Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s life, maybe it’s just hobbies but it seems that you’re never quite finished when it comes to motorcycling or playing the drums.
The used kit I bought a few months ago was missing a cymbal that the owner sold separately. He had upgraded his cymbals and I knew that eventually I’d need to add another one but I wasn’t learning anything complicated enough to incorporate three cymbals – until now! I’m practicing a new routine on the bigger kit at music school so I’m in the market for a ride cymbal. Have you seen what a decent cymbal is worth?
My classroom has two drum kits in it, one for Alain – my instructor – and one for me. They take a lot of abuse as you can imagine and one of the cymbals is even cracked from some sort of classic rock accident. There’s no point in putting a pie plate on a stick and calling it music! At this point, I’m all in, so the quest is on for a gently used ride cymbal and stand.
It just struck me as I combed Kijiji and the local music store websites that I’ve chosen a couple of pastimes in which the main thing – drums or a motorcycle – are just the starter kits. My theory is that Neil Peart of Rush just got bored and that’s why his drum kit has grown to enough pieces to accommodate three players, maybe more.
Maybe one day I’ll want to be so surrounded by drums that I’m just a floating head and sticks, too. Drumming doesn’t come natural to me and that’s part of the reason why I love it so much. I have to work at it and repeat phrases and notes over and over ad nauseum until I get it but Alain says, that’s nothing unusual, it’s just the process of learning. I’ve almost got Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey down to where I can play along with the song and not muck it up too much. Victory! Now we’re working on Aerosmith’s Dream On. One day, if I get good enough, I’ll take on something by Animal from the Muppets.
All I suggest as you expand your drumming knowledge and kit, is to avoid the Keith Moon techniques to drumming! It can get expensive.
It sure can. The cymbal I SHOULD get is outside my imagined budget. And that doesn’t include a stand! Yikes.
Oh yes, cymbals can be very expensive. In days gone by I was part of a drum corps and even back then a good quality hand held cymbal was upwords of $50+ and that was 34 years ago. Don’t want to even guess what the price might be but likely a 3RD of what you paid for your kit.
Excellent guess!