ThatPurpleGuy said:
A little while ago I picked up my guitar which I hadn't played for about 5 years with the thought of "relearning" it. I was actually surprised by how much I could still do even if I was quite rusty (and my guitar way out of tune). I played for an hour or two but wasn't really feeling it like I used so I decided that I want to learn the drums. They look like so much fun.
Now I haven't had a full time job in over 5 years thanks to a large amount of money I received through inheritence and my money is gradually running out. Now I have a house, I am single and have zero debt my plan is to never work full time or a "real job" ever again. They do my head in and if I don't need to do it I won't, even if it means never making it rich. One of the reasons I would like to learn drums is so I could maybe later down the line play as a casual drummer in pub and club bands and stuff like that. Make some money to get by without having to do 40+ hours a week, not to mention the extra hours of travelling to and from etc.
For any drummers out there I have a couple of questions..I am looking at buying a decent quality but basic set of electronic drums so I can play them inside and not disturb neighbours with a view that if I keep interested I would try and convert my garage into a soundproof room and grab a real kit. Would learning on electronic drums hamper me drastically in anyway or would they at least let me get the basics down??
I am ok musically I guess, so roughly how long would it take to get to a competent level of where you could play most basic/intermediate beats and maybe play in bands??. Keep in mind I have quite alot of time on my hands and if I ended up loving it I will play obsessively.
Electronic kits are indeed more expensive than acoustic (which is what I play), although they are pretty much the same thing, and so I suppose they won't impede any progress in learning how to play them. I figure it works like this: electric drums are more expensive on the whole, because everything is electronic, but over time they might be cheaper because a good set of cymbals can run hundreds of dollars, plus mics and such. But for electronic drums, you also need amps and stuff. They're pretty much the same to me though.
To play proficiently in a band,it will probably take years, even if you practice for hours a day. You gotta start slow and over time work up. I've been playing for about 4 years, and I'm just now reaching a level where I could play in a band and not completely suck. I does depend on how you practice, and what you practice. And also how you learn. I never took lessons, but I can still play Rosanna by Toto just fine. Lessons, I feel, help speed up the process, unless you really try to get stuff down. It is also cheaper to not do lessons. In fact, some great drummers on youtube are self-taught, like Cobus (or deedlebag on youtube).
About the soundproofing. If you are the only one at home, just set up in the basement and don't worry about soundproofing. I currently have my drum kit located in my basement, and although it is loud in the house, you can't hear it from the outside.
