Take up drums at age 56?

Did you take any lessons? I mean last year it must have been difficult. Cause my son is into drums and while we were stuck at home he had his classes online (oh heavens luckily his set is can be connected with headphones). Anyway, I hope you succeeded. 

I had forgotten about this thread. So here is an update. Much of it verifies the great advice I got here.

For about the last 18 months I’ve been a member of Drumeo, a drum instruction web site. It is simply amazing. Set courses. Hundreds if not thousands of popular songs transcribed into notation that has a moving cursor as the song plays. Hundreds of drumless backing tracks. Can’t say enough about this site. So comprehensive. Lots of great teacher including a number of big names. Famularo. Bernard Purdie. etc. The regular staff teachers are excellent as well. All sessions have the music below the video with a moving cursor and metronome. I still have not taken an in-person lesson. I know it would be beneficial too.

Last month I bought an acoustic kit. It was not a specific kit I was looking for but when it came up on Craig’s List is was too good to pass up. It is a Yamaha Stage Custom Birch set with a small bass drum. It was purchased by a professional drummer as a travel kit right before COVID hit. Of course gigs ended and he was out of work so he had to sell it. Came with everything but cymbals, even cymbal stands, etc. It was like new. In fact, the snare and some of the hardware were in unopened boxes. It is an intermediate level kit. I bought some intermediate level cymbals to go with it.

It is in a storage room on the second floor under the eaves that we cleared out. It is a tight space but it works. I have moving blankets and acoustic foam on the walls. Two layers of rugs on the floor.

I sold my e-kit to buy a few cymbals. I miss the convenience of it but did not have room for it. I am more limited in the times I can practice due to volume but my wife says she can go to the other end of the house and not be bothered so that’s good.

Having said that, just in the last month I have learned more, faster, than I have in the previous 12 months. Ghost notes and subtle hi-hat work were just impossible (for me anyway) on the e-kit. Because of the greater ease of dynamics and more subtle techniques I’m enjoying myself way more and wanting to practice a lot more.

I posted a thread a while back about exploring jazz music for the first time. I listened a good bit for about a year and appreciated it but did not really fall in love with it. However, with this acoustic kit I find myself drawn to jazz. That in turn is making me appreciate jazz music more. I don’t think playing jazz is going to be my goal but practicing it is definitely making me a better drummer.

Sorry about the long post but part of the reason I’m enjoying this so much is all the advice I got here. (And yes, I have gotten a little OCD about tuning and cymbals etc. Already have a list of new drum heads I want!)

As time goes by I may look into some low volume cymbals and mutes for the drums if I need to extend practice time when volume would be an issue.

Very cool. My brother played drums in his later years, not the best drummer but he enjoyed it. 

That pretty much describes me. I don't think I'll ever be good but I'm having a lot of fun. Also learning a LOT. About drumming and technique of course but also about music in general, as well as about a lot of great drummers.

The thing that keeps me going is that at the level I'm at I am able to pick up most things if I stick to it and practice. There are a few things that my brain/body can't seem to master in the short term but even with those I feel like persistence would eventually work.