Drumming songs for a beginner
 

So... my nephew is learning to play the drums.

And he listens to (as far as I can remember) Dragonforce... and other, (probably) similar crap.

I am putting together some music to introduce him to more of a prog style.

I already have on the list:
Rush-Tom Sawyer, YYZ
Edgar Winter-Frankenstein
Kansas Portrait/Carry on..., How my soul cries out for you


Looking for other suggestions.

Remember, he is beginning... so there is no need for Tarkus or any other "Monster of Drumming" epic...

What think you?


EDIT: I did print off three pages of essential rudiments... he told me later that he read/ learned some.

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

PG,

It's a little hard to say depending upon what level he is at.

1) How long has he been playing?
2) Is he self taught or is he taking lessons?
3) What are his other favorite bands?
4) Does he really want to study music or just be a garage drummer?
5) How old is he?

Fill me in and I can give you some advise from there.

DD

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

Answers in Bold below

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

PG,

I have taught drums/percussion at different times in my career, and it has been my experience that the self taught players that want to play their favorite bands material really won't put much effort into working on anything but that. You don't have a country band drummer practice jazz and you don't have a heavy metal drummer try to play symphonic tympani.

If he is not interested in taking lessons, learning to read music, being shown proper technique, then he is probably best off just bashing away along with Dragonforce and whoever else he likes. The sophistication and subtleties of a Neal Pert, Carl Palmer, or Bill Bruford will either bore him or go right over his head. That is not to say that you shouldn't recommend stuff for him to listen to. You never know what might catch his ear. My son is a self taught heavy metal bass player who loves Avenged Sevenfold, but he also likes Kansas and Dream Theater. He can't stand ELP, Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd. So it's hard to say.

Just put together a list of great albums with great drummers for him to listen to, not necessarily play along with. If he takes to them, he will work on them. If not, then at least you tried. I would suggest ELP Brain Salad Surgery, King Crimson Red, Rush Permanent Waves among others.

Good luck,

DD

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

Diff Drummer is right in that people begin learning an instrument because it's fun, and it's fun to play the stuff you like, so I think the best thing is to let him play what he likes, and leave him alone. Sooner or later he'll start branching out after he gets bored doing his same old stuff. Then he'll be open to all kids of stuff.

I know zip about drumming, but as a bassist, I can say this: once you start playing an instrument, you hear ALL music differently. If he's a good drummer, he'll start noticing good drumming and drift to it naturally. My suggestion is be be sneaky, like a prog spy: just play good prog when he's around. He'll notice.

That being said, if I had to give relatively simple drum stuff that is interesting and not TOO straight forward. I'd list these:

Yes - Cinema
Yes - Shoot High, Aim Low
Genesis - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
Journey - Back Talk
Iron Butterfly - Inna Gadda Da Vida
the Beatles - Rain
the Beatles - Hello, Goodbye


Also, Zeppelin and Who.

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

I think I'd send him back to the roots of metal in the hard rock of the late 60's early 70's:

Cream (Ginger is a wild man).
Mountain
Black Sabbath
Zeppelin
Santana for a little latin flavor
The Doors
Deep Purple (Live in Japan has an inspiring solo)

That should help out. Then work him into Iron Maiden, Maybe some Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Robin Trower.

but as with anything, practice, practice, practice.

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

Get him Rock Band. it'll give him exposure to lots of different drummers and lots of styles of playing and he can ratchet the difficulty level down to his skill level until he improves. my eldest (almost 16) plays drums. he's just doing band at school (marching, etc) for instruction. all of his kit playing is self-taught.

he started out playing along with things like Green Day. I've pushed various prog stuff at him. some he likes and he plays with all the time. some he doesn't. he's found new bands through Rock Band/Guitar Hero that he's picked up songs from that he plays along with on his kit. however, I've found it somewhat unpredictable what he'll attach himself to. I just try to keep him exposed to stuff I think he should hear, and let him pick what he likes.

The other day, we were in the car and I was listening to Bauhaus, and he turned it off and put on Le Orme. LOL. it was pretty hard to argue with his choice. ;-)

if you like, I can ask him for a list of his favorite stuff to play along with.

oh, and BTW, Dragonforce sucks. lol. the "final" song in...I think it was Guitar Hero III, was by Dragonforce. my kids used to play that all the time. OMG, I hated that. I was so happy when we moved to Rock Band 2 and the song they always played was Panic Attack. ;-)

Re: Drumming songs for a beginner
 

musician first..then a drummer....
I read these words many years ago in an article about band leaders and drummers...it makes a lot of sense to me and it also could help our friend...greetings