Need advice- want to learn drums or bass

[BeeRbeLLy]

Hello and good day to all!

I am new here and have come here for a reason. I am in my 40’s, have never played an instrument and have come to the realization that I want to learn one. (You know, it’s kind of one of those “life is passing me by things”….) Anyway, I hope that I can at least get a little insight into my particular situation, and I apologize if my questions (concerns) have been asked a thousand times before, or are aimed more at a “it really depends on the individual” type of answer. Yes, I'm sure they are quite noobish but I need to start somewhere.

My 10 yr old son has been taking guitar lessons for the last year and a half and I am very proud of what he has done. He is no master but seems to have done nicely in the recitals he has been in. He has just recently switched to now learning the drums and seems quite excited by it.

I have always been interested in both the bass and drums and would like to learn one or the other but after pondering this for a while keep going back and forth as to which one I want. At my age, I have no grand ideas of forming a band and touring the world; but my dream is to maybe someday play with a church group, play with a bunch of other old farts playing rock classics, and/or playing with my son to some degree.

I guess the main “question” or the meat of the information I hope to gather is:
1. What (at my age) could I expect to learn, and be able to play in considering bass vs. drums, and
2. in comparing and contrasting both the bass and drums, what is an expected amount of time to learn either instrument that could get me to the point of playing basic songs comfortably?

(Now, I KNOW that these questions are very open-ended and hard to answer for any one particular person due to various factors, but I hope to mainly gain some insight here.)

A little bit of what I know (or I THINK I have learned ):

bass

*I have always loved the bass since I was a teen and had wanted to learn then but never followed through.
*I have been reviewing the basics (string names, instrument parts, playing 5th fret on each string is the same as open string below, etc)…VERY basic stuff but I have been investigating.
*From what I understand it is one of the easier instruments to learn in the overall scheme of things.

drums
*I have been an avid “air drummer” for many years (insert laugh here :lol:). I’m not talking about a guy who is just flailing his arms around crazily, but someone who believes they understand a good portion of what a drummer is doing in a particular song, and feel like I can follow along pretty well considering I have never played. (hi-hat/snare, ride/snare, simple bass drum patterns, etc)
* This weekend, my son and I went to Guitar Center to pick up a few things he needed. This is the first time I have ever sat behind a drum kit (albeit an electronic one) and was quite surprised at the simple beat I was able to put out.
* I am unsure as to my ability to actually be the timekeeper of a group (fear, I guess) and am wondering if I would ever be able to move 4 limbs independently of each other.

Now, if this long-winded post full of too many open-ended questions turns off most people, I truly understand. I hope that some of you with experience (or may have been in the same boat as me previously) could help me on this musical journey.

Thanks for your time and attention.

[Sauron]

I'm going to speak about this on a more bass player's perspective:


1. What (at my age) could I expect to learn, and be able to play in considering bass vs. drums, and

Depending on the context you want to go into (I am assuming just fun rock/blues type of stuff), you'll find both instruments pretty quick to start simple things on. Really, it comes down to trying both and seeing what you're comfortable moving forward with.

Beginning to learn bass and beginning to learn drums are quite different, in my opinion, because of what you are doing on each instrument, so it really boils down to what you find more fun.

As far as what you can learn at your age, the limits only lie in the time you put into the instrument. You don't have to start at a young age to be good at something, and many people start instruments around your age and become very good at it. It will also help that your son is playing an instrument as well. You'll both be able to feed off of each other and teach each other.



2. in comparing and contrasting both the bass and drums, what is an expected amount of time to learn either instrument that could get me to the point of playing basic songs comfortably?

It can take anywhere from a few hours to a week or so to learn your first song, depending on the difficulty of the song you pick. Both bass and drums, in a typical rock band situation, rely on very basic techniques and approaches, so depending on yourself you could be playing rock tunes in very little time.


*From what I understand it is one of the easier instruments to learn in the overall scheme of things.

There are easy aspects to all instruments when you are starting out, as well as hard parts. Bass, I find, is a good starter instrument because its role and basic techniques are quite simple (people will hate on me in this thread for this). I see bass as one of the easier instruments to play in a rock band as you're only playing one note at a time.

[DaveSavesTheDay]

As far as what you can learn at your age, the limits only lie in the time you put into the instrument. You don't have to start at a young age to be good at something, and many people start instruments around your age and become very good at it. It will also help that your son is playing an instrument as well. You'll both be able to feed off of each other and teach each other.

I'd agree. Some people are also more capable then others, have better hand-eye coording, ext. Music is one of those things where you just have to judge how much time you want to commit to it before you feel comfortable.

I can't really speak from a drum's point of view, but I'd say Sauron's points are valid from a bass player's perspective.


There are easy aspects to all instruments when you are starting out, as well as hard parts. Bass, I find, is a good starter instrument because its role and basic techniques are quite simple (people will hate on me in this thread for this). I see bass as one of the easier instruments to play in a rock band as you're only playing one note at a time

This is where I tend to disagree. Bass can be one of the more difficult instruments to play when you consider the multitude of techniques and play styles that are out there. Surley there are songs that only require simple playing, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that every song only requires playing one simple riff or set of notes.

bass vs. drums

I've also got to point out that your responses might be slightly skewed here. It is the bass forum afterall :p

Regardless of what you choose to play, enjoy it :thumb:

[DBoons Ghost]

bass

*I have always loved the bass since I was a teen and had wanted to learn then but never followed through.
*I have been reviewing the basics (string names, instrument parts, playing 5th fret on each string is the same as open string below, etc)…VERY basic stuff but I have been investigating.
*From what I understand it is one of the easier instruments to learn in the overall scheme of things.

Well, I have a similar tale but not to that extent. I played bass from age 12 to 16, in which I took it serious. I never took lessons because I never really felt I needed to, but in the end I was wrong. I found myself bored with cover songs at the time, and was always distracted with chicks and partying and a major lack of self discipline to move to the next step. I sold all my gear and forgot all about it.

Long story short, after some conversation with friends and such, my wife bought me a bass for my 30th birthday.

I'm now 36 and I can tell you that maybe I had an advantage due to the fact I played for years prior. I found I had lost all dexterity as without practice, playing an instrument is not really like riding a bike. My fingers were weak and so I found myself pretty much a beginner again. For about a year I practiced every day. I bought some beginner books and used them and followed them to the letter. I learned songs like You Really Got Me by the Kinks, and eventually "graduated" to slightly more complicated songs like Brown Eyed Girl from Van Morrison. I would spend a week or two learning the song, and sometimes I would practice certain patterns to help my fingers feel comfy playing in the finger positions required for these songs. While I found my dexterity and strength in my fingers, I still was longing for more knowledge of music theory to make my own music and jam with friends. So I took music lessons with a jazz guitarist as they know music best for the most part.

Much like you, I'll never tour and I sure won't be the next Jaco, but I learned enough to truly enjoy the instrument and play simply to have fun and enjoy it. I learned exactly when I needed to play the music I wanted. I played a lot with friends, and played a lot of gigs playing either blues improv or cover songs, and I had the time of my life with it. I still am enjoying it but I find myself limited currently without pople to play with. Since then my wife and I had a daughter so I am not out playing as much as I was before, but I am making music at home and I am glad I decided to re-establish a relationship with music and playing bass.

It's never too late! I know guys who started from scratch in their 50s and they love it. It's different as an adult. Your practices are more focused and you can really enjoy the instrument for exactly what you put in. I highly recommend bass over drums! It's cheaper for one thing, as drums can be pretty expensive for something that will result in a hobby, though that's me talking out of my *** as I own like 6 basses and I want to buy a ton more.

I hope this helped.

[One Groovin Clown]

I agree with what Sauron posted.

You seem to be interested in just playing music in general. In the end, which ever instrument you choose you'll end up falling in love with. (Individual preference :p)

Granted you are NEVER limited in your choice in instruments, and seeing that your son has begun to enjoy drums, picking up the bass may only be enjoyable to yourself, but it may as well be another output for your son to express himself on an instrument.


Regardless of what you choose to play, enjoy it

Have fun in which ever you choose, and if you ever have any questions these forums are extremely willing to answer as best as we can. We're no experts, but we do love our instruments.

Happy playing. :smoke:

[Sablate McNuff]

I'd say that you should try to pick up both, one at a time. Playing multiple instruments helps you shift into different perspectives and really gets the creative juices flowing.

As far as time as concerned, I've noticed that most people around here really seem to hit their comfort zone around the year mark. Of course it's dependent upon the individual, but you asked for a generalization.

I also recommend trying to play with other people whenever possible. It's one thing to learn techniques and such, but to actually apply them when it matters is an entirely different thing. Plus, playing with another person will help you feel where you sit in the mix, get used to shifting patterns and styles, and just open a whole new world for you musically.

I encourage you to pick up one or the other right away and just start working at it. It will be tough and frustrating at first, but it's worth it in the end.

Maybe since your son is playing drums right now, you should try to play the bass first. It really has nothing to do with my bass bias. The two instruments are synonymous with each other and you two can help each other along and make practicing more enjoyable for the both of you.

Good luck to you, my future fellow musician.

[Stuff]

Well, as long as your son has a regular size drum set I would say pick up a bass as you can play his drums anytime you want. Personally for me I enjoy playing drums over any instrument, as you said you can pretty much practice anywhere. You can't really do that with a guitar/bass, but don't get me wrong bass is much fun as well. My dad has a drum set and thats where I play all my drums and I own a couple basses and a guitar and they are open for anyone in my house to fool around on.

I say if your son has a kit and its a good size that would let you play on it, go get a bass. Like whats been said already, any instrument you choose you will have a blast playing. I do play bass more often than drums though as its really a matter of courtesy to my neighbors (if there is no sunlight I won't play).

Go pick one up and start working at it, it will be fun!