Ess haych oh pee pee eye en gee. We're shopping.
Yes my pretties. I went and spent money today.
To improve the kit.
Two hundred and nineteen pounds or thereabouts of money too, which was more than I was expecting, to be fair.
And I didn't even get the ride cymbal (that's the big one that lies flat and low down seemingly - which I was using in my lesson as a second high-hat to keep the quarter note beats going).
I was wondering if I did it wrong.
I wondered if I should have gone into the place and asked for second hand kit instead - which would have been cheaper.
And now I can see that if I need any more stands etc I think I'll get them off ebay or a cheaper store on the internet. I'm even tempted to do it with cymbals - even though a part of me thinks 'Oh crikey, if that breaks or cracks on shipping though...' - but looking at it logically I've ordered vinyl over the internet and that's arrived fine, so as long as it's packed appropriately...
But maybe it's the fact that I'm a big dyke they don't like. Or a girl. Or just a newbie. Either way, I just didn't feel like he wanted to help. Or maybe all drummers are that nonchalant. I expect a certain amount of eye-rolling from my greenness in all drum matters but I still think it would have been nice for them to be a bit more encouraging.
I dunno. Maybe that's just me.
I might try a more local music shop next time just for the comparison.
So: contents of non virtual shopping list were as follows:
* Metronome
* Ear plugs
* 'Thone' (or a 'stool' as I prefer to call it because 'throne' just makes me think of the toilet, although 'stool' does to if I'm being honest. Maybe I'll just call it my 'drum chair' and not feel quite so rectally obsessed).
* Hi Hat (and stand, obviously)
* Cymbals & stands (I had written down 'splash' and 'ride' cymbals because those were the ones I'd been using in my lesson on Thursday - but after seeing how much everything else was going to cost me - not to mention the prospect of having to carry it all home on my own, I just opted for the splash).
So he offered me a choice of two seats - although I noticed there was a third type (which looked more like the bicycle saddle style) but I opted for the cheapest because I figure I'm only going to be sitting on it for about an hour a day (because otherwise the neighbours are going to go spare but also because by the time I get home from work, make dinner, do all the other stuff I have to do I can't imagine on a normal night I'm going to get the time for any more), in which case as long as it's a bit padded, that's fine.
That one was a 'Mapex' and cost me forty quid or thereabouts.
Next up was the hi hat (that's like two cymbals which are controlled by a pedal - which seems to be pressed down most of the time but then you lift your foot to get a 'churcha' noise - most of the time you're hitting it with the drumstick in your right hand on the faster notes. Last week I was lifting on the 'and' beat of the four. You count 'one and two and three and four and' you see, and every word is a beat (so you end up hitting it eight times - hence 'eighth notes').
So it went:
chik chik chik chik chik chik chik churcha.
Is this all a bit too 'idiots guide'?
Oh anyway, I think it's interesting to try and explain to people who don't know.
*blows raspberry at those who disagree*
In the shop the chap said that the high hat stand and cymbals are separate so he told me how much the stand was and how much the cymbals were. i think the cymbals were about £35-40 but I really can't remember what he said. It may have been more. I do remember thinking 'cor blimey' at the total cost of one though.
I forgot to ask if a pedal was included. He did mention something about a drum key which he could sell me but he neglected to put it in and I only remembered when I got home. Thankfully the bloke I bought the practice drums off had given me one - which didn't fit perfectly but did the job with a bit of fiddling.
Those were Stagg - stand and cymbals.
Then he said he could do me a discount on the splash cymbal (which is a really little cymbal) although I don't remember if he said why.
*dubious look*
Oh like I'd know if I got ripped off.
That had PQ meinl classic written on it which I'm assuming is the make and it had 10" written on it too. Presumably you can get different sizes. Or they're just boasting.
And then another Stagg stand for that.
Stagg is the same make of practice pad I got too, so I'm assuming the drum shop has some sort of deal going on with them.
Or maybe they're just drum basic suppliers.
Anyway, then I wanted some 'Docs Pro Plugs' (I have no idea if that's the right spelling, that's what it sounded like when my teacher recommended them).
The shop didn't have any of those but he said he had filters which cost the same and do a similar thing but filter out the noise rather than block it out.
So I shrugged and thought I'd give them a go. Those are by Elacin.
Finally I asked for a metronome.
He said he didn't sell shit ones (I'm glad to hear it, I thought. Really, boys are just a bit funny, aren't they) so I took the one he recommended as a drummer's friend, which cost me thirtty quid I think.
That's made by Boss and had DB-30 written on it. Is that a name or information? I have no idea.
So I paid for it all and tried not to keel over in fright when he gave me the price and was surprised that he didn't put any of my cymbals in a box or anything - just a plastic bag. So I thought I better make sure I don't ht off anything on the way home.
So what did I do as I was walking out the door?
Yep.
Smack! Clang! *wince*
(sounds like a Roxette song!)
The journey back to home was a nightmare.
The tubes would be packed I knew, and I didn't fancy using too many gates, so I decided to walk most of the way.
Embankment area was shut off for some reason (bomb scare, no doubt) and so I was lugging a fucking chair, 2 stands, 3 cymbals and various other bits and bobs and their boxes what felt like miles.
Weight wise it wasn't too bad, although I could feel the backs of my shoulders burning because I was having to lift the bags up to stop them dragging on the floor (curse my short legs!) - which meant my triceps and shoulders got more of a workout than I had anticipated but it was the plastic bags cutting into my hands which was causing me agony. Especially my little finger on my right hand, for some reason.
When I got on the train I couldn't actually use my right hand as it shook too badly when I tried to move it and my little finger had gone completely numb (it's still not completely right).
But it didn't stop there.
No, the fun was only just beginning!
Why? I hear you ask.
Well because OBVIOUSLY people are supposed to be BORN with the knowledge of how to set up things like hi hats!
There were NO instructions in any of it.
(Oh, except the metronome).
Which is FINE for all those bastards who have been playing drums since school and had drum kits bought for them by daddy when they were 5 but what about us poor sods who have never seen a music stand in our lives?
Let alone one with pedals that need cymbals attached to it!
What, we're all just supposed to immediately KNOW how to put a high hat together, are we??
Arse bandits!
Sheesh!
So my thanks go out to these two websites for telling me how to put my High Hat together.
http://www.fretland.com/howtosetupdr.html
http://www.playrecord.net/resource/articles/drum-kit-setup-tutorial.php
Although step by step pictures would have been helpful (or even just a close up of how it's supposed to look!)
I would have done a 'how to put a hi hat together' guide myself, obviously, but I was far too busy swearing and cursing the gods to be taking pictures as I went bumbling along.
It took me a while, despite online instructions.
And I'm still not entirely sure I have it all, but fuck it. It's up, it works, that's all I need.
Actually the splash cymbal stand was giving me just as much hassle - I couldn't get it low enough and again I stood there wondering how to put a cymbal on it, scratching my head.
Who knows if my logic is correct.
no doubt we'll find out if it falls off.
Bloody noisy though.
And the hi hat pedal is really stiff and there doesn't seem to be any way of loosening it like on my bass drum pedal.
So I shall just have to get forceful on my left foot.
By the end of this I shall have thighs like girders.
Although I'll fess up now and admit I don't use the heel up method on my bass drum - I use the peddle like I'm tapping my foot, keeping the heel on the floor.
Which SEEMINGLY is a bit of a no no, but I have fuck-all rhythm in my right thigh at the moment so it will have to do until I learn the heel-up, pounding with the thigh method.
So yes, earplugs make a big difference, although I can see that's going to fuck off the neighbours because I was sitting there thinking it wasn't too bad until I took them out and then I was all 'OH MY GOD THAT'S LOUD!'
Practice sessions must be early in the evening then or after everyone else has buggered off to work.
I'm glad I only bought a splash cymbal too as I don't have the room for a proper one or a ride cymbal at the moment. The splash can act as a bit of everything for the time being as far as I'm concerned.
Can I hear you all sucking your teeth in disapproval?
Yeah well, what you gonna do?
*shrugs*
Metronome is funky. Sounds very disco and proves to me just how off the beat I was at points - especially after fills or hitting cymbals.
So it's all good.
Although I doubt the surrounding flats will think so.
Tish tish thwak tish tish tish thwak tish
To improve the kit.
Two hundred and nineteen pounds or thereabouts of money too, which was more than I was expecting, to be fair.
And I didn't even get the ride cymbal (that's the big one that lies flat and low down seemingly - which I was using in my lesson as a second high-hat to keep the quarter note beats going).
I was wondering if I did it wrong.
I wondered if I should have gone into the place and asked for second hand kit instead - which would have been cheaper.
And now I can see that if I need any more stands etc I think I'll get them off ebay or a cheaper store on the internet. I'm even tempted to do it with cymbals - even though a part of me thinks 'Oh crikey, if that breaks or cracks on shipping though...' - but looking at it logically I've ordered vinyl over the internet and that's arrived fine, so as long as it's packed appropriately...
But maybe it's the fact that I'm a big dyke they don't like. Or a girl. Or just a newbie. Either way, I just didn't feel like he wanted to help. Or maybe all drummers are that nonchalant. I expect a certain amount of eye-rolling from my greenness in all drum matters but I still think it would have been nice for them to be a bit more encouraging.
I dunno. Maybe that's just me.
I might try a more local music shop next time just for the comparison.
So: contents of non virtual shopping list were as follows:
* Metronome
* Ear plugs
* 'Thone' (or a 'stool' as I prefer to call it because 'throne' just makes me think of the toilet, although 'stool' does to if I'm being honest. Maybe I'll just call it my 'drum chair' and not feel quite so rectally obsessed).
* Hi Hat (and stand, obviously)
* Cymbals & stands (I had written down 'splash' and 'ride' cymbals because those were the ones I'd been using in my lesson on Thursday - but after seeing how much everything else was going to cost me - not to mention the prospect of having to carry it all home on my own, I just opted for the splash).
So he offered me a choice of two seats - although I noticed there was a third type (which looked more like the bicycle saddle style) but I opted for the cheapest because I figure I'm only going to be sitting on it for about an hour a day (because otherwise the neighbours are going to go spare but also because by the time I get home from work, make dinner, do all the other stuff I have to do I can't imagine on a normal night I'm going to get the time for any more), in which case as long as it's a bit padded, that's fine.That one was a 'Mapex' and cost me forty quid or thereabouts.
Next up was the hi hat (that's like two cymbals which are controlled by a pedal - which seems to be pressed down most of the time but then you lift your foot to get a 'churcha' noise - most of the time you're hitting it with the drumstick in your right hand on the faster notes. Last week I was lifting on the 'and' beat of the four. You count 'one and two and three and four and' you see, and every word is a beat (so you end up hitting it eight times - hence 'eighth notes').So it went:
chik chik chik chik chik chik chik churcha.
Is this all a bit too 'idiots guide'?
Oh anyway, I think it's interesting to try and explain to people who don't know.
*blows raspberry at those who disagree*
In the shop the chap said that the high hat stand and cymbals are separate so he told me how much the stand was and how much the cymbals were. i think the cymbals were about £35-40 but I really can't remember what he said. It may have been more. I do remember thinking 'cor blimey' at the total cost of one though.I forgot to ask if a pedal was included. He did mention something about a drum key which he could sell me but he neglected to put it in and I only remembered when I got home. Thankfully the bloke I bought the practice drums off had given me one - which didn't fit perfectly but did the job with a bit of fiddling.
Those were Stagg - stand and cymbals.
Then he said he could do me a discount on the splash cymbal (which is a really little cymbal) although I don't remember if he said why.*dubious look*
Oh like I'd know if I got ripped off.
That had PQ meinl classic written on it which I'm assuming is the make and it had 10" written on it too. Presumably you can get different sizes. Or they're just boasting.
And then another Stagg stand for that.
Stagg is the same make of practice pad I got too, so I'm assuming the drum shop has some sort of deal going on with them.
Or maybe they're just drum basic suppliers.
Anyway, then I wanted some 'Docs Pro Plugs' (I have no idea if that's the right spelling, that's what it sounded like when my teacher recommended them).The shop didn't have any of those but he said he had filters which cost the same and do a similar thing but filter out the noise rather than block it out.
So I shrugged and thought I'd give them a go. Those are by Elacin.
Finally I asked for a metronome.
He said he didn't sell shit ones (I'm glad to hear it, I thought. Really, boys are just a bit funny, aren't they) so I took the one he recommended as a drummer's friend, which cost me thirtty quid I think. That's made by Boss and had DB-30 written on it. Is that a name or information? I have no idea.
So I paid for it all and tried not to keel over in fright when he gave me the price and was surprised that he didn't put any of my cymbals in a box or anything - just a plastic bag. So I thought I better make sure I don't ht off anything on the way home.
So what did I do as I was walking out the door?
Yep.
Smack! Clang! *wince*
(sounds like a Roxette song!)
The journey back to home was a nightmare.
The tubes would be packed I knew, and I didn't fancy using too many gates, so I decided to walk most of the way.
Embankment area was shut off for some reason (bomb scare, no doubt) and so I was lugging a fucking chair, 2 stands, 3 cymbals and various other bits and bobs and their boxes what felt like miles.
Weight wise it wasn't too bad, although I could feel the backs of my shoulders burning because I was having to lift the bags up to stop them dragging on the floor (curse my short legs!) - which meant my triceps and shoulders got more of a workout than I had anticipated but it was the plastic bags cutting into my hands which was causing me agony. Especially my little finger on my right hand, for some reason.
When I got on the train I couldn't actually use my right hand as it shook too badly when I tried to move it and my little finger had gone completely numb (it's still not completely right).
But it didn't stop there.
No, the fun was only just beginning!
Why? I hear you ask.
Well because OBVIOUSLY people are supposed to be BORN with the knowledge of how to set up things like hi hats!
There were NO instructions in any of it.
(Oh, except the metronome).
Which is FINE for all those bastards who have been playing drums since school and had drum kits bought for them by daddy when they were 5 but what about us poor sods who have never seen a music stand in our lives?
Let alone one with pedals that need cymbals attached to it!
What, we're all just supposed to immediately KNOW how to put a high hat together, are we??
Arse bandits!
Sheesh!
So my thanks go out to these two websites for telling me how to put my High Hat together.
http://www.fretland.com/howtosetupdr.html
http://www.playrecord.net/resource/articles/drum-kit-setup-tutorial.php
Although step by step pictures would have been helpful (or even just a close up of how it's supposed to look!)
I would have done a 'how to put a hi hat together' guide myself, obviously, but I was far too busy swearing and cursing the gods to be taking pictures as I went bumbling along.
It took me a while, despite online instructions.
And I'm still not entirely sure I have it all, but fuck it. It's up, it works, that's all I need.
Actually the splash cymbal stand was giving me just as much hassle - I couldn't get it low enough and again I stood there wondering how to put a cymbal on it, scratching my head.
Who knows if my logic is correct.
no doubt we'll find out if it falls off.
Bloody noisy though.
And the hi hat pedal is really stiff and there doesn't seem to be any way of loosening it like on my bass drum pedal.
So I shall just have to get forceful on my left foot.
By the end of this I shall have thighs like girders.
Although I'll fess up now and admit I don't use the heel up method on my bass drum - I use the peddle like I'm tapping my foot, keeping the heel on the floor.
Which SEEMINGLY is a bit of a no no, but I have fuck-all rhythm in my right thigh at the moment so it will have to do until I learn the heel-up, pounding with the thigh method.
So yes, earplugs make a big difference, although I can see that's going to fuck off the neighbours because I was sitting there thinking it wasn't too bad until I took them out and then I was all 'OH MY GOD THAT'S LOUD!'
Practice sessions must be early in the evening then or after everyone else has buggered off to work.
I'm glad I only bought a splash cymbal too as I don't have the room for a proper one or a ride cymbal at the moment. The splash can act as a bit of everything for the time being as far as I'm concerned.
Can I hear you all sucking your teeth in disapproval?
Yeah well, what you gonna do?
*shrugs*
Metronome is funky. Sounds very disco and proves to me just how off the beat I was at points - especially after fills or hitting cymbals.
So it's all good.
Although I doubt the surrounding flats will think so.
Tish tish thwak tish tish tish thwak tish
posted by creepylesbo at 9:50 pm
2 Comments:
Er...I think there is a slight element of being ripped off there.
Stools....that's what they are called.
I don't know why you weren't provided with a drum key.
Re: hi-hat pedal being stiff...sounds odd...try changing the position of the top cymbal...maybe it isn't loose enough.
I think splash cymbals come in different sizes...for different pitches.
Re: the metronome. It is a Boss model number.
Yes, drums are loud....very loud...especially if you are practicing.
Oh curses. I knew it.
But stools sounds so Gillian McKeith!
I wasn't provided with a drum key because I am a girl and he looked a bit absent-minded. I had to remind him about the drum chair as it was.
Well, to be fair I may have constructed the hi hat completely wrong, so the stiffness may be all my own fault. The top cymbal doesn't sit entirely straight on the bottom one. (enter the 'not even my cymbals are straight' gag here).
but thanks for the imput Mr Muppetlord, sir.
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