richl.com

I started drumming when i was 18, it was one of those stupid ideas that usually ends in me spending too much money and regretting it a few days (and hundreds of pounds) later. This time it didn’t end in financial related depression, but an incredibly entertaining hobby that also helps a lazy chap like me get a little more physical.

I find drumming incredible, it relieves stress, eases tension, helps to relax, and as mentioned before gives me a bit of a workout when im in a frenzy! Lately i find myself air-drumming whilst driving, walking, crapping and more - i can’t stop…everytime i listen to anything with a beat i imagine myself drumming it. So thats the intro, this page is dedicated to drumming and all of its fine qualities - i shall post information on how i got started, what sort of costs are involved and what kit is needed, etc.

The kit
Fairly obviously, a completely new drum kit is going to cost you a bit no matter what you do. The first kit i bought was a Mapex Birch series accoustic beginner kit, and was around £450 after adding symbols and sticks. The main kit consisted of all the hardware (hi-hat stand, snare stand, etc), the snare drum, the toms, the bass drum and pedal, the cymbol stands and a stool - this was £380, which i was pretty happy with.

“I’d just play ’til my hands fell off. My parents would yell at me to stop because they couldn’t stand the noise any more! I was terrible! It must have been hard for them to listen to me as a beginning drummer.”

-Randy Castillo.

The cymbols i got were also fairly basic Paiste PST3’s (the hihats, crash and ride were all in one box) for £75, which left me with a fiver for some sticks. I still use this kit at the moment and am very happy with how its treated me over the past few years, i am currently looking to goto an electric kit - in particular the Roland TD12, but its 6 times the cost of my current kit and therefore takes a fair bit of saving.

Recommended reading:

• Crash Course: Drums, by Pete Riley.