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ShareBangalore: You might have seen pictures of a young Art Blakey, dressed in a suit bringing out those perfect jazz swings; Lars Ulrich of Metallica fame bare-chested and flogging the drums like a monster; and locally-seen Sivamani running around his drum kit making contact with his sticks onto the drum skins. But playing the drums is relatively easy. Also, it is a way to get fit.
Dr Marcus Smith of the University of Chichester, UK, is one of the pioneers of the Clem Burke Drumming Project, which aims to find out how much energy a drummer burns in one sitting. In an earlier interview with DNA, he said, "Our intention was to profile the physiological demands of playing the drums 'live' using telemetry [measurement of heart rate] and blood sampling [specifically blood lactate]. One of the biggest challenges of a diet when related to drumming performances is the potential effects of dehydration when playing under the lights in a hot venue."
So what is it with drumming? Well, it is a simple co-ordination of hands and legs to bring out rhythmic patterns, and the easiest way to start your career in drumming, according to Ryan Colaco, drummer of Kryptos, and a drum teacher, is to"go buy a nice pair of sticks [Vic-Firth, Zildjian, Pro-Mark or Regal] and a hard pillow. Start by co-ordinating your hands on a hard pillow. If you think you like it, then buy rubber sheets, cut them into circular pads and place them on your desk its a very cheap and effective way to practice".
The first few weeks will involve you just playing a simple pattern of "left-right-left-right" continuously until you reach the point of frustration. At this point, you are ready to take drum lessons. There are various drum teachers in Bangalore (see box).According to Rajeev Rajagopal, drummer for Thermal And A Quarter, and a drum teacher, "Beginners will start with how to hold sticks properly and to get a good stroke out of playing. Then it will be four to eight weeks of regimented rudiments that they learn to play with a metronome at various speeds. Their homework involves playing these on a practice pad. Within four months of starting the classes they eventually start playing on a drum kit."
Then the obvious question is when and what kit to buy. If you are serious about playing the drums, the first thing to keep in mind is that the drums is an acoustic instrument and is loud. As long as you explain to your neighbours what that earthquake-like noise is and take reasonable precautions at controlling this noise, you are on your way to becoming a drummer. Since you might be a beginner, the first option is to go buy the cheapest drum-kit. It is best that you invest in a decent entry-level kit. The most popular brands of drum kits available for starters are the GB & A, Mapex (Q Series) and Pearl (Target series) drums. According to Earrona, the store manager of Reynolds on Brigade road, "The average price for these kits is between Rs18,000 and Rs20,000."
Unfortunately, your investment doesn't end there. Once your have your eye on a kit, the next important bit is buying cymbals. Cymbals are expensive, but, treat them as an investment. When taken care of, cymbals are practically indestructible.
Popular brands available are Zildjian, Paiste, Sabian and Meinl. However, a word of caution here, the lower the series range and the price, the harsher and more uncontrollable their sound. For a beginner a Zildjian ZXT, Paiste PST 5 and Sabian AA/ XS series are a worthwhile investment. A full set of cymbals should cost between Rs15,000 and Rs20,000.
