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"Led Zeppelin II and drums"

I'm getting more and more desperate to play the drums. I've been wanting to play them for ages, but today is just driving me mad.

I bought Led Zeppelin II in Germany, only one of the Zepp albums that I was missing. So I decided to set up my brand new cd systemy thing that we were very kindly given by our electronical dude friend people.

And it's got the best drumming I've ever heard and it's making me mad. Damnit I need to be in a band, trust me to be stuck on the end of nowhere. RAR.

Also, trying to write some rocky songs. I am feeling most definitely rock as of late.. It's difficult, bah. I've discovered however that lines of four syllables are great to sing. Like 'We salute you" or "Rock the casbar", so I'm trying to write "Burn the Bassist" at the moment.

So yes, wonderful. Oh, the point of this topic.

I want to play the drums. Desperately. I have no idea where/how to buy them, I know Pearl are great and apart from that all I really wanna do is rock. Help?

I don't really have that much money, but I'm willing to spend a good amount on a nice set. I'm happy to take a step up from the "well as a beginner and in case you don't like it", so some nice mid-range recommendations too if you can?

So yeah, any help would be great.

And Moby Dick is edited for official live releases. He usually went on for over half an hour from what I gather, and along with Dazed and Confused going on for a similar length of time or longer, it's easy to see how Led Zep did 3+ hour sets.

And get Physical Graffiti soon, it's one of their best I'd say. Kashmir, In My Time Of Dying, Trampled Underfoot, The Rover, Houses of The Holy, Custard Pie....all great songs, and that's just side one.

:D Yup, got the DVD, it's incredible... I'll watch that again tonight I think.

Physical Graffiti is another one that I haven't got, bah. Night Flight is such a great track, I'm gonna have to get that soon.

Have you seen Bonzo's 20 minute (!) Moby Dick on the Led Zep DVD? Bruce Lee of drumkits.

Anyway, my fave bit of drumming from him is on Physical Graffiti - "In my Time of Dying". Awesome.

My pal is learning drums, he got a Yamaha DTXpress electronic kit so he can play without disturbing anyone. I have drummania for all the fun of drumming with none of the pressure to perform. And I'm a lot better than my mate ;-)

Oh, and all important reason number 4) - It's so much fun. :D

Hell, that's why I want to play. I get completely lost doing it, even just sitting down and pattering away on my desk listening to music, it just wakes me up completely.

And John Bonham is, as far as I can tell, the best drummer who ever lived. Hell, I'm desperate to be that good, but I'll never ever get there, it's incredible.

Ta Goat, nice advice.

Sounds crap, but I've done a little bit of drumming [without any actual drums] and I know damn well I can hold a beat without even thinking about it, and can get a few fills in every now and again too. I suck, but I'm improving by just playing around with plastic sticks, so that's a good start.

I think I'm gonna get a Yahama kit Newcastle Drum Centre seems like a decent place, so I'm browsing there at the moment.

http://www.newcastledrum.co.uk/bargains/index.html , check kits, then the Yamaha Stage Custom, nearish the bottom. Maybe that, maybe something from there.

I'm doing this for several reasons really, 1) I've wanted to drum for ages, 2) I've just come out of another depression and I want to get a new hobby 3) I need to get fitter as well, I'm in physio at the moment because approximately 20% of my spine is moving, but that's getting better. I need to improve my general health and stamina, and exercising to get stamina for drumming is a good way to do it, I think.

So yeah, ta. I'll see about ordering some this week.

I started with christknows for about £150, wasn't even a name I recognised or remember but it served me well for good 3-4 years. Even did my very first gig with it.
Then after a while I bought a Yamaha kit, but I didn't like the feel or sound it.
Went to a drum shop and spent the afternoon trying different kits and set-ups and ended up purchasing a Mapex M-Series II in Honey Amber finish.

You can see it (sort of) here:
http://www.villagephotos.com/ viewpubimage.asp?id_=4711094

Now I have that kit with:
20" Zildjian nickel-plated ride
18" Sabian AA Dark Studio Crash
16" Sabian AA Light Studio Crash
14" Stagg Stage Crash
2 x 12" Zildjian Splash
Zildjian China-Crash

All bought in different stages but it's worth a bunch now, and protected with plush-felt soft cases and nobody gets to play it onstage but me, support bands can bang biscuit tins for all I care.

Grix Thraves wrote:
> I want to play the drums. Desperately. I have no idea where/how to
> buy them, I know Pearl are great and apart from that all I really
> wanna do is rock. Help?
---------------

Pearl are the Ford Fiesta of drums. Everybody gets something similar when they first start and soon realise they're simply "functional".
Which makes them a good starter kit.
Don't spend a lot of money on something that you may not actually enjoy or be any good at - despite your statement saying otherwise.
For decent mid-range, you'll be looking about £400-£500 for a shell-pack.
That's just the drums. No cymbals, no stool, no silverware (stands etc)
Cymbals can be anything from £150 for a useable crash, up to £500/600 for really good quality stuff.
So a mid-range kit with a hi-hat, ride & crash *could* be anything from £600 to £1000 if you want anything that's half-way decent.

BUT
You've never done it before, and you'd be stupid to spend that on something you may not be any good at.
It's one thing to listen to Bonham and think "Yeah, I wanna do that".
But that's John Bonham. A guy that had been playing for 15 years before Led Zeppelin even recorded.
A mate of mine has always wanted to play drums, and he just can't. It's not that he doesn't practice or isn't serious enough, he just cannot get all his limbs to do different things at different speeds seperately and at the same time.

You can show anybody how to play a chord on a guitar, it's just finger positioning.
You can't show anybody how to have innate rhythm, they either can or can't do it and it's nigh on impossible to learn.

Get something cheap. A 5-piece Pearl Export or Yamaha starter kit.
It's going to take you a good few months to get beyond keeping a beat for a few bars and adding some fills and chops.
Buy a starter kit to see if you can do it, or send me the money.

I've been playing for just over 15 years now and would be happy to give lessons, but you're miles away and I don't have the time. Buy cheap, smash them about to your favourite album and then take lessons.
You ain't gonna be John Bonham before the turn of the decade, but you'll still have fun

Be in my band

I have an excellent riff, well two but they sound the same.

Yes, just one.

I prefer Led Zep IV. The drum sound on When The Levee Breaks is astounding, it's a shame that bands don't experiment like that any more.

Ebay?

There's some stores selling brand new one's with quite low P&P for something of that size on there.