I learned all by myself, just listening to songs and trying to play the same. Everything's going pretty well, except I wish I was a bit more technical sometimes (polyrhythm shit and such).
I just took two lessons for heel/toe technique recently, which was a sublime idea, hehe.

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Self-taught. I don't think there even are any drum teachers around here.

I spent most of my life tapping my legs to songs, and sadly didn't even sit behind a drum kit until I was 27. Huge mistake to leave it so long. I think I assumed once I got drums it would just be as easy as knee tapping, but with cymbals.

Imagine by surprise!

I have a teacher. There are just too many things that can be done wrongly on the drums, and he taught me how to be efficient, and on top of that a LOT of things about music ethic, dealing with other musos, buying gear etc. He also has MANY connections in various drum stores, so I can always mention his name to the right person and get a discount.

taught myself

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i started drumming because the drummer in my mums brass band got cancer, he tought me what he could before kemo. that lasted about 5 months then self taught. ive been labeled as a sheep before because i just sit and drum along to cds. but a sentance i have recently started to love is "take things and make them your own"

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i played piano a few years before playing drums. after that, learning drums was really easy, I mostly need to work on technique when i practice.

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Pretty much taught myself. Took a few lessons and learned the basic things that I built off of to get to where I am now. You don't need lessons, you have forums and websites all over to learn everything that you need.

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lessons 2 years from a berekley certified teacher.

playing about 14 years now.

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Mostly self taught. I have taken a few lessons here and there to learn the rudiments.

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figuring out by urself is part of the fun and challenge...of course, u have to listen to what others do to some degree.

But there is some charm in going completly solo, making ur own style and doing it ur way. Been playing guitar for 14-15 years now and i have noticed that i more and more develop my playing not from copying others, but just exploring on my own
Only played drums for about 6 months, so i guess i will be going the same way with drumming...saying that learning the rudiments from a teacher is probaly not a bad idea, but as u advance i think there is more joy in exploring the instrument on ur own

I feel the same way as ^.

Im a self taught guitarist and now I'm trying to teach myself to play drums and eventually bass. I agree that doing it on your own helps to develop your own style, plus I found it fun and satisfying to try to figure things out on my own and actually succeeding.